Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: MNHCC@cunyvm.bitnet Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Bigotry? (Re: The Ongoing Inquisition) Message-ID: Date: 19 May 91 02:45:45 GMT Article-I.D.: athos.May.18.22.45.43.1991.14031 Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center Lines: 16 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu When you say some Christians want to take the "mass" out of "Christmas" because it goes back to Roman pagan celebrations you are conflating two issues. The word "Christmas" was originally "Christ's Mass", a Mass specially celebrated to commemorate the birth of Christ. Those Protestants who vehemently oppose the Catholic teaching on the Mass might object to the name for that reason. Some people say that the date of Christmas was set at December 25 because it was the near the date of a Roman celebration. They then go on to draw various erroneous conclusions, such as that Jesus was never born or that Christmas is a pagan feast. If, in fact, the date was chosen to coincide with a pagan celebration the most likely reason is that Christians could celebrate without drawing attention to themselves because everyone else was celebrating. When being a Christian was against the law, it was important to learn how not to be seen. Marty Helgesen