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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Krowbar who wrote (67669)	12/21/1999 1:58:00 AM
From: Grainne	Respond to of 108807

Not only is tomorrow the beginning of winter, at 11 something in the evening Pacific time, but the moon is very low and bright in the sky. Because of orbital variations, it has not been this close at the time of the Solstice since 1866. Can you see it bobbing on top of the waves on the Gulf, Del? I think we should celebrate the December 25th birth of Mithras, the legend from whence Christ probably developed: The Legend of Mithras We often hear about how many of the traditions, rites and symbols of modern day "Christian" holidays have their roots in paganism. Recently I came across the writing of historian Franz Cumont, who is consider by many to be the leading research authority on Roman Paganism. I was introduced to an ancient religion called Mithrasism. The following is the first in a series of articles I will be running about this and ancient paganism in subsequent issues. I have chosen this issue to begin with the story of Mithras' birth because it coincides with the Yule/Christmas season. I often wondered why December 25th was chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ. If the accounts in the Bible are correct, the time of Jesus birth would have been closer to mid-summer, for this is when shepherds would have been "tending their flocks in the field" and the new lambs were born. Strange enough I found an ancient pagan religion, Mithrasism, which dates back over 4,000 years that also celebrated the birth of their "saviour" on that date. According to the Book of Origins, the Canon of the Mithrasic faith, "the universe was created through Mithras, and Mithras was born into the world to save humanity from the attacks of the evil one, Ahriman, who was opposed to human beings. Mithras released the goodness Ahriman had stolen from humanity, and then died to the world, going to the underworld to destroy the servants of Ahriman and bind Ahriman there forever. Then He returned to the earth to teach humanity His commandments and begin Mysteries and Rites which would help humans remember His acts on our behalf. Because of His actions, we can choose good without the overwhelming power of evil, even though evil's influence can still seem powerful because our minds believe it is. Because of His teachings, we know that the purpose of our lives is to serve others in the name of Mithras." The followers refer to Him as the "Light of the World" a phrase often used also in Christian faith when referring to Christ. Persian legends of Mithras says that He was born of the Sun God and a virgin mother, called "the Mother of God", on December 25th. They saw him as a symbol of justice, truth, and loyalty. He was considered the saviour of humankind, and stories abound of His healing the sick, raising the dead, and performing miracles (making the blind see and the lame walk). Throughout His lifetime, He was seen as a protector of human souls, a mediator between "heaven" and "earth" and was even associated with a "holy trinity". He remained celibate,until the ripe old age of 64, throughout his life and preached the virtues of ethics, moral behavior, and good will. The name Mithras comes from the Persian word for contract. Mithras was the guardian of contracts, the promise keeper; keeper of the covenant with mankind. Persians believed to break a contract would lead to bad luck for the entire land. Ancient Persians believed in a "celestial heaven" and hell. They believed that they would be judged by their god and granted justice of "eternal salvation. On judgement day, the faithful dead would be resurrected and light would triumph over darkness. They took part in ritual purification or baptism, held Sundays sacred, drank wine and ate bread as a symbol of the body and blood and even took part in ritualistic purging (purification rites such as flagellation). In their legends, Mithras had an "earthly mission' to accomplish. He then was put to death on a cross and buried in a cave (some legends have Him held up in a cave to be reborn once a year).He then "rose from the dead" and took part in a last supper with his 12 disciples (often associated with the 12 signs of the zodiac) and then ascended to the heavens to watch over His "flock" from above. Since these legends date back over 2,000 years earlier than the legends of Christ and even earlier than some of the "ancient" religions associated with many pagan rituals, one is compelled to contemplate the origins of our traditions today. digiserve.com

To: Krowbar who wrote (67669)	12/21/1999 2:19:00 AM
From: Michael M	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 108807

Delbert, with all due respect for your world view, I would sincerely appreciate it if you would refrain from insulting the faith of those (perhaps only myself) who find joy and sacred meaning at this time of year. Perhaps you will learn to be good like your son and not go around needlessly poking people in the eye. Or perhaps you NEEDED to remind the folk of their irrational idiocy. Thanks for sharing. M