Mich. Residents Receive Letter Calling Christmas Lights ‘Pagan’

Paganism” refers to a range of spiritual paths. These are generally Neopagan religions based on the deities, symbols, practices, seasonal days of celebration and other surviving components of ancient religions, which had been long suppressed. Just another “Christian” nut job with too much time on their hands……………

So what? The date of Christmas itself coincides with a pagan festival. So does Easter. The ancient Church hijacked existing holdays.

Glad to know Hudsonville, Mich. has a resident sociopath.

Well .. the date was a Pagan holiday long before it was co-opted with by christians. Whoever is passing around the letter is only being educational. Most christians have no clue about the facts.

“Glad to know Hudsonville, Mich. has a resident sociopath.”

Someone likes to use big words they don’t understand. The letter writer’s behavior has the smell of ‘nutty’ about it, but there’s nothing inherently ‘sociopathic’ there.

If the writer knows anything about the Catholic religion, he/she would know that priests co-opted many “pagan” traditions as a way to easily convert the “locals” of many areas they visited. They simply altered the meaning.

“Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth 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…” -Jeremiah 10

Find the writer and sue for littering on your property. Sue them for hate crimes. Find any reason and sue them to shut them up. What a person does is NO ONE’s business!

Stupid letter.
The Christ-in-mas tree, with lights and ornaments, a star at the top, and gifts at the bottom is the greatest symbol of Enlightenment ever created. It pre-dates Chrisitanity, going back to the earlier Leboneese Cedars. Better to try to see the riddle it portrays, than blindly criticize something you do not understand.

This so called War on Christmas stuff has gone way too far.

“Find the writer and sue for littering on your property. Sue them for hate crimes. Find any reason and sue them to shut them up.” (posted by Hereticzero)

A. Putting a letter in/on somebody’s mailbox isn’t littering and is not illegal.
B. Said letter doesn’t appear to advocate violence against any religious group, and it’s doubtful the contents fit the legal description of a hate crime, and
C. Punitive lawsuits aimed at suppressing the Constitutional free speech rights of another person are anti-American and ARE illegal.

Keep Santa in Christmas! I am a devout Pagen and love this season of giving. The Winter Solstice is a great time to be thankful that we might just make it through the Winter – in the far Northern latitudes anyway. The “true Christians” should be a little more concerned about how they can help relieve the growing poverty in our Nation & World than about how many fancy social-club palaces they can build.

Re: “Find the writer and sue for littering on your property. Sue them for hate crimes. Find any reason and sue them to shut them up.” Here, folks, is an example of turning the other cheek and praying for those who persecute you. Oh, yes, this is loving your your enemy….Christian-style.

Re: ” America moves further and further from the truth and goes hysterical if the intent of anything they ever do is questioned.” Christmans traditions have nothing to do with the birth of Christ. But you sure hit the nail on the head when it comes to pseudo-Christians going ape when crossed. When Christ said Christians would be persecuted, he didn’t mean disagreed with, he meant actually harmed. The modern crop screams “persecution” when someone has a different opinion. They’d never have survived in Biblical times.

Harold, The “Truth” you claim to know is simply your beliefs. We cherish your right to your beliefs – hold them dear – but please don’t try to put your righteousness over others. The Muslim’s “Truth” is as sacred as yours. My Pagen beliefs are not THE TRUTH, but they are just as valid as the dozens of religions all claiming their exclusive rights to THE TRUTH. We are one people on this planet. Jesus Christ was a great man who contributed greatly to our civilization – but he was just a man.

Well myself I am pagan. And I hang Christmas lights, and a tree and give gifts on Christmas morning. So call me what you wish :) I dont belittle others for what they believe in, and my kids are educated about many religions out there, when they get older they can follow whatever path they feel will bring them happiness. In the end religion is there to bring something to you, some is good, but alot of it is bad too, to many wars were started because of someone’s beliefs. But either way this letter was silly, I dont understand why only one person got it. There must be more to this story, or something that isnt adding because its just odd.

…Oh..this article just offended me…where can I find an attorneey so I can sue someone….

The Jehovah’s Witnesses strike again.

“Good job to all on this thread for ignoring the birth of Jesus Chris as the purpose for CHRISTmas. Which was also the intent of the letter writer.” ~~~~~~~~~~~ Actually, Herald, the original ‘purpose’ of Christmas was to supplant an already-existing holiday,called Saturnalia, celebrated at the winter solstice with a Christian-themed one. It was a political decision designed to squelch an existing pagan festival and force conversions. Jesus wasn’t born in December, nor was his birth originally celebrated then. If your faith tradition wants to make Jesus the “reason for the season,” good for you, but there’s no particular reason why everybody else should make that THEIR reason for celebrating at this time of year.

Seems strange that then I put lights on the house for Christmas I’m not thinking of some Sun god worshiped by the ancient Romans. A look at the letter and it’s tone seems more like something written by a Jehovah’s Witness since they don’t believe in celebrating Christmas.

It’s not about the lights. The writer is obviously letting the resident know how stupid they are for thinking that Christmas has ever been about Jesus or Christianity. The Christians hijacked the holiday from long ago traditions of winter solstice festivals. Yet today they claim a war on their holiday, that they stole from the Pagans. Funny how things have turned out in the modern world.

Who knew that being informative with the truth was a crime???

This person probably claims Halloween is a pagan ritual that Christians should not celebrate.

The whole idea of Christianity co-opting pagan holidays was a concerted effort to stamp them out.

My God, what has this world come to? Leave us alone to celebrate Christmas and believe in Jesus.

“Leave us alone to celebrate Christmas and believe in Jesus.” — Sure, okay, as soon as you stop trying to shove your Christian beliefs down everyone’s throat. People think gays have an agenda? That’s nothing compared to Christians!

You and I know that in Holy Bible in Mattew 13:24-30 explane that the Wheat and tares will be there till the separation comes right!?? therefor I understand the 2 coments = the letter and the Person that get it, but we have to look at this pretty well.
on one hand we say that nobody has the authority to judge other’s reasons. God can.
But in the other side the Bible teaches that it would be better if you tie a millstone around your neck and throw yoursalf into the sea than to make one of God’s Children to fall.
But a Lil investigation would make you free = [GooGle Saturnalia, what Christmas lights represent, Xmas tree] we are a Christian Nation with the Right of expretion, but thers many things that are not coming from the Bible. and we know that the bible teach that we are a sinful world so we do things because the next Neighbor or a friend have and we we just like or dislike what the Neighbor or the friend has. but we do not investigate if for instance Jesus Christ woud do that!… or he woudn’t, in other words learn from the example of the people that make it throught the river to the Promise land and the mistakes from the people that didn’t because there’s were the sicret lies. you see we have to find the level in all this things my dear friends because the subliminal message in many things are taking our young away from the Christian path. we have to teach the things from the Bible.

Ummm…….The information in the letter happens to be correct. It has been reseached exhaustively, and is no secret. The ignorance of the vast majority of Americans about thier own professed religion is just one more example of why perhaps “American Exceptionalism”, something Gringritch, for one, frets about, might be a myth to begin with. Do you really think decorrated fir trees, hanging misletoe, burning “Yule Logs”, Reindeer, Elves, Winter Solstice Celrbration, Wreaths of Evergreen, Sleigh Bells, Gingerbread Cake, Ect. had anything to do with life in Jerusalem and Bethlehem 2000 years ago? These indeed were all pagan symbolism in the Nordic Regions of the Medevial Era. Saint Nickolas, the supposed true life Santa Clause was a Monk in 4th Century TURKEY!. Yes TURKEY!. Not many Reindeer in Turkey. Believe what you want. But there are things you may believe that can be proven wrong. Christmas as we celebrate today is mainly from Victorian Times. All of 150 years old or so. Silent Night, the song was first sung in Austria in 1818. Irving Berlin wrote White Christmas. Irving Berlin was Jewish. Christmas Cards, Hallmark. As so much in America, the myth overrides the truth.

Gee whizz, the ignorance of the egotistical American “herd” does somewhat bore me, because it’s soooo predictable. (for any/everyone’s information, ignorant just means you don’t know, NOT that you’re stupid !) I was drafted in 1966(chosen by the/my society to be a warrior[against my will] for THEM (No doubt because what counts for too many is “What counts is WHAT you can get away with !) because THEY DID’NT want to sacrifice THEIR BLOOD FOR payment of the FREEDOMS they ceaselessly, vociferously espouse to me as regards MY behavior and beliefs! Especially christens. But I digress. I recommend reading “The Golden Bough” by Sir James Frazier, penned over 100 years ago(awesome tome). Organized religion is about power and control of the masses. If’n YOU don’t DO what THEY tell YOU to, THEY WILL KILL YOU ! I don’t know who is worse, the christens or the islamics!? BE…AWARE !!

As Far as this note goes. It doesn’t say that you are pagan if you have Christmas lights, Wreath, Mistletoe, etc. All it is saying is that what Christians now Incorperate into their tradition have Pagan Roots like most of Christian Holidays. I feel the only people getting offended are closed minded Christians. It’s people like that them that make me proud to be a born and raised pagan.

God’s Prophets were sent out to tell the people what God considered Acceptable worship and Unacceptable worship of Him. If this offends you, you are not alone–many of the prophets were killed by people who held the same independent, self-righteous views. BTW, first century Christians refused to observe their own birthdays. Just two mentioned in the Holy Bible were celebrated by King Herod and Pharaoh with horrible results.

It seems that some people have forgotten how words in languages change over time. There was a time when I could call myself gay and that would mean that I was happy. However the meaning of that word has changed as the main meaning today.

Then there are people who believe that playing cards is bad. So they use dominos to play a similar game.

The ethnic term of people of or belonging to a racial group having brown to black skin has changed over the last century.

It appears to me that if someone considers the lights pagan, then that is their privilege. However, in our country, we have the privilege of believing in our thoughts of how we celebrate Christmas without being dictated to by others (who may have different ideas) so long as we stay within the laws of our country.

I believe that it is in our mind of how we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child that is most important.
One puzzling item to me about the letter is why the person(s) that wrote the letter were ashamed to sign it.

A little more HISTORY for all of those that believe that “JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON”, first he was born during the Feast of SUKKOT, which occurs during the Sept- Oct time frame, not on the first day of Winter, which in ancient days occurred on December 25. Tammuz, the re-incarnated NIMROD was born on Dec 25, so was the Egyptian sun god RA, and there were others in similarity, different names, same birthday. During the time of Constantine, who also worshipped Mithra, another one of the many names of the Sun gods born on Dec 25, it was dictated that everyone under his rule would become “Christian” . Unfortunately those new converts did not leave their Pagan Roots behind, but brought them forward into “Christianity”. Thus you have the Pagan Christmas Tree and celebration on the birthday of those Sun gods on December 25. With the “New Religion” of Constantine, the celebration on Dec 25 was now supposed to be dedicated to the birth of Jesus. In Deuteronomy 18:9, GOD plainly says “When thou art come into the land which YHWH thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.” And in Deuteronomy 18:12, “For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto YHWH: and because of these abominations YHWH thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” Celebration of Christmas is totally Pagan and an abomination in the eyes of YHWH. Yes, you have the option of worshiping the Son of YHWH in a Pagan ceremony designed to worship Tammuz or you can choose to worship him the way he has instructed you. The fact is, the “Church” has never been told to celebrate the birth of Jesus. You have to choose, truth or tradition, but you can’t do both with hope of obeying and pleasing the LORD. One last little fact, the Three Wise Men did not show up at the manger in Bethlehem with gifts, until a couple of years later, so at least if you are going to continue with your Pagan worship, do it factually and remove the Three Wise men from your manger scene.

So all the ones who agree with the letter writer also work on Christmas, easter and any other holiday because its just another day on the calender, oh and don’t forget give back the part of the paycheck thats says double time for a holiday.

Um…so? What’s the problem? I AM a pagan and I think I’ll dig up a lit pentacle to put on my front door year-round.

In reading over everyone’s comments here…I do see a thread among those who call themselves “Christians” who, even though shown that the observance of Christmas comes from pagan practices and is an afront to God, instead of scripture references to back up your postion that this is a “Christian Holiday”, all you do is smipe at those who have scriptures to refute that claim! Only people who have no real answers do such things out of their frustration at being presented with factual truths. History bears out that most of the Christmas practices come from paganism and those that Christians try their best to tie to it from the Bible do so with great error.
There has been no mixing up of Holloween and Christmas here by anyone…any child old enough to read can research the origins of all these holidays for themselves to read the truth about them. Those who choose to ignore the truth are free to do so, just don’t accuse others of not knowing what they talk about and call them names when they point those truths out to you!
And as far as tithing goes…those commands are clear within themsevles what is and is not required to be tithed on. I do however think it funny that Christians are so quick to scream that they are no longer under Torah, only the 10 commandments but they conveniently forget that the tithing commands are not included within the 10 words spoken and given by YHVH on Mt. Sinai and both tithing and the 10 words are part of the Torah! No one is allowed to pick and choose what he or she wants to accept of the Torah. You either accept the whole apple or none of it!
If you, as a Christian, want to celebrate Christmas…knock yourself out! Just do not try to claim it as a “Christian holiday” and get angry when people prove this is not so. Those who enspouse paganism are more righteous in celebrating that day than you are for at least they make no false claims in their observance.
While none of us has the right to judge others for doing whatever it is they choose to do, those who know truth are required to at least speak it in hopes of opening the eyes of even one who questions if what he or she is doing is right in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. Jesus always pointed people back to the Father and doing what was right in His eyes.

Perhaps, just perhaps, rather than bashing the lights, the person was pointing out the hypocrisy of the conservative Christians who bash all non-Christians. These people are actually using pagan traditions!

“the reason for the season is the 23.5 degree tilt of the earth’s axis”. I love that. So simple and to the point. It is indeed likely the dominant reason for many of the strange human cultural behaviors we call religion/superstition. An Occam’s razor insight if there ever was one. Excellent. It is like a forcing function reliably pulsing society over 50,000 times in recorded history, and 4000 to 5000 times in the span of modern religions. More interesting is the adaptation humans must have incorporated over the last 500,000 solar cycles/years. What I would give for a time machine and perhaps a cloak of invisibility.

My My My, Mrs. Clause is not happy at all. I am going to have to tell Santa that People are being very naughty. In the words of the Chick-fil-a Cow, Beef Eaters, no toys for you…..snickering

Well, I think to sum this up, we just have to ask WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). and fortunately, this is one instance that we have the answer given to us…John 8-10, He celebrated Hanukkah, AND YES there were LIGHTS on the Hanukkah Menorah, one was lite every night for 8 days to celebrate the Dedication of the Temple. Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah 2011 and it goes for 8 days. Celebrate with the Messiah for He is alive and He remembers this date too. For the Pagans, enjoy your yule celebration on the 25th.

Kerry, you are exactly correct…they should use this as an opportunity to educate, not condemn. For in John 8:12, while celebrating Hanukkah in Jerusalem at the Temple in the year 27 CE, Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Amazing that Hanukkah is now known as the Festival of Lights…and the true Light of the World proclaimed it to all in the Temple courts. He was not afraid to confront the Pharisees with the truth and neither should we when witnessing to those that have yet to have clear understanding of the truth in the Bible. The lesson even goes farther that prior to proclaiming He was the Light of the World, He confronted a crowd of people and Pharisees who were attempting to bring an adulteous woman to justice by stoning her to death…it was then that He spoke the following “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” See, he didn’t just send a note, He spoke up in the open before the Pharisees who in a few short months would condemn Him to death. So why should we be scared of people who cannot do nothing more to us than simply disagree. As believers, we must always be prepared to speak the truth as we “Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3).

Love how this is under “Crimes against Christianity”. Really, ABC? You stoop down to Fox news level?

It’s a crime because the sender used a mailbox without affixing postage. In some places it’s also trespassing.

” I’m not a Pagan, I go to church! If I’m not a Pagan, then these symbols (in other words, icons) can’t be of Pagan origin! Because this person has deemed these symbols are Pagan in origin, they must be calling me a Pagan as well. The Bible says not to judge but this person judged me.”

What impeccable logic. Can’t see the whole note but nothing in the news story or the portion of the note that is visible validates the claim that the author accused the recipient of being a believer or practitioner of Pagan faith. Then again, intellectual vulnerabilities to logical fallacies and cognitive bias are prerequisites for any religion.

Posted by “FOR THE CHILDREN”, “SO WHAT if people want to display lights etc.. In honor of THEIR take on the Holiday Season.
Personally, I think the Author of the letter should have thought hard before posting the letter to the mailboxes… What if a CHILD who believes in Santa Claus finds the letter & gets their feelings hurt?
I seriously don’t want any child to lose the Magic of the Holiday Spirit no matter what holiday their family wants to call it!”

If a parent wants to shelter their children from reality of imaginary holiday heroes, it is not the public’s responsibility to determine which heroes the alleged child believes in. If my child is blissfully ignorant in believing that “The Flying Spaghetti Monster” is an all loving super hero that rewards children for good behavior, should I be morally outraged that an Italian takeout restaurant posts a flier with a picture of a family happily chomping down on a bowl of spaghetti?

Do you mean to tell me that there are children in America who believe in Santa Claus and can read proficiently enough to interpret the note as “Santa isn’t real”? The note says: “Rome’s seven-day December Saturnalia was religious revelry with decadent drunkenness outrageous adultery and giving Saturn’s nativity birth gifts to the children.” Your argument is just as appealing as, “Let’s never tell children that Santa isn’t real. We can string them along from birth to grave, they’ll never have to know.”

This is getting way out of hand everywhere! Why can’t people simply look at the Beautiful displays, and enjoy them no matter what religion they are? Why does something ‘Have’ to offend someone all the time? If I don’t like something in someone’s yard, I simply don’t look at it. Its their yard, not mine, this is STILL AMERICA.
There are SO many IMPORTANT issues out there, stop wasting your energy on issues that don’t hurt anyone! Help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, save an animals life!!! Do something MEANINGFUL!
~ Bright Blessings ~

This news story concerns a woman that claims to be a “Christian” and goes to church regularly and has her children in “Christian” school, yet she does not have a clue about the basic Oracles of YHWH. What has been going on in her “church”? What has her pastor, preacher or teacher been telling the congregation, that they don’t understand the very foundation of their faith? Throughout the comments in this article concerning the actions of one person who is being condemned by the good “Christians”, I have been giving you Scripture and history to back up everything I have written, yet many come forward to express their “feelings”. I have news for you YHWH is NO RESPECTOR of your feelings, he is NO RESPECTOR of persons either (Act 10:34-35), HE does not care, either you follow HIS commands or suffer the consequences.
In the Book of Exodus, Chapter 32, Moses had ascended Mt Sinai, where he was receiving the Ten Commandments. When he returned from the mountain, he sees that Aaron had created a “BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY”, the golden calf. This so outraged YHWH, that he ordered Moses to have the priest or Levites to strap on their swords and go from one end of the camp to the other killing their brothers, and about 3000 were killed that day, all over a “BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY”. Moses begged for YHWH to forgive his people, instead in verse 33, YHWH says, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.” There was no forgiveness for them for their actions and in the last verse; we see that a plaque was cast upon them. In Deuteronomy 18, YHWH makes it plain, that you are not to worship HIM in the ways you learned to worship the other gods and then tell HIM you are doing it HIS honor for HE finds it to be an ABOMONATION.
For the lady that think “Judging” is a sin, I simple ask her to open her Bible to 1 John 3:4, where we are given the definition of sin as the transgression of YHWH’s law, which is the Torah. Nowhere in the Torah is judging forbidden and in fact we are told in James 5: 19-20, “19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” In 1 Corinthians 5: 11-12, Paul says “11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
If you want to celebrate this holiday as a PAGAN festival, go ahead and do it, but please stop mixing the HOLY with the Profane. Stop putting manger scenes with the three wise men showing up at his birth, this is totally unscriptural. Christmas has nothing to do with the birth, life or death of Jesus and you are not told anywhere in the Bible to celebrate his “birthday”.

Being a Practicing Canadian Neopagan (Born in UK) I find this be interesting that the christians would view this as an “attack” on them. Because Christianity took every single Pagan Ritualistic item and put their monotheistic spin on it. Yule is the specific Pagan holiday which traditionally takes 13 days to go through the Christians changed to 12 days of Christmas. Yule Logs were what Pagans brought traditionally to other peoples homes as present for the feasting. Mistletoe is from Druidism Tradition. the Fir Tree (Christmas Tree decorating and owning in house) comes from the Norse worship of Thor. Obviously the ancient Pagans didn’t have electronic outlets so Lights on a Tree or even displayed in a front yard are Neither Pagan Nor Christian. So depending upon the true nature of the letter (and i get a feeling from this report that alot was missing in the media story of this) the person was telling truth; question how can you tell from this letter specifically someone’s tone?

Jehova Witnesses are the ones who preach Paganism. They come around here and will not take the hint. I leave a 1 1/2 ft tall Christmas tree in the window hoping it will work like garlic to the vampires. They drove up to me in a Cadillac looking like the secrtet mafia trying to convert me. When I tell them I do not choose to adopt their faith, that I have a faith of my own, do they take no for an answer? NO. Listen to this. There is a woman who I politely reject and I state the same to her. Well, she keeps coming back. I no longer answer the door. She used to call me thanks to my mother who died. After knocking and no answer, she would call me unexpetedly. 4 days after having the phone disconnected, the phone RANG!! I answered, it was the HALL that she belongs to, asking me if I really believe in Jesus !!. I asked what phone # she dialed and she quoted a #. That # rings the phone. It was not the same # of the phone before disconnection. I dialed it, it rings the phone. Someone could call me but I can’t call out. My 1/2 brother and his kid are JEHOVA WITNESSES. Their kids do not play with neighbor kids! They do not celebrate any holiday WHATSOEVER. THATS FINAL!