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Traditionally Rome is said to be founded on seven hills, but the history and the topography of Rome is a bit more complicated than that. http://www.mmdtkw.org/ALRItkwRom101BasicTopo.html Search Geography What are the seven hills of Rome? Rome is known to be built upon seven hills. Rome was said to have been founded when Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars, ended up at the foot of the hill Palatine and founded the city. The other six hills are Capitoline (the seat of government), Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and Aventine. http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzromeseven.htm ______________________________________________________ Revelation 17:
______________________________________________________ Encyclopedia Britannica: "Through her identification with the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Venus, Inanna-Ishtar, the queen of heaven, still survives in Roman Catholic iconography - e.g., as the Virgin Mary standing on the moon."
Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1894:
Temple of the Temptress:
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Jeremiah 7:
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Isaiah 5
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woe ( P ) Pronunciation Key (w)n.
interj.
woe n 1: misery resulting from affliction [syn: suffering] 2: intense mournfulness [syn: woefulness] Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=woe ______________________________________________________
Is December 25 really the day Jesus was born?
Why do you have holly draped over the mantel and staircase?
According to the book "Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things," by Charles Panati: The church forbade the use of mistletoe in any form, mindful of its idolatrous associations. As a substitute, it suggested holly. The sharply pointed leaves were to symbolize the thorns in Christ's crown and the red berries drops of his blood. Holly became a nativity tradition. The Christian ban on mistletoe was in effect throughout the Middle Ages. Surprisingly, as late as the 20th century, there were churches in England that forbade the wearing of mistletoe sprigs and corsages during services.
Why is mistletoe hanging over the front door?
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Agnosticism / Atheism
Related Terms
Definition:
______________________________________________________ December celebrations in many faiths and locations - ancient and modern ANCIENT EGYPT: The god-man/savior Osiris died and was entombed on DEC-21. "At midnight, the priests emerged from an inner shrine crying 'The Virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing" and showing the image of a baby to the worshipers." 1 ANCIENT GREECE: The winter solstice ritual was called Lenaea, the Festival of the Wild Women. In very ancient times, a man representing the harvest god Dionysos was torn to pieces and eaten by a gang of women on this day. Later in the ritual, Dionysos would be reborn as a baby. By classical times, the human sacrifice had been replaced by the killing of a goat. The women's role had changed to that of funeral mourners and observers of the birth. ANCIENT ROME: Saturnalia began as a feast day for Saturn on DEC-17 and of Ops (DEC-19). About 50 BCE, both were later converted into two day celebrations. During the Empire, the festivals were combined to cover a full week: DEC-17 to 23. By the third century CE, there were many religions and spiritual mysteries being followed within the Roman Empire. Many, if not most, celebrated the birth of their god-man near the time of the solstice. Emperor Aurelian (270 to 275 CE) blended a number of Pagan solstice celebrations of the nativity of such god-men/saviors as Appolo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus, and Theseus into a single festival called the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun" on DEC-25. At the time, Mithraism and Christianity were fierce competitors. Aurelian had even declared Mithraism the official religion of the Roman Empire in 274 CE. Christianity won out by becoming the new official religion in the 4th century CE. CHRISTIANITY: Any record of the date of birth of Yeshua Ben Nazareth (later known as Jesus Christ) has been lost. There is sufficient evidence in the Gospels to indicate that Yeshua was born in the fall, but this seems to have been unknown to early Christians. By the beginning of the 4th century CE, there was intense interest in choosing a day to celebrate Yeshua's birthday. The western church leaders selected DEC-25 because this was already the date recognized throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of various Pagan gods. <1,2> Since there was no central Christian authority at the time, it took centuries before the tradition was universally accepted: Eastern churches began to celebrate Christmas after 375 CE. The church in Jerusalem started in the 7th century. Ireland started in the 5th century Austria, England and Switzerland in the 8th Slavic lands in the 9th and 10th centuries. <3> Many symbols and practices associated with Christmas are of Pagan origin: holly, ivy, mistletoe, yule log, the giving of gifts, decorated evergreen tree, magical reindeer, etc. Polydor Virgil, an early British Christian, said "Dancing, masques, mummeries, stageplays, and other such Christmas disorders now in use with Christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalian and Bacchanalian festivals; which should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them." In Massachusetts, Puritans unsuccessfully tried to ban Christmas entirely during the 17th century, because of its heathenism. The English Parliament abolished Christmas in 1647. Some contemporary Christian faith groups do not celebrate Christmas. Included among these was the Worldwide Church of God (before its recent conversion to Evangelical Christianity) and the Jehovah's Witnesses.
References used in the preparation of this essay:
______________________________________________________ Santa Claus and Satan's Cause The modern-day Santa Claus is an American version of Saint Nicholas, a fourth century Roman Catholic bishop from Asia Minor who was noted for his good deeds and gift giving. This tradition first spread throughout Europe, and then found its way to America by the early Dutch settlers. Since God's word warns us to BEWARE of tradition (Col. 2:8), we shouldn't be surprised to find the Devil right in the middle of the world's most celebrated holiday. Lucifer's desire has always been to dethrone God and exalt himself (Isa. 14:12-15). He desires worship (Luke 4:7; II Ths. 2:3-4). Perhaps you've never thought of it, but please note how Satan robs the Lord Jesus Christ of His glory by spreading the Santa Claus tradition... SANTA IS ETERNAL A child knows nothing of his beginning. To a child, Santa has just always existed. JESUS CHRIST IS ETERNAL "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8) SANTA LIVES IN THE NORTH Tradition holds that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, a place ABOVE the rest of us. JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN THE NORTH "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." (Psa. 48:2) SANTA WEARS RED CLOTHING Santa wears a red furry suit. JESUS CHRIST WEARS RED CLOTHING "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." (Rev. 19:13) SANTA HAS WHITE HAIR Santa is always pictured as an old man with white hair like wool. JESUS CHRIST HAS WHITE HAIR "His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;" (Rev. 1:14) SANTA FLIES AROUND GIVING GIFTS Santa has the ability to defy the laws of gravity and fly around giving gifts to people. JESUS CHRIST ASCENDED AND GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." (Eph. 4:7-8) SANTA IS COMING SOON During the Christmas season it is emphasized over and over that "Santa is coming". JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:20) SANTA IS OMNISCIENT Children are taught that Santa "knows when you've been good, and he knows when you've been bad". JESUS CHRIST IS OMNISCIENT "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (Pro. 15:3) "And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Mat. 9:4) SANTA IS OMNIPRESENT Santa must be omnipresent, because he has the ability to visit over a billion homes in a twenty-four hour period. That's over 1100 per second! JESUS CHRIST IS OMNIPRESENT "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Mat. 18:20) SANTA IS OMNIPOTENT He has the ability to carry presents for over a billion children. JESUS CHRIST IS OMNIPOTENT "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Mat. 28:18) SANTA HAS SPIRIT HELPERS CALLED ELVES Webster, 1828: "ELF...a spirit, the night-mar; a ghost, hag, witch" JESUS CHRIST HAS SPIRIT HELPERS CALLED ANGELS "Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." (Mat. 4:11) SANTA - SANAT - SATAN? Sanat Kumara is worshipped by some new age groups as God. H.P. Blavatsky, the mother of the new age movement, said on page 350 of her book, The Secret Doctrine, Vol. 2: "The name isn't important. It is the letters". "Santa" has the same letters as "Satan"! According to G.A. Riplinger, "Ole Nick" is listed as the name of a fallen angel in the Dictionary of Fallen Angels. (New Age Bible Versions, Gail Riplinger, pg. 53) Friend, don't glorify Satan by giving the glory and attributes of Jesus Christ to Santa Claus! Santa is a COUNTERFEIT GOD, and you are honoring Satan when you teach your children to believe in Santa! Christians should teach their children the TRUTH. We should glorify God by teaching our children about Jesus Christ and His saving grace! Copyright © 1996 James L. Melton |