Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquila
That's an interesting point. Why do we freak out and fail to see golden opportunities? Instead of the ol' bunker mentality in which we are under seige by decorated trees, fat men in red suits, etc....why don't we take back what the devil has stolen? Why don't we tell our children who Santa really was, a Christian Bishop who lived a generous and faithful life? And explain to them that we give gifts in his memory.
It makes more since that the ol' "fear of Santa" syndrome. It's also far more truthful than saying, "Santa isn't real." Honesty would demand that we tell them who "Santa" really was...St. Nicolas.
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Dear sir, my children are informed that the Santa issue is a myth and it's roots go back to a few different stories "one" of them links the jolly fat elf to St. Nicholas.
My daughters mother was raised in the Greek Orthodox tradition and their Grandmother is a Byzantine scholar.
When my girls walk into their grandparent's homee they see Icons and Greek religious items. They have gone to Easten Orthodox services in Washington D.C. All their experiences are explained to them on how we practice Christianity is different from how their grandmother practices her faith.
So, I would agree with you partly, the reason that I say partly is because St. Nicholas is just more vague history of the Eastern and Western Orthodox churches.
My focus is to teach my children and those I preach and study with, that the Xmas is a tradition that is based on what Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and then later Reformation Protestantism created it to become.
True honesty is to call it like it is, a tradition lay over from the Eastern Orthodox Churches. I teach my children that the history of the Eastern Orthodox church was started by the Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena had taken the old ancient Persian mystery religion of the god Mithra and baptized it into Christianity and what my daughters see when they walk into the sanctuary of a Eastern Greek Orthodox church is closer to what a pagan temple was like in the first century than what a Christian fellowship was like during that time.
This is what I teach to my family and my friends who want to know.
Should I teach my children and anyone else that would listen that we should give gifts because of the memory of Jesus Christ and His birth? What do I do when they ask me to produce scripture, chapter and verse? Point them in the direction of an obscure Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church?
My wife's testimony is one of her going to an Pentecostal church and in prayer asking Jesus that she did not want to trade one tradition of men for another tradition of men. She wanted something real.
I wanted the same thing when I came into the Apostolic Faith, and I want the same thing for my children and those that I teach.
December 24th and the 25th is just another two days to the Benincasa family. May the Lord bless all of you when you meet with family and friends and I hope you enjoy your time together. As for my family and I we will continue to practice our faith as we see fit and may you all practice as you see fit.
The Lord bless and guide us all and that we listen closely to His voice and His Word.
In Jesus name
Brother Benincasa
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