ARE NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATIONS FOR CHRISTIANS?

IN Chinese communities, firecrackers explode all night long. In Japan, gongs of Buddhist temples reverberate in the air 108 times. In the United States, bells, automobile horns, and whistles break forth at the stroke of midnight. All on New Year’s Eve.

Did you know that all this hullabaloo, though taking various forms, was originally done for one basic reason: to ward off demons and purify people for the coming year? Most people consider the din and racket of New Year’s Eve to be merriment accompanied by elaborate New Year’s celebrations. But what is your view of New Year’s celebrations? Does it agree with the Bible?

Overdrinking and Overeating

Mircea Eliade, an internationally known professor of religious history, describes the rite associated with New Year’s Eve as “an interlude of Carnival, Saturnalia, reversal of normal order, ‘orgy.’” So, in many lands, drunken revelries usually result.

In Japan, for example, businessmen use bonenkai (parties to forget the old year) as an excuse to overdrink. These are followed by shinnenkai (New Year’s parties) where more food and drink are served. As a result, “tigers” rage on the late trains during this time of the year. In Japanese, the expression “tigers” alludes to drunkards who are tolerated in this season.

Does not acting in such a manner or even tolerating such disgrace degrade human dignity? The apostle Paul admonished Christians in Rome: “As in the daytime let us walk decently, not in revelries and drunken bouts . . . But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not be planning ahead for the desires of the flesh.” (Romans 13:13, 14) Can you imagine Jesus organizing a party featuring overdrinking and overeating for his disciples? Hardly!

Perhaps Paul’s reference to “revelries and drunken bouts” included New Year’s festivities. Why? The book Christmas Traditions, by William M. Auld, states: “From the time of Julius Cæsar [46 B.C.E.] January 1 marked the beginning of the civil year and was a holiday season.” In addition, Auld reveals that “for at least three days feasting and merriment prevailed.”

Is It Greed?

In the Orient, people observe the custom of giving special monetary gifts to children during the New Year’s holiday. The Chinese use red packets of money. They believe that the color red will not only bring good luck and prosperity but also exorcise evil. The Japanese, though, use small white envelopes with auspicious signs on them. What do such practices promote?

“I used to look forward to the New Year’s holiday,” recalls a Japanese man, “and my main concern was how much otoshidama (New Year’s monetary gift) I would get that year.” Could this custom affect children? Yes, answers the column Vox Populi, Vox Dei in the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, which states: “Children secretly rank adults in the order of the amount of ‘otoshidama’ received from them.” The amount of money given has kept going up, reaching about 20,000 yen ($130, U.S.) per child in 1985.

Would not this custom promote greed? The adults are eager to have more prestige and the children more money. This is precisely how Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines the word “greedy” found in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, namely, “(eager) to have more.”

What sort of parent would stir up greed in his offspring and let them cultivate “the love of money”? The Bible warns that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things.”—1 Timothy 6:10.

But there are even more reasons to be concerned about New Year’s celebrations.

Unsavory Origin?

Suppose you discover a creek with sparkling water, tempting you to drink of it. When you go up the stream, however, you find campers washing their dirty mess-tins and soiled clothes in that water. Would you still want to drink the water and risk contracting a disease? The same can be said of the customs of New Year’s celebrations. Though some celebrations may seem innocent to men, Jehovah, the God of the Bible, has seen their source.

Well, where do we find the earliest record of a New Year’s celebration? “The earliest description of a New Year festival known to us comes from ancient Mesopotamia,” answers Theodor Gaster in his book New Year—Its History, Customs and Superstitions. The clay tablets describing the New Year festival record “a program of ceremonies performed at Babylon since the remote days of the second millennium B.C.”

The Babylonian year started about the vernal equinox—in the month of March. The celebration lasted 11 days and was centered around the worship of Marduk, the city god of Babylon. The vestiges of the New Year festival of Babylon, such as mummers’ plays and fertility rites, are still observed during New Year’s celebrations around the world. The mummers’ parade in the city of Philadelphia (U.S.A.) on New Year’s Day and the fertility festival held in Akita City (Japan) on the 17th of January are but two examples of such relics.

God sees the religious practices originating in Babylon as polluted. He refers to the world empire of false religion, with its customs rooted in ancient Babylon, as “Babylon the Great” and warns: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:2, 4) Therefore, since the features of New Year’s celebrations betray their pagan origins, people wanting to heed the Bible will steer clear of such festivities.

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SHOULD CHRISTIANS SHARE IN NEW YEAR'S FESTIVITIES?

The Bible’s Viewpoint

 

“THE afternoon before New Year’s Eve is unusually calm,” says Fernando, a medical doctor in Brazil. “Then, about 11 o’clock, they start to arrive—a steady stream of patients with stab wounds or gunshot wounds, teenagers injured in automobile accidents, and battered wives. Alcohol is nearly always a factor.”

Considering the above, it is hardly surprising that one Brazilian journal referred to the first day of the year as international hangover day. A European news agency says that “New Year is for the lay hedonist,” adding that it is “one more round in the eternal battle of man pitched against alcohol.”

Granted, not everyone celebrates the New Year by drinking heavily and committing acts of violence. In fact, many have fond memories of the occasion. “As children, we could hardly wait for New Year’s Eve,” says Fernando, quoted earlier. “There were always lots of games, food, and drink. At midnight we would embrace, kiss, and wish one another ‘Happy New Year!’”

Similarly, many today feel that they share in New Year’s festivities without going overboard. Still, Christians do well to examine the origin and significance of this popular celebration. Do New Year’s festivities conflict with Bible teachings?

Facts From the Past

New Year’s festivities are not new. Ancient inscriptions indicate that they were held in Babylon as early as the third millennium B.C.E. The celebration, which was observed in mid-March, was crucial. “At that time the god Marduk decided the destiny of the country for the coming year,” says The World Book Encyclopedia. The Babylonian new year celebration lasted 11 days and included sacrifices, processions, and fertility rites.

For a time, the Romans too began their year in the month of March. But in 46 B.C.E., Emperor Julius Caesar decreed that it should begin on the first of January. That day was already dedicated to Janus, the god of beginnings, and now it would also mark the first day of the Roman year. The date changed, but the carnival atmosphere persisted. On the first of January, people “gave themselves up to riotous excess,” says McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia, “and various kinds of heathen superstition.”

Even today, superstitious rituals play a part in New Year’s festivities. For example, in some areas of South America, many welcome the New Year while standing on their right foot. Others sound horns and set off firecrackers. According to a Czech custom, New Year’s Eve is a time for eating lentil soup, while a Slovak tradition has people placing money or fish scales under the tablecloth. Such rituals, designed to ward off ill fortune and guarantee prosperity, merely perpetuate the ancient belief that the turn of the year is a time for deciding destinies.

The Bible’s View

The Bible admonishes Christians to “walk decently, not in revelries and drunken bouts.” (Romans 13:12-14; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Peter 4:3) Since New Year’s festivities are often characterized by the very excesses that the Bible condemns, Christians do not participate in them. This does not mean that Christians are killjoys. On the contrary, they know that the Bible repeatedly tells worshipers of the true God to rejoice—and that for a number of reasons. (Deuteronomy 26:10, 11; Psalm 32:11; Proverbs 5:15-19; Ecclesiastes 3:22; 11:9) The Bible also acknowledges that food and drink often accompany rejoicing.—Psalm 104:15; Ecclesiastes 9:7a.

As we have seen, however, New Year’s celebrations are rooted in pagan customs. False worship is unclean and detestable in the eyes of Jehovah God, and Christians reject practices that have such origins. (Deuteronomy 18:9-12; Ezekiel 22:3, 4) The apostle Paul wrote: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial?” For good reason, Paul added: “Quit touching the unclean thing.”—2 Corinthians 6:14-17a.

Christians also realize that taking part in superstitious rituals does not guarantee happiness and prosperity—especially since participating in such festivities can result in God’s disfavor. (Ecclesiastes 9:11; Isaiah 65:11, 12) Furthermore, the Bible admonishes Christians to be moderate and self-controlled in their conduct. (1 Timothy 3:2, 11) Clearly, it would be improper for one who professes to follow Christ’s teachings to be part of a celebration that is characterized by riotous excess.

As eye-catching and appealing to the senses as New Year’s festivities may be, the Bible tells us to “quit touching the unclean thing” and to “cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit.” To those who comply, Jehovah extends the heartwarming guarantee: “I will take you in. . . . I shall be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me.” (2 Corinthians 6:17b–7:1) Indeed, he promises eternal blessings and prosperity to those who are loyal to him.—Psalm 37:18, 28; Revelation 21:3, 4, 7.

[Footnote]

Paul’s reference to “revelries and drunken bouts” may have included those that took place during New Year’s festivities, since these were popular in Rome during the first century.

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VALENTINE DAY---WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

 

DID you ever send or receive a valentine, a card or a gift? In many countries it is the custom to send them out for February 14, Valentine Day. It is supposed to be a day celebrated by lovers. But how did the custom start?

Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable says: “Valentine, St. A priest of Rome who was imprisoned for succouring persecuted Christians. He became a convert and, . . . he was clubbed to death. His day is 14 February. . .

“The ancient custom of choosing Valentines has only accidental relation to [the] saint, being essentially a relic of the old Roman Lupercalia . . . or from association with the mating season of birds. It was marked by the giving of presents and nowadays by the sending of a card on which cupids, transfixed hearts, etc., are depicted.”

And what does Cupid have to do with Valentine Day? The same source says: “Cupid (Lat[in] cupido, desire, love). The Roman god of love, identified with the Greek Eros. He is usually represented as a beautiful winged boy, blindfolded, and carrying a bow and arrows.”

The World Book Encyclopedia gives further information, offering various theories on the origin of Valentine Day practices. “According to one story, the Roman Emperor Claudius II in the A.D. 200’s forbade young men to marry. The emperor thought single men made better soldiers. A priest named Valentine disobeyed the emperor’s order and secretly married young couples. . . . Many stories say that Valentine was executed on February 14 about A.D. 269. In A.D. 496, Saint Pope Gelasius I named February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day.”

Regardless of the true origin of the practice, it is evident that it is rooted in ancient pagan beliefs and in Christendom’s listing of so-called “saints.” Valentine Day is also another excuse for commercial exploitation of an often uninformed public.—2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

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BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

THE celebration of birthdays is regarded by most people today as merely an innocent custom. But the Bible does not paint a positive picture of this tradition. For one thing, the Scriptures contain no indication that any of God’s faithful servants celebrated birthdays.

The only two birthdays the Bible does mention were for rulers who were enemies of God. Each celebration included an execution, so that the guests could gloat over the death of one who had displeased the king. In the first instance, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, executed his chief baker. (Genesis 40:2, 3, 20, 22) The Egyptian ruler did so during the feast because he had grown indignant with his servant. In the second instance, Herod, the immoral ruler of Galilee, beheaded John the Baptizer as a favor to a girl whose dancing at the party had pleased him. What repulsive scenes!—Matthew 14:6-11.

Yet has not the Bible focused on two very exceptional birthdays? Not really. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus reveals that these incidents were not unique. He records other instances of the practice of birthday executions for entertainment.

For example, some occurred after Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 C.E., when 1,000,000 Jews perished and 97,000 survived to be taken prisoner. En route to Rome, Roman general Titus took his Jewish captives to the nearby seaport of Caesarea.

Josephus writes: “While Titus remained at Caesarea, he celebrated his brother Domitian’s birthday with great splendor, putting over 2,500 prisoners to death in games with beasts and flames. After this he moved to Berytus [Beirut], a Roman colony in Phoenicia, where he celebrated his father’s birthday by killing many more captives at elaborate exhibitions.”—The Jewish War, VII, 37, translated by Paul L. Maier in Josephus: The Essential Writings.

It is no wonder that The Imperial Bible-Dictionary comments: “The later Hebrews looked on the celebration of birth-days as a part of idolatrous worship, a view which would be abundantly confirmed by what they saw of the common observances associated with these days.”

Faithful first-century Christians would not have felt like joining in a custom so darkly presented in the Bible and so gruesomely celebrated by the Romans. Today, sincere Christians realize that the Bible accounts about birthdays were among the things written for their instruction. (Romans 15:4) They avoid celebrating birthdays because such observances bestow undue importance on the individual. More significant, Jehovah’s servants wisely take into account the unfavorable presentation of birthdays in the Bible.

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A BIRTH TO BE REMEMBERED

‘Unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’—Luke 2:11, “King James Version.”

SOME two thousand years ago, a woman in the town of Bethlehem gave birth to a male child. Few local residents realized the significance of this birth. But some shepherds, who were spending the night with their flocks in the field, saw a multitude of angels and heard them sing: “Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill.”—Luke 2:8-14.

The shepherds then located Mary and her husband, Joseph, in a stable, just as the angels had indicated they would. Mary, who named the child Jesus, had laid him in a manger, or feeding trough, in the stable. (Luke 1:31; 2:12) Now, two thousand years later, about a third of all mankind professes to follow Jesus Christ. And the events surrounding his birth form the basis of a story that has likely been told more often than any other in human history.

Spain, a country with a strong Catholic tradition and a flair for traditional fiestas, has developed many ways to commemorate that unique night in Bethlehem.

The Spanish Christmas

Since the 13th century, the Nativity scene has been one of the most familiar aspects of Spanish celebrations. Many families make a small representation of the manger in which Jesus was laid. Clay figures depict the shepherds and the Magi (or “three kings”), as well as Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. Larger Nativity scenes with almost life-size figures are often set up near town halls during the Christmas period. Francis of Assisi apparently initiated this custom in Italy to direct people’s attention to the Gospel account of Jesus’ birth. Franciscan monks later popularized it in Spain and many other countries.

The Magi play a prominent role in Spanish Christmas celebrations, much like Santa Claus in other countries. The Magi supposedly give presents to Spanish children on January 6, Día de Reyes (Day of the Kings), as the Magi, according to popular belief, brought presents to the newborn Jesus. Few people are aware, however, that the Gospel account does not mention how many Magi visited Jesus. Rather than being kings, they are more accurately identified as astrologers. Moreover, after the visit of the Magi, Herod killed all boys in Bethlehem “from two years of age and under” in his attempt to murder Jesus. That implies that their visit took place quite a while after Jesus’ birth.—Matthew 2:11, 16.

Since the 12th century, some Spanish towns have put on a live theatrical representation of Jesus’ birth, including the visit of the shepherds to Bethlehem and later that of the Magi. Nowadays, most Spanish cities host a cabalgata, or parade, every January 5, during which the “three kings” ride on elaborate floats through the city center, distributing candies to onlookers. Traditional Christmas decorations and villancicos (carols) serve to enliven the festive occasion.

Most Spanish families like to have a special supper on Christmas Eve (December 24). The traditional food includes such items as turrón (sweets made from almond and honey), marzipan, dried fruits, roast lamb, and seafood. Family members, even those who live far away, may make a special effort to come together for this occasion. During another traditional meal, on January 6, the family eats a roscón de reyes, a ring-shaped cake of “the Kings” that has a sorpresa (small figure) hidden inside. A similar custom in Roman times enabled a slave whose portion contained the hidden item to be “king” for a day.

“The Happiest and Busiest Time of the Year”

Whatever local customs have developed, Christmas has now become the world’s principal festive occasion. The World Book Encyclopedia describes Christmas as “the happiest and busiest time of the year for millions of Christians and some non-Christians throughout the world.” Is that a good thing?

Clearly, the birth of Christ was a historic event. The fact that angels heralded it as a harbinger of “peace among men of goodwill” clearly testifies to its significance.

Nevertheless, “in the early days of Christianity, the Nativity was not celebrated as a festival,” points out Spanish journalist Juan Arias. If this is the case, where did the Christmas celebration come from? What is the best way to remember the birth and life of Jesus? In the following article, you will find the answers to those questions.

[Footnote]

La Sagrada Escritura—Texto y comentario por profesores de la Compañía de Jesús (The Holy Scripture—Text and Commentary by Professors of the Company of Jesus) explains that “among the Persians, Medes, and Chaldeans, the Magi formed a priestly class that promoted occult sciences, astrology, and medicine.” Nevertheless, by the Middle Ages, the group of Magi who went to see the young Jesus had been canonized and given the names Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar. Their remains are allegedly housed in the cathedral of Cologne, Germany.

 

How Should Jesus Christ Be Remembered?

Jesus Christ “was certainly one of the most influential people who ever lived.”—“The World Book Encyclopedia.”

GREAT men are usually remembered for what they did. So why do many remember Jesus for his birth rather than for his deeds? Throughout Christendom, most people can recount the events surrounding his birth. How many recall and strive to apply his superlative teaching as found in the Sermon on the Mount?

Granted, Jesus’ birth was remarkable, but his early disciples attached much more importance to what he did and to what he taught. Surely God never intended Christ’s birth to eclipse his life as a mature man. Yet, Christmas has succeeded in obscuring the person of Christ in a mire of Nativity legends and folklore.

Another disturbing question arises with regard to the nature of Christmas celebrations. If Jesus returned to the earth today, what would he think about the rank commercialism of Christmas? Two thousand years ago, Jesus visited the temple in Jerusalem. He was outraged by money changers and vendors who were taking advantage of a Jewish religious festival to make money. “Take these things away from here!” he said. “Stop making the house of my Father a house of merchandise!” (John 2:13-16) Clearly, Jesus did not approve of mixing commerce and religion.

Many sincere Spanish Catholics express concern about the growing commercial nature of Christmas. Yet, such a trend toward commercialism is probably inevitable in view of the roots of many Christmas practices. Journalist Juan Arias points out: “Those who, within Christianity, criticize the way Christmas has become ‘paganized’ and more devoted to jollity and consumerism than to religion, are generally unaware that even in its origin the Nativity . . . already incorporated many of the features of the Roman pagan festival [of the sun].”—El País, December 24, 2001.

In recent years, many Spanish journalists and encyclopedias have commented on the pagan origins of traditional Christmas festivities, as well as their commercial overtones. Regarding the date for Christmas celebrations, the Enciclopedia de la Religión Católica frankly states: “The reason that the Roman Church decided to assign this date to the festival seems to be its tendency to replace pagan festivals with Christian ones. . . . We know that in Rome at that time, the pagans consecrated December 25 as the celebration of natalis invicti, the birth of the ‘invincible sun.’”

The Enciclopedia Hispánica likewise notes: “The date of December 25 for the celebration of Christmas is not the result of a strict chronological anniversary but, rather, of the Christianization of the festivals of the winter solstice that were celebrated in Rome.” How did the Romans celebrate the rise of the sun in the winter sky? By feasting, revelry, and the exchanging of presents. Since church authorities were loath to abolish such a popular festival, they “Christianized” it by calling it the birth of Jesus instead of the birth of the sun.

At the outset, in the fourth and fifth centuries, attachment to sun worship and its customs died hard. Catholic “Saint” Augustine (354-430 C.E.) felt obliged to exhort fellow believers not to celebrate December 25 as the pagans did in honor of the sun. Even today, the ancient Roman festivities seem to have the upper hand.

The Ideal Festival for Merrymaking and Marketing

Over the centuries, several factors have played a decisive role in molding Christmas into the most popular, international celebration for merrymaking and marketing. Also, the customs of other winter festivals, especially those celebrated in northern Europe, were gradually incorporated into the Roman model. And in the 20th century, salesmen and marketing specialists enthusiastically promoted any custom that could generate hefty profits.

What has been the result? The celebration of Christ’s birth rather than the significance of it has become of paramount importance. In many cases, even the mention of Christ has practically disappeared from the traditional Christmas. “[Christmas] is a world festival, of a family nature, and everyone celebrates what he or she sees in it,” observes the Spanish newspaper El País.

This comment reflects a growing tendency in Spain and many other countries throughout the world. While Christmas celebrations become ever more extravagant, knowledge of Christ diminishes. In essence, Christmas festivities have largely reverted to what they originally were in Roman times—revelry, feasting, and the exchanging of presents.

A Child Has Been Born to Us

If traditional Christmas has little to do with Christ, how should true Christians remember the birth and life of Christ? Seven centuries before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah prophesied about him: “There has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder.” (Isaiah 9:6) Why did Isaiah indicate that Jesus’ birth and subsequent role would be so significant? Because Jesus would become a mighty ruler. He would be called Prince of Peace, and there would be no end to peace or to his princely rule. Furthermore, Jesus’ rulership would be sustained “by means of justice and by means of righteousness.”—Isaiah 9:7.

The angel Gabriel echoed Isaiah’s proclamation when he announced Jesus’ coming birth to Mary. “This one will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,” he predicted. “And Jehovah God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule as king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom.” (Luke 1:32, 33) Clearly, the main significance of Jesus’ birth lay in the work that Christ would accomplish as the appointed King of God’s Kingdom. Christ’s rule can benefit all, including you and your loved ones. In fact, the angels indicated that his birth would bring “peace on earth to those with whom [God] is pleased.”—Luke 2:14, Today’s English Version.

Who does not long to live in a world of peace and justice? But to enjoy the peace that Christ’s rule will bring, we need to please God and have a good relationship with him. Jesus said that the first step to such a relationship is to learn about God and Christ. “This means everlasting life,” Jesus said, “their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”—John 17:3.

Once we know Jesus well, we need no longer wonder how he would like us to remember him. Would it be by eating, drinking, and exchanging presents on the same date as an ancient pagan festival? That seems unlikely. The night before he died, Jesus told his disciples what he preferred. “He that has my commandments and observes them, that one is he who loves me. In turn he that loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him.”—John 14:21.

 

[Footnote]

The Christmas tree and the figure of Santa Claus are two striking examples.

 

Does the Bible Discourage Feasting and the Giving of Gifts?

The Giving of Gifts

  The Bible approves of the giving of presents, Jehovah himself being called the Giver of “every good gift and every perfect present.” (James 1:17) Jesus indicated that good parents would give gifts to their children. (Luke 11:11-13) Job’s friends and family members gave Job gifts when he recovered his health. (Job 42:11) None of such giving, however, required specific feast days. It stemmed from the heart.—2 Corinthians 9:7.

Family Gatherings

  Family gatherings can do much to unite family members, especially if they no longer live in the same house. Jesus and his disciples attended a wedding feast in Cana, doubtless a large gathering of family and friends. (John 2:1-10) And in Jesus’ illustration of the prodigal son, the father celebrated his son’s return with a family banquet, which included music and dancing.—Luke 15:21-25.

Enjoying a Good Meal

  The Bible frequently speaks of God’s servants as enjoying good food with family, friends, or fellow worshipers. When three angels visited Abraham, he prepared a feast for them that included beef, milk, butter, and round cakes. (Genesis 18:6-8) Solomon described ‘eating, drinking, and rejoicing’ as a gift from God.—Ecclesiastes 3:13; 8:15.

  Clearly, God wants us to enjoy good food in the company of friends and family, and he approves of the giving of gifts. We have ample opportunity to do that at any time throughout the year.

 

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MYTH VERSUS FACT---THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS

 WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS FACT OR MYTH?

Jesus was born on December 25.

Three wise men visited Jesus at the time of his birth.

Jesus was an only child.

Jesus was God incarnate.

Jesus was more than simply a good man.

MANY would respond that all those statements are factual. Others might say that it is difficult—even impossible—to know for sure. Perhaps they feel that as long as you believe in Jesus, the answer does not really matter.

The Bible, however, says otherwise. It encourages us to have “accurate knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:8) We gain that knowledge by examining the Gospels. They reveal the truth about Jesus, enabling us to separate myth from fact. So let us consider what the Gospels indicate regarding the above-mentioned beliefs.

BELIEF: Jesus was born on December 25.

STATUS: MYTH.

There is no direct statement in the Bible concerning the month or day of Jesus’ birth. Where, then, did the date of December 25 come from? According to The Encyclopædia Britannica, some who called themselves Christians “wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking . . . the winter solstice, when the days again begin to lengthen and the sun begins to climb higher in the sky.” That same reference work notes that many Christmas customs originated with “pagan agricultural and solar observances at midwinter.”

Would Jesus approve of the celebration of his birth on December 25? Consider: The day of Jesus’ birth is unknown. Nowhere do the Scriptures direct us to celebrate that birth, nor is there any evidence that early Christians did so. In contrast, the Bible provides the exact day of Jesus’ death, and he commanded his followers to observe that day. (Luke 22:19) Clearly, Jesus wanted emphasis to be placed, not on his birth, but on the value of his sacrificial death.—Matthew 20:28.

BELIEF: Three wise men (or kings in some traditions) visited Jesus at the time of his birth.

STATUS: MYTH.

Perhaps you have seen paintings or nativity scenes that depict the infant Jesus lying in a manger, surrounded by three wise men bearing gifts. This image, however, is fiction, not fact.

It is true that a delegation from the East paid homage to young Jesus. These visitors, though, were really astrologers. (Matthew 2:1, The New English Bible; The Bible—An American Translation) And did they find Jesus nestled in a manger? No; they visited him in a house. Evidently, they arrived some months after Jesus’ birth.—Matthew 2:9-11.

As to the number of visitors, were there 2? 3? 30? The Bible does not say. Perhaps the traditional number of three arose from their three types of gifts. (Matthew 2:11) Some have even proposed that each of the so-called wise men represented a different race of mankind. But that idea is not found in the Scriptures. Rather, as one Gospel commentary notes, this particular myth is the product of “an eighth-century historian with a vivid imagination.”

BELIEF: Jesus was an only child.

STATUS: MYTH.

That Jesus had siblings is clearly indicated in the Gospels. Luke’s Gospel refers to Jesus as Mary’s “firstborn,” implying that she later bore other children. (Luke 2:7) Mark’s Gospel reports that some in the city of Nazareth equated Jesus with his siblings, regarding him as nothing special. They asked: “Aren’t James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don’t his sisters still live here in our town?”—Mark 6:3, Contemporary English Version; Matthew 12:46; John 7:5.

Despite what the Gospels say, many theologians maintain that Jesus was an only child. Some suggest that the brothers and sisters in question were actually Jesus’ cousins. Others speculate that these siblings were Mary’s stepchildren. But consider: If Jesus were Mary’s only child, would those Nazarenes have said what they did? On the contrary, some of them likely witnessed Mary’s pregnancies with their own eyes. They knew firsthand that Jesus was one of many children born to Mary.

BELIEF: Jesus was God incarnate.

STATUS: MYTH.

The idea that God came to earth and lived as the man Jesus, which is central to the doctrine of the Trinity, has been around for a long time—but it does not date back to Jesus. Rather, The Encyclopædia Britannica observes: “Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament . . . The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies.”

Religion actually degrades Jesus when it teaches that he was God in the flesh. How so? Consider an illustration. Some workers make a request of their supervisor, but he says that he does not have the authority to grant it. If his statement is true, the supervisor has wisely displayed an awareness of his limitations. If it is not true—if he can grant the request but simply chooses not to—he has been deceptive.

Now, how did Jesus respond when two of his apostles desired positions of prominence? He told them: “This sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:23) If Jesus were really God, would that not have been a lie? Instead, by deferring to the One with greater authority, Jesus set a beautiful example in modesty—and he showed that he was not equal to God.

BELIEF: Jesus was more than simply a good man.

STATUS: FACT.

Jesus plainly stated that he was more than a good man. He said: “I am God’s Son.” (John 10:36) Of course, anyone could claim to be the Son of God. But if Jesus’ claim were false, what would that make him? Really, not a good man, but a great fraud!

The most reliable testimony came from God himself. He twice said concerning Jesus: “This is my Son.” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5) Just think: The Scriptures report only a few occasions when God’s own voice was heard on earth—yet on two of them he affirmed Jesus as his Son! This is by far the best proof that Jesus was who he said he was.

Has this article uncovered any facts about Jesus that you did not previously know? If so, why not examine the inspired Gospels further? Such study can be both enjoyable and rewarding. After all, Jesus himself said that learning the truth about him and his Father “means everlasting life.”—John 17:3.

[Footnotes]

Jesus died on Passover Day, or Nisan 14, according to the Jewish calendar.—Matthew 26:2.

Matthew reports that the foreigners “opened their treasures” and presented Jesus with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Interestingly, those expensive gifts may have come at just the right time, since Jesus’ family—evidently of little means—were soon forced to flee as refugees.—Matthew 2:11-15.

While Jesus’ conception was miraculous, the rest of Mary’s children were conceived naturally with her husband, Joseph.—Matthew 1:25.

This notion, asserted by Jerome about 383 C.E., is popular among those who believe that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life. Jerome later expressed misgivings about his theory, but in the minds of many—and in the official position of the Catholic Church—the thought persists.

For a full discussion of the Trinity doctrine, see the brochure Should You Believe in the Trinity? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses at www.jw.org

 

Additional Facts That May Surprise You

  What was Jesus like as a person? Was he so austere, so cold and aloof, that he could not relate to common people? Some would answer yes. Perhaps that is why they are surprised to learn that Jesus . . .

• attended joyous social events.—John 2:1-11.

• gave commendation.—Mark 14:6-9.

• enjoyed the company of children.—Mark 10:13, 14.

• wept openly.—John 11:35.

• felt compassion.—Mark 1:40, 41.

For more information please go to www.jw.org

CHRISTMAS---DOES IT COST MORE THAN YOU THINK?

 

Christmas—Does It Cost More Than You Think?

“MOMMY, Daddy—is there really a Santa Claus?” It is the moment of truth that many parents dread. With a mixture of disappointment and hurt in his eyes, seven-year-old Jimmy begs for reassurance that the fantasy figure who brought all those wonderful presents really exists—and that his parents have not lied to him.

As it turns out, the little boy next door was the culprit who revealed the awful truth and put these parents in this awkward position. Perhaps your childhood memories include a like episode.

Today’s holiday celebrations are much more than just religious observances. Christmas, it seems, has worked itself into some unlikely places. Japanese Buddhists, African animists, American Jews, and Singaporean Muslims alike have opened the door to the rotund, red-suited man bearing gifts. One religious leader asked, “Has not Christmas become a universal holiday observed by all?”

In the eyes of many, Christmas has shed its Western “Christian” costume and become an enchanting time of festive fun for all. Children are at the heart of the celebration. Some people would dare to say that no child’s life is complete without the magical fun of this holiday. Seemingly, it is here to stay. School curriculum revolves around it. TV glorifies it. Malls and department stores parade it. Parents pour much time and money into Christmas. But besides the usual aftermath of burdensome debt, is there a heavier price your family may pay?

The Santa Myth—Breach of Trust?

“I don’t believe there is a God,” seven-year-old John told his mother. A World Herald article explains why: “John, it seemed, had learned earlier that day that Santa Claus wasn’t real. Maybe God wasn’t real either, he told his mother.” Recalling his early disillusionment, 25-year-old John said: “When parents tell children Santa is real, I think that probably is a breach of trust.”

What to do about this delicate situation? Child experts disagree. One encouraged parents to tell their children the truth by age six or seven, warning that “it may actually be harmful to their psyches if parents persist in perpetuating the myth.”

In the book Why Kids Lie—How Parents Can Encourage Truthfulness, Dr. Paul Ekman states: “There is no doubt that you as parents have a major influence on your children when it comes to attitudes, beliefs, and social actions such as lying or cheating.” Ekman continues: “Relationships may not be the same once a lie has violated trust. The loss of trust is difficult to repair; sometimes it is never reparable.” So why carry on deception when it comes to holiday giving?

One child researcher asserted: “I think children are more traumatized by parents lying to them and deceiving them than they are about finding out that Santa Claus isn’t real.” Dr. Judith A. Boss, professor of philosophy, states: “The intention of adults . . . is to deliberately mislead children about the nature of Santa Claus. . . . In telling children Santa Claus is a real human, we are not engaging children’s imaginations. We are simply lying to them.”

If you are a parent, you have a gigantic challenge on your hands—to raise loving, happy children in a world where they learn from an early age that people cannot be trusted. “Don’t talk to strangers.” “You can’t believe everything the TV ad says.” “Tell them Mommy isn’t home.” How does a child learn whom to trust? The book How to Help Your Child Grow Up says: “Little children must learn early the necessity and beauty of honesty, of courage, of honorable dealing with others; and home is where these have their beginning.”

Of course, there is no such thing as the perfect family. However, author Dolores Curran set out to identify the character of strong families. She asked 551 family specialists in various fields to choose the most important aspects. Her findings, in the book Traits of a Healthy Family, discuss the top 15 qualities selected by the experts. Trait number four was “a sense of trust.” “In the healthy family,” she says, “trust is recognized as a precious possession, carefully developed and nurtured as both children and parents progress through the various stages of family life together.”

Parents do well to ask, ‘Is the perpetuation of the Santa myth worth the price of my child’s confidence and trust in me?’ There may be no refund possible. Does Christmas have other hidden costs?

Too Much Giving?

“Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow to believe the world owes him a living,” says the pamphlet 12 Rules for Raising Delinquent Children. Overemphasizing material things can indeed be harmful.

Writer and parent Maureen Orth asks, “How do we instill values and character in a material world such as ours, where consumption and greed seem so glorified, often unwittingly?” In the article “The Gift of Not Giving,” she laments: “Our toddler-emperor believes presents are an everyday occurrence—like getting the mail.” Is this the real message of Christmas?

What of families who simply cannot afford the lavish gifts hawked as Christmas musts? How do those youths feel when they hear that Santa brings presents only to good children? And what about youngsters in broken homes who are made painfully aware of the gap in their families at holiday time?

“All too often the highlight of the holiday gathering is opening the presents,” says The New York Times. “That emphasis gives children the message that presents are what the family gathering is all about and sets them up for disappointment.”

Love is an even more fulfilling motivation to do good. Glenn Austin, author of Love and Power: Parent and Child, states: “In a harmonious family where the child both loves and respects the parent, the child may behave in an approved way to please the parent.” Jehovah’s Witnesses work hard to create such a warm cycle of love in their homes. Additionally, the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses are raised to know and love the God they serve, Jehovah. What a powerful force in their lives for the doing of good! They need no mythical figure to extort good works.

Jehovah’s Witnesses cherish their children as gifts from God. (Psalm 127:3) Hence, instead of waiting for the calendar to govern gift giving, these parents can give presents throughout the year. At such times it is difficult to tell who is more thrilled—the surprised youngster or his delighted parent. The child knows where the gift came from. Further, Witness parents are encouraged to give frequently the gift of their time. For when a little girl is feeling sad or lonely, how can a roomful of dolls compare with a few moments spent wrapped in her mother’s arms listening to Mommy tell stories about when she was little? Will a young boy be taught how to be a man by a closetful of baseball equipment or by long, pleasant talks with his father as they go for walks together?

This nurtured closeness can be lifesaving. Child researchers have found that as the proverbial generation gap opens for a youth, he becomes more strongly influenced by peers. Youthful misbehavior and a deteriorating attitude toward adults go hand in hand. “But those who maintained favorable views of their fathers and adults in general didn’t join with other peers in misbehaviors.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses have at times been criticized for not sharing in holiday fun with their families. It may appear that the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses are deprived of this special fun. But these sincere parents and children have sound Biblical reasons for abstaining. (Please see pages 11-14.) And these youngsters are developing strong moral fiber that will withstand the weight of peer pressure that crushes the will of other youths. Morality is being washed away by the rising tide of wickedness. Immoral sex, drugs, violence, alcohol, cults, child molesters—ever so many dangers threaten vulnerable young people.

How can a parent shield a youngster from these constant perils? From infancy Witness children receive consistent training to lean on the strong moral laws of the Bible. Loving parents help them to understand God’s view not only about holidays but about all aspects of life. Obedience to their God springs from love and respect for him, even if it means being different. Imagine how this must prepare them for successful young adulthood! If a young child can sit in a class full of peers who are doing what seems to be fun and take a stand for what he believes is right, how much better he is able to withstand the later temptation of further seemingly fun things—drugs, premarital sex, and other harmful enticements! The children of Jehovah’s Witnesses may develop a moral fiber that many other children may be deprived of.

“Many of the kids I’ve looked at don’t have faith,” observes Dr. Robert Coles, Harvard researcher. “They have lost everything except preoccupation with themselves, and this is enhanced every day by the way they are brought up.”

A pediatrician describes a different family: “They want kids who care about others and who give a little of themselves. . . . They live a simpler life . . . , but they have something else. For want of a better phrase, I’d call it contentment.”

Dolores Curran cites valuing service to others as basic to happiness. “For some families in our nation [the United States]—indeed most, I would say—success and pursuit of the good life is the primary purpose.” But “families who presume that members can and will be caring toward others become those healthy families who value service to others. . . . As the children from these families grow up, they tend to be quite caring and responsible persons as a result of their family experiences.” Curran notes among successful parents “a return to the value of seeking joy in people and in giving rather than in buying, taking, and consuming.”

Put another way by an outstanding expert on giving, “there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” (Acts 20:35) Witness families are living proof of this statement by Christ Jesus. Like him their lives are centered on the Christian ministry. Some may feel that Witness youths are being exploited and forced to accompany their parents from door to door. Much to the contrary, they are being taught by parental example how to show love toward their fellowman by freely giving to their neighbors good news about God’s Kingdom.—Matthew 24:14.

‘Won’t It Stifle the Children?’

But isn’t a strict religious upbringing stifling to a young child? Isn’t it better to let religious decisions be made by each one upon reaching adulthood? That may be rule number 3 of 12 Rules for Raising Delinquent Children: “Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is 21 and then let him ‘decide for himself.’”

However, a child’s basic moral sense, according to Dr. Coles, begins to bud as early as three years of age. “Within the child there is a developing moral sense. I happen to think it is God-given, that there is a craving for a moral order.” This is the crucial time for the inculcation of the true moral values. It is the time, for instance, to teach by example the value of truthfulness as opposed to lying. The Bible stresses the importance of training during the youthful years: “Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.”—Proverbs 22:6.

Curran observes: “Children today can’t be expected to be moral without help. . . . My survey respondents suggest that the healthier the family the more developed is their sense of right and wrong.”

A social worker responding to Curran’s survey observed: “There’s an inescapable core of strength that religious faith gives families.” For the family with a shared religious core, Curran says, “faith in God plays a foundational role in daily family life. A religious core strengthens the family support system. The parents feel a strong responsibility for passing on the faith, but they do so in positive and meaningful ways.”

Help Your Children Feel Love for God

Show children the gifts of God that bring them such joy. Lie on the grass and examine with them the tiny flower so intricately designed. Watch the ladybug that emerges from this grassy jungle to climb to the tip of a blade of grass, lift its bright red and black-dotted wing covers, and fly away. Let them feel the breathless wonder as a butterfly suddenly lands on a hand to raise and lower its bright yellow wings for a brief rest and to soak up the warm sunshine. Roll over on your back to see the fluffy white clouds sailing overhead, and watch as they change from ships to horses to palaces in the sky. All the while point out to your children that it is our Creator God who brings us such joyful gifts.

And many other gifts, such as the kitten whose playful antics with a leaf leave us convulsed with laughter or the fuzzy puppy that “attacks” us, head shaking from side to side, growling ferociously as it tugs on our sleeve, yet with friendly tail wagging nonstop all the while. Or a frolic in the ocean surf, a hike in the mountains, or a night gazing up in awe at a sky packed with lights that twinkle and shine high overhead. Knowing that these gifts and countless others are from the One who gave us our life, being able to thank him for these gifts, feeling gratitude for knowing him—all this brings joy to us and reflects a deep and appreciative love for him.

And finally on the family front, plenty of hugs and kisses from Daddy and Mommy, which help children feel the warm glow of security and thankfulness every day. Help them keep faith in Jehovah, rejecting an even greater lie than the one about the red-suited Santa, namely, that all these lovely gifts from God just happened, just evolved—a falsehood taught without scientific evidence, unsupported by the scientific method, and maintained only by a dogmatism repeated over and over again and again to flood the minds of the young.

Share with your children in frequent prayers to the greatest of Givers—at meals, when reading his Word, at day’s end. Raise a grateful child, and that sense of appreciation will sweeten every experience he has in life. He will grow to be a happy giver himself in imitation of the true God and of the parents he loves. Then happiness will come, not with the preset days of the calendar, but with the spontaneous moments of sheer joy in living. “Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!”—Psalm 144:15

For more information please go to www.jw.org