Saudis warned not to celebrate Valentine's Day

[verte76]

The Grand Mufti, the chief cleric in Saudi Arabia, and his committee of religious police put out a decree against celebration of Valentine's Day. They warned Saudis not to practice a "pagan, Christian" holiday and claimed that celebrating the holiday would cause an "identity crisis" for young people. There was a crackdown on celebrating, the making of festival food, and even the sale of roses.
Sheesh. I don't think I'll be making any plans to visit Riyadh. I'd hate to get busted for eating chocolate.

 

[U2Bama]

!

On this note, U2Bama is proud to be a "pagan Christian" whatever the hell that is. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

And in two weeks, I'll be back with chocolate-covered marshmallow bunnies containing messages about the forbidden Resurrection.

~U2Alabama

 

[59 Leroy]

U2Bama -

Nice to see you again.

-59

 

[U2Bama]

I would perhaps return the compliment but I have never seen you before under the name 59 Leroy.

~U2Alabama

 

[mikal]

you gotta admit though, leroy is a damn cool name.

remember, a certain leroy started the "lambeau leap".


back to the topic, i'm all for the saudi president warning against celebrating v-day. there were probably a lot less angry singles in their country than ours. lucky bastards.

 

[Angela Harlem]

That's because it is a brand spanking new one Bama!

 

[verte76]

I'll be back with my totally decadent Easter eggs and sugary rabbits.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I'll be back with my totally decadent Easter eggs and sugary rabbits.

One of my friends goes to a Christian school and they aren't allowed to have anything like Easter eggs or Easter bunnies, and at Christmas they aren't allowed to have Christmas cards or decorations with Santa Claus or Christmas trees on! I really have no idea why so if anyone feels like offering an explanation please go ahead.

 

[Sherry Darling]

And don't forget the pagan Cadbury eggs.

sd

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Cadbury's creme eggs

*Fizz, the chocaholic.

 

[verte76]

One of my friends goes to a Christian school and they aren't allowed to have anything like Easter eggs or Easter bunnies, and at Christmas they aren't allowed to have Christmas cards or decorations with Santa Claus or Christmas trees on! I really have no idea why so if anyone feels like offering an explanation please go ahead.

This started out in a wing of the Reformation. Some of the Reformers claimed that Christmas and Easter were "pagan" holidays which shouldn't be celebrated by Christians. The date we celebrate Christmas on was originally a pagan holiday called "Natalis Sol Invictus", the "Birth of the Invincible Sun", and was celebrated by a cult of Persian origin that got popular in the Roman Empire. In the fourth century when the Roman Empire became Christian they decided to celebrate Christ's birthday on this date since they didn't know the date of Jesus's birth, and it was already a holiday to many people. "Easter" is from the name of a Norse spring goddess, and was originally a spring festival. They fixed the date to celebrate Christ's Resurrection in the fourth century, but the Eastern Orthodox still celebrate Easter a week after Protestants and Roman Catholics. Some of the Reformers didn't like this association with non-Christian practices and some Christians still don't.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

This started out in a wing of the Reformation. Some of the Reformers claimed that Christmas and Easter were "pagan" holidays which shouldn't be celebrated by Christians. The date we celebrate Christmas on was originally a pagan holiday called "Natalis Sol Invictus", the "Birth of the Invincible Sun", and was celebrated by a cult of Persian origin that got popular in the Roman Empire. In the fourth century when the Roman Empire became Christian they decided to celebrate Christ's birthday on this date since they didn't know the date of Jesus's birth, and it was already a holiday to many people. "Easter" is from the name of a Norse spring goddess, and was originally a spring festival. They fixed the date to celebrate Christ's Resurrection in the fourth century, but the Eastern Orthodox still celebrate Easter a week after Protestants and Roman Catholics. Some of the Reformers didn't like this association with non-Christian practices and some Christians still don't.

Ah-ha, now I understand. Thanks verte.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Ooops, clicked send before I'd finished typing. So I assume the reason her school doesn't allow Christmas trees, Easter eggs, etc is they think those symbols represent the 'pagan' festivals which were originally celebrated at Christmas and Easter, rather than the Christian festivals. Interesting.

 

[verte76]

Actually, Christmas trees came along later. Legend has it that Martin Luther put up the first Christmas tree. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, introduced them to the U.K. Various kinds of plants, like mistletoes, have been used with Christmas for centuries. Easter eggs are older, having originated in Ukraine with pre-Christian Slavs. Christmas was not observed in the U.S. until the 1830's. Before this our Puritan heritage had dictated that it not be celebrated. I'm so glad they changed these laws!

 

[Blacksword]

That's one thing I find truly sad about Christian history. In its original spread it was perfectly willing to adapt its forms to local culture, yet once it became largely contained in Europe, European customs became Christian customs. so that when the faith spread back out of Europe it carried a ton of European cultural baggafew with it that had nothing to do with Christianity, and as such brutalized and alienated Americans (North and South) who refused to accept Europeanisms similarly in Africa and else where. Even the solemn attiude in amy Churches has nothing to do with Christianity. It has to do with the very solemn and stifled practice of the traditional pagan religion of Rome. as late as Augustine's day the North African Church (before it was wiped out by the Arab invasions) frewuently made jokes about how siff and lifeless worship in Rome was.

 

[verte76]

Worship was formal in the Roman Empire after Christianity was legalized by the Edict of Milan in 311, and then it became the official religion of the Empire by decree of the Emperor Theodosius in 380. They used old Roman courts (basilicas) as houses of worship, and the clergy adopted the dress of Roman officials. It's a matter of personal preference. As a convert to Catholicism I don't find the Roman rite to be too stiff. Some do. I prefer the mass over a service centered around a sermon. Others have different preferences.