Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas, Muslims and the Paganisation of Christianity

As Muslims who live in the West, we find ourselves surrounded by a culture of capitalism which utilizes anything in its means to further its spread and acceptance. Amid this culture is the widespread acceptance of the 25th of December being the birthday of Jesus Christ. However, as Pastors and Priests of the Christian faith have accepted over the years, this is an erroneous claim.

Nevertheless they have continued to re-enact the nativity in their churches and narrate stories surrounding it which clearly demonstrates both their lack of desire for the truth and the way in which they easily accept falsehood and implement it into their religion.

Additionally, there is a phenomenon among a number of Muslims to partake in the Christmas festivities where they erect Christmas trees and exchange gifts.

Ignorantly they have assumed that Christmas is typically associated with nationalism rather than theology, and in their fervent desire to assimilate into a British identity they feel obliged to get involved. However, as this article aims to demonstrate, Christmas is deeply theological and additionally, based in pagan and not Christian beliefs.

Christmas, also known as Christ's Mass, is arguably the most popular celebration that takes place in the West. It is an annual holiday which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th of December.

Generally, festivities are combined with both secular and pagan customs and begin on the 24th of December until after Boxing Day (26th of December). For a long time people have assumed that Christmas Day is the actual day of the birth of Jesus Christ, however, there is much proof to the contrary which is found in the bible and the books of history.

A close reading of the New Testament provides no specific date for the birth of Jesus. Additionally, only two gospels of the four actually narrate the nativity story although both apparently contradict each other.

The Gospel of Luke describes how the archangel Gabriel came to Mary to inform her of a son to be born to her. She responded that she was a virgin to which the angel then stated 'nothing will be impossible with God' to which she replied 'here I am the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according with the Lord's word.'

1. Whilst pregnant, Mary and her husband traveled to Bethlehem to register for a national census. Having found no room at an inn, they lodged in the barn.

Meanwhile an angel appeared to some shepherds nearby and informed them of Jesus' birth whilst at that moment a 'heavenly host' appeared to them and said 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'

2. Based on the accounts in Luke of the shepherds' activities, the time of year depicted for Jesus' birth could possibly be either spring or summer thus contradicting the notion that Christ was born in winter.

The Gospel of Matthew narrates a different version of events, and relates that the 'good news' was told to Joseph (and not Mary) in a dream, after which he fled with his family to Egypt seeking safety from Herod.

Matthew also included the story of the foreign magi (three wise men) although Luke mentions shepherds who are guarding their flock nearby. These contradictions are clearly apparent and have clearly confused most Christians as there is no clear narration detailing Christ's birth, to the extent that most Christians are ignorant of the fact that Jesus is narrated as having traveled to Egypt in the early part of his life.

Although there is a possibility of reconciling the two narrations by means of combining the two stories, it seems extremely questionable that Luke fails to mention the Maji, and Matthew the 'heavenly host.'

Thus we see many nativity plays which differ from one another where Christians randomly pick and choose events which they believe will increase the entertaining value of the play.

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