Christmas Or Karva Chauth
I believe festivals are more of cultures than of religions. That is why in India, we find even non-Hindus celebrating Hindu festivals of Holi and Diwali, while Hindus too celebrate many of the non-Hindu festivals. Also, we should accept that most of the Indian Christians or Indian Muslims are Hindus by culture, though not by religion. But this news-piece tells a different story. I always believe that you can take an Indian out of India, but not India out of an Indian. It holds true here:
Wife's karva chauth costs pastor job
Kanpur. A pastor has been dropped from the panel of pastors by the Assembly of Believer's Church after his wife observed the karva chauth fast.
Satyeendra Shrivastava, who along with his wife Anita converted to Christianity 11 years ago, has threatened to end life, if the decision is not revoked. "Is karva chauth a copyright of one religion?" What wrong did my wife do by fasting for me? Wives of my Muslim friends fast. It's common these days, said Satyeendra who is also the vice-president of the United Pastor Committee.
Last month a local newspaper wrote about some non-Hindu women observing the fast. Anita was one of the women it wrote about. The church took note. "The next morning they asked me why I observed the fast when it wasn't part of the custom," she told.
"A woman would do anything for her husband's long life. I fasted because my husband was once a Hindu", said Anita.
Ref: Hindustan Times, Mumbai. Nov 25, 2008. Haldar Naqvi.
If the Church is so sacrosanct about celebrating only their 'own' festivals, then let us know about the truth behind one of the most awaited festivals of the Christian world ' Christmas. Christmas is celebrated on December 25 every year, to mark the birth of Jesus Christ to a lady who became mother while being virgin.
25 December - Birthday of Jesus Christ?
For many people throughout the world, the Christmas season is the happiest and busiest time of the year. Millions of believers in Christ celebrate December 25th as a special religious holiday because they believe it marks the date of Christ’s birth.
The Bible does not give us the date of the birth of Jesus! Whether He was born in December or July or some other month of the year is not stated in the Scriptures. Scholars confess that they do not know the actual date of Christ’s birth.
The Bible gives two accounts of the birth of Jesus. They are found in Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 2. No mention is made of the date. No command is given for the Lord’s birthday to be observed in any way. No example is found in the New Testament of any celebration of Christ’s birth.
Despite the beliefs about Christ that the birth stories expressed, the church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event until the 4th century.
In 354, the bishop of Rome decreed that December 25th, a pagan feast day in honour of the god, Saturn, should be observed by Christians in honour of Christ's birth.
However, in the East, this date was not accepted; and for centuries, January 6th was celebrated as the birthday of Jesus, particularly in Egypt. Some branches of the Eastern Orthodox Church, even today, keep January 6th as Christmas day.
The date of 25 December was chosen to counter the pagan festivities connected with the winter solstice; since 274, under the emperor Aurelian, Rome had celebrated the feast of the “Invincible Sun” [or Saturnalia] on December 25.
Ancient Romans were Pagans who worshiped nature and natural forces like earth, wind, trees, moon, and sun; similar to the way Hindus do. By declaring December 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Church wanted to make it convenient for the Roman pagans to convert into Christianity. Also, they wanted to make the Sun festival of pagans on December 25 irrelevant by coming out with a new celebration in the name of Jesus Christ's birthday.
It is interesting to note also that many of the festivities connected with Christmas had their origin in paganism, not in the Bible. The Christmas tree originated in Scandinavia. The pagans of that part of the world worshipped trees before they became believers in Christ. Decorating with mistletoe originated with the ancient Celtic priests, called Druids, who used mistletoe as charms to ward off evil spirits.
Ref: (Texts copied at places) Christmas Holiday, Birthday of Christ, Date of birth of Jesus, Is Christmas the birthday of Christ?, A true Christian is aware, True birthday of Christ
It seems almost the whole world has been celebrating a fake birthday for so many centuries. And almost the whole world has been celebrating the systematic destruction of pagan symbols and worships in so many ways. And yet, so much against a (converted) Christian lady celebrating a Hindu festival?
(Rahul)
