Why do we teach our children to Lie?

Stating that Santa is loosely based on a man that lived 1700 years ago is not a lie. Convincing your children that he is alive today and delivering presents to all little boys and girls is a lie. You're right, Frosty and Rudolf don't exist either and my children never thought they did.

I see, my only hope is full agreement with your point of view.

1. It is not my list, these all came from the Bible.
2. I did not say what you did in particular was evil. I'm saying that Halloween and all its trappings (disguises, jack-o-lanterns, etc.) are all founded in druidism and satanism. It is also a most important day for today's Wiccans. I think it wise to abstain from association with this evil.

 

Your constantly calling me "offensive" is offensive. I didn't think a Christian website required political correctness.

 

AMEN!!!

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

 

sorry...I should have said the BB deems terms like you used offensive. I don't care. Just trying to let you know...they tend to edit stuff like that.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I think you'll find me one of the least PC folks here...

 

Wow! Eleven pages. I've been busy elsewhere or I would have been here before now. Thank you to Gwyneth for PM'ing me.

First, about my husband's dvd: The Christmas Star; The True Story, it is result of 30 years of research in astronomy, history and the Bible. It strips away much of the mythology and zeros in on the historical, scientific, and Biblical truth -- which happen to be the same thing. Here are some bits:

The date of Jesus' birth is strongly indicated at September of 2 BC based on information from Luke, Revelation, Roman history, and astronomy.

The Wise Men were NOT 'magi', but, as Matthew's original word tells us, 'magoi'. The first word is the root for 'magic' and the second for 'magnificent.' They are radically different words. The Magoi were the upper house of the Persian parliament. It is they who, following information in the Zend Avesta, their own Scriptures, were looking for the astronomical signs which would herald a new king in Isael. Daniel, many years before, had been the head astronomer in the Persian court and his prophesies became part of the Zoroastrianism scriptures.

Three old men on camels would have never bothered Jerusalem or Herod, no matter what they said. Jerusalem was the center of world trade routes and they were accustomed to many strange things.

But when the upper house of the Persian parliament, accompanied by an armed contingent, arrived at their doorstep, at the precise time Herod's armed forces were away fighting for Caesar, YES, the city and Herod were extremely nervous! The three gifts were the best the silk route had to offer, but there were far more than three men bringing them.

and the Star? What happened in the heavens for over two years was so significant that the Roman world thought the heavens were applauding Caesar Augustus himself!

The inn? The word used in the Greek is kataluma -- and every house had one -- a guest room. But Bethlehem was jammed and all were taken up. Also remember, Mary was due imminently, and as such, her delivery would have made the entire household 'unclean'. Thus she was housed in the stable, which was often open to and connected to the house itself, but technically not part of it. This part we learned from some people in the Middle East who emailed us a few years ago after reading something Barry had written that was on the web. We did further research and found the person was telling us the truth and that the tradition of the kataluma was quite ancient, as well as modern.

That's just some of it. There was no innkeeper who turned them away!

At any rate, the dvd is available on our website. Scroll down the front page a bit: www.setterfield.org

Now, about Santa Claus -- I grew up with him and so did my kids! And when they got old enough we told them the truth behind the legend and that we were using it to show that presents could be given for no reason but love -- and that the extra was always a symbol of God's love for us: undeserved and even unexpected.

As for the Easter Bunny, all I could do was tell them, "Well, when I was little, what I was told was that....." and grin, and they would go along with the fun, knowing that we were serious about the Resurrection but the candy was a neat side treat!

Tooth fairy? I did pretty well with the first kid, but by the time there were four, I was forgetting who had which tooth under a pillow or I would simply be too tired to remember it, so the kids figured me out awfully fast! One of them finally came up to me one day with a lovely molar that had come out and said, "Mom, thought I'd save you the trouble. Can I have a quarter for this? No cavities!" Which was better than the kid who wrote to the fairy asking for $500.....:laugh:

And no one was ever traumatized by a drunken Santa chasing them around, and none of them ever confused the fun of those things with our absolute serious worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

I would disagree with the inn being a guest room in every house in Bethlehem for this reason.

The Word of God says 'there was no room in 'the inn'. It was a specific place, not one of several. The Word does not say 'a inn,' which would have indicated one of many.

Word meanings have changed through the centuries, so it is possible that inn was come to be known later as a mere guest room in any house

 

You know what...call it whatever you like. If all pretending is lying, then Jesus lied...David and Jonathan lied in the field when Saul was looking for him, and the prostitute who hid the Israelites, and was blessed did too. (can't remember the name...brain cramp) I believe there are lies that are not sin in God's eye. Innocent fun with your children being one of them. I also tell my son I'm a monster and chase him around the house while he's laughing hysterically. I'm sure God is waiting to hurl the thunderbolt down on my noggin.

Lighten up...it's called a joke, or is that sin, too?

Who cares what something had it's original roots in? Christmas was an answer to the winter solstice, too (pagan). Please tell me you don't celebrate Christmas!

 

Scripture also specifies there was no room, anything else is changing scripture to suit ones own need.

 

Please consider that 'the inn' or 'the kataluma' would have been that room which was a guest room in the house of their relatives. It was, and remains, a deep shame for anyone in the Middle East to be foisted off to a public place where they had to pay if there were relatives in the area.

We see this all through the Bible. Abraham invited three unknown men to share his best. This is typical of Middle Eastern hospitality among their own. There is NO WAY Joseph's and Mary's relatives would have refused them a place to stay.

In the interlinear Bible, Greek/English we read:

"And in being there, there were fulfilled the days for the bearing of her; and she bore the son of her, the firstborn, and she wrapped him and laid him in the manger, because not was for them a place in the kataluma."

They had already been there at least a few days according to this. And Bethlehem was jam packed. But a place was found for them, and probably for many others in the stables of the homes of relatives during that time of the registration. Their lodging would not have been a unique event.

But because He was born during the September holy days stretching from the Feast of Trumpets to the Feast of Tabernacles, it would have been not uncommon for the woman to move into a clean animal area for the birth, since the blood of birthing would have made the entire house and its residents unclean, and thus unable to partake in the rites and festivals involved.

I never cease to be amazed that there are those who figure that an English word holds the key when the translators themselves may not have been familiar with the custom referred to.

The history of the kataluma goes back thousands of years.

 

no room in 'the' inn. not 'an' inn.

 

No room in the kataluma. Sorry, SFIC, but Helen and her husband knows their stuff... Get the DVD, and you will understand it completely....

 

Where does Scripture say they went to a relatives?

Where does Scripture say that the whole house is unclean when a woman has a baby?

Where in Scripture does it say that it was a shame for someone to be a guest in another's house who was not a relative?

 

Who cares what something had it's original roots in? Christmas was an answer to the winter solstice, too (pagan). Please tell me you don't celebrate Christmas![/QUOTE]

God cares. That is why he did not want the Israelis marrying outside their faith. He also does not wish Christians to be unequally yoked 2 Cor 6:14. He also tells us to "Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Th 5:22. Everything about Halloween and its foundation is based in evil, idolatry and satanism. Christmas came about as an effort by the early church to get the pagans to turn from there paganism, primarily the celebration of Sol Invictus which allowed for the worship of several different solar dieties. Christmas did not start as a pagan holiday but was the churches attempt to get the pagans to turn from their idolatry and turn to Christ.

I have actually seriously considered not celebrating Christmas, but as it has provided me and my family so many opportunities to grow in our faith and share the Gospel with others we have opted to celebrate Christ's birth as righteously as we know how.

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15 - 16

 

The above bolded and underlined is one of the most misused Scriptures ever to support legalism. What exactly is the appearance of evil?

The fact is BOTH started off with pagan roots. The fact you pick and choose which one to celebrate while condemning the other, and those who celebrate both is hypocritical. Are you saying "God cares" only about the ones we pick and choose?

 

The exact same goes for me and my mine... and I tried to give them a way to redirect those "kid conversations" to solely focus on Jesus. I can't say that that is always what happened.

 

And me being termed pharisaically judgmental is what...?

Jesus tells us "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." John 7:24 We are not to be limp rags, but are to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 In this way we can hopefully strengthen each other in our faith. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Pro 27:17

There is right and there is wrong. We as Christians need to discrn which is which and make proper judgment. If we see a brother that may be in error we need to help that brother return to the proper path. If in this attempt we find ourselves in error than we should willingly accept the correction and improve ourselves by it.

 

The truth.

 

The fact is Halloween is and always has been evil. Christmas was begun in the hopes of turning pagans to Christ. These are the facts and an HONEST study of the true history will bear them as accurate. Why are you so insistant on calling all those who disagree with you legalistic and adamantly defending your hold on worldly institutions?

Oops, sorry, that is probably offensive. I think I'll have to bail on this thread.

 

And you are Laodicean