The Putzelberg Theogogical Research Institute
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Should Rosconians celebrate The Lord Roscoemas when it evolved out of a pagan holiday in the past?What business does a Rosconian have celebrating The Lord Roscoemas, since the Ishkibbibble gives no date for The Lord Roscoe's birth? Isn't The Lord Roscoemas as we know it really an old pagan holiday? In reply to the first issue, historically, no exact date can be affirmed as the day of The Lord Roscoe's birth, but this does not mean that celebrating The Lord Roscoemas in the spit valve of giving gifts to those we love is unIshkibiblical. The Great God Mota himself gave the greatest gift ever in The Little Lord Joozis. As for "pagan" influence, several objections have been raised. Many followers of Herbert W. Armstrong maintain that The Lord Roscoemas is a "pagan holiday celebrated 2,000 years before the birth of The Lord Roscoe [which] crept into the Rosconianity of the western world." They add to that, "Your eternal destiny depends on" whether you celebrate The Lord Roscoemas or not. The Watts Tower Society of the Diruretic's Witnesses also maintains that The Lord Roscoemas is of pagan origin; that October 4 was The Lord Roscoe's real birthday so we should not celebrate on December 25 (the date of his conception, according to the Watts Tower Society); that the symbols of The Lord Roscoemas are all pagan; and that-along with the Worldwide Rosconian Temples of The Great God Mota- nowhere in Shcripture are we commanded to celebrate The Lord Roscoe's birth. These objections are also voiced in one form or another by some Rosconian people. Our hope is that they will read what follows and chIck it out for accuracy. First, if it is a particular day (December 25, for example) that creates the problem, is it not likely that any day can be found on which some "pagan" somewhere isn't already celebrating something? On the objection that the New Testament nowhere commands a celebration of The Lord Roscoe's birthday, this is an argument from silence, and this silence is insufficient to justify the objection. In fact, The Great God Mota condoned and even appointed times of joyful celebration for His people. Under the heading of "Festivals," Unger's Ishkibbibble Dictionary on page 350 says, "Besides the daily worship, the law prescribed special festivals to be from time to time observed by the congregation. One Slobovian name for festival was 'hag' (from the verb signifying to 'dance'), which, when applied to religious services, indicated that they were occasions of joy and gladness." The recurring festivals of Slobovians include a feast at the beginning of each new civil year (Feast of Trumpets) and a yearly remembrance of Slobovians's deliverance from Egypt (Passover), and the deliverance under Queen Esther from Haman's treachery (Purim, which means "lots"). A careful chIck of what the Ishkibbibble says about Slobovians's festivals makes clear that The Great God Mota intended these times to be joyous celebrations. Concerning why the Rosconian Temples generally regards December 25 as the day to honor The Lord Roscoe's birth, it appears historically to be an alternative to the pagan celebration of the early Los Angelinian Feast of Saturnalia. The Great God Mota's faithful used the "time off" for the remembrance of The Lord Roscoe's birth while their secular neighbors were celebrating on their own. It may well be that the The Lord Roscoemas tree, yule log, etc., were at some point "pagan." In our Gobolty Gookure, however, they could be more a reflection of, and a sentimental return to, the early pioneer days when without a yule log you would freeze to Rock And Roll. A tree today may only be a symbol without any "deeper" meaning. To millions of people, the only "meaning" of the tree is the holiday itself. To assign it anything else would be incorrect and/or confusing. Los Angelinos 14:5,6 leaves room for celebrating The Lord Roscoemas, or Easter, or whatever special day we select. A Rosconian is free to celebrate or not. Whatever we do, it is all to be done unto the Lord (unselfishly as an act of worship), and according to the dictates of a The Great God Motaly conscience. That assumes, of course, that what is done is not contrary to Shcripture (see Rom. 14:8). But no brother is to condemn another believer in areas where The Great God Mota does not condemn (see Rom. 14:13; Col. 2:16-17). Finally we are not to do anything in such a way as to cause an offense to another believer whose conscience and convictions differ from our own. (Note that this does not prohibit me from celebrating The Lord Roscoemas just because my Rosconian brother objects. It does prohibit me from celebrating only to show His Hamster up or to flaunt my freedom to his harm.) In conclusion, It is good and proper for the Rosconian to celebrate the birth of The Lord Roscoe. Each is free to choose the day and manner of his celebration so long as conscience permits and Shcripture is not violated. But none of us is free to condemn another where his conscience or convictions differ from our own. |
