Freethought & Rationalism Archive

show_no_mercy · 12-22-2004, 11:19 AM

I read this at thewaronfaith.com ( http://thewaronfaith.com/wintersolstice.htm )

Quote:

...Towards the end of the 200s CE (Current Era), Rome celebrated the birth of Sol Invictus ("the unconquered sun") on December 25th. Sol Invictus was the state religion of Rome. December 25th was then the date of the winter solstice by the Roman calendar.

Romans had long celebrated winter solstice. Older Saturnalia festival traditions of joyous and erotic practices survived within Sol Invictus celebrations.

Mithraism was also a very popular Roman religion, particularly with legionnaires and men. Mithras was the ancient Indo-Iranian god of light and protector of oaths. Mithras came into the Roman Empire about 70 CE with Roman soldiers who fought against the Persians or who were recruited from middle eastern areas where Mithraism was active. As a god of light, Mithras was regarded as a sun-god whose birth was also celebrated on the winter solstice, December 25th.

Mithras had been born in a stable with animals and shepherds present. The Mithras rituals included the consumption of flesh from sacrificed bulls, sprinkling of holy bull's blood on congregants, breaking and eating loaves of bread with the shape of a cross (a Mithraic symbol) impressed on them, drinking wine mixed with water, altars with crosses, and priests with vestment symbols which were similar to some Catholic and Orthodox priestly symbols.

The popular winter solstice sun-god festivals put Christianity at a disadvantage. The date Jesus was born was unknown, as Paul's letters reveal. Christianity had no competing birth festival. Popular sun-god festivals would also attract Christians.

Sometime before 300 CE, Christians began celebrating the birth of Jesus on the winter solstice, December 25th. After Constantine the Great (emperor 306-339) made Christianity Rome's state religion, Christian persecution destroyed the religions of Sol Invictus and Mithras. Some Mithraic symbols and mythology were co-opted into Christianity.

Christmas, then, is Christianity's version of a winter solstice sun-god festival copied from competing Roman religions. The winter solstice, Sol Invictus and Mithras are the real reasons for the Christmas season...

Does anyone see any reason to disbelieve this?

Toto · 12-22-2004, 11:44 AM

The part about Sol Invictus is standard history. The part about Constantine is also standard history, and it is well known that Christians did not celebrate the birth of Jesus until the third century, and that they picked the date of the winter solstice to coopt the other festivals on that date. This may or may not be evidence that Christianity did not start with a founder figure who was actually born. Paul's letters shed no particular light on the subject of a birthday for Jesus.

There are problems with this:

Quote:

. . .
Mithras had been born in a stable with animals and shepherds present. The Mithras rituals included the consumption of flesh from sacrificed bulls, sprinkling of holy bull's blood on congregants, breaking and eating loaves of bread with the shape of a cross (a Mithraic symbol) impressed on them, drinking wine mixed with water, altars with crosses, and priests with vestment symbols which were similar to some Catholic and Orthodox priestly symbols.

A lot of information on the Roman worship of Mithras has been lost (it was a secret cult.) But it seems to have a loose or non-existant connection to the Persian Mithras. The idea that Mithras had been born in a stable with animals and shepards present is probably not correct (I think he was born from a rock.) But there was some borrowing of Mithraic symbols after the time of Constantine. Constantine proclaimed 3 official religions for the Roman Empire, Sol Invictus, Mithraism, and Christianity, and tried to fuse the three into one.

This is a frequent topic in BCH. The last thread on the issue is Mithra, which references some prior threads. One of the mods there, CX, is working on the definitive guide to Mithra.

Soul Invictus · 12-22-2004, 12:43 PM

How'd you know my birthday was coming up?

Epictetus · 12-22-2004, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soul Invictus

How'd you know my birthday was coming up?

It's Sol's birthday, not "Soul's." Trying to suck us in to buy you presents again, eh?....

Soul Invictus · 12-22-2004, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epictetus

It's Sol's birthday, not "Soul's." Trying to suck us in to buy you presents again, eh?....

Yes.

Actually, it's kinda ironic, because my highly anticipated anniversary of my birth into this realm is drawing nigh

Since we're talking presents, Season II of the X-Files will suffice!

MrFrosty · 12-22-2004, 05:01 PM

What a phat name :thumbs:

12-22-2004, 12:43 PM	#3
Soul Invictus Contributor Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 15,576	Gee thanks! How'd you know my birthday was coming up?

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12-22-2004, 05:01 PM	#6
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