Its kind of a cool story. Many different cultures celebrate the Solstices and Equinoxes. If you do a search online all kinds of stories will come up. The underlying theme is the Winter Solstice is the birth of the sun god. He is the male aspect of the Goddess and they both have their roles. Once he's born, the days will grow longer from that day forth and warmer as he matures. That is what the Pagans were celebrating. The fact that the Spring would be coming soon. It was a way to break up the long, dark, cold Winter in a festival and a lot of raucous partying.

I've always wanted to check out the Burning Man Festival. Which one is that celebrating?

Im not really sure what Burning Man is all about. Here is the website.

http://www.burningman.com/

Ahh, the theme this year is "Evolution" I might have to try to get there. Its not till the end of summer.

Oops. I thought Burning Man was some sort of Pagan ritual thing.


I guess its just a bunch of non-conformists partying in the desert.

It still sounds like a blast though.

Thanks for the link. Maybe I'll see you there.

Na, I dont think its Pagan per se although it has that feel. Its has a FAQ there that explains it in more detail. Its basically just a HUGE party and they set a giant grass/straw man on fire at some point. It has a theme each year. I bet it was one of those things that started really small with a bunch of college kids setting a grass man effigy on fire and then it just kept growing in popularity.

I was showing the Bible's version of the verse that disagreed with the OP's verse.

Why are Bibles in all of the hotel/motel rooms?

I once went drunk to midnight mass..what a hoot!!

I once went drunk to midnight mass..what a hoot!!

You bad girl.

With the priest? They always have the stash. They hit it in the confessional booth.

I guess my only thought here tonight is that it is a shame to see Christian hacking away at other Christians, as if they "get" something special in some private interpretation that nobody else is going to be allowed to "get"...

... which of course leads to more arguing.

I think the raw nature of humans is to argue.

It seems it is a matter of pride or something...

You of faith, think about these things before you launch into argumentative quarrels...

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"Pride goeth before destruction,
and an haughty spirit before a fall."
--Proverbs 15:18

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"v24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, v25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; v 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
-- 2 Timothy 2:24-26

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"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."
-- Matthew 7:6

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By continuing in quarrelsome activites, the Christian is simply prideful, arrogant, haughty, and in my opinion, all these attempts are worthless in the eyes of God. I hold all of you of faith accountable by the Words of God as quoted above, and ask you to repent from these argumentative behaviors.

Arguments feed the flesh, and have no heavenly value. They basically stir up hate and have no message of the fruit of the spirit.

Perhaps consider these words as well (especially verse 15...):

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Galtions 5:15-16

v15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

v16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

v17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

v18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

v19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

v20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

v21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

v22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

v23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

v24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

v25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

v26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another

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Notice hatred and strife (v 20) are listed together as "works of the flesh"

... and I will be watching for Christians who exhibit the fruits of the spirit... vs. 22-23. Arguing is not listed as one of these fruits. I acknowledge that espeically here, on a public forum, many of my Christian brothers and sister have fallen to bitter strife and quarrels.

For them I pray, that they would turn from this path to one of righteousness through our Lord Christ Jesus. Take on the fruit of the spirit (versus 22-23) and you will become that Light of the Wolrd spoken of in the scriptures.

Keep on in these vain arguings, and the world will have reason to despise you. and verse 15 above... "v15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."

I state the truth as I see it from the scriptures and I am not here to argue, but rather to set you free from this dreadfull acknowledgement of the flesh. Flee arguing, and come home to the love and compassion of Christ. That is my message here to those who claim Jesus as Lord.

Ha! You must be new. Its par for the course. I could take 12 Christians from this very forum right now and sit them down and question them about their beliefs and probably not a one will agree on everything I ask. They will even argue their interpretations of identical passages in the bible. Im not saying that makes them any less Christian, its just the reality.

I guess that's my observation, too. And here I enter in yet another philosophical comment... that it could be possible that NO arguing is correct for a believer... go figure... LOL.

Luke 2: 1-20
The Story of Christ's Birth


And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David), to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 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.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord come upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this king which is to come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Thats the story and I am sticking with it....Now also huge huge for me....Santa Claus and all that is not what I celebrate nor my family...We celebrate the birth of Christ....Many times we have helped a needy family forgoing anything presents or otherwise for ourselves...that to me is what it is all about...

That wont ever happen. That is why they have their different denominations today. Catholics killing Protestants. Mary the 1st of England. She is better known as "Bloody Mary" of Tudor. She embarked on a campaign of killing Protestants. 300 religious dissenters burned at the stake in the Marian Persecutions although thats minor compared to the rest of Christian history of course. Shudder. She was a drop in the bucket.

One other thought, just for the heck of it... rather than it being a collective consciousness that approaches some form of sgreement, it is more of a one-on-one relation... this verse eludes to that, saying to "work out one's own salvation with fear and trembling."

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Philippians 2:12

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

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Which is possibly to point towards each person being accountable for their own walk in this faith thing.....

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And Peter wrote this:

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2 Peter 1:20

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."

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Having the meaning that no one person stands up and interprets the scriptures privately.

Leads me even more to think that people of faith should just shush up when it comes to the arguments. Folks like to take their own viewpoints in these ocassions, but in my opinion, and I believe this oipinion is backed by the scriptures above, they are making themselves out to be fools in the sight of all that read the drivel they continually rant on and on about.

I truly believe, as a Christian man myself, that they are wrong to do so... but that's my point of view.

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There are two types of judgments listed in the Bible... one is a type of judgment where it says "Judge not lest ye be judged"... the other, Christ said to "Judge righteous judgement." I have been taught that righteous judgment is an attempt to show someone, with love, if they should err in the scriptures. As best I can, that is what I am trying to post.

There will be many who rebel against it, some because they are very lost in the lust of arguing. Then of course I am going to miss points because I am not perfect.

But my point is simple, Christians shouldn't argue the scriptures.

In effect, it is a type of taking the Lord's name (his Word is his name) in vain. Something a no-no, all the way back to the law of Moses and the ten commandments.

Exactly... in a faith which believes "thou shalt not kill"....

....yet in the name of God or some givernment claiming to be "of" God, how many innocents hjave been slaughtered... it is a historical... "WOW."