Question by Nicholas R: Why is the Catholic Chruch right when all of its rites and holydays are pagan in origin?
Best answer:
Answer by Averell A
The Roman Catholic church “christianized” pagan holidays.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
I’m pretty sure that they made these rites and holy days coincide with pagan days to increase popularity of the religion. This doesn’t make them a clear, black & white, right or wrong. It was merely to encourage conversion of Germanic pagans.
It’s only right for other caths.
What rites are you talking about? Catholic rites are not necessarily pagan in origin. The Church Christianized pagan holidays for the good of Christ, (to discourage paganism and provide a Christian alternative).
You have to remember that Catholicism itself, is ancient. What appears to be “pagan in origin” may only seem so because paganism is ancient as well.
But pagan rites weren’t wrong because of the actions, they were wrong because the actions were towards the worship of false gods. But when those same actions (rites) are towards the one true God, it is then a good action.
If you were to kiss a stranger passionately on the mouth…it would be wrong, but if you were to kiss your spouse passionately on the mouth it would be right. The action is the same, but the intent and the recipient of that action are wrong.
The same goes for some of the pagan rites. They were the right form but the wrong god. Within Catholicism it is the right form and the right God.
Some of the holy days Catholics use were pagan feast days at one time. The day cannot be “held” hostage by the pagan use. It is a day and free to be used by any and all. As pagans converted to Christianity, some were doing both. Celebrating Christ as the savior and still celebrating some of the big pagan feast days…probably more for the tradition than the belief. So, making the high holy Christian days coincide with previously used and enjoyed pagan days seems like a good idea to me. Give them the right reason to celebrate.
Who said it’s right? It’s very wrong. Misty above is just making excuses for the Church’s involvement in paganism.
In an effort to gain pagan converts the Roman Catholic clergy in the fourth century after Christ took in this pagan Saturnalia on December 25 and sponsored it as the “mass of Christ” or “Christ-mass.” Christmas, therefore, is nothing more than a carbon copy of the pagan Saturnalia. This is generally admitted by historical and religious scholars. Says a world history, On the Road to Civilization, page 164: “The feast of Saturn, the Saturnalia, was a winter festival which lasted a week beginning on the twenty-fifth day of December, and was celebrated with dancing, the exchanging of gifts, and the burning of candles. The Saturnalia was later taken over by the Christians as their Christmas, and given a new significance.”
In an effort to convert these pagans, there was an unscriptural blending of Christian beliefs with pagan ones, and so the church chose a date for Christmas that coincided with the most important pagan festival. And what of Christmas customs? The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics admits that most Christmas customs “are not genuine Christian customs, but heathen customs which have been absorbed or tolerated by the Church.” It was apparently felt that simply giving these customs a Christian facade would Christianize those who took part in them.
Jesus condemned religious leaders who compromised pure worship to gain converts. He said to such leaders: “You [travel] sea and land to make a single convert, and then you make him twice as ripe for destruction as you are yourselves.”—Matthew 23:15, Phillips.
Conversion was not to be accomplished by blending pagan and Christian beliefs. Paul, an apostle of Jesus, wrote to Christians living in Corinth: “You cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21) And in his next letter to them, Paul added: “Don’t link up with unbelievers and try to work with them. . . . How can there be harmony between Christ and the devil?” 2 Cor. 6:14, 15
Because Catholic church is huge and the tradition has been around for nearly 1700 years… the catholic church has never been right in my opinion, they got it wrong at the start with the pagan belief in trinitarianism which is the intermingleing of Socrotes and Platoism with christianity. They got it wrong at the concil of Nacea in 315AD. They got it wrong with indulgences when they okayed the selling thereof so men could have sins forgiven for a price! These and more are documented in the Catholic Churches own history. They are still getting it wrong for hiding sexual abuse in the church leadership. I myself will stay with the Lord’s word and promises that He taught to His Apostles in the early church. These are also documented for the first 50 years in the book of Acts, and the next 60 years after that in the Epistles. they are still being proven by tens of thousands of born again saints today! Praise the Lord!
because paganism is the “one true religion”
to quote an atheist – evolution
to quote the democrats — it time for change
Wasn’t Abraham of pagan origin?
You need to be a bit more specific for us to answer properly.
+ Rites +
All Catholic rites are based on Christian and Jewish scriptures and practice and are Christ-centered.
+ Christmas +
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, God the Son.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
(Luke 2:10-14)
Christmas is in no way a pagan holiday. If a date close to the winter solstice was chosen for Christmas to make conversion of pagans to Christianity easier then what is the harm of that?
Christmas is celebrated by almost all Christian denominations not just Catholics.
+ Easter +
The date of Easter is and always has been directly related to the Jewish Passover and was not moved to be close to a pagan holiday.
The English word “Easter” relates to Estre, a Teutonic (German) goddess of the rising light of day and spring. No one seems to know why.
The great feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ was celebrated long before the unchristian English word “Easter” was first used.
Most other languages translate the Jewish/Christian word for “Passover” for the great celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that English speakers call “Easter.”
The Greek term for “Passover” is pascha. It is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew pesach (meaning passover).
The Greeks called Easter the pascha anastasimon
Latin: Pascha
Italian: Pasqua
Spanish: Pascua
Scottish: Pask
Dutch: Paschen
Danish: Paaske
Swedish: Pask
Even in the German provinces of the Lower Rhine where the Teutonic goddess Estre had its origins, the people call the feast Paisken not Ostern.
Easter is celebrated by all Christian denominations of whom I am aware.
+ With love in Christ.