A Pagan and a Christian Walk Into a Christmas Party...
From my family to you and yours, Merry Christmas!
I graduated from the FBI Academy in mid-November, 2018. Between travel days and a few days of leave, we found ourselves in Kansas just after Thanksgiving. We had never even been to Kansas. We had never seen our house in person. No one in our family, except for me, had ever lived outside of Wisconsin. Granted, at that time, it was just Heidi, Gwen, Iris and I. Gwen had just turned 3 and Iris was about 1 and a half.
It was a major time of transition for us. Heidi and the girls had been living with her parents while I was attending training in Quantico. I had only seen them one time between July 6th and November 17th, which was in September when I was able to make a brief trip back over Labor Day weekend. We were all readjusting to being back together again after a fair amount of time apart, and now we moved to an unknown place.
We ended up loving Kansas though. A lot more than we ever expected. The first six months or so were especially hard readjusting and adapting to all that had changed. Not to mention, we also welcomed Paige the following March. We traveled back to Wisconsin shortly after the move in order to be by family for Christmas.
We did that every year we lived there actually. Nonetheless, we still decorated our house, put up a tree and did festive activities in Kansas. Even though it can get cold there, typically speaking, the southern Kansas December was far more moderate and tolerable than in Wisconsin. I really have not missed the winter here. Not at all.
I love Christmas though. It is, arguably, my favorite time of year. Especially since having kids of our own. If you’ve been keeping up with this Substack, you may recall that Nimrod was mentioned in Welcome to Nineveh - Part 1. Although he was mentioned mostly in passing, I’ve been thinking about much that I learned of him in the process. Primarily my fascination is mostly associated with him being a tyrannical ruler, but also I’m a sucker for history and the more I read, the deeper I dove. Considering the timing, I thought I’d take a break from the Nineveh series once I learned of Nimrod’s interesting ties to Christmas.
Maybe not Christmas as you or I know it, or celebrate it, but a deep, centuries old link to winter, tradition, pagan religion, Babylon and even to modern aspects that many of you will recognize, such as the Christmas tree, Santa Claus, mistletoe or even the beloved Christmas ham. Mmm…ham.
Nimrod’s Tyranny
"Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city." -Genesis 10:8-12Another genealogy passage, 1 Chronicles 1:10, also calls Nimrod mighty. In that context it is referring to Nimrod as a mighty, or great, warrior. As Yoda said, “wars not make one great.” Other translations also say Nimrod “was the first on earth to be a mighty man,” “he began to be a mighty one on the earth,” “the world’s first great conquerer,” “the first powerful ruler on the earth,” and “a mighty hunter on the earth;” or variations of the like.
The only other place Nimrod is mentioned by name in the Bible is in Micah 5:6 where it is talking about Assyria (and perhaps Babylon [Gen.10:10-11]) as “the land of Nimrod.” Micah 5 is a fitting portion of Scripture for Christmastime too as early on in the chapter the birth of Christ in Bethlehem is foretold. The Genesis passage also has other, similar translations with reference to Nimrod as “mighty,” “heroic,” a “giant,” a “great conqueror” and a “fearless leader.” It also talks about him as a “mighty hunter before the Lord” and that the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and other lands before expanding into Assyria and building Nineveh.
An analysis of that last section is where we can begin to see Nimrod as a tyrant king. Another area that is important to highlight, and one, that is easy to just gloss over, is where it says “before the Lord.” As you may recall from Welcome to Nineveh Part 1, Nimrod’s name means “let us revolt.” Another translation of that is “to rebel.” The “before the Lord” portion is indicative of where Nimrod gets his moniker for revolting/rebelling.
Nimrod was mighty on earth and flaunted his might to the Lord and his fellow man. Nimrod knew the Lord’s will to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth (Gen. 9:1), but Nimrod would make his own way. In Christian, Jewish and Islamic faith, Nimrod is known as defiant of God’s will. For Jews and Christians, Nimrod is widely believed to be the king who attempted to construct the Tower of Babel. This was counter to God’s will to “fill the earth.” For Muslims and Jews, he was the antagonist to Abraham. Depending on which religious or historical texts and scholars you turn to, a common thread is that of Nimrod in opposition to God.
Nimrod’s might and skillful hunting prowess likely further extended to his “hunting,” or subjugating of man. You’re probably familiar with the aphorism, “might makes right.” This is true now and was true in Nimrod’s day. The Genesis 10 passage also tells us that the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom was already quite expansive and then he only further expanded. Based on the various translations and interpretations we’ve gone through thus far, as well as the historical outlook from numerous faith traditions, it seems evident that Nimrod was able to expand and subjugate because of his might and implement his own will over others.
Nimrod and Paganism
"Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” -Genesis 11:4Under Nimrod’s tyrannical leadership, Babel, one of the areas mentioned as the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom, was established. Further demonstrating his opposition to the one true God, Nimrod and those with him, decided to build a city and the tower as a testament to themselves. They refused to move on as God had commanded in Genesis 9. This was done out of arrogance and pride since they wanted to establish the city and tower as a symbol of their reputation and what they could accomplish.
God dispersed them from there because of their defiance at His command. He did so by confusing their language and forcing them to scatter. This is also the beginning of Babylon, the primary enemy of Israel throughout the Old Testament. Nimrod, as you may recall, also gained the territory known as Assyria which was part of his kingdom. The Assyrians were another enemy of Israel. It is widely believed that Nimrod also deified himself throughout his kingdom, which may have started with the building of the tower.
“Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” -Proverbs 16:5
Nimrod establishing himself as god-king prior to the diaspora at Babel gives credence to the wide-ranging, pagan religious systems that began centuries ago that may be rooted in prior Nimrod worship. I wasn’t able to determine with any certainty which came first, Nimrod establishing all of his kingdom and then settling in Babel (I believe this more likely), or Nimrod establishing Babel and then going forward and conquering the other territories mentioned as parts of his kingdom. Either way, the countless similarities in various pagan religions are indicative that Nimrod’s god status stuck and was spread in various forms.
Nimrod’s birthday is widely listed as December 25th, but in reality his actual birthday can only be guessed at. Similarly to that of Jesus. We don’t know the date for certain. Christians adopted that day, in part to thwart the pagan religions they were trying to evangelize many years ago. The first Christmas wasn’t celebrated until 336 AD after Christianity became more of an established religion in the Roman Empire. Also celebrated during that same era, and celebrated in broader fashion no doubt, was the feast of Saturnalia, which also influenced Christmas. We still see that influence today even, with the giving of gifts for instance.
Nimrod’s connection to numerous pagan religions can be made. But the basic origin story is this: Nimrod’s wife was Semiramis. She was also his mother, or cousin…depending on the rendition of the story. Nimrod died, or was killed. Semiramis was then impregnated by the spirit of Nimrod, or by a ray of sun sent by him because he was the sun god (insert winter solstice celebrations here, etc.), or she simply was already pregnant before he died. She also may have claimed that an evergreen tree sprouted up overnight and that Nimrod would visit on his birthday every year to lay gifts at the base (Christmas tree/gifts on December 25th). Tammuz was then born, the son of Semiramis and Nimrod, and/or the reincarnation of Nimrod. This story, or one of the versions, is still believed by some to be the origin of the occult that we still see today. That is the basic, readers digest version of Nimrod worship though.
Depending on the pagan religion, various other versions or incarnations are seen. Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz are synonymous with many other deities and often there are striking similarities in the stories. So whether it is Osiris, Isis and Horace in Egypt, Adonis and Aphrodite in Greece or many others from various lands they all, allegedly originate from Nimrod, Semiramis and/or Tammuz. Some of the other deities you may have heard of which are tied to Nimrod’s tale are Baal, Odin, Freyr, Zeus, Ashtoroth, Balder, Molech, and Ishtar among others.
Baal and Adonis were both killed by boars. Freyr is often depicted with a boar of his own, which was often sacrificed by Germanic pagans to honor him. Baal and Freyr are also associated with the sun and Adonis with hunting. Balder, the Viking sun god, had evergreens as his sacred plant. Both Norse and Germanic peoples decorated the evergreen tree with carvings of the gods during winter time in hopes of spring returning. Over the years, Nimrod’s mightiness has transcended through various religions, festivities, beliefs, legends and traditions; some of which still exist, albeit in altered format today.
The Believer’s Tyranny
"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." -Romans 14:1-4So what, you might be wondering if you’ve made it this far. What’s the point? We don’t worship or celebrate Nimrod today so why take us through this muddled journey of Christmas roots in paganism? Many Christians, however, struggle with this topic once they know the truth of its pagan orientation. In our house, we have always told our girls that Santa Claus is not real. The primary reason isn’t because Santa Claus is rooted in Nimrod or Odin worship. It is because we do our best to truly focus on Christ during this, and all, times of year.
Secondary to that is because we teach our girls that lying is wrong. Why would we lie (even if it is a white lie) about an overweight, pajamaed man with flying reindeer as the person who brings the gifts? We work hard to provide gifts at Christmas time, especially this year with the upheaval our lives have faced in recent months. Does that mean we treat Santa as the nameless one who shan’t be spoken of!!! Or does that mean we don’t or can’t watch Christmas movies if they aren’t 100% focused on the birth of Christ? Or…fill in the blank with numerous other traditions or activities done this time of year. No. Of course not.
Do we still think it is important to know the history and truth of where and how some of those traditions came to be? Absolutely. The truth is always important. Once we know the truth, does that mean we must forsake modern practices around Christmastime? For most of us, the answer is no. However, if it is truly causing you to think you are sinning or stumbling in your faith, then yes. You should cease those practices.
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” -James 4:17
One video which had useful and interesting information that had clearly been researched, missed the mark from the start however. The narrator prefaced the video accusing Believers of not really caring what the truth is or caring about God’s perspective. He also claimed most are too afraid to look into topics such as the origins of Christmas traditions and that we are too comfortable with manmade religious traditions.
He went on to say that the typical viewer will protest, “that’s not what it means to me” and that he had the same thought in the past. But that the Holy Spirit worked on his heart and brought him to the position that it doesn’t matter what it means to the individual, it only matters what God thinks of it and that it is our job to adjust our lives to the truth, no matter how difficult, emotional or dramatic it might be.
Furthermore, he said, we want to understand why we do the things that we do, why we believe the things that we believe and if we continue to just blindly worship God, thinking our hearts are clear and sincere that He is just going to accept whatever we put on the alter. It does not matter what it means to us. It doesn’t matter how sincere our hearts our, and that as a matter of fact the Bible says our hearts are wicked.
The narrator continued that God doesn’t look into our hearts until we are obedient. The heart doesn’t matter. If the heart is the only thing that matters, then we might as well just let everybody into heaven at the end of days. He also said, it doesn't matter how sincere we are, we can be sincerely wrong. We want to make sure our sincerity and obedience lines up with Scripture. We can sacrifice all the things we want but if we aren’t sacrificing in the way He required, it doesn’t mean a thing.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” -Matthew 7:1-5
Some of that can be agreed upon. Certainly we can be wrong. Certainly we want to love God in all ways. Obviously we will continually fail at that endeavor because we will always be sinners in need of Him; in need of His love and mercy and grace. Primarily striking is that of the “straw man fallacy” though. By misrepresenting, exaggerating, and overstating numerous times and ways what other Believers think or what their focus is or isn’t, the narrator has himself fallen victim to flawed logic so he could be in a position by which he could better argue his own points.
It also can be agreed that we should want to understand the things we believe and why we believe them. But, he followed that up by misrepresenting Believers as “blindly worshipping Him.” Is that true of some, probably. But it is also a simple generalization to make so he can better argue his point. You are blindly worshiping. That’s why you don’t agree with me! The narrator presents a false dichotomy here too, as if the only possibilities are “blind worship” or “true worship,” and of course true worship is doing as the narrator does. If the topic of Christian traditions is of interest, the video is worth watching. I applaud the narrator for seeking the truth, however it seems as if he has fallen into the trap that many fall into. Questioning his and others own spirituality to a point where it hinders true growth in Christ.
The reason I’m focusing so much on this monologue is because it is such a prevalent scheme in Christian circles. Focus on all the ways others aren’t worshipping God properly. The sanctimony, which sadly, is also often prevalent in Christian circles as well was also immediately apparent. Especially since this very topic was addressed by Paul it seemed important to further analyze. In Paul’s day while he was leading the way in establishing the church in the eastern Mediterranean, it wasn't Christmas trees and Santa though. It was meat. Meat offered to pagan gods.
What this whole topic comes down to is proper exegesis of Romans 13:8 - 15:21 and 1 Corinthians 8-10, at a minimum. That’s not what you’ll get here lest my nimrodic tale be lost to the Substack annals of history though. What Paul wrote, and what he was instructing the church on in those passages, and what is at the root of many issues that arise even today, is the pendulum between antinomianism (literally “against law”) and legalism. And that pendulum can swing mightily. I see it happen in my own life and walk with the Lord. Which is reason enough to stay grounded in Scripture and prayer.
At its core, from a theological perspective, antinomianism is the belief that one does not have to abide by any form of the law or that there are no laws God expects one to obey. Antinomians can be refuted with one verse, although there are more, a lot more that assist in doing the same. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galations 5:19-21) It is abundantly clear, just from this brief section in Galations, that we cannot just do whatever we want as the antinomians would have us believe.
Whereas legalism is strict adherence to the law, including behaviors that aren’t addressed in Scripture. Modern examples include things like tobacco use, alcoholic beverages, dancing, movies, clapping, etc. Seriously, i know of at least one church which split because of a disagreement which arose after there was clapping when someone got baptized. Legalists tend to think they are more spiritual than others or may be able to earn their way to heaven. Jesus was often refuting the Pharisees for their legalism. (See Matthew 12 and Mark 7 as just two examples.)
“There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” -James 4:12
Furthermore, what this topic of dissension is rooted in is tyranny and love. As Paul says in Romans 14:15, “for if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.” What he is saying here is that the weaker believer may be hurt when they see another believer doing something that the weaker believer believes to be sinful; like setting up a Christmas tree or eating meat offered to idols as both come from pagan tradition. This passage (not just this verse, but whole section) shows us that it is imperative we go out of our way to uplift the weaker believer, even if it means giving up some of the freedom and liberty that we have in being a believer.
This is tyranny though too. Tyranny of the weaker believer. We saw Nimrod’s tyranny come from a place of great strength, whereas here the tyranny is coming from weakness. Nonetheless, tyranny is only destructive. One verse prior, in Romans 14:14, Paul says, “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.” Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” That yoke of slavery is sin. Galatians 5 is another important passage regarding this overall topic.
1 Corinthians 8:4 says, “Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.”” We also know that a Christmas ham, though rooted in pagan tradition, was not even offered to those idols that have no real existence and that there is still only the one, true God to whom we ought to give thanks for that ham if we choose to eat it.
In both these sections, from Romans and 1 Corinthians, Paul further explains that although the weaker believer may have various qualms about what other Christians are doing, eating or drinking, it is incumbent on us to further the gospel and not allow that weaker believer to stumble into sin because of our actions. Fully recognizing the weaker believer is the one who needs to be lifted up and brought to a better understanding, Paul still says that he would rather abstain from ever eating meat again if it will ensure that another believer does not stumble.
The main purpose, as Paul explains, is to love our brother or sister, who may be struggling with something we are doing or other Believers are doing. That love, after all, is what covers a multitude of sins and why Christ laid down his life for us anyways. It is incumbent on us to love each other, and even our enemies, in a way that is glorifying to God. As stated earlier, you will not get a full and complete breakdown of those main passages here. At a minimum, I hope you are curious enough to read them in full yourself, if not do a more thorough study on them. I’m pulling a few verses here and there, but the overall context of the passages is vastly important too.
“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” -1 Corinthians 13:13
Does the Bible mandate that we set aside any time of year to celebrate or remember Jesus’s birth? No, it doesn’t. Does that mean we can’t or shouldn’t? No, it doesn’t. Can we still embrace the primary meaning of Christmas as a time to celebrate Christ’s birth? Yes, of course. Colossians 2:16 says, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.” Seems analogous to think that would extend to “festivals” (the Greek word used here is that for feast and festival which periodically recur) such as Christmas celebrations today. Regardless, we certainly can spend this time of year in a way that is glorifying to God.
We can extend love and graciousness to one another and spread the good news that Jesus Christ came to earth. God incarnate as man. He would later die on the cross for our sins. He was raised after three days and later ascended to heaven. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
We can also spend this time of year reflecting on God’s goodness in our own lives. This is an area Heidi and I try to focus on these days. It is easy to focus on the negative and the bad things that have happened or are happening. That is what Satan wants too. All those things aside though, God has us in the palm of His hand. He still showers us with blessings, even in the midst of a very difficult trial. Thanks for reading, and Merry Christmas everyone.
Postscript
Here are some of the better sources I used throughout:
What did you think of this post? A bit different from what I have been doing so far. Is this of interest to anyone, or just the product of my incessant following the rabbit hole?
What do you think? Now that you know some of the pagan origins of Christmas, do you think we all should stop with the yearly festivities and completely abandon the idea of Christmas? Is there a middle ground? Should we try to force others to learn the truth of the pagan origins? Is it a foolish topic to devote any amount of time to? Which details are you most likely to share at your next Christmas party?
Additional resources:
Why We Believe: God’s Law is for Today
The Tyranny of the Weaker Brother
I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness and Spent 13 years as one as well. Growing up was very different for me. I spent most of my time in the library by myself in elementary school. Wasn’t just for Christmas It was all the holidays. I believe we spend too much time on Christmas instead of celebrating the meaning behind it. The true meaning of Christmas has been diluted over time to now a season of just give give give.
Miss and love you brother! Hit me up sometime love to catch up
👍 💪🏻