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Here is an example from London... The word ‘ Christmas ’ does not figure in the Bible. This festival underwent the pagan influence of the Saturnalia, celebrated around the time of the winter solstice in honour of Saturn, god of agriculture, characterised by their famous drinking sessions and the exchange of gifts. Furthermore, on 25 December 274, the Roman Emperor Aurelius proclaimed the sun-god Mithra the main protective god of the Empire. “The earliest mention of the festival of Christmas is found in the Philocalian Calendar, established in Rome in 336 AD.” - J. G. Frazer, The Golden Bough “The choice of 25 December appeared around 330, in order to cloud the pagan festivals celebrated at the time of the winter solstice. “This time was always marked in Antiquity, during the Saturnalia celebrated in Rome in honour of Saturn, the ancient master of time, or during Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun), a cult of the god Mithra that came from Persia.” - Nadine Cretin, Fêtes et traditions occidentales [Western Festivals and Traditions] The festival of Mithra, Natalis Invicti, Triumphant Sun and ‘birthday’ of the Invincible One, he who gave life back to nature, was therefore gradually replaced by that of the birth of Christ, ‘Light of nations” according to words of old Simeon. - Luke 2:32 The festival of Christmas therefore originated at a time when the cult of the sun was particularly strong in Rome. These details confirm that this festival draws its origins neither from the Scriptures nor from the traditions of the very first Christians. Double-Sided Mithraic Relief MND 1911 Denon room 25 Mithra, the Persian god of light, is shown on one side of the relief cutting the throat of a divine bull to make the universe fruitful. On the other side, he is depicted at a banquet with the sun to which he is compared.

THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRISTMAS...... The year was 1928, when Jehovah's people came to understand the God-dishonoring roots of Christmas. Since then, the pagan roots of Christmas customs have become general public knowledge..... but few people have made changes in their way of life as a result. But, Jehovah's Witnesses are always willing to make the needed changes in order to become more acceptable as servants of Jehovah God. When shown that celebrating the birth of Jesus had actually become of greater interest to people than the ransom provided by his death; that the revelry of the holiday and the spirit in which many gifts were given did not honor God; that the magi whose gift-giving was being imitated were actually demon-inspired astrologers; that parents set an example for their children in lying by what they told them about Santa Claus; that "St. Nicholas" (Santa Claus) was admittedly another name for Satan the Devil himself; and that such festivals were, as acknowledged by Cardinal Newman in his "Essay on the development of Christian Doctrine" were "the very instruments and appendages of demon-worship" the church had adopted.... When made aware of these things, Jehovah's Witnesses promptly and permanently ceased having any part in Christmas celebrations. Jehovah's Witnesses do have good times with their family and friends. But, they do not participate in holidays and celebrations that are linked with pagan gods (as is true of such holidays as Easter, New Year's Day, May Day and Mother's day). Read, 2.Cor. 6:14-17. Like the early Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses do not even celebrate birthdays. They also respectfully refrain from sharing in national holidays, that memorialize political or military events and also refrain from giving worshipful honor to national heroes. WHY ? BECAUSE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE NO PART OF THE WORLD ! Reference, Proclaims Book, pages 198-200.... ( by Brother Roger B. Elder )   Thank you Brother Elder !

via .ORGWorld News

CHRIST-MASS is a central calendar observance of the Roman Mass. A practice started out of intense anti-Semitic hatred of Jews, openly confessed by the Nicene Council, and created as a substitute for the Passover Seder commanded by the REAL CHRIST. The real Christ admittedly never had anything to do with a Roman Mass and not only observed the Seder meal, but commanded his disciples to do so as well. The Mass, established as a counter to the Passover, after which [though celebrated by followers of Christ for centuries] was actually outlawed as a crime against the state of Rome. The Mass is the ritualistic killing of an enemy of Rome at Saturnalia, and it's observance is STILL practiced as the killing of Christ to this day. CHRIST-MASS is actually not "celebrating his birth". It is "celebrating" his execution Rome itself conducted, and scapegoated Jews on behalf of, in a doctrine called "blood liable". It was also the official institutional rejection by Rome, of the very blood and body of THE REAL CHRIST who was Jewish, and in form, if not letter, the New Testament version of the "Abomination of Desolation". The actual CHRIST-MASS itself is the cloaking of the high holy day of the Roman Empire, THE SOLAR-MASS, patterned ritualistically as a form of magic, for the purpose of Imperial Emperor worship THE MASS OF CHRIST-MASS - Lukas Nkhoma

Christ and The Early Christians Refused to Celebrate Christmas ? – Did You Know That? https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-no6-2017-november/christian-christmas-bible/#?insight[search_id]=0a22656b-7d35-4c52-8a57-e01d8ca57e9d&insight[search_result_index]=3 Â

A Jehovah's Witness was attacked by her husband who feared she was going to cancel Christmas, a court has heard. Jason Mortimore struck his wife Rachael in the face three times with a magazine before burning her Bible and other religious documents in a garden incinerator. Mortimore, 46, admitted racially aggravated assault and criminal damage at Exeter magistrates court yesterday (TUES). He was fined a total of £666 but the court did not impose a restraining order on him. The court heard that the couple had been married for 12 years and have three children. In November Mortimore saw that his wife, who "has returned to her faith of Jehovah Witness", had thrown away some Christmas brochures and he assumed she was not going to celebrate the festivities. Before she could explain he hit her with a magazine around the face, prosecutor Warjinder Sadeghi said. A few days later they had a row and she woke up to find him burning her Bible and other religious documents in a garden incinerator. Mortimore also dumped other religious leaflets in their recycling bin. He denied the offences in police interview but said their relationship was under strain and he did not want their children to be influenced by her religion. Peter Seigne, defending, said his client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. http://firenewsfeed.com/news/114021

Bavarians fire guns at demons on top of Berchtesgaden's mountain as part of an age old Christmas tradition. The ancient practice of shooting away demons falls on the shortest day of the year.

A fun, quirky perk about owning a Tesla is that you can always look forward to a new Easter Egg. In the past, Tesla owners have been able to turn the car shown on their infotainment screen into the the submersible Lotus Esprit S1 from the James Bond movie, "The Spy Who Loved Me." They've also been able to virtually drive down "Mario Kart's" rainbow road. Now, Model X owners can trigger a Christmas light show by holding the "T" button on their infotainment screen and entering the code "holiday." Doing so will prompt the Falcon Wing doors to swing open and a light show set to the tune of "Wizards in Winter" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra will begin: http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-christmas-light-show-easter-egg-2016-12

Prince reportedly once said he wanted President Obama to outlaw birthdays and Christmas. “Why doesn’t Obama just outlaw birthdays?” the “Purple Rain” singer once asked Van Jones, the CNN political commentator reveals in a story published Thursday in GQ magazine. The “Purple Rain” singer, who died in April at age 57 from an accidental drug overdose, was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in 2003. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays because they “believe that such celebrations displease God” and because Christmas has pagan roots, according to the Church’s official website. “Although we choose not to celebrate Christmas ourselves, we respect each person’s right to decide for himself in this matter. We do not interfere in the Christmas celebrations of others,” the website states. Jones said Prince told him, “I was hoping that Obama as soon as he was elected, would get up and announce there’d be no more Christmas presents and no more birthdays — we’ve got too much to do. Jones, who indicated he was laughing during the conversation with the music superstar, replied, “I don’t know if that would go over too well.” https://origin-nyi.thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/309451-van-jones-prince-wanted-obama-to-outlaw-birthdays-christmas

What Does the Bible Say About Christmas? ??????? The Bible’s answer The Bible does not give the date of Jesus’ birth, nor does it say that we should celebrate his birthday. As McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia states: “The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of NT [New Testament] origin.” Instead, an examination of the history of Christmas exposes its roots in pagan religious rites. The Bible shows that we offend God if we try to worship him in a way that he does not approve of.—Exodus 32:5-7. History of Christmas customs Celebrating Jesus’ birthday: “The early Christians did not celebrate [Jesus’] birth because they considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.”—The World Book Encyclopedia. •December 25: There is no proof that Jesus was born on that date. Church leaders likely chose this date to coincide with pagan festivals held on or around the winter solstice. •Gift-giving, feasting, partying: The Encyclopedia Americana says: “Saturnalia, a Roman feast celebrated in mid-December, provided the model for many of the merry-making customs of Christmas. From this celebration, for example, were derived the elaborate feasting, the giving of gifts, and the burning of candles.” The Encyclopædia Britannica notes that “all work and business were suspended” during Saturnalia. •Christmas lights: According to The Encyclopedia of Religion, Europeans decorated their homes “with lights and evergreens of all kinds” to celebrate the winter solstice and to combat evil spirits. •Mistletoe, holly: “The Druids ascribed magical properties to the mistletoe in particular. The evergreen holly was worshiped as a promise of the sun’s return.”—The Encyclopedia Americana. •Christmas tree: “Tree worship, common among the pagan Europeans, survived after their conversion to Christianity.” One of the ways in which tree worship survived is in the custom of “placing a Yule tree at an entrance or inside the house in the midwinter holidays.”—Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/bible-about-christmas/

By Jon Steingart Nov. 15 — Murphy Oil USA Inc. violated federal religious discrimination law when it fired a Jehovah’s Witness who refused to comply with a district manager’s command to wish customers a merry Christmas, a new lawsuit in Tennessee alleges ( Appleyard v. Murphy Oil USA, Inc. , W.D. Tenn., No. 1:16-cv-01290, complaint filed 11/10/16 ). Many employers deal with religious diversity in their workforce and customer base. About 71 percent of the U.S. population identify as belonging to some form of Christianity, with the rest being of another religion or unaffiliated, government data show. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Christmas, plaintiff Richard Appleyard said in the complaint. Their faith also prohibits them from wishing others a merry Christmas. “Civil rights laws require employers to provide religious accommodations for the religious practices of their workers and that includes accommodating religious objections to performing job duties,” Daniel Mach, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, told Bloomberg BNA Nov. 15. Manager Belittled Worker’s Religion A Murphy Oil district manager made disparaging remarks about Appleyard’s faith before the Christmas season, according to the complaint, filed Nov. 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Appleyard said the company’s stated reason that it fired him from his position as a gas station cashier because his register was short was a pretext for religious discrimination. Murphy Oil USA Inc. is a subsidiary of Murphy USA Inc. that operates gasoline stations. In 2013, Murphy USA was spun off from parent company Murphy Oil Corp., which is an oil and gas exploration and production company. ‘A Lot of Different Options.’ Accommodations may come in different forms, the head of another religious freedom organization told Bloomberg BNA. An employee who can’t perform a job duty because of a religious objection may be able to direct customers to a colleague, Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said Nov. 15. Liberty Counsel says it’s a Christian ministry whose purpose is to preserve religious liberty. Asked whether there could be situations when sending customers to a co-worker might not be an feasible accommodation, Staver said it would only be a problem “if you only have one single source of information communicating to the public, maybe a single receptionist.” He added, “Even then it would seem as though a reasonable accommodation would be to allow the person to say season’s greetings.” “It seems like there’s a lot of different options,” Staver said. Michael Weinman of the Weinman Thomas Law Firm in Jackson, Tenn., who represented Appleyard, didn’t immediately respond to a Nov. 15 request for comment. An attorney hasn’t entered an appearance for Murphy Oil USA. Parent company Murphy USA didn’t immediately respond to a Nov. 15 request for comment. To contact the reporter on this story: Jon Steingart in Washington atjsteingart@bna.com To contact the editors responsible for this story: Peggy Aulino atmaulino@bna.com; Terence Hyland at thyland@bna.com For More Information The complaint is available at http://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/document/Appleyard_et_al_v_Murphy_Oil_USA_Inc_Docket_No_116cv01290_WD_Tenn. http://www.bna.com/jehovahs-witness-says-n57982082791/

A brother posted a photo of a newspaper saying "Pope Benedict: Jesus wasnt born of Dec. 25" it surprised me so i search it in the internet and then i found out that it is true. The present Pope released his newest book that also debunks Christmas myths. FINALLY, after hundred of years on deceiving its members by following a false tradition, the Pope admits DEC. 25 was not the birth date of Christ, he also said that Christ born several years before 1 A.D, meaning to say, the creator of the Christian calendar that we use today committed a big mistake, as he claim. Here are some news articles about it (for more, you can search it in your favorite search engine): Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!'" (Luke 2:8-14 HCSB). Is the Pope the next Grinch? The Pope's purpose in writing this book is not so much to debunk Christmas, but: "The pope was not so much aiming to debunk myths as trying to show that the Jesus depicted in the Gospels is a real historical figure, who walked on earth and talked to people like anyone else." -- Alessandro Speciale: Vatican correspondent for Religion News December 25 A Bible study on the early church does not mention celebration of the birth of Christ. The date December 25 stirs up a bit of controversy as well as it is tied to a pagan Roman holiday that honored their god Saturn. No one knows what day Jesus was born, but the Western Church in Rome decided on December 25, while the Eastern Church picked January 6. Eventually the time frame between the two dates became known as the "12 Days of Christmas." Back to the Bible To know whether or not your Christmas traditions are biblical, go back to the Bible. You may be surprised by what you learn if you take time to study Christ's birth. Just take a look at the visit from the wise men. They found Mary and the child in a house...not a stable. source: examiner.com ______________________________ ______________________________