Mind Manipulation In Celebration of Holidays and Religious Practices

Yolie Thomas

Lesson 6

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6)

Holidays Christians Should Not Celebrate

“Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold;

they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree,

but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them;

for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.” (Jeremiah 10:2-5)

Halloween

Let us begin with the obvious holiday Christians should not celebrate, which is Halloween. The history of Halloween traces back to the ancient religion of the Celtics. Those who carried out the rituals in the open air were the Celtic priests who were also known as the Druids. They were members of the pagan orders in Britain, Ireland and Gaul. Generally, these Druids performed rituals by offering sacrifices, using animals and humans in order to appease the god; ensuring that the sun would return after the winter and to frighten away evil spirits.

There were two main feasts the Celtics held, the Beltan on May 1st, which was the beginning of summer, and the Samhain on November 1st, which marked the end of summer. The end of the summer was believed to have been the time the division of the two worlds (natural and spiritual) became so thin (diaphanous) that apparitions and hostile supernatural forces were able to freely roam the earth. Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween) was considered the supreme night of demonic jubilation. It was believed that October 31st was the night the spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves to return to their homes where they once lived in life. Modern day “trick or treat” stemmed from the Celtic’s fear of these spirits. The villagers would leave plates of fruits, nuts and other treats on their doorsteps in an effort to appease these hungry ghosts, out of fear that the ghosts may destroy their property. In addition, they wore masks to hid from the dead.

In great certainty, these practices sound very familiar. Is this not the Halloween tradition many of us Christians have been raised to participate in? Churches having harvest parties where the children get to dress up as nice characters and they receive treats for wearing a costume, is still the celebration of Halloween. A rose by any other name is still a rose. Continuing pagan traditions and calling it by another name does not change the wrong. If churches are throwing harvest parties for their youth on October 31st because the world celebrates Halloween, and you think the children will not understand; ask yourself what is more important, their souls or their little feelings? Now is the time to get it right and become God pleasers and not man pleasers. The children understand far more than what you give them credit for. Just as heathens and others who profess their wicked lifestyles, why not live a godly one and make it known.

When Christianity spread throughout Europe the Halloween customs also spread but with a Christian worldview. The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, which intended to give rest and peace to the departed. On November 1st “All Saints Day” was introduced in the 7th century by Pope Boniface IV to replace the pagan festival of the dead. This was a day for the living to remember all the saints who had died. October 31st became “All Hallows Eve” (hallow meant saints) or the “Night of the Dead.” Naturally, this is how Halloween survived and merged in with Christianity. It is not a godly nor God reverenced holiday, therefore should not be celebrated by Christians.

The following are Halloween traditions and symbols to avoid and why. The bonfire represented the sun and was to aid the Druids in their fight with dark powers. The word bonfire derived from the words “bone” and “fire.” The bones of sacrificed animals and humans were piled up in a field along with timber and set on fire. Remember Jesus Christ was the final sacrifice which involved no fire or broken bones. Witches believe to be followers of an ancient religion called “Wicca.” For witches, Halloween is a great festival of the dead and marks the end and the beginning of their year. Black cats are considered to be reincarnated beings with the ability to divine the future. Witchcraft and divination are abominable to God and we are to have absolutely nothing to do with them. Jack-o-lantern was originally a carved out turnip, but once the tradition was brought to America, turnips were scarce and pumpkins were plentiful, so pumpkins were used for the festival of lights for Halloween and the ancient symbol of a damned soul. People feared bats, owls and other nocturnal animals because they believed that these animals communicated with spirits of the dead. Information on Halloween was obtained through the Jeremiah Project, an informative Website about the origins and customs.

Lent

Coming from the Anglo-Saxon Lencten, meaning, “spring,” Lent is observed forty (40) days prior to Easter and is derived from the Babylonian system of mysteries. Ordinarily, before giving up personal sins and vices for the Lent season pagans would hold wild “anything goes” parties to make certain they indulge in their share of debaucheries and perversions. Today, this type of celebration is called Mardi Gras “Fat Tuesday.” Both Easter and Lent were introduced to the Roman church in 519 A.D. This was the same time of year heathens held the celebration of the Rape of Proserpine in which is culminated a period of unbridled lust, forty days of enforced abstinence in preparation of it. It is also observed by devil worshippers of Kurdistan (Dake, p.821).

Easter

Christians all over the world celebrate Easter as a day to honor the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, Easter has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus Christ or His resurrection. However, it does have plenty to do with pagan practices and beliefs. In an On-line tract entitled The Pagan Origin Of Easter by David J. Meyer of Last Trumpet Ministries, he explains that “Ishtar,” pronounced “Easter” was a day that commemorated the resurrection of a pagan god called “Tammuz.” Tammuz was believed to have been the only begotten son of the moon-goddess and the sun god.

The history of this worldwide celebrated Holiday begins with the story of Nimrod, introduced to us in Genesis 10:8-10. Cush, the grandson of Noah, married a woman named Semiramis and they had a son named Nimrod. After the death of Nimrod’s father, he married his mother and became a powerful king. Nimrod was a mighty hunter and he was considered by the people to be a god-man or demigod. An enemy killed Nimrod, dismembered his body and sent his body parts to various sections of his kingdom. Semiramis became the powerful queen of ancient Babylon. All of Nimrod’s body parts were collected except for his reproductive organ; Semiramis claimed that Nimrod could not return to life without the missing part. She told the people of Babylon that Nimrod had ascended to the sun and was now called “Baal” the sun god. Baal’s presence would be made on earth in the form of a flame used in worship, according to Queen Semiramis. Wicked Semiramis created a mystery religion, assisted by Satan and proclaimed herself to be the goddess of the moon. Immaculately conceived, Semiramis came down from the moon in a giant egg that fell into the Euphrates River. She became known as “Ishtar” (Easter) and her moon egg became known as “Ishtar’s egg.” Supposedly impregnated by the rays of the sun god, Baal, she conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Tammuz. Because Tammuz was fond of rabbits, they became sacred in the ancient religion. In the footsteps of his father, allegedly he too was a hunter; but apparently not a good one since a wild pig killed him. Naturally, Queen Ishtar informed the people that Tammuz was ascended to his father, Baal and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or lamp flame as father, son and spirit. Ishtar was worshipped as the “Mother of God” and “Queen of Heaven.” Notice that Mary, the mother of Jesus was also named as the “Mother of God.” More will be explained about this coincidence in Paganism and Christianity, and discover that this is not a happenstance, but a compromise.

After the death of Tammuz, Ishtar told the people of Babylon that when Tammuz was killed, his blood fell on the stump of an evergreen tree and the stump grew into a new tree overnight. This made the evergreen tree sacred by the blood of Tammuz. (Have you ever wondered the significance of the evergreen tree in homes called the Christmas tree during the Christmas holiday? More will be shared about the Christmas tree in the next section.) Ishtar proclaimed a forty-day period of time of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz (for the Catholic church, this is none as Lent). During this forty-day period, worshippers were encouraged to meditate upon the sacred mysteries of Baal and Tammuz, and to make the sign of the “T” in front of their hearts as they worshiped (this is also what the Catholic Church does when they pray and refer to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). On the first Sunday after the first full moon and after the spring equinox, a celebration was made, called “Ishtar’s Sunday” or Easter Sunday. Rabbits and eggs were part of the celebration, along with the tradition of eating ham. Remember a wild pig killed Tammuz, so the eating of the ham became significant, Tammuz was also fond of rabbit’s and let us not forget Ishtar’s egg. Other traditions included them eating sacred cakes with the marking of a “T” or cross on the top (like hot crossed buns).

In Ezekiel 8:13-14, God reveals to Ezekiel the abomination of the temple: “And He said to me, ‘Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.’ So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.” Here is the only place in the Bible we see the name Tammuz. The notes on these two scriptures are explained as followed: “Tammuz was a fertility god. The women were crying out to the idol because they had no children or because the crops were failing. In the sixth month, August-September, Tammuz was thought to “die” with the scorched land. Worshipers would wail over his death and cry for his resurgence.” Instead of worshipping the Lord in the temple, they worshipped idols and wailed for strange gods. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.” God commanded this in Exodus 20:2-3 and repeated this throughout the Bible. God does not change.

All of these practices did not and do not include Jesus Christ and His Resurrection. Participating in these practices are not godly and are not accepted by God. These are practices of ancient pagan religion of Mystery Babylon and works of the antichrist. In a nutshell, Meyer sums it up for us in this statement: “Satan is a master deceiver, and has filled the lives of well-meaning, professing Christians with idolatry. These things bring the wrath of God upon children of disobedience, who try to make pagan customs of Baal worship Christian. You must answer for your activities and for what you teach your children.” In addition, Meyer explains that these customs of Easter honor Baal, who is also Satan, and is still worshipped as the “Rising Sun” and his house is the “House of the Rising Sun.” Easter is a celebration of the rising of the sun, just not the rising of the Son of God. Coincidently, the Passover, around the actual time Christ was crucified and resurrected, coincides with the pagan celebration of Easter, but not always. In 2005, Easter Sunday falls on March 27th and Passover is Sunday April 24th. Also, have you tried to count three days and three nights from Good Friday and come up with Sunday? It is impossible.

Christmas

In my research, I found many websites willing to tell the plain truth about Christmas. If so many know about the truth, why are Christians still celebrating the holiday? Looking at the elementary facts about Christmas it literally has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. In fact, many of the customs and traditions of Christmas pre-date our Lord and Savior and the celebration in itself was taken from many cultures and nations. The most obvious truth is that Jesus was not born on December 25th and if God wanted the birth of Christ to be commemorated, He would have made mention of Jesus’ birth date. Actually, there are no places recorded in the Bible that the people of God celebrated or even acknowledged anyone’s birthday. In fact, it was the death of a great person that was usually celebrated, hence “Communion.” We are instructed by Christ in Luke 22:19, to eat of the body (bread) and drink of the blood (wine) in remembrance of Him, commemorating His death and not His birth. Only heathens like Pharaoh and Herod rejoiced over their birthdays (Armstrong & Keyser, The Plain Truth About Christmas, p. 2).

Evidently, Jesus Christ was not even born in the winter. The Bible portrays a much more milder time of year for the birth of Christ, a season that permit shepherds to spend their nights in the field: “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night” Luke 2:8 (NKJV). December would have been far too cold and rainy in Judea for the shepherds and the flock. In examining Ezra 10:9 and verse 13 we discover this to be absolutely true, v.9: “So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem with three days. It was the ninth month (November-December, Chislev by Jewish Calendar), on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter of heavy rain” and v.13: “But there are many people; it is the season for heavy rain, and we are not able to stand outside.” It is believed that Jesus’ birth was no later than September.

If the Messiah, Jesus the Christ was not born on December 25th, whose birthday is being celebrated and why? The origin of Christmas dates back as far as ancient Babylon. “It is bound up in the organized apostasy which has gripped a deceived world these many centuries!” (Armstrong & Keyser, p. 6). It is believed that Nimrod, the son/husband of Semiramis the Babylonian queen, who was also named the Queen of Heaven, was born on December 25th. Semiramis claimed that a full-grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead stump, which symbolized the springing forth unto new life of the dead Nimrod. The new life was presumed to be Tammuz. On the anniversary of Nimrod’s birth Semiramis claimed that Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts. Placing gifts under the evergreen is the origin of the contemporary Christmas tree. In Rome a fir was decorated with berries during Saturnalia (Pack, p.7).

The word Christmas does not appear anywhere in the Bible nor does it have any Christian roots. According to David C. Pack, the writer of The True Origin of Christmas, nearly all aspects of Christmas observance have their roots in Roman customs and religion. “Considering the following admission from a large American newspaper (The Buffalo News, Nov. 22, 1984): ‘The earliest reference to Christmas being marked on Dec. 25 comes from the second century after Jesus’ birth. It is considered likely the first Christmas celebrations were in reaction to the Roman Saturnalia, a harvest festival that marked the winter solstice- the return of the sun- and honored Saturn, the god of sowing. Saturnalia was a rowdy time, much opposed by the more austere leaders among the still-minority Christian sect. Christmas developed, one scholar says, as a means of replacing worship of the sun with the worship of the Son. By 529 A.D., after Christianity had become the official state religion of the Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian made Christmas a civic holiday.’” In addition, Pack asks his readers to consider the following quotes from the Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911 edition, under “Christmas.” It states “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church…the first evidence of the feast is from Egypt.” Further, “Pagan customs centering around the January calends gravitated to Christmas” (p. 2). From December 17-24 marked the Roman Festival of Saturnalia, this was a time of celebration and gift exchanging. Saturnalia was the celebration of the fire god. “Saturn was the god of sowing (planting) because heat from the sun was required to allow for planting and growth of crops. He was also worshipped in the dead-of-winter festival so that he could come back (he was the “sun”) and warm the earth again so that spring planting could occur. The planet Saturn was later named after him because, among all the planets, with its rings and bright red color, it best represent the god of fire!” (Pack, p. 3).

Almost all civilizations had a fire and/or sun god: the Egyptians (and sometimes Romans) called him Vulcan; the Greeks named him Kronos and the Phoenicians called him Kronos as well as Saturn. The Babylonians called their sun god Tammuz (as Nimrod, resurrected in the person of his son) Nimrod was also called Baal and Molech. Nimrod was also considered the father of all the Babylonian gods (pp. 3-4). In association with the worship of the sun/fire god, followed some heinous practices. One in particular was the human sacrifice, mainly children which is described in Jeremiah 32:35, “And they built the high places of Baal which are in the valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech (Nimrod), which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.” It was the pagan belief that the fire purified them from their original sin. Their doctrine of spending time in purgatory to purge the soul from all sin derives from this belief (p. 4). Other practices such as the Christmas tree, the holly, the mistletoe and the Yule log have nothing to do with Christ or Christianity, in actuality they date long before Christianity and are utterly pagan practices.

Pack reveals the modern term for mixing the true God with false practices as syncretism. “Anyone who did this in ancient Israel was put to death (Lev. 18:21, 29)! It was that serious!” (p. 8). And many Christians today wonder why they are living a cursed life, surrounded by dead things: death in relationships, dying hopes and dreams; dead end jobs and so on. God’s Word was true then and remains true today for God is not a man that He should life or a son of man that He should repent. If He said it He will make it good (Numbers 23:19). For His word cannot return unto Him void (Isaiah 55:11). There will be more on this matter in the final section.

Other Holidays

St. Valentine’s Day has both Roman and Catholic roots, but is no longer officially honored by the Catholic Church because of the confusion of its origin, according to www.AmericanCatholic.org. In one possibility a priest in the Roman Empire who helped persecuted Christians during the reign of Claudius II, was believed to be thrown in Jail and later beheaded on February 14th. The second possibility discussed is a Catholic bishop who was beheaded, also during the reign of Claudius II. The third possibility according to American Catholic is that someone who secretly married couples when marriage was forbidden, or suffered in Africa, or wrote letters to his jailer’s daughter, and was probably beheaded.

Unfortunately, like the prior holidays explained, St. Valentines Day has a perverted origin and is not heroic as described on the American Catholic Website. The world’s beloved holiday of love, sweets, cards and flowers is another attempt to Christianize pagan celebrations. In Ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honor Juno Februata, the goddess of febris “fever” of love, and of women and marriage. Also celebrated was the Lupercalia (known as the “festival of sexual license”) held in honor of

Lupercus, god of fertility and husbandry, protector of herds and crops. Once again we are led back to Nimrod and the Babylonian Mystery Religion. Nimrod was known as Baal, Pan (god of light), Saturn, Osiris and Valentine. Defined by Pack in his tract entitled The Truth Behind St. Valentine’s Day, “Valentine comes from the Latin Valentinus, which derives from valens--to, to be strong, powerful, might” as described of Nimrod in Genesis 10:8-9. (p. 2). The symbol of the heart originated from ancient Chaldean (the language of the Babylonians), the word “bal” meaning “heart” was similar to Baal.

Finally, remember cute Cupid? You will not find him too cute to know that his name means desire in Latin and he was the son of Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty and love. Cupid, also known as Eros in ancient Greece, he was the son of Aphrodite. According to myths, he was responsible for impregnating numerous goddesses and mortals. Cupid was and archer with a jovial but sinister personality. By using an invisible arrow dipped in gold, Cupid would strike unsuspecting men and women, causing them to fall in love with uncontrollable passion. Producing misery and pain for the couple and laughter and pleasure for evil Cupid (Pack, p.2). So much more can be said about St. Valentine’s Day, but the point is that it is another pagan holiday that the world celebrates and Christians should not participate in.

Happy Birthday to You!

Surprise! Another holiday that should be avoided by Christians is the celebration of birthdays, only because it is a practice done by heathens. The Bible does not tell us to or not to celebrate them, but when we examine the Bible, there are only three places where birthdays are mentioned (Genesis 40:1-23, Matthew 14:3-11 and in Job 1:4) and all three are followed by disasters. Not a single scripture describes a birthday celebration for any of God’s righteous servants.

In spite of what some Christians believe, not even baby Jesus had a birthday celebration. Many Christians have been duped to believe that the three wise men immediately brought gifts to Jesus while He was still an infant. The myth is viewed in the “Christmas Nativity” scene that displays Mary and her husband Joseph, the Baby Jesus, shepherds and the three wise men from the East. But this portrait is inaccurate. According to Matthew 2, Jesus was a young child of about two years old, as we read of the massacre of innocent boys of 2 years and younger, Herod intended to destroy Jesus Christ the King of the Jews, “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

Paganism And Christianity

“Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge; every metal smith is put to shame by an image; molded image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are futile, a work of errors; in the time of their punishment they shall perish.” (Jeremiah 10:14-15)

Catholicism

“But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine” Jeremiah 10:8

Catholicism is the link between Paganism and Christianity. Catholicism was originated in fourth century Rome around 312 A.D. Constantine, the emperor at the time, followed paganism and borrowed from the Babylonian Cult when he was converted to Christianity, as a compromise of both faiths. Constantine was also a persecutor ofChristians for their lack of knowledge of pagan deities. Finis Jennings Dake summarizes the history of Catholicism in his book entitled God’s Plan For Man, (2001). Dake explains that by 366 A.D., Damasus, Bishop of the Christian Church at Rome, was then elected to the office of supreme pontiff. Damasus was bishop for twelve years through the influence of the monks of Mount Carmel, a college of the Babylonian religion originally founded by the priests of Jezebel and continued to this day in association with Rome. The Babylonian system of religion was adapted to Christendom in 378 A.D. The bishop of Rome later became the supreme head of the organized church and held the position of Supreme Pontiff of the Babylonian Order. All the teaching of pagan Babylon and Rome were progressively intermingled into the Christian religion, (Dake, pp. 818-819).

The effects of this union of paganism and Christianity slowly evolved into a religion filled with falsehood and heresy. “The Roman Church of today is purely a human institution, and her doctrines, which militate against God’s Word, were never taught by Christ or the apostles” (p. 819). The first practice that emerged from this forced-union was the introduction of the worship of the saints, particularly the worship of the Virgin Mary. Since pagans were accustomed to worshipping their gods, before being Christianized, they continued this practice in the church. As a form of compromise, the Roman Church venerated saints and holy men to be worshipped to replace these idols. Also, just as the Babylonian Cult worshipped the “Queen of Heaven” (Semiramis) and her “Son” (Tammuz) and did not worship the Supreme Father because he supposedly did not interfere with mortal affairs, the Roman Church embraced a similar worship in the reverence of Mary as the Mother of God and her Son. The image of mother and child was the object of worship long before Christ. Other countries have taken on this same image of mother and son (p. 819).

Another practice conducted by the Catholic Church that is not scriptural, is the supremacy of the pope over all moral and religious affairs of the church, and unlimited and immediate authority over the lives of all, a practice that mirrors the Babylonian Pontiff. Decreed by the Second Council of Nice in 787 A.D., the practice of worshipping and veneration of images was formed. Image worship is purely pagan and contrary to the true Word of God. The private confession to the priest is another pagan originated practice that is done in the Catholic Church today. The sign of the cross originated in the mystic “Tau” of the Babylonian Cult. It came from the first letter of the name Tammuz. The rosary is of pagan origin and the orders of the monks and nuns were borrowed from the Babylonian Cult (Dake, p. 821).

The Roman Catholic Church also has beliefs that are not only contrary to the Word of God, but can be considered blasphemous to true Christians and followers of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church believes that it was the one that produced the Bible. Also believed by the Catholic Church that it has the same or equal authority as the Bible, and its traditions are bound together with scripture. They also believe that the pope is Jesus Christ’s earthly representative for the Church and that it is the Churches duty to serve the pope with its lips, hearts, thoughts, and actions for he is reverenced as the “Holy Father.” It is also believed by the Catholic Church that an ordained priest of the Catholic Church has been given the power to forgive sins. The gospel commands that we confess our sins to God and he will cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1st John 1:9). The Catholic Church does not believe that Jesus’ crucifixion paid for the penalty of our sins in full. The Catholic Church still believes that after death one must spend a time in a state of purgatory to be fully cleansed before entering into heaven. “There is not one word in the Bible that would teach the purgatory of priests. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins…” (Dake, p. 824).

There are many traditions the Catholic Church practice, which are also contrary to the Bible and found to be pagan customs. The kissing of the pope’s feet began in 709 A.D. and was a pagan custom to kiss the feet of emperors. Revelation 19:10 states, “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’” The worship of the cross, images and relics was authorized by the Catholic Church in 788 A.D.; and is referred to as idolatry in the Bible according to Deuteronomy 27:15, “Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of hands of craftsman, and sets it up in secret.” Celibacy among the priesthood was never a rule imposed by Jesus or the apostles. In fact, Peter was married (Matthew 8:14-15) and the Apostle Paul instructed bishops to have one wife and children (1st Timothy 3:2-5). Pope Hildebrand and Boniface VII decreed celibacy in 1079 A.D. Peter the Hermit introduced the rosary (prayer beads) in 1090 A.D. The practice was copied from the Hindus and Mohammedans.

The counting of prayers is a pagan practice and is condemned by Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:5-13 (Dake, p.823). The recordings of these practices, rituals and traditions continue; they are far too many to list. As quoted in “God’s Plan For Man,” Cardinal Newman supports the pagan origin of Catholicism: “Cardinal Newman, in his book (Page 359) ‘The Development of the Christian Religion’ admits that ‘Temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, holidays seasons of devotions, processions, blessings of fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests, monks, and nuns), images are all of pagan origin.’” Dake challenges “Let any honest heart find Scripture for the above practices and see for himself that Romanism is not scriptural. The above chronological list of human inventions disproves the claim of the priests of the Roman Church that their religion was taught by Christ and that the popes have been the faithful custodians of the religion” (Dake, p. 824).

Like Semiramis, the Catholic Church has given the Virgin Mary many names and titles; some are the same as Semiramis.’ Both Mary and Semiramis are called the Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Queen of the World. Mary is also called Co-Redemptrix and Ever Virgin. “Co-Redemptrix,” Is not found anywhere in the Bible, nor does It say that Mary has redeemed us, or even been a part of our redemption. Jesus is our redeemer, according to Galatians 3:13, “Christ has redeemed us…” and in Ephesians 1:7 Christ alone has redeemed us through His blood. In addition, 1st Peter 1:18-19 states that it is not tradition that redeems us, but the blood of Jesus. Co-Redemptrix is a glorified name given to Mary, so that the Catholic Church may worship her. Mary was a virgin, but she was still born a sinner and in need of a Savior. Matthew 1:21 states: “And she [Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Mary would be included in His people, for the Bible does not state “…His people from their sins [except Mary, for she is without sin].” “Ever Virgin,” was a title given to Mary because the Catholic Church believes that she was a perpetual virgin, and that her virginity was sanctified by the birth of Jesus. They also believe that the men who are mentioned as Jesus’ brothers were of another Mary who was a disciple of Christ. The Roman Catholic Church claims “Jesus is Mary’s only Son, but her spiritual motherhood extends to all men whom indeed He came to save.” The Catholic Church also has a document called the Assumption of Mary that claims, Mary was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things: all things, meaning, of heaven and of earth. Once again the Bible gives Mary no such title. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

The Roman Catholic Church also teaches that Mary is the “mediatrix” of all grace. The body of doctrine about Mary is called Mariology, which is believed to be a cult of Mariolatry within the Roman Catholic Church by Protestants. “Catholics maintain that the veneration (hyperdulia) accorded Mary, while higher than that accorded any other creature, is infinitely lower than the worship (latria) reserved Jesus” (The Columbia Encyclopedia, p. 30518).

Permit me to close this section with the Apocrypha, books that were added to the Roman Catholic Church Bible by the council of Trent in 1546 A.D. God neither inspired the Apocrypha books, nor are they in any sense a part of the Bible. Many books were written and translated as study helps to Jews who did not know Hebrew or Aramaic. This is similar to a great deal of commentaries added today to study Bibles, e.g., Scofield, Thompson Chain Reference, or Dake’s Bible. Although these commentaries or articles are encompassed within the same cover and labeled “Bible,” we do not confuse them with Scriptures. Originally, the Catholics did not accept the Apocrypha as part of the Bible, although it was included in the Vulgate (Latin version of the Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church) (Philip, Reliability of the Canon, 004, p. 5).

During the Protestant Reformation, many of the Reformers challenged the Catholic Church to prove its doctrine with support from the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church discovered that many of their doctrines were not derived from the Bible. Consequently, for their survival the Apocrypha was added to the Bible, errors and all. In 1545-1546 the Roman Catholic Church convened what is called the Council of Trent, where they passed numerous resolutions, including curses against the Protestant believers or anyone who did not believe in the Catholic faith. This was done in order to cover up their doctrinal errors, for which support was only found in the Apocrypha and also to oppose the Protestant believers. The first Vatican Council reaffirmed this decision in 1869-70 (Philip, 004, p. 6) and according to the Vatican II; it is a mortal sin for a Roman Catholic anywhere to read any Protestant version of the Bible.

Those who are cursed are those who disobey God’s Word: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).

Reformation: Separating Christianity From Paganism

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

The Protestant Reformation was the attempt to return the church back to its pure (spiritual) ways of the early church and faith initiatives to be returned to individual believers. The Roman Catholic Church was rapidly being corrupted by power and wealth, which caused great frustration among those who began to question and challenge the Catholic Church’s authority and doctrines. In 1517, Martin Luther, professor and priest, began the challenge, and was supported by many. He touted that priesthood belonged to the believer and not to the religious hierarchy. Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, making it available to the common man to gain all priestly authority, through the Word of God. For this brave venture, the “Lutheran” Movement came about. Other groups of middle class, prosperous, freethinking, intellectuals participated in this reformed movement, by also challenging the Catholic Church. One well-known reformer was John Calvin. Having a similar position as Luther, Calvin gathered protestant scholars and teachers who would take the movement back to their respective provinces and spread the reform. Hence, beginning “Calvinism” or the Calvin Reformed Movement. The Reformed Movement spread across North Germany, Western Germany, towns and cities in England, Scotland, Netherlands, France, Bohemia, Hungary and parts of Poland and Spain (Hodges, The Protestant Reformation).

In 1546, the papal party called a Council at Trent to answer the Protestant charges of ecclesiastical corruption and theological deviation. Strict discipline was re-imposed over the priests who remained loyal to Rome. The party condemned Luther’s teaching on divine grace and justification alone by faith. A campaign was readied to wipe out any "heretics" not willing to return to Roman discipline (Hodges, The Protestant Reformation).

Ulrich Zwingli, a young priest who was drawn toward Luther’s reform movement, began to establish Scripture as the sole religious authority for the Christian, in Zurich, Switzerland. He opposed the Lenten Fast, citing the lack of Scriptural warrant for the practice. In fact, Zwingli and the Swiss Reformed Party were strongly interested in reconstructing the organization and practices of the church around its original constitutional base, the Scripture. They wanted to strip away every feature of Christianity that was not supported by Scripture (Hodges, The Protestant Reformation).

John Knox, another Protestant Reformer, a “Calvinist,” and former Catholic priest, was displeased with the moral and spiritual corruption that had taken over the Catholic Church. Knox was a bright light for many countries including America. Through Knox, Presbyterian or representative church government was born, which became the source of inspiration for the new Democratic and Republican forms of government that led to the Constitution of 1789 supporting the new American Republic (Hodges, TheProtestant Reformation).

In 1603, James Stuart of Scotland, somewhat of a Protestant Reformer, succeeded Queen Elizabeth. James I became instrumental to the Protestant Reformation. He sponsored a new English translation of the Bible (The King James Version) and strongly opposed any re-opening of England to Catholicism.

Nevertheless, after wars, rivalries and rebellions both Catholic and Protestant Churches continue to stand. Unfortunately, due to compromising Christians, Catholicism is blending with Protestant faith through celebration of Holidays, pagan customs and ignorance. The information provided on the Reformation was to reveal the great lengths true Christians rose, in order to freely worship God without the dictatorship of the Roman Catholic Church. For centuries, the Reformed Movement avoided celebrating and participating holidays and practices, because they knew the truth behind them. The seventeenth century Puritans of New England banned the observance of Christmas in 1659, throughout Massachusetts Bay Colony deeming it heathenism and papist idolatry. It was not until 1856 people in Boston began to recognize Christmas as a holiday and took the day off from working. This conformity took place less than a century and a half ago.

Before I move on to the final section of this chapter, I leave you with these words from a great man of God, Finis Jennings Dake, “How well does God liken Romanism to a whore, who professes to be the sole spotless bride of Christ, but in reality is the final great apostate religious system linked with the world and exercising power over the nations of the world under the ten kings until Antichrist comes to full power and destroys her in the middle of the Week (Rev. 17:16-17)” (p. 821).

Holidays And Commercialism

“…Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” (Matthew 15:6)

Celebrating these holidays are not acceptable to God. You cannot fit a holy God into an unholy custom. Paganism is wicked and of darkness. It was generated by Satan himself to deceive the world. It is not about your feelings and petty excuses that you do not celebrate the way the world does. You cannot keep Christ in something; He has never been a part of. It is impossible to worship God with falsehood all around you. How can you say you are recognizing Jesus’ birth by placing gifts you cannot afford for children/people who most likely have everything anyway, under a tree that symbolizes the pit of paganism? Where is God in that? How can you say you are worshipping the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ by coloring Easter’s eggs, making chocolate bunnies and wearing Easter bonnets? Where does God receive any glory? So what if you feel that there is no harm in these things and it is just in fun. God sees these things as abominable and He speaks against these practices throughout the Bible. Instead of teaching your children to worship and reverence God, you are teaching them to worship man-created idols, generated by Satan and to celebrate traditions that have absolutely no effect. This type of worship is empty and goes unheard. Do you really think that God is rejoicing you going into debt, by exchanging gifts that take you years to payoff? Can you honestly say that you are thinking about Baby Jesus when you slip a little rum in your eggnog, fruitcake or whatever else? What does kissing under mistletoe have to do with Christ? NOTHING! In fact, all that you put into these holidays, you gain nothing in return; except for the warm and fuzzy feeling that amount to absolutely nothing in the spirit realm. Remember, God is spirit; therefore He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Feelings don’t count!

In 1st Corinthians 10:14-21 (NIV), the Apostle Paul clearly warns the Corinthians to flee from idolatry, “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation of the blood of Christ? And is it not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s Table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” Are we stronger than the Almighty God where we can do whatever we please and He is satisfied? Although these idols and celebrations cannot harm us in the natural and they are fun to participate in, they still leave a window open for demonic activity. It is impossible to serve two masters (Luke 16:13). Ministries, Television Evangelism and Churches are flourishing because pastors and preachers are dancing around the truth. When you begin to teach the truth, less people will want to hear. The Bible speaks in 2nd Timothy 4:2-4 to, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” This has happened and is happening today. Many ministries are gauging their success according to how many members, instead of how many are receiving the true Word of God. As an under-shepherd to Christ you are instructed to guide the sheep by the truth, not by the fact that many other churches and ministries are participating in such idolatries (1st Peter 5:2-4). Of course you do not want to be identified as a Jehovah Witness Sect, but it not about what people think; it is about what God thinks. Just teach your people the Word!

It is not God’s desire that Christians go into debt celebrating these commercialized holidays. It is the wicked one, the “world system” that desires us to spend, spend, spend. Have you not noticed that the holidays are becoming more flamboyant, more expensive and more godless each year? Advertisers are milking the consumers literally to death. Suicides rise during the Christmas holiday due to depression, stress and failure. There are increased automobile accidents, accidental deaths, robberies and murders. Do you really think that God is in this? Billions of dollars are being squandered on holidays that are not even recognized by God. In a tract entitled The Plain Truth About Christmas, by Herbert W. Armstrong and John D. Keyser, they confirm that, “In our day Christmas has become a commercial season. It’s sponsored, kept alive, by the heaviest retail advertising campaigns of the year. You see masqueraded ‘Santa Claus’ in many stores. Ads keep us deluded and deceived about the ‘beautiful Christmas spirit.’ The newspapers, who sell the ads, print flowery editorials exalting and eulogizing the pagan season, and its ‘spirit.’ A gullible people has become so inoculated, many take offense when told the truth. But the ‘Christmas spirit’ is created each year, not to honor Christ, but to sell merchandise! Like all Satan’s delusions, it appears as an ‘angel of light,’ is made to appear good. Billions of dollars are spent in this merchandising spree every year, while the cause of Christ must suffer! It’s part of the economic system of Babylon!” (p. 12).

If you really want to get God’s attention, sow the money you would have spent on these holidays into your local ministry and start a food pantry, evangelism ministry, or some form of missionary work. It is the Christian’s duty to provide for the poor, take care of the widow and look after the sick. A weak church only does this within its ministry. A strong and prosperous church, regularly reach out to the community and surrounding areas. Through your efforts to build up the Body of Christ, God not only receives glory, but so do you by being an example of Jesus Christ. No, worshipping God is not about feeling; it is about obedience to His Word.

As Christians, let us celebrate those holidays that God would be pleased of. Let us no longer neglect Passover and the true days Jesus Christ died and resurrected. God has clearly identified Jesus’ death and recorded the time period in great detail in the Bible. We should no longer follow the world’s view, but succumb to God’s will found in the Word. Imagine, all Christians on one accord, in unity, worshiping and celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior without pagan influences: boy, would this tick the devil off.

In addition, let us continue with the holiday of “Thanksgiving” by being thankful to God for all of His blessings and by exemplifying Christ in giving to the less fortunate (Psalm 50:14; 95:2; 107:22). Also, let us continue to remember our independence, our soldiers and our leaders by praying for them and/or their families on the set holidays (Romans 12:10; 13:1). And always remember that God instructs us to honor our fathers and mothers, so that our days on earth will be long (Exodus 20:12).

 

 

Part 7 ~ Christians Are Being Mind Manipulated

Part 8 ~ Overcoming Mind Manipulation



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"I Am The Alpha And Omega" Says The Lord God,"Who is And Who Was And Who Is To Come, The Almighty" Rev 1:8