ARE WE BEING TAUGHT PAGANISM?

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4411, 15 May 1909, Page 3

ARE WE BEING TAUGHT PAGANISM?

• (To the Editor.) SIR, —Seeing tnat during the present year the resources of Paeroa will bo taxed to the extent of something approaching £3OOO for the up-keep of the Church, and other towns somewhat similar, still I crave space 1o challenge a few o': the spurious traditions and teachings that are being drilled into us from the cradle onward, and which have no apparent foundation either in the spiritual oi in the material world, namely Unconditional immortality, infant salvation, infant baptism, the hope of Heaven, existence of a devil, and the prrto- ality of the third person in the Trinity, none c-f which can be satisfactorily based on the inspired Word of God.

To revere man is not even consistent with Biblical authority, Psal cxi 9. Wc are also taught to indulge in the joyful season of Christmas or Ynlemas, and the mournful season approaching Easter, both of which date bac'r as far as Nimrod, Genesis XB, R.c. 2347. Nimrod, according to tradiiion was resurrected from the dead, w s planted and grow as a tree on which the people hung presents for their friends, who a's-mbled from all convenient places to take part in the Yuloi tide festivals, hence the origin of the Yulemas or Christmas tree. The history in detail can be obtained from ancient writings on marble slabs (tow iu the British Museum, London) recently excavated from the third city deep of ancient Babylon, by Major Condor who is the head of the exploration company carrying on the excavations at the two ancient cities of Babylon. The Ynlemas was changed to Christmas as a sr rt of compromise after the overthrow of Paganism by Constantine A.I). 303. The tradition of the origin of Easter is as follows An enormous egg was rolled up on to the dry land by the fishes, the egg was hatched by a dove, and brought forth the “Estarte” or Sun, who was worshipped by the people, and sacrifices of cake offered—Jeremiah vii, 18. At present we are in duty bound to pay homage to the Easter (monified word), use hot-cross buns, and who has not heard of the Suu dancing in reciprocating approval on Easter Sunday morning. I maintain that as long as we allow ourselves to be galled by such vague and visionary remains of Paganism, mythology and philosophical ficl ion we shall re. main in the p. .erbial darkness portrayed in Isuh lx, 2.—1 am, etc., li. Whitten. Paeroa 13th May, 1909,