Since there is yet another abundance of "pagan" Holiday threads, and how Halloween, Easter, Christmas...ect is considered a sin in many members here then I think we need to touch on something I have mentioned over and over and over again, but little is said about it. It seems to be just looked over like it doesn't matter.
Do certain "religious" Holidays have roots that are pagan? Yes.
Is it wrong for a Christian to observe these holidays? That is up to you all, and I am not about to judge anyone based on their decisions.
The problem I do have is it seems some feel pagan customs and practices are only tied in Holidays. Well, they don't end there. If you are against holidays then that's fine, but if you are guilty of certain other things that are pagan then you are a hypocrite so that is why I am going to take the time to educate people on the history of the wedding ring. Mainly because many married folk here probably wear one so it will hit home for several. I am not writing this to start trouble or to make others feel guilty, but to show we need to be careful about our behaviors and make sure were aren't judging others when we are just as guilty.
The bible does not say anything about wearing a ring on one's hand to signify marriage so why do we do this?
No one knows for sure how far back the wearing of a ring goes, but it was a prominant thing in Egyptian times and it is believed that is where it originated(Egyptians LOVED their jewelry), and rings worn by pharoah were even mentioned in the bible. Genesis 41:42 "Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand"
I am going to take a wild guess and say that because the Egyptians prided themselves on their gold and jewels is one reason we are told not to adorn ourselves in gold.
Rings are also mentioned in Greek Mythology with the story of Prometheus wanting to steal fire from heaven for earthly use. Long story short...this ticked Zeus off so he tied him in chains. Prometheus broke away leaving one link of the chain on his finger as part of a reminder that he was forever tied to rocks.
Now in Roman times they were considered the first to use rings to "tie" people not only to social classes but as marital partners. During the betrothal ceremony the bridegroom gave a plain iron finger ring to the family of the bride as a symbol of his commitment and financial ability to support the bride. Marriages were not made in heaven but over a negotiating table. Originally the betrothal ceremony was more elaborate and important than the marriage rite, which was a simple fulfillment of the betrothal commitment. It was only much later in Christian history that the ring was made part of the wedding ceremony.
Here is some more info on this topic
A Look at the Wedding Ring
What can we gather from all this information? The wedding ring origin did not derive from Christianity, or Israelites. It seems to come from pagan origins with quite detailed stories and myths. Even if it wasn't pagan origin they still use it today and it is a huge part of their ceremonies. This is really something to consider.
So.... how many think that wedding rings are ok, but celebrating holidays are a sin? What's the difference? They're both pagan aren't they?
Do certain "religious" Holidays have roots that are pagan? Yes.
Is it wrong for a Christian to observe these holidays? That is up to you all, and I am not about to judge anyone based on their decisions.
The problem I do have is it seems some feel pagan customs and practices are only tied in Holidays. Well, they don't end there. If you are against holidays then that's fine, but if you are guilty of certain other things that are pagan then you are a hypocrite so that is why I am going to take the time to educate people on the history of the wedding ring. Mainly because many married folk here probably wear one so it will hit home for several. I am not writing this to start trouble or to make others feel guilty, but to show we need to be careful about our behaviors and make sure were aren't judging others when we are just as guilty.
The bible does not say anything about wearing a ring on one's hand to signify marriage so why do we do this?
No one knows for sure how far back the wearing of a ring goes, but it was a prominant thing in Egyptian times and it is believed that is where it originated(Egyptians LOVED their jewelry), and rings worn by pharoah were even mentioned in the bible. Genesis 41:42 "Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand"
I am going to take a wild guess and say that because the Egyptians prided themselves on their gold and jewels is one reason we are told not to adorn ourselves in gold.
Rings are also mentioned in Greek Mythology with the story of Prometheus wanting to steal fire from heaven for earthly use. Long story short...this ticked Zeus off so he tied him in chains. Prometheus broke away leaving one link of the chain on his finger as part of a reminder that he was forever tied to rocks.
Now in Roman times they were considered the first to use rings to "tie" people not only to social classes but as marital partners. During the betrothal ceremony the bridegroom gave a plain iron finger ring to the family of the bride as a symbol of his commitment and financial ability to support the bride. Marriages were not made in heaven but over a negotiating table. Originally the betrothal ceremony was more elaborate and important than the marriage rite, which was a simple fulfillment of the betrothal commitment. It was only much later in Christian history that the ring was made part of the wedding ceremony.
Here is some more info on this topic
A Look at the Wedding Ring
What can we gather from all this information? The wedding ring origin did not derive from Christianity, or Israelites. It seems to come from pagan origins with quite detailed stories and myths. Even if it wasn't pagan origin they still use it today and it is a huge part of their ceremonies. This is really something to consider.
So.... how many think that wedding rings are ok, but celebrating holidays are a sin? What's the difference? They're both pagan aren't they?