All this talk about Co-opting pagan rituals is starting to sound a wee bit over the top....

[WCGreen]

21. Sure I do...

I have studied the spread of Christianity for a very long time.

I know all about the meaning of the Pine Trees, the Mistletoe, and the timing change for Jesus birth because anyone with half a brain knows that Jesus was born in the early summer. The Easter Rituals and fasting was implemented so the livestock could rut and not be killed to make sure the heard lasted.

But I also studied the pre-Christian societies in Europe and they did the same as the Catholic Church did when they conquered other tribes. The Norsemen were Pagans and brutalized Europe all the way into the 1200's.

I'm not excusing anything that Christians have done over the last 2000 years. I made it clear that I am not a Christian. All I ask is that you recognize that the Christians weren't the only usurpers of sacred rites. All conquering tribes degraded the religion of the vanquished because they knew it would cause problems down the road.

What I am thankful for is I can enjoy the spirit of this time of year for what it is, the end of one season cycles and the beginning of the next. It's about renewal, contemplation and celebration of another turn of the seasons.