Pagan Symbols and Christianity

Elizabeth619 · Mar 22, 2012

I haven't been a member of this website for a year yet, and everytime a major holiday comes around the talk about whether Christians should celebrate them or not comes up. We are about to come across Easter, and I have noticed great contreversy about whether or not Christians should even acknowedge the holiday. Yes, we as Christian do recognize the Passover as we should, but what about the Easter bunny, egg hunts and so on? Many say it has a pagan background. Well, originally it did. Early Christians adopted MANY items from paganism.

The reason for me making this thread is to educate a few people on some symbols that have a pagan background. Some of you may be surprised. Do you have, wear, or even use any of these symbols on a daily basis? I am betting that most on here do. So.... if Easter eggs, Christmas trees, and Cupid is a sin then so are these.

The Jesus Fish- The fish is an ancient symbol used by other religions, such as Buddhism and Paganism.

The Cross- A torture instrument, a threat to entire civilizations, and yet used as jewelry and sometimes worshipped. It has associations with illegal psychedelic drugs, BSE and bird flu, Prince Harry, hatred and despair, love, valour and heroism, World War I, World War II, the Crusades, the invasion of Iraq (again), mythology, Satan, and salvation.

Dove- Associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love

Heart-Also associated with Aphrodite

Praying hands- A pleading posture. Pagans used this posture as well to pray to their gods.

Calenders-Days, Months, and Seasons.. Astrology aka PAGAN

Wedding rings-represents neither everlasting love nor bondage; rather it's a token stemming from ancient magic. The wedding veil, and the traditional wedding ceremony is also traced back to Ancient Greek times. Even the groom kissing the bride is of pagan origin.

Candles-used in wedding, witchcraft etc.

Wreaths-Wreaths were worn like a crown, perhaps in honour of the Sun god, by the Romans to celebrate various festivals. In particular, they were worn by officers in military parades. This custom continues to this day, in the form of a wreath or part-wreath decorations on most caps and helmets of military officers around the world.

Crown of thorns-It was the Romans that placed the crown on Jesus' head, and is well known for pagan origins. Yet, it is still used in Christianity as a symbol of his crucifixion.

Church buildings- Early church design was the osmosis of Pagan structures and that design, well-intentioned though spiritually baseless, remains today

CHAKRA
Seven energy vortexes on the human body associate with a color.
Crown - white.
Forehead (3rd eye) - purple.
Throat - blue.
Chest - pink/green.
Navel - yellow.
Abdomen - orange.
Groin - red.

Also...

Yellow

Elemental air. Deities for trade, travel, knowledge and magick. Vitality, change, progress, contact, communication, and trade. Confidence, joy, cheerfulness, learning, knowledge, mental clarity, concentration, speaking and writing and visualization.

Gold

Sun-deities, solar energies, and masculine energy. Abundant self confidence, creativity, perfection, financial richess, success in investments, luxury, worldly power, magickal power, overcoming bad habits and addictions.

Orange

Deities of good luck and good fortune. Charm, kindness, encouragement, stimulation, optimism, success, abundance, prosperity, feast and celebration, achieving business goals, investments, success in legal matters.

Copper or Bronze

Love-goddesses, love and passion, positive relationships in love, friendship in business, career promotions, successful negotiations.

Red

Elemental fire, deities of love, passion, sexuality and war. Courage, will-power, determination, speed, assertivity, aggression, masculinity, independence, physical strength, sports, competition, conflicts, health, sexual attraction and potency, love and passion, fertility.

Magenta

Magnetism, the ability to attract or speed up results. Life purpose, life path.

Pink

Love-goddesses, softness and tenderness, romance, caring, nurturing, youth, peace, friendship, femininity, emotional love, emotional healing.

Green

Elemental earth and elemental water. Nature and fertility deities, Mother goddesses. Nature, fertility, growth, rejuvenation, recovery, healing, harvest and abundance, prosperity, harmony, balance, peace, hope, home, plants and animals.

Turquoise

Changes, intellectual and intuitive insights, inventions and originality, renewal, brotherhood, humananity.

Blue

Elemental water and elemental air. Deities of the sea and sky, truth and wisdom. Peace and tranquility, calmness, truth, wisdom, justice, counsel, guidance, understanding and patience, loyalty and honor, sincerity, devotion, healing, femininity, prophetic dreams, protection during sleep, astral projection.

Violet

Elemental spirits, angels, and Gods of divination and prophecy. Psychic abilities, divination, counter-acting negativity and black magick, reversing curses, psychic healing, psychic power, inspiration, meditation, spirituality, spiritual power, astral projection, third eye.

Brown

Elemental earth, stability, grounding, conservation, protection of household, family and pets, healing animals, finding lost objects, buildings, material increase, to make relationships solid, to increase decisiveness and concentration, to attract help in financial crisis.

Gray

Neutralizing negative influences, putting a halt to action.

Silver

Moon-goddesses, female energy, cycles, rebirth, reincarnation, healing of hormonal imbalances, emotional stability, remove or neutralize negativity, intuition, dreams, psychic abilities and psychic workings.

Black

Elemental earth, deities of the Underworld. Repel and banish evil and negativity, protection, breaking free from bad habits and addictions, deep meditation, opens up deep unconscious levels.

Lets not forget the US currency has pagan symbols all over it. Do you stop using money? Does that mean you are practicing pagan customs?

I have a black shirt on right now...am I asking pagan gods to protect me? No. Black hides fat really well...thats why I am wearing it.

I sometimes put a <3 (thats a heart for people who dont know) beside posts. Am I worshipping the goddess of love? Nope. Im just corny.

Does anyone see the point I am trying to make here?

Alot of these symbols shocked me! Yet, if egg hunts and visiting santa at the local wal mart is sinful then so are these symbols, colors and customs... If you are against one then you should be against them all.

I just wonder how many of you people commented about how bad the Easter Bunny is yet you are wearing a wedding ring on your finger from where you married in a church ...where that itself is of pagan origin. Sounds a little hypocritical doesn't it?

Avinu · Mar 22, 2012

There are some things that are truly out of our control. YHVH knows this, as for some of the colors, they were originally meant for different meanings in Torah.
But as far as xmas & easter, lent, halloween, etc. these are known pagan holidays even to this day, and we have the control to keep them or not.
Now what the big issue is, those who choose to keep them knowing the truth, yet still choose to do so and think they are honoring God with them and He clearly states in scripture is blasphemy.
My question is this, why do so many in the body of Messiah fight so hard to hang on to these celebrations of the world and try to stamp God's name on them, but they so easily and willingly throw in the trash God's blessed and ordained Feasts that He created for us?
I know some choose to say they are only for Israel, which scripture does not say that, but on the other hand, the NT also says we are Israel who put on Messiah. So how backwards is that?
Also, for the sake of arguement, let's set aside the fact that these are pagan holidays, why are so many christians allowing the commercialization of these to be involved in what they claim is for Jesus? Why let your children and yourselves be caught up in the stupid characters of santa, easter bunny, egg hunt, ect. that takes your focus off what it's suppose to truly mean?
If Jesus was physically at your home(I'm saying 'your' in a general sense) sitting with you, do you think he would appreciate all the attention on the bunny and egg hunt when He suffered so horribly on the cross for your sins?
It's comes across that His death and resurrection has been taken lightly and turned into some childs game.
One more question, where is the true HONOR to Messiah in these things that have been added to it all?

Grandpa · Mar 22, 2012

LOL. The Lord sees your heart. He knows you don't worship the easter bunny.

The Joy of the Lord is our strength.

Elizabeth619 · Mar 22, 2012

Avinu said:

Like Grandpa said, Jesus knows your heart.
I still see nothing wrong with certain festivities. A big problem I have is the fact there has to be a holiday to recognize the resurrection and birth of Jesus when Christians should celebrate it all year long. WHY does there need to be a holiday in the first place? I am not a fan of Christmas and Easter Christians. You know...the ones that only attend church twice a year.

As far as the childish games... if they are not linked to witchcraft and you are not trying to educate children they the egg represents false gods then I see nothing wrong with it. Children being taught inderectly that there are special days to recognize Jesus is not good in my opinion. These days should be no different than any other, and there is no need to Easter and Christmas dinner to represent that.

Laodicea · Mar 22, 2012

While it is true that there are many pagan symbols but, the Bible also has symbols

Elizabeth619 · Mar 22, 2012

Laodicea said:

So true. So I guess it all matters in what you believe.

I do not take certain symbols and apply them to something satanic. For instance... I dont think of the cross as evil. I look at it as a reminder of the obvious.

P.S.
Avinu, I love you

Shilo · Mar 22, 2012

God's symbolic meaning of symbols have been and will be until God ends it used in corrupt ways. People change the meanings to all kinds of things but that. does not change the truth. People need to look in their bibles and find the true meaning . We are on this earth to choose who we will serve God and. his way of worship or Satan and his many ways of worship. If we change anything we are worshiping the creature not the creator. Easter is a feast to the queen of heaven and her son. She has other names y ou can look it up. We are told in the bible not to worship her. Now they want to give Mary that name. The council of nicaea established Easter with other pagan things to unite the people Christian and pagan under one religion. Easter is after a full moon because she was thought to be a moon goddess and giver of life. In the wilderness in exodus the children of Israel made a symbol of God as a golden calf. They were not worshiping a Egyption god . Exodus 32:5 said it was for YHVH. God looked on it as idol worship because it was not his way and many people died God is the same he does not change. Many will say in that day Lord Lord and he will say I do not know you who do lawless deeds.

AnandaHya · Mar 22, 2012

Elizabeth you forgot that the names for our months are in honor of Roman gods and goddess:

The Names of the Months

January: named after Janus, the god of doors and gates
February: named after Februalia, a time period when sacrifices were made to atone for sins
March: named after Mars, the god of war
April: from aperire, Latin for “to open” (buds)
May: named after Maia, the goddess of growth of plants
June: from junius, Latin for the goddess Juno
July: named after Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.
August: named after Augustus Caesar in 8 B.C.
September: from septem, Latin for “seven”
October: from octo, Latin for “eight”
November: from novem, Latin for “nine”
December: from decem, Latin for “ten”

Read more: The Names of the Months — Infoplease.com The Names of the Months — Infoplease.com

Trax · Mar 22, 2012

Elizabeth619 said:

A lot of those symbols had their start with God and copied by pagans. But here is the heart
of the matter:

Rom 14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

I know those little plastic eggs are nothing. I know the Christmas tree is nothing.
But the unsaved DOES think it is pagan acts because they are looking for an excuse
to reject Christ, and Christian shouldn't accommodate them. Christians will have to give an
account of their works. This is why I will not celebrate or engage in such activities.

Defining one's holiday can make the difference of someone accepting Jesus or rejecting
Jesus. For example, someone asked, "What did you do this easter holiday?" You could
respond, "I don't celebrate easter, but the ressurection of my Lord." (Or passover).
Get them to thinking. They may ask questions, you explain, later they may decide to accept
Jesus. But if the answer is, "We dyed eggs..." Well, there is no opportunity to point their
mind to Christ, and that day, at that moment, could have been the pivot point in their
life to accept or reject Jesus. And wow, what if Jesus says, to the Christian, when their works
are put to the test, "That was the moment that person made the decision to look for another
religion, rather than accept Me." Christians need to get serious about their relationship
with Jesus, because it will get very serious when they have to stand there before Him.

Elizabeth619 · Mar 22, 2012

Trax said:

I will be honest with you. The main reason why I even acknowledge these holidays is because of the food. Like chocolate. I just bit the head off a Russell Stover Chocolate Bunny as I was reading your post.
Im not trying to be disrespectful here either

The bible says that Christians should not create scruptual laws for others. I think alot of this depends on ones heart and their personal preference. I dont know your heart and you dont know mine. I have no problem with others not celebrating Easter and so on, but I do not see where any Christian has a right to judge me or my family because we choose to participate in certain childish games surrounding that time of year.

resurrection33 · Mar 24, 2012

You can celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ without Santa Claus and Easter without an Easter bunny. I don’t know that Santa Claus or Easter bunnies do any harm, though.

jnmartinez · Feb 10, 2013

I know I am about a year late posting here but oh well. Anyway, concerning symbols, what did God give us to set us apart? The Law right? So why are we taking on symbols in the first place? My family and I have been attending a messianic service and a Torah study on Saturday mornings that taught us to question everything. We did. Now we are leaving the messianic services because (not Torah study they are independent from the gathering) they refuse to look at the star of david and consider the beginnings and current intentions behind it. Now i know your blasphemy flag probably just shot up, but if you research on the star Amos 5 and Acts 7 talks about god telling them how they took on the star of their gods chuin, sukkoth, molech, and remphan, which all turn out to be the star of david. So now the question is do we continue to use this knowing the paganism behind it? Much like the cross, yes its glorious in the fact that my Savior died on the cross so that I wouldnt have to make sacrifices anymore for my salvation, but when other people look at us do they see a pagan symbol and turn away or do they see the redemption behind it? Does wearing those symbols really set us apart from the world? Also when does wearing the symbol for our own reminder become more important than our witness? Is any of this making sense? We are told in Ex 23:24 "Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images." So why are we taking those symbols and making them sacred to us?

psychomom · Feb 10, 2013

jnmartinez said:

Um...if you have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb,
that's Who was given to set us apart.
The Law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

-ellie

Tintin · Feb 10, 2013

Symbols only have as much power as you give them. God is Lord of all. No symbol belongs to the Enemy. They may be corrupted, misappropriated by pagan religions but God redeems them for his Kingdom. If you're scared of symbols, you're given the Enemy too much power. Give God the glory and don't focus too much on this stuff. Like I said, symbols only have the power you give them. As Veggie Tales tells us, "God is bigger than the Boogie Man, he's bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on TV. Oh, God is bigger than the Boogie Man, and he's watching out for you and me. One more time!"

psychomom · Feb 10, 2013

Tintin said:

Symbols only have as much power as you give them. God is Lord of all. No symbol belongs to the Enemy. They may be corrupted, misappropriated by pagan religions but God redeems them for his Kingdom. If you're scared of symbols, you're given the Enemy too much power. Give God the glory and don't focus too much on this stuff. Like I said, symbols only have the power you give them. As Veggie Tales tells us, "God is bigger than the Boogie Man, he's bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on TV. Oh, God is bigger than the Boogie Man, and he's watching out for you and me. One more time!"

I heart Veggie Tales!

Abiding · Feb 10, 2013

Even tho they had pagan roots theyve been redeemed and sanctified.

Pilgrimer · Feb 25, 2013

Hello Elizabeth. Before we become too inundated with anti-Easter rhetoric allow me to offer a few comments.

First of all, the word "Easter" has nothing to do with any pagan god or goddess from antiquity, which is why those who make such claims never actually offer any historical entymological evidence, they just assume that because some name of some god or goddess sounds like "Easter" then that means it must be a pagan word. It's really more about their own bias against Christian observances than it is about entymology, or about the truth.

The English word “Easter” is derived from English’s mother tongue, which is German, and was first coined in the early 16th century. Here's the history.

William Tyndale began the first translation of the Bible into English in 1522 after he received a copy of Martin Luther's translation of the Bible in German. However, the Catholic Church forbid Tyndale to continue his work and Tyndale fled to Hamburg, Germany where he worked closely with Martin Luther and made use of Luther's German translation.

Luther used the word "Oster" throughout his German translation of the Bible for the Hebrew words "pesach" and Greek "pascha,” both of which had previously been left untranslated. The German word "Oster" was the old Teutonic form of the word "afursthen," which means "resurrection."

Basing much of his English translation on Luther's work and Luther's use of "Oster" to translate pesach/pascha, Tyndale coined the word "Easter" to translate the Hebrew/Greek words into English. However, he realized that "resurrection" did not give the proper sense of meaning for Old Testament and even New Testament pre-Christian observance, so he coined the word "passover" to translate pesach/pascha [the Hebrew word pesach literally means to "skip over" or "pass over"] in all instances of pre-Christian observance and used "Easter" only in the one instance of post Christian observance. In this respect the English translation was an improvement on Luther's German translation as it corrected the usage.

The words "Easter" and "Passover" are not the only words Tynndale coined to translate the Hebrew and Greek into English. He also coined the name "Jehovah," and the words "scapegoat," "atonement," and directly borrowed other words from Luther such as "mercy seat" (German "Gnadenstuhl") which translates the Hebrew word "kapporeth." Tynndale also borrowed expressions from Luther's German such as "twinkling of an eye," "let there be light," "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak," and others.

So the actual entymological source of the word "Easter" is the German word "Oster," which literally means "resurrection," and is the word used by Germans for the annual observance of the resurrection of Jesus to this day.

For any who might wish to look further into this subject, here is a very good and thorough treatment of the subject:

[video=youtube_share;kkHa9BDRT7k]http://youtu.be/kkHa9BDRT7k[/video]

There is much more to be said about this subject of Easter and I will address some other issues in separate posts, but please fellow Christians, demand that our critics provide historical and/or archaeological evidence for their wild claims and even then, verify them for yourself!

In Christ,
Pilgrimer

Elizabeth619 · Feb 26, 2013

Wow. Threads never die here do they?

The Easter thread hath been resurrected

jonrambo · Feb 26, 2013

check out youtube series know your enemy - fuel project liz youd dig it!

Kefa52 · Feb 26, 2013

I am 57 years old and I still don't know how they get the bunnies to lay the eggs.
I have chickens. I have never seen a bunny come out of an egg.
I also have bunnies. They make lots and lots of small round things but they ain't eggs.
My Bunnies and Chickens are rude. They fight over food all the time. I just don't get the Bunny egg thing.

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