Silent Night

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
rejoice83

rejoice83

Senior Member
#1
Sep 29, 2011
130
9
18
#1

On December 11, 1792, a baby was born into the family Mohr in snow-clad Salzburg, Austria. He was named Josef, and as a boy he sang as a chorister in the cathedral choir of his native city. In 1815, Josef was ordained by the Roman Catholic bishop of Salzburg and two years later became assistant priest at St. Nicholas Church of Oberndorf, in Austria's alpine region. One Christmas Eve, he discovered the organ in the church wasn't working. According to the traditional story, Josef quickly wrote the words to this carol and asked the acting organist, Franz Gruber, to compose the tune. It was sung with guitar accompaniment that evening, December 1818.

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.

Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." --Luke 2:7
 
U

Ugly

Guest
#2
#2
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmZpmCXvjnk[/video]
 
Newluke

Newluke

Banned
#3
Nov 29, 2012
424
5
0
#3
Pagan music for a pagan holiday, Ugly. ;)

... but you can't escape it anyway so you might aswell have some FUN!!

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK5PeL0Cjtc[/video]
 
U

Ugly

Guest
#4
#4
Pagan music? haha. Yeah, whatever. Don't even bother going there with me, i've been through that argument longer than you've been born.

Great attitude, by the way. 'Can't escape evil, so may as well enjoy it'. Yeah, like you can't turn off the radio.
 
Newluke

Newluke

Banned
#5
Nov 29, 2012
424
5
0
#5
Ugly said:
Pagan music? haha. Yeah, whatever. Don't even bother going there with me, i've been through that argument longer than you've been born.

Great attitude, by the way. 'Can't escape evil, so may as well enjoy it'. Yeah, like you can't turn off the radio.
Click to expand...

I don't enjoy 'evil' i enjoy being togehter with friends and family, having a good meal etc. Christmas songs are EVERYWHERE bro. At the mall, on the street, in my club etc. Now you tell me how to turn all of THAT off. Use ear plugs? Or maybe listen to loud heavy metal music so i will be deaf...
And i didn't even talk about all of the stupid christmas decorations everywhere...
 
I

Indubitably

Guest
#6
#6
Without comment on the NewLuke threads............ Rejoice83, thank you for that beautful story. Silent night is one of my very favorite Christmas hymns. The words show that the writer had a true vision of what happened that glorious night when our Savior was born. Bless you!
 
U

Ugly

Guest
#7
#7
I see, so Silent Night is pagan music.
And what do decorations have to do with any of this? Your responses are more and more nonsense.
 
Newluke

Newluke

Banned
#8
Nov 29, 2012
424
5
0
#8
Ugly said:
I see, so Silent Night is pagan music.
And what do decorations have to do with any of this? Your responses are more and more nonsense.
Click to expand...
We weren't talking about "Silent Night' anymore, we were talking about Christmas as a whole.
 
C

Custos_Clavium

Guest
#9
#9
I don't think pagans typically care to celebrate the birth of Christ.
 
Newluke

Newluke

Banned
#10
Nov 29, 2012
424
5
0
#10
Custos_Clavium said:
I don't think pagans typically care to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Click to expand...
A lot about christmas is of pagan origine, like the date, the tree etc. The pagans didnt celebrate the birth of Christ at that date though, but the 'return' of the 'invincible sun.' The modern pagans still don't care for Christ much, true, (talking about stating the obvious), but they sure do LOVE Christmas, eventhough they dont know Christ or acknowlege him as their Lord. Even muslims have christmas trees...
 
C

Custos_Clavium

Guest
#11
#11
My understanding of the origin of the Christmas tree is that a long, long time ago a Christian missionary called Boniface was sent to minister to new Christians living in modern-day Germany. There were many pagans who had a sacred tree that they thought was blessed/protected by the god Thor. So Boniface challenged them saying that God was the one true God, and Thor was nothing. To prove his point, he chopped down the tree. The pagans were amazed that he wasn't struck down by Thor, and converted to Christianity.

To celebrate the victory of Christ over the pagans' false god, Boniface used the tree to show how Christ is life-giving always as the evergreen tree he chopped down is green year long. Basically, he converted not only the pagans, but their understanding of the symbolism of the tree. It became not a monument to a false idol, but a reminder of Christ's eternal soverignty.

He turned a pagan symbol into a Christian one. I think as long as a good Christian understands the Christmas tree in this light, or a similar light, there is no more problem with having one than having a birthday cake or a wedding band (both practices that evolved out of pagan practices). God created the world and all that is in it, and a Christian can use the created world to point to Christ, even when pagans have used the created world to point away from Christ. Part of conversion isn't stamping out...it is metanoia: turning around, and redirecting towards Christ.
 
V

violakat

Guest
#12
#12
Here's an interesting spin on the subject. Why was Christmas put in December instead of June. If, as you say Newluke, it has to with pagan cultures, then you might also consider that there is a major Jewish celebration around this time, that probably predates many of the pagan celebrations. Also, think about this, when are lambs normally out and about during the night time, Summer or Winter. More then likely, it's summer. Now with that thought, when does Israel's summer occur. And before you say June, July, or August, remember, Israel is half way around the world, on the opposite hemisphere as the US.
 
U

Ugly

Guest
#13
#13
Newluke said:
We weren't talking about "Silent Night' anymore, we were talking about Christmas as a whole.
Click to expand...
Funny, cause the title of the post is 'Silent Night'. How silly of me to think we would stay on topic.
 
Newluke

Newluke

Banned
#14
Nov 29, 2012
424
5
0
#14
Ugly said:
Funny, cause the title of the post is 'Silent Night'. How silly of me to think we would stay on topic.
Click to expand...

Yup, you DO have a talent for derailing threads...:p

So back to that song please... :D
 
C

Custos_Clavium

Guest
#15
#15
Song's great. I love it. The words and the music do a fine job of expressing the sort of awe and peace that must have befallen those who understood, no matter how imperfectly, what it meant for them to behold the Christ Child.
 
U

Ugly

Guest
#16
#16
Here was my response to the OP. Posting a version of the song being discussed.
Ugly said:
[youtube]XmZpmCXvjnk[/youtube]
Click to expand...

Here you are calling it pagan music for a pagan holiday. Which one here is really derailing? ok, Junior, move along and let the grown ups talk.
Newluke said:
Pagan music for a pagan holiday, Ugly. ;)

... but you can't escape it anyway so you might aswell have some FUN!!

[youtube]FK5PeL0Cjtc[/youtube]
Click to expand...
 
Newluke

Newluke

Banned
#17
Nov 29, 2012
424
5
0
#17
Well, my version is closer to the original. And btw why wouldn't I be allowed to make a comment about christmas 'music' in general when we're discussing a song like 'silent night?' That isn't derailing the topic, that's only putting it into a broader perspective.And yes, in general you DO have a talent for derailing threads.


I have every right to give my opinion here. Just because you are old doesn't mean I have to shush. And stop calling me Junior, that's not my name.
 
Newluke

Newluke

Banned
#18
Nov 29, 2012
424
5
0
#18
violakat said:
Here's an interesting spin on the subject. Why was Christmas put in December instead of June. If, as you say Newluke, it has to with pagan cultures, then you might also consider that there is a major Jewish celebration around this time, that probably predates many of the pagan celebrations. Also, think about this, when are lambs normally out and about during the night time, Summer or Winter. More then likely, it's summer. Now with that thought, when does Israel's summer occur. And before you say June, July, or August, remember, Israel is half way around the world, on the opposite hemisphere as the US.
Click to expand...
Actually 'sol invictus' is a bit older than 'hanukkah,' but the other pagan celebrations you're referring too are even older. 'Sol invictus' may have been the reason for Constantine the Great to celebrate christmas at that specific date, but there are ofcourse more pagan holidays that used to be celebrated then, like 'yule' and the 'saturnalia.' A lot of the customs around these pagan holidays influenced how we celebrate christmas today. I dont think 'hanukkah, as a jewish holiday, influenced christmas at all.
Both the US and Israel are on the northern hemisphere, which means they have their summer around the same time. That there are differces in climate doesn't matter here, Israel still has its warmer period from say june to september, just like the US. It makes sense that the shepherds there were only 'abiding in the fields' during that period, so not in the cold december month.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.