Pope Francis Delivers Easter Mass - President Obama in Cuba and Argintina - Truth About Easter - The Truth About Origin of Christianity

 

Watch 2016 Easter Mass From The Vatican Live Online: Streaming ...

 Easter

Pope Francis preached an Easter message of hope after a grim week in Europe, calling on Christians not to let fear and pessimism "imprison" them.

Speaking amid tight security at the Vatican, the Pope said: "Let us not allow darkness and fear to distract us and control our hearts."
His message followed a condemnation on Friday of the Brussels terror attacks.
Islamist violence is expected to be a prominent theme of his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message.
Many pilgrims cancelled their planned trips to Rome in the wake of the violence in Brussels, but St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican was packed when Pope Francis celebrated mass on Saturday evening.
The Pontiff entered a darkened basilica with just a single candle guiding him. As he reached the altar, the basilica's floodlights came on to symbolise the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Delivering his homily, Francis said: "Today is the celebration of our hope. It is so necessary today."continue reading
Mass Live 

Air-force One over Havana

Obama lands in Cuba as first US president to visit in nearly 90 years

Barack Obama descended on Cuba with a pomp unmatched by the Pope on Sunday, becoming the first American president to visit Cuba in nearly a century, and the first since a revolution led by Fidel Castro toppled a US-backed strongman in 1959.
As he arrived, Obama used a Cuban phrase meaning “what’s up?” when he tweeted: “¿Que bolá Cuba? Just touched down here, looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people.”
“This is a historic visit,” Obama said as he greeted US Embassy staff and their families at a Havana hotel. “It’s an historic opportunity to engage with the Cuban people.”A giant American delegation, estimated at somewhere between 800 and 1,200, swept into Havana this weekend, intent on closing a final chapter in cold war history and sealing the diplomatic legacy of Obama’s presidency. Joined by first lady Michelle Obama and his two daughters, Obama toured Old Havana by foot, walking gingerly on the slippery wet stones in front of the Havana Cathedral. The downpour notwithstanding, a few hundred people gathered in the square erupted in applause and shouted Obama’s name as the first family stepped forward. . continue reading

President Obama and Family in Cuba

President R.Castro and President Obama

First Family and President Castro at baseball game

Obama Declares a New Partnership After Talks With Argintina

President Obama and President

President Obama Dances the Tango on Argentina Trip

Obama says US too slow to react to Argentina's "Dirty War"

BUENOS AIRES — President Obama Thursday visited a memorial in Argentina to the thousands of people killed and disappeared during that country’s “dirty war,” on the 40th anniversary of the coup that started it.
Obama used his visit to announce his plan to declassify new military and intelligence records that document the human rights violations from 1976 to 1983.
“There’s been controversy about the policies of the United States early in those dark days,” Obama said, standing beside the Argentinian President Mauricio Macri. “The United States when it reflects on what happened here has to reflect on its own past.... When we’re slow to speak out on human rights, which was the case here.”
Despite early U.S. support for the coup, Obama said U.S. diplomats, human rights workers and reporters played an important role in documenting the abuses that took place in the aftermath. He extolled the likes of diplomat Tex Harris, who worked at the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires during the administration of then-President Jimmy Carter to document human rights abuses and identify the disappeared. Such men did so despite threats to themselves and their families, Obama said.http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/03/24/obama-speaks-us-role-argentinas-dirty-war/82206754/

 Truth About Easter
Reprint from: Truth on Easter

Each year in the springtime, the mainstream Christian world celebrates a holiday called "Easter." Many assume that this holiday originated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ but as the information provided here will demonstrate that this spring tradition of men is actually or an older and far less 'holy' than one would imagine. The following quotes have been derived from several valid and even scholarly sources. The purpose is to unveil the truth about the origins of this spring 'Christianized' pagan holiday. When you have read these though and discerned the truth it is our hope that you will remain convicted and follow His lead - away from non-biblical holidays. The crux of the matter is not so much the hidden meanings of the symbols and story but one of how your heart is before your Creator. Do you decide what days to observe or does God? The bible tells us that a little leaven leavens the whole lump and with that seasonally-correct truth in mind ... Come, let us reason together.
The Origin and History of Easter
"The term 'Easter' is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pasch [Passover and the Feast of Unleavens] was a continuation of the Jewish [that is, God's] feast....from this Pasch the pagan festival of 'Easter' was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity." (W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, William White, Jr., Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, article: Easter, p.192)
Ish·tar : Mythology The chief Babylonian and Assyrian goddess, associated with love, fertility, and war, being the counterpart to the Phoenician Astarte. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000)
Tammuz: ancient nature deity worshiped in Babylonia. A god of agriculture and flocks, he personified the creative powers of spring. He was loved by the fertility goddess Ishtar, who, according to one legend, was so grief-stricken at his death that she contrived to enter the underworld to get him back. According to another legend, she killed him and later restored him to life. These legends and his festival, commemorating the yearly death and rebirth of vegetation, corresponded to the festivals of the Phoenician and Greek Adonis and of the Phrygian Attis. The Sumerian name of Tammuz was Dumuzi. In the Bible his disappearance is mourned by the women of Jerusalem (Ezek. 8.14).(The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001)
"There is no warrant in Scripture for the observance of Christmas and Easter as holydays, rather the contrary...and such observance is contrary to the principles of the Reformed faith, conducive to will-worship, and not in harmony with the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. " (Morton H. Smith, How is the Gold Become Dim, Jackson, Mississippi: Steering Committee for a Continuing Presbyterian Church, etc., 1973, p.98)
"EASTER (AV Acts 12:4), An anachronistic mistranslation of the Gk. pascha (RSV, NEB, "Passover"), in which the AV followed such earlier versions as Tyndale and Coverdale. The Acts passage refers to the seven-day Passover festival (including the Feast of Unleavened Bread). It is reasonably certain that the NT contains no reference to a yearly celebration of the resurrection of Christ." (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, edited by Geoffrey Bromiley, Vol 2 of 4, p.6, article: Easter)
"The term Easter was derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'Eostre,' the name of the goddess of spring. In her honor sacrifices were offered at the time of the vernal equinox. By the 8th cent. the term came to be applied to the anniversary of Christ's resurrection." (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, edited by Geoffrey Bromiley, Vol 2 of 4, p.6, article: Easter)

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Roman Church Create Christianity and Jesus? Caesarsmessiah 
 Who was Jesus?
Why is there no historic archaeological evidence of his existence?

Who wrote the Gospels?
Why were they written in Greek, rather than Hebrew or Aramaic?

How did the Christian religion come to be centered in Rome? Why were the
first Christian pope and earliest saints all members of the Flavius Caesar
ruling family?

History of Christianity -


\
Who Was Serapis Christ? - Who Invented The Serapis Christ Cult?

Ptolemy 1 Meryamun Setepenre (c.a. 367-283 B.C.E- Before Common Era) (aka Soter) (“Soter” means savior) became the first European pharaoh of Egypt through military force led by Alexander the Greek (a.k.a Alexander the Great). When Ptolemy became pharaoh of Egypt, he wanted the Egyptians to consecrate him as a god. He wanted to be called a god because that was the title all of the pharaohs of Egypt were called prior to him. However, the people of Egypt refused to call him a god because they knew the only reason he became a pharaoh was through force, so in “305 BC -Ptolemy took the title of Pharaoh, taking the Egyptian name Meryamun Setepenre, which means “Beloved of Amun (Amun means God) Chosen of Ra(Ra means God)”, and because of the Egyptians refusal to acknowledge him as a God, he began killing the people of Egypt, which caused the Egyptian priests at Memphis to give into his request by agreeing to consecrate him to priesthood, in order to save their own lives.

The key words in the above passage to keep in mind during your reading: Meryamun, Setepenre, Soter, which are words that were used to create the fictitious character of JESUS CHRIST in AD by Roman Emperor Constantine (Meryamun, Setepenre, Soter were used in B.C). The images of Ptolemy below, which are similar to the images that are depicted as “Jesus” today, were forced upon the Africans and were ordered to be worshipped by the people of Rome.

Serapis Christus Greco Roman c.a 135 B.C.E. The marble image in the London museum is the image they use of Christ (Jesus) today. Christus was also the nickname for Serapis.
What is Serapis? (Origin of JESUS CHRIST)
Ptolemy’s rule was to create a deity that would be worshipped by both the Egyptians and the Greeks. He created “Serapis “, the made up Graeco-Egyptian god that was invented in the 3rd century B.C., portrayed as Greek in appearance, but with Egyptian accessories, representing both wealth and resurrection.

 “Egypt, which you commended to me my dearest Servianus, I have found to be wholly fickle and inconsistent and continually wafted about by every breath of fame. The worshippers of Serapis here are called Christians and those who are devoted to the god Serapis (I find) call themselves Bishops of Christ. Hadrian to Servianus 134 AD.” 

Constantine and Arius
Constantine the Greek (a.k.a Constantine the Great) Roman Emperor from 306 to 337, is known for being the first Roman emperor to be converted to Christianity which strangely enough, Arius of Libya (256-356 AD) born of African descent centuries after Ptolemy 1, had a problem with the Roman empire teaching the Africans and the people of Rome to worship a statue and celebrating death. He was considered a heretic, a professed believer (of God), who maintains religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his or her church (what the religious authorities usually controlled by government deem as the truth). Because he started attracting so many followers due to his teachings that were contrary to the Romans, Constantine called the council by summoning all the bishops to discredit Arius, The Council of Nicaea. During the time when this meeting was called upon, there was no mention of Jesus Christ at all; no man had ever existed by the name JESUS Christ, and an important fact is that this all took place Anno Domino (AD) (which Christians claim means after the death of Christ) but in Latin means ‘in the year of the lord’. The name Jesus Christ didn’t exist before the meeting was called (read the statements made during that timeframe). It was only after this that they presented to the people the name JESUS CHRIST.
What Lord are they referring to? 

Kings have always been referred to as Lords or gods.
If Jesus Christ didn’t exist during the time this meeting took place nor ever heard of whom are people worshipping today? Serapis Christus?
Nicean Creed – Jesus Christ is born
Continue reading to WMJ

 

1. Author Claims Jesus Christ Was Invented By The Romans

Scientists Prove That All Religious Books Are Man made

www.dailysquib.co.uk/sci_tech/3102-scientists-prove-that...

Scientists Prove That All Religious Books Are Man-Made Nonsense. ... Language is something created by man, ... Religion is a man made interpretation of something, ..

Who Was Serapis Christ ?

The Truth About Christmas - Origin of Xmas - Christian of Pagan

What does an Evergreen tree have to to with Jesus birth?
Is Christmas Pagan or Christian? 

 Vatican Christmas - Nativity - Xmas Tree - Obelisk - Sun Doom

 Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus)

The word "Christmas" is a combination of the words "Christ" and "Mass.

The word "Mass" means death and was coined originally by the Roman Catholic Church

A simple study of the tactics of the Roman Church reveals that in every case, the church absorbed the customs, traditions and general paganism of every tribe, culture and nation in their efforts to increase the number of people under their control.

What does festival of lights have to do with the birth of Christ?

What about holly, yule log, tree deco?

What does toys, war video games, jewlery, have to do with Christ?

What about eggnog?

Christmas Present and Christmas Past: The Roots of Christmas

Vatican on Christmas Eve

The Evergreen Tree and the Obelisk are Symbols of Reproduction.

The obelisk is a long pointed four-sided shaft, the uppermost portion of which forms a pyramid. The word “obelisk” literally means “Baal’s Shaft” or Baal’s organ of reproduction. In front of the Vatican stands the very same obelisk that once stood in Egypt. The very same obelisk that once stood at the ancient temple which was the center of Egyptian paganism, now stands before the mother church of Romanism. The Egyptians created the obelisk, believing that the spirit of the Sun god, Ra, dwelt in there. phallic worship
Pronounced As: falik , worship of the reproductive powers of nature as symbolized by the male penis or reproductive organ. It represents Horus. “the all seeing God god and the son of the winter solstice.

In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.

There is nothing Christian about Christmas. The Roots of Christmas can be trace back to worship of the pagan Egyptians deities of Isis, Osiris and Horus.

The most common justification that one will hear regarding Christmas is that people have replaced old pagan customs and intents by asserting that they are now “focusing on Christ.” God does not say this is acceptable to Him! Actually, He plainly commands against it! Keeping Christmas dishonors Christ! He considers everything about it to be an abomination! We will soon see why.

Christ said, “But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). Christmas is not a command of God—it is a tradition of men. Christ continued, “Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9). Every year, throughout the world, on December 25th, hundreds of millions do just that!

Pagan Roots: Origin of Christmas

It is considered likely the first Christmas celebrations were in reaction to the Roman Saturnalia, a harvest festival that marked the winter solstice—the return of the sun—and honored Saturn, the god of sowing. Saturnalia was a rowdy time, much opposed by the more austere leaders among the still-minority Christian sect. Christmas developed, one scholar says, as a means of replacing worship of the sun with worship of the Son.

Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the weeklong celebration. The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule.” Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week. At the festival’s conclusion, December 25th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman.

In the 4th century, Apostate Christianity imported into the Catholic Church the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. These Popes and bishops succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians

The ancient Greek writer poet and historian Lucian (in his dialogue entitled Saturnalia) describes the festival’s observance in his time. In addition to human sacrifice, he mentions these customs: widespread intoxication; going from house to house while singing naked; rape and other sexual license; and consuming human-shaped biscuits.

Origins of the Christmas Tree:

Many Pagan cultures used to cut boughs of evergreen trees in December, move them into the home or temple, and decorate them. Modern-day Pagans still do. This was to recognize the winter solstice – the time of the year that had the shortest daylight hours, and longest night of the year. This occurs annually sometime between DEC-20 to 23. They noticed that the days were gradually getting shorter; many feared that the sun would eventually disappear forever, and everyone would freeze. But, even though deciduous trees, bushes, and crops died or hibernated for the winter, the evergreen trees remained green. They seemed to have magical powers that enabled them to withstand the rigors of winter.

The ancient Pagan Romans decorated their “trees with bits of metal and replicas of their god, Bacchus [a fertility god]. They also placed 12 candles on the tree in honor of their sun god“ Their mid-winter festival of Saturnalia started on DEC-17 and often lasted until a few days after the Solstice.

The Norse pagans and Celtic Druids revered evergreens as manifestations of deity because they did not “die” from year to year but stayed green and alive when other plants appeared dead and bare. The trees represented everlasting life and hope for the return of spring.

The druids decorated their trees with symbols of prosperity — a fruitful harvest, coins for wealth and various charms such as those for love or fertility. Scandinavian Pagans are thought to be the first to bring their decorated trees indoors as this provided a warm and welcoming environment for the native fairy folk and tree elementals to join in the festivities. The Saxons, a Germanic pagan tribe, were the first to place lights on the their trees in the form of candles. Ancient Romans decorated their homes with greens at the Festival of Saturnalia, their New Year, and exchanged evergreen branches with friends as a sign of good luck.

But when, where, and how did this custom begin? What is the origin of the Christmas tree?

Ancient Celebrations:

Trees have played an important role from ancient times in pagan religions, and were even worshipped. In pagan mythology, the evergreen tree was a symbol of the essence of life.

Norsemen (ancient Scandinavians), Celts (early people of British Isles) and Saxons used trees to ward off witches, evil spirits, and ghosts. Yggdrasil was the Great Tree of Life in the Norse mythology. In the North European countries, many would lose family members in the severe and harsh winters. All trees would die except the fir tree. It therefore represented life. As a result many people placed the fir tree in their homes as a symbol of life, with the hope that having it inside their homes would bring their families life, health and wealth.

In Northern Europe, the winter festivities were considered to be a Feast of the Dead, focusing on the Norse god, Odin, and his night riders, with ceremonies full of spirits and devils. One particular solstice festival was “Jol” (Yule), celebrated throughout Northern Europe in honor of Jolnir, another name for Odin. Since Odin was the god of intoxicating drink and ecstasy, as well as the god of death, Yule customs varied greatly from region to region.

In the earlier pagan customs, an evergreen tree was decorated in honor of their god Adonis, who after being slain was brought to life by the serpentAesculapius^[2]. The representation of the slain Adonis was a dead stump of a tree. In Babylon, the evergreen tree came to represent the rebirth or reincarnation of Nimrod as his new son (Sun), Tammuz. In Egypt this god was worshiped in a palm tree as Baal-Tamar. In Rome the fir tree was worshiped as the same new-born god, named Baal-Berith, who was restored to life by the same serpent. In Mesopotamia (area between Tigris andEuphrates), the winter solstice had been the climax of a 12 day festival (Saturnalia) for centuries. This would traditionally be the night when there was a mock battle between the mythical sun king and the forces of darkness, where good would win and trees would be decorated then burned in honor. Ancient Greeks celebrated Saturnalia, when houses were adorned with evergreen tree boughs etc.

Heathen people in the land of Canaan (vaguely the present day Palestine area) worshiped tree, calling it the Asherah – a tree with its branches cut off and carved into a phallic symbol. The same Yule Log was used for all 12 days to keep the fire lit or to re-light it. It was the shadow and type of a burning lust of a man to fuel the fires of sexual potency to reproduce fertility. The lit Yule Log was also regarded as a phallic symbol in fertility worship, representing a good omen for heightened sexuality for the coming year (fir trees being considered the very spirit of fertility since they were constantly green and undying).

The Christmas tree, however, is directly mentioned in the Bible! Turn to Jeremiah 10:2-5, “Thus says the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen…For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.”

Fertility rites,
magico-religious ceremonies to insure an abundance of food and the birth of children. The rites, expressed through dances, prayers, incantations, and sacred dramas, seek to control the otherwise unpredictable forces of nature. In primitive agricultural societies natural phenomena, such as rainfall, the fecundity of the earth, and the regeneration of nature were frequently personified. One of the most important pagan myths was the search of the earth goddess for her lost (or dead) child or lover (e.g., Isis and Osiris, Ishtar and Tammuz, Demeter and Persephone). This myth, symbolizing the birth, death, and reappearance of vegetation, when acted out in a sacred drama, was the fertility rite par excellence. Other rites concerned with productivity include acts of sympathetic magic, such as kindling of fires (symbolizing the sun) and scattering the reproductive organs of animals on the fields, displays of phallic symbols, and ritual prostitution. In India it was once believed that a fertile marriage would result if virgins were first deflowered by means of the lingam, a stone phallus symbolizing the god Shiva. Sacrifices of both humans and animals were believed to release the powers embodied within them and so make the fields or forests productive where the sacrifices had taken place. Many ancient fertility rites have persisted in modified forms into modern times. The Maypole dance derives from spring rituals glorifying the phallus.

Even the very Scriptures of the Almighty speaks out against the phallic symbol of Babylon. “…Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them.” -2 Kings 10:25-26 The Amplified Bible translates it… … King Jehu said to the guards and to the officers, ‘Go in and slay them; let none escape’. And they smote them with the sword; and the guards before the king threw their bodies out, and went into the inner dwelling of the house of Baal. They brought out the obelisks [pillars] of the house of Baal and burned them.” [2 Kings 10:26, Amplified Bible]

Was Christ Born on December 25th?

Christ was born in the fall of the year. Many have mistakenly believed He was born around the beginning of winter—December 25th! They are wrong! Notice the Adam Clarke Commentary, volume 5, page 370, New York edition: “It was custom among Jews to send out their sheep to the deserts about the Passover [early spring], and bring them home at the commencement of the first rain.” The first rains began in early-to-mid fall. Continuing with this same quote: “During the time they were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. As…the first rain began early in the month of March-esvan, which answers to part of our October and November [begins sometime in October], we find that the sheep were kept out in the open country during the whole summer. And as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, our Lord was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields; nor could He have been born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very ground, the nativity in December should be given up. The feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a chronological fact…See the quotations from the Talmudists in Lightfoot.”

Luke 2:8 explains that when Christ was born, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Note that they were “abiding” in the field. This never happened in December. Both Ezra 10:9-13 and the Song of Solomon 2:11 show that winter was the rainy season and shepherds could not stay on cold, open fields at night.

Numerous encyclopedias plainly state that Christ was not born on December 25th! The Catholic Encyclopedia directly confirms this. In all likelihood, Christ was born in the fall! A lengthy technical explanation would prove this point.

December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain, and central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th Edit. Vol. II, p. 903).

Who Was Saturn?

The Saturnalia, of course, celebrated Saturn—the fire god. Saturn was the god of sowing (planting) because heat from the sun was required to allow for planting and growth of crops. He was also worshipped in this dead-of-winter festival so that he would come back (he was the “sun”) and warm the earth again so that spring planting could occur. The planet Saturn was later named after him because, among all of the planets, with its rings and bright red color, it best represented the god of fire!

Virtually every civilization has a fire/sun god. The Egyptians (and sometimes Romans) called him Vulcan. The Greeks named him Kronos, as did the Phoenicians—but they also called him Saturn. The Babylonians called him Tammuz (as Nimrod, resurrected in the person of his son), Molech or Baal (as did the Druids). These were all simply the various names for Nimrod. Nimrod was considered the father of all the Babylonian gods.

“The early Romans were not celebrating Christmas but rather a pagan feast called the Saturnalia. It occurred each year around the beginning of winter, or the winter solstice. This was the time when the sun had taken its lowest path across the sky and the days were beginning to lengthen, thus assuring another season of growth.

“The Roman festival of Saturnalia, Dec. 17-24, moved citizens to decorate their homes with greens and lights and give gifts to children and the poor. The Dec. 25 festival of natalis solis invicti, the birth of the unconquered sun, was decreed by the emperor Aurelian in A.D. 274 as a Winter Solstice celebration, and sometime (later)…was Christianized as a date to celebrate the birth of the Son of Light.”

Throughout history, Isis and various forms of goddess worship has played a significant role in our world’s religious and cultural makeup. Today, goddess veneration is still very much alive and well, and images of the goddess–in various forms–can be identified in every state and province.

Inscribed in the temple of Isis; “I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; No mortal man hath ever me unveiled. The fruit which I have brought forth is the ‘SUN’.”

Isis is the “divine mother” of ancient Egypt. She was known as the great goddess of magic and “universal nature,” and used her powers to raise her dead (and dismembered) husband Osiris back to life (Osiris was represented as the Sun, he also ruled the underworld). As “Virgin of the World,” Isis birthed Horus, the Egyptian god of the sun and moon, day and night. Metaphorically speaking, Isis is the celestial mother of the Sun (son) of god. It was her son, Horus, who eventually killed Typhon, the Egyptian devil. And, according to legend, Isis–mother of all–remains eternally virgin. She is often portrayed “as the virgin with child,” and is regularly depicted as one crowned with a lunar orb and the horns of a bull.

Goddess veneration of the “virgin with child” has been a central belief for various societies throughout history, including some aspects of Christianity. Indeed, many leading occultists see striking parallels between the Roman Catholic “Virgin Mary”–the “Queen of Heaven”–and the goddess Isis. And the comparison is startling. Presently, Roman Catholicism holds Mary to be eternally virgin, just as Isis was. Catholicism also contends that Mary was without sin, making her into a type of “god.” In fact, there are some who claim that Mary is the “fourth person” within the Trinity. This belief is linked to Catholicism’s claim that Mary now has a direct say in mankind’s salvation through her (Catholic) role of co-redemption and mediation. Hence, the elevated Mary becomes a “goddess” in the Catholic faith, just as Isis was a goddess in the pantheon of Egyptian deities. And just as Isis was (and still is) called “Mother of the World” and “Queen of Heaven,” so too Mary is now exalted with these same titles.

While the Roman Catholic/Isis comparison shows a tangible link between Catholicism and the mystery religions, Mary as Biblically understood shows little connection. Yes, Mary was the virgin mother of Jesus, Son of God, but she didn’t remain a virgin. Mark 6:3 actually lists four of Jesus’ brothers and mentions sisters as well. Nor was the Biblical Mary sinless. Romans 3:23 makes it clear that “all have sinned”–which would include Mary. The only exception to this rule is found in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:15 is one example among many that attests to Jesus’ sinless character).

The Bible makes it clear that Christ’s death and resurrection was a completed act. The Biblical Mary plays no direct role in His work of salvation. As Jesus Himself said, “It is finished.” He didn’t say, “It’s finished, subject to the continuing work of Mother Mary.”

The pagan festival of Saturnalia is usually celebrated along with the festival of lights.

e.

 Who was Jesus?
Why is there no historic archaeological evidence of his existence?

Who wrote the Gospels?
Why were they written in Greek, rather than Hebrew or Aramaic?

How did the Christian religion come to be centered in Rome? Why were the
first Christian pope and earliest saints all members of the Flavius Caesar
ruling family?

e.