Multiculturalism is making a joke out of Sri Lanka : Planting a Christmas Tree in the middle of Galle Face Green
Is there a competition for insanity or does it come naturally to those in government? Are decisions taken alone or in consultation? Do a handful voted for a term in office have the right to do as they please not caring a fig about opinion of others? A huge area in the middle of Galle Face Green, a place for the ordinary public to play and meet is being dug to plant the ‘world’s tallest Christmas Tree’ a brainwave of a Buddhist MP when the Catholic Church banned Christmas trees in 2015 claiming there was no religious significance. If the Christmas Tree is not liturgical symbol in a majority Buddhist country why is a Buddhist MP wanting to allocate public space to plant the world’s tallest Christmas tree? So what multiculturalism and co-existence is there in planting a tree that is not even a Christian symbol in the middle of Galle Face Green? We are fast becoming if we have not become already the laughing stock of the entire world!
http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/08/20/local/90978
There is no mention of Christmas in the Bible, nowhere does Jesus ask to observe Christmas, we should by now know that Santa Claus is a lie traditionally followed, If Jesus was not born on 25 December (it is in reality a pagan holiday honouring the pagan sun god) it means people are celebrating a day that Jesus was not even born in. No wonder Christians are leaving Christianity in the West! But we all know Christmas is the businessman’s windfall and businesses make the most profits during Christmas season and it is for this reason only Christmas will remain!
Dr. Ernest Martin asks a poignant question – Is there a command anywhere in the Holy Scriptures that a human should cut a tree out of the forest, set it up in one’s home at the time of the Winter Solstice, deck it with trinkets and various decorations, and then place a star on its topmost part to show an association of the tree with the signs of the heavens? NO
So how did Christmas come to be celebrated on 25 December if it is not the birth date of Jesus?
It was first introduced by the Roman pagans and Greek writer Lucian in his Saturnalia describes this week-long festival where human sacrifice, intoxication, rape & other sexual licence were part of the festivities. The first mention of a Nativity feast appears in the Philocalian calendar, a Roman document from 354 CE, which lists December 25th as the day of Jesus’ birth This Saturnalia festival came to be imported into Christianity in the 4th century after large numbers of pagans were converted to Christianity with the promise that they could continue to celebrate Saturnalia as Christians but Saturnalia was Christianized as Jesus Birthday. However, the Puritans banned Christmas because of its pagan origins. Alaw was passed in Massechusettes USA in 1659, “Whosoever shall be found observing Christmas, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, every such person shall pay as a fine five shillings to the county.”
In 1466 Pope Paul II forced Jews to race naked through the streets of the City as part of the Saturnalia carnival. (David I. Kertzer, The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican’s Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism) In 1836 the Jewish community sent a petition to Pope Gregory XVI begging him to stop the annual Saturnalia and abuse of Jews.
The Christmas tree was also a pagan worship which also came to be adopted by the Church.
Clement Miles, Christmas Customs and Traditions: Their History and Significance covers the origins of mistletoe which was a Druid ritual using mistletoe to poison their human sacrificial victim, while the custom of ‘kissing under the mistletoe’ he says was another sexual license of Saturnalia by Druidic sacrificial cult. Miles also claims that origins of Christmas presents derived from emperors compelling their most despised citizens to bring offerings during the Saturnalia and the Church gave a Christian flavour by associating it was the gift-giving of St. Nicholas.
Nicholas was born in 270CE in Turkey. He became the Bishop of Myra and was one of the senior bishops who created the New Testament in 325 CE portraying Jews as ‘children of the devil’. He died on 6thDecember 345CE. He became a saint in 19th century. In 1087 some sailors moved his bones from Turkey to Italy where Nicholas became a cult and soon spread to Germany and among Celtic pagans. Soon those who had been worshipping pantheon led by chief god Woden incorporated his long white beard and flying horse with Nicolas. Thus, this cult was adopted by the Church and instead of distributing gifts on 6 December it was changed to 25th December. In 1809 novelist Washington Irving wrote a satire referring to the white bearded flying horse riding St. Nicholas using the Dutch name Santa Claus. It is believed that Dr. Clement Moor professor at Union Seminary portrayed Santa with 8 reindeer in 1822 while Thomas Nast drew more than 2200 cartoon images of Santa for Harper’s Weekly in mid 1860s projecting Santa as living in the North Pole, with a workshop filled with elves. Santa’s red cloak came after Coca Cola Corporation contracted Haddon Sundblom, a Swedish commercial artist to create a coke-drinking Santa in 1931 and Santa ended up with a red cloak.
Some facts about Christmas Trees
§ standard Fraser Fir takes about 7 years to get to the average size of 6-7′ tall. It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree the average retail height of six feet, but the average growing time is 7 years
§ severe hot weather is not conducive to growth of Christmas trees
§ 16 elements are needed for its growth – hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, chlorine, manganese, molybdenum, iron, and zinc are obtained from the soil.
The fools riding on the bandwagon of reconciliation and multiculturalism are making a mockery of the country and we are being laughed upon even by the very parties that are throwing these foolish ideas that our politicians are implementing.
Shenali D Waduge
srilankaopinion 