Is Britain a Christian country?

[tweetiepooh]

Well Christmas certainly is a Christianising of a pagan festival. We don't know when Jesus was born probably not 25th December. We are more certain of His death (and resurrection) as it can be linked to the passover. The name Easter is linked.
I don't think that giving Mary higher prominence is related to pagan deities.
Don't forget that many early Christians were Jewish not pagan so didn't need any links to pagan festivals or deities.

[Qtx]

Have to remember that we changed to the Gregorian calender, so dates are kinda screwy in that respect anyway.

Russ, what you said just which reinforces what I say about it being more about tradition and the fact some religions are heavily *******ized.

Originally Posted by Gary L

But they didn't. they ticked Christian.
the ones that ticked none of the above. are the ones you're talking about, Hugh.

Maybe it's time to accept that those who ticked Christian do actually consider themselves Christian which is what really matters after all .

[Qtx]

Originally Posted by martyh

Maybe it's time to accept that those who ticked Christian do actually consider themselves Christian which is what really matters after all .

To be honest, I think I ticked Christian being that I was christened under CoE. Christened before I could even talk and object. Don't consider myself christian though.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Qtx

Russ, what you said just which reinforces what I say about it being more about tradition and the fact some religions are heavily *******ized.

Perhaps more tradition to some - religion, faith and beliefs are all personal and mean different things to different people.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Qtx

To be honest, I think I ticked Christian being that I was christened under CoE. Christened before I could even talk and object. Don't consider myself christian though.

At the risk of annoying myself with constantly repeating myself to those that don't understand.

that is what I'm talking about

[Russ]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Easter has to be the most pagan festival. Just look at the definition:

The first Sunday occurring after the first full moon after the equinox.

Nothing to do with the actual date of the rising of Jesus then.

Easter is not the date of his resurrection just like December 25th is not his birthday. Both are just when we celebrate them.

Bringing my new dog in to this again, I don't know the date he was born but we know how old he is so we'll choose a date that we'll celebrate his birthday on.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Russ

Easter is not the date of his resurrection just like December 25th is not his birthday. Both are just when we celebrate them.

Bringing my new dog in to this again, I don't know the date he was born but we know how old he is so we'll choose a date that we'll celebrate his birthday on.

After all these years, I didn't know that.
I always thought they were the dates.

Is there any reason why we don't know?

[Russ]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

So nail [sic] Christian events onto the pagan calendar because there was no other way to try and convert the people of this isle?

That's an extreme way to look at it. I don't think it was due to not having any other way, just that having similarities to what they already had would make conversion to Christianity less of a culture shock.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

So nail [sic] Christian events onto the pagan calendar because there was no other way to try and convert the people of this isle?

Initially, in the early days, Easter did not always symbolise Christ’s resurrection from the dead and the meaning of Easter was quite different from what Christians celebrate today. The feast day of Easter was originally a pagan celebration of renewal and rebirth. Celebrated in the early spring, it honored the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre.
When the early missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity, the holiday, since it fell around the same time as the traditional memorial of Christ's resurrection from the dead, was merged with the pagan celebration, and became known as Easter. The meaning of Easter was also changed to reflect its new Christian orientation.

[Russ]

I guess copying and pasting is the closest we'll get to actual research from you...

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

So nail [sic] Christian events onto the pagan calendar because there was no other way to try and convert the people of this isle?

No. Christian belief is that creation itself is evidence of God's power and goodness and that pagan rituals and beliefs are a response to that. In comparison to the truth of God revealed in Jesus, those pagan beliefs are corrupted and very incomplete, but in many cases they still offer useful pointers that can be used to teach someone about Christianity.

Jesus frequently used stories containing familiar characters and situations to illustrate his teaching to the Jews. As Jesus was Jewish, and talking to Jewish people, those illustrations arose from a culture already familiar to all concerned. But as Christianity began to spread outside of Judea, so the early Christians began to draw on non-Jewish sources for ways they could communicate their message.

The apostle Paul is on record as taking this approach. The Book of Acts records his visit to Athens (Chapter 17). He debated with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in the Areopagus and opened his speech with an observation that one of their altars was dedicated to "An Unknown God". Then he told them he was going to reveal to them the God that was unknown to them. In the course of explaining the Christian message to them, he further illustrated his speech with a quote from Arastus' poem, Phaenomena. Paul understood Greek philosophy, believed it to contain elements of truth but to be inferior to the truth of God revealed in Jesus, but was not afraid to co-opt bits of it that were useful to him as he sought to persuade Pagan philosophers in Athens to become Christians. The Book of Acts records that some of them did.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Russ

I guess copying and pasting is the closest we'll get to actual research from you...

Well it saved you a job.

Does it really matter if Cameron says this is a Christian country? It's not translating to policy or the business of Government that much so who cares? If it pleases people then all the more power to them. However the Government is going near abortion and even passed Gay Marriage so for those who aren't Christian I don't see the problem in that Cameron said.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

I get nervous when our leaders start polishing up their religeous credentials. The Blair Bush love-in was based on shared evangelical beliefs and look where that got us.

Blair was nuts though.
saying that. look at the state of Dave lately.