Leads to...

I've worked in science and technology almost all of my adult life (I had a flurry of varied and interesting jobs in my teens and twenties). History has always been something of a hobby for me (which is nice, because it gives me both the History Channel and the Discovery Channel to fall back on when I can't sleep), but I did not start to study Church history in any real earnest until I got older.

I started because I thought it might help me grow in my faith. On some occasions, it feels like it has. But I probably have kept it up for the simple reason that I find it exceedingly interesting.

A couple of days ago, I got involved in an online discussion about the history of Christmas. I basically cited the conventional Church history, which you would find in a textbook or the Catholic Encyclopedia. Basically, Christians did not celebrate Christmas as a feast until about 200 AD (ex. doesn't appear in Tertullian's list of feasts). From then until the mid forth century, Christians generally celebrated either the Epiphany in January, or specifically Christ's birth later in the spring (some celebrated both). Starting in the fourth century, some Christians began using December 25th, seemingly usurping pagan solstice rites, which had been largely combined in 279, and centered on the traditional birth date of Mithras.

I didn't expect this to be particularly controversial, but some heads seemed to explode. The suggestion that Christmas has not been celebrated on Dec. 25th since the beginning is a direct attack on faith - written historical records be damned!

I did try to remain kind and charitable (rather I succeeded is another matter). But one of the 'offenses' I was called to task for was noting that evergreens and wreaths are a long standing Pagan practice. I seemed to be challenged to 'prove' my presumably heretical claim. I started to give a long history of archaeological sites with seeming ties to solstice worship, going back to about 3000 B.C., then I erased that long, tedious monologue and noted simply that the Prophet Jeremiah condemned the pagan practice in about 600 BC (Jeremiah 10:2-4) and the Latin apologist Tertullian condemned it again in the third century ("On Idolatry" XV).

I had hoped (and continue to hope) that my studies would help lead me to a deeper understanding and strengthened faith. But I do sometimes wonder if the endeavor has principally lead to my being even more annoying; something I would have thought to be impossible (my wife can attest that I have long held master status in the art).

Merry Christmas and may the Peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.