12/16/2012
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BIRTHDAYS
THE REASON I AM POSTING THIS SUBJECT IS BECAUSE SOMETHING CAME UP SAYING THAT SNCE WE CELEBRATE B-DAYS NOW IT IS OK TO CELEBRTE DEC 25. LETIS LOOK AT THE SUBJECT AND SEE IF IT IS OK.
BIRTHDAYS
DEFINITION FROM DICTIONARY: THE DAY OF ONE'S BIRTH OR ANNIVERSARY OF THAT DAY. IN
ENCY: IN SOME PLACES THE ANNIVERSARY OF ONE'S BIRTH, ESPECIALLY THAT OF A CHILD, IS CELEBERATED WITH A PARTY AND THE GIVING OF GIFTS.MY COMMENT: NOT A SCRIPTURAL PRACTICE.
DO SCRIPTURAL REFFERENCES TO BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS PUT THEM IN A FAVORABLE LIGHT? THE SCRIPTURE MAKES ONLY TWO REFERENCES TO CELEBRATIONS: Ge 40:20-22 AND IT CAME TO PASS THE THIRD DAY, WHICH AS PHARAOH'S BIRTHDAY, THAT HE MADE A FEAST UNTO ALL HIS SERVANTS: AND HE LIFTED UP THE HEAD OF THE CHIEF BUTLER AND OF THE CHIEF BAKER AMONG HIS SERVANTS. AND HE RESTORED THE CHIEF BUTLER UNTO HIS BUTLERSHIP AGAIN; AND HE GAVE THE CUP INTO PHAROH'S HAND. BUT HE HANGED THE CHIEF BAKER; AS JOSPEH HAD INTERPRETED TO THEM.
Mt 14:6-10 BUT WHEN HEROD'S BIRTHDAY WAS KEPT, THE DAUGHTER OF HERODIAS DANCED BEFORE THEM, AND PLEASED HEROD. WHEREUPON HE PROMISED TO GIVE HER WHATSOEVER SHE WOULD ASK. AND SHE, BEING BEFORE INSTRUCTED OF HER MOTHER, SAID, GIVE ME HERE JOHN BAPTIST'S HEAD IN A CHARGER. AND THE KING WAS SORRY; NEVERTHELESS FOR THE OATH'S SAKE, AND THEM WHICH SAT WITH HIM AT MEAT, HE COMMANDED IT TO BE GIVEN HER. AND HE SENT, AND BEHEADED JOHN IN PRISON.
EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THE SCRIPTURE IS THERE FOR A REASON. (2Tim 3:16-17). TAKE NOTE THAT YAHVAH'S WORD REPORTS UNFAVORABLY ABOUT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AND SO SHUN THESE.
HOW DID EARLY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE AND JEWS OF THE SCRIPTURAL TIMES VIEW BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS?
"THE NOTION OF A BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL WAS FAR FROM THE IDEAS OF CHR-STIANS OF THIS PERIOD IN GENERAL."--THE HISTORY OF THE CHR-STIAN RELIGION AND CHURCH DURING THE THREE FIRST CENTURIES (N.Y. 1848). AUGUSTUS NEANDER (TRANSLATED BY HENRY J. ROSE), P 190
"THE HEBREWS LOOKED ON THE CELEBRATION OF BIRTHDAYS AS A PART OF IDOLATROUS WORSHIP, A VIEW WHICH WOULD BE ABUNDANTLY CONFIRMED BY WHAT THEY SAW OF THE COMMON OBSERVANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE DAYS," THE IMPERIAL BIBIE-DICTIONARY (LONDON 1871), EDITED BY PATRICK FAIRBAIRN VOL. 1, P 225.
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF POPULAR CUSTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS/
"THE VARIOUS CUSTOMS WITH WHICH PEOPLE TODAY CELEBRATE THEIR BIRTHDAYS HAVE A LONG HISTORY. THEIR ORIGINS LIE IN THE REALM OF MAGIC AND RELIGION. THE CUSTOMS OF OFFERING CONGRATULATIONS, PRESENTING GIFTS AND CELEBRATING--COMPLETE WITH LIGHTED CANDLES--IN ANCIENT TIMES WERE MEANT TO PROTECT THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRANT FROLM THE DEMONS AND TO ENSURE HIS SECURITY FOR THE COMING YEAR...DOWN TO THE FOURTH CENTURY CHR-STANITY REJECTED THE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AS A PAGAN CUSTOM." --SCHWABISCHE ZEITUNG (MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENT ZEIT UND WELT0 APRIL 3/4, 1981, PG 4
"THE GREEKS BELIEVEDE THAT EVERYONE HAD A PROTECTIVE SPIRIT OR DAEMON WHO ATTENDED HIS BIRTH AND WATCHED OVER HIM IN LIFE. THIS SPIRIT HAD A MYSTIC RELATION WITH THE GOD ON WHOSE BIRTHDAY THE INDIVIDUAL WAS ORN. THE ROMANS ALSO SUBSCRIBED TO THIS IDEA...THIS NOTION WAS CARRIED DOWN IN HUMAN BELIEF AND IS REFLECTED IN THE GUARDIAN ANGEL, THE FIAIRY GODMOTHER AND THE PATRON SAINT...THE CUSTOM OF LIGHTED CANDLES ON THE CAKE STARTED WITH THE GREEKS...HONEY CAKES ROUND AS THE MOON AND LIT WITH TAPERS WERE PLACED ON THE TEMPLE ALTARS OF [ARTEMIS]...BIRTHDAY CANDLES, IN FOLK BELIEF , ARE ENDOWED WITH SPECIAL MAGIC FOR GRANTING WISHES...LIGHTED TAPERS AND SACRIFICAL FIRES HAVE HAD A SPECIAL MYSTIC SIGNIFICANCE EVER SINCE MAN FIRST SET UP ALTARS TO HIS GODS. THE BIRTHDAY CANDLES ARE THUS AN HONOR AND TRIBUTE TO THEBIRTHDAY CHILD AND BRING GOOD FORTUNE...BIRTHDAY GREETINGS AND WISHES FOR HAPPINESS ARE AN INTRINISTIC PART OF THIS HOLIDAY...ORIGINALLY THE IDEA WAS ROOTED IN MAGIC...BIRTHDAY GREETINGS HAVE POWER FOR GOOD OR ILL BECAUSE ONE IS CLOSER TO THE SPIRIT WORLD ON THIS DAY." THE LORE OF BIRTHDAYS (N.Y. 1952) RALPH AND ADELIN LINTON, PGS 8,18-20
Now with this information should we keep Birthdays or anyone at anytime? Bro. Doc
Comments (9)
@BroDoc - I mean, when you make drafts of something they are just that, a draft. They are meant to be updated, changed, fixed, whatever word you want to use. So like for this example, I'm saying the draft was the Old Testament and now (or rather 1000s of years ago), the new testament came out. So why keep the old testament when the new basically overrides it.... make sense?
@Lewis1122 - Now, Bro. Lewis, does it say in the Scriptures, Book, Chapter and verse, are we too give honor to ourselves?
See the reason in Scripture that His B-day is not mentioned is because He does not want us to remember this, He wants us to remember the important part. THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION, and that He is alive in heaven, and that He is there too forgive us of us sins.
When you really read and study all the things that the cake, candles, and gifts mean, they come from pagan things.
Are we to follow after that, or should we?
We are keep away from evil things.
So if there is proof Bro. Lewis, that this is what was and still is in places what is part of B-day celebrations, should we follow it?
Should we do what everyone else does?
If a person(s) jump off the bridge, should we also because they do it?
Should we follow tradition and keep B-days because everyone else is? Bro. Doc
@ANVRSADDAY - You did fine with what you wanted to say. But we can see that the only time in the two places I mentioned BAD things happened on a B-day.
Now, IF they were to be celebrated and suppose to have been kept would not the Saviour's be one we would know for sure when it was suppose too be?
Also Bro. Frank, when you stop and look at all the pagan customs that are part of this celebration, we know Scripture tells us too not follow the way of the heathen. And if it goes against Thus says Yahvah, then we ought not do it.
Just like your wife about Halloween, it is really the big night that Satan does his work etc.
Once we study and understand the customs of certain things we keep and learn they come from pagan things, then it is time to divorce ourselves from them.
Thank you for the comments Bro. Frank. Bro. Doc
@olwd - I am not sure what you mean here Amy. So I will not answer until I am sure what you are driving at. Bro. Doc
I do not quite know how to express myself here. I have noticed that some believe that the history and origin of current celebrations, some day specific rememberances, etc. are now therefore unBiblical and/or wrong. My wife's most disliked holiday is Halloween for this kind of reasoning.
I am not convinced, but those who believe this can easily provide lots of information.
Frank
LOL, I view it this way Bro Doc. Since many didn’t want to even accept Christ was the messiah they didn’t want to accept that he was born. If he was born and there is a celebration because he was born, that would mean that he was who he claimed. Birthdays to me are simply showing that you care that the other person was born.
I don't understand, and I'm not being mean Doc, but when something is updated, why would we keep the older draft?
@Lewis1122 - You sure didn't have much to say Bro. Lewis. Thank you for reading it. Bro. Doc
Thanks for sharing Bro Doc.
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