Why we celebrate the birth of Christ

[_marg]

Wilford Woodruff was one of the greatest men who have ever lived. I would compare him to Enoch or Paul. He was taught by angels and spoke with God, and was a living Prophet upon the Earth in and for his time. That is why I quote him.

"....how do you account for other hominids besides man? Where do they fit into the scheme of things in your understanding?"

I'm not sure what your getting at here, could you be more specific with your question? If your asking if I believe in Adam, yes I do.

Gaz

Well do you believe that humans have only been in existence for 6,000 years?

[_Roger Morrison]

Hi Gaz, in answer to your question/statement: There are many reasons, and i suppose some purpose...

We are taught, conditioned and aculturated to do so by tradition--try and escape it :-) The purposes: serve to perpetuate the tradition, confirm the mythology, and to redistribute financial resources through X-mas retail capitalism.

Certainly the X-mas season serves a community and family purpose, sometimes beyond reason ;-) I think the trend to sentimentalize the season borders on absurd. Most who celebrate it have been "educated" by artists, choirs and fabalists, who themselves have been conditioned via the genra before them. What they 'know' about Jesus comes primarily from the imaginations found in Luke, and their increasing embelishments by the amusement and entertaiment industries. How authentic or valid they are is inconsequential to their story value.

In reality the holyness of the whole season is self indulgence and diametrically opposed to the ethic Jesus left 2,000 years ago. I don't think he'd be pleased to be iconized as the annual-party centre-piece set amidst tinsel, tassles, sweet music, gluttony and profit.

Enjoy it with he kids, while you can, for what it is! A holiday from daily tedium... Warm regards, Roger

[_MormonMendacity]

What a tedious explanation, Gaz.

This god of yours has a lot of silly requirements for his followers, doesn't he? I thank Him for creating holidays so I don't have to go to work.

The rest of it is utter nonsense created by ancient idiots who knew only one thing: how to control people with claims of magic.

[_Dr. Shades]

Gazelam, how do you reconcile all that with the fact that Caesar's census took place in 4 A.D., long after Herod was already dead?

[_Gazelam]

Notice that the birth of Christ may have taken place in late 5 B.C. or early 4 B.C.

Either date is fine, and most Mormons would enjoy the idea that it may have been in April, even on the 6th. What evidence do oyu have for the census? I hear alot of people weeping and wailing and gnashing their teeth on these boards that there was no census.

Gaz

[_marg]

Hi Gaz, are you going to answer my question a couple of posts up?

[_Gazelam]

Sorry Marg, I intended to, but put it off for some reason.

I believe that Adam was the first man, and that we are all his decendants.

How long Adam was in the Garden, and what components were used in the construction of the Earth I do not know.

Hope that answers your question

Gaz

[_Roger Morrison]

Good 2007, Gaz,

Sorry Marg, I intended to, but put it off for some reason.

I believe that Adam was the first man, and that we are all his decendants.

How long Adam was in the Garden, and what components were used in the construction of the Earth I do not know.

Hope that answers your question

Gaz

In "the story" Adam IS the first man. All mythologies, legends. stories--fiction and nonfiction--have themes and characters. That the Judeo story of creation has a first-man character really doesn't sunstantiate the story.

AND YET, even with a fabled/fictional first-man--Adam--this does not invalidate the lives, thoughts, words and deeds of those who did live, and believed the Creation Story that satisfied THEIR ancient ponderings.

However in our "ponderings" we have a vastness of science and knowledge where they had a void 'filled' with imaginings. They had nothing else. Which does not devalue them in any way. BUT, I'm not certain how their lack-of-knowledge adds much value in our times when "God" has revealed so much via science???

Separating fact from fiction and mythology/legend from reality seems a worthy enterprise for all. Warm regards, Roger

[_ozemc]

However in our "ponderings" we have a vastness of science and knowledge where they had a void 'filled' with imaginings. They had nothing else. Which does not devalue them in any way. BUT, I'm not certain how their lack-of-knowledge adds much value in our times when "God" has revealed so much via science???

Separating fact from fiction and mythology/legend from reality seems a worthy enterprise for all. Warm regards, Roger

Amen to that, Roger!

A long time ago, I was a born-again Southern Baptist.

As I started to expand my horizons, and started to read other things than church doctrine, I began to see that maybe all I had believed up to that point needed to be revised. All this stuff I treated as "doctrine" was just somebody else's attempt at trying to understand it all.

These days, I am a firm believer in trying to decipher the truth, using logic, reason, and maybe a little fatih, whatever that truth may be, or wherever it leads. Science, to me, just validates the wonder of creation. Now, whether the stories and myths that grew up around that creation are true, I seriously doubt it. Some of the stories are obviously just that ... stories.

However, I do see a awesome universe in which we live, and I do think there are things about it that we can't understand, at least not yet.

As my ex-father-in-law once told me, once you bite the apple of knowledge, you can't go back.

May all have a peaceful and prosperous New Year!

[_marg]

Sorry Marg, I intended to, but put it off for some reason.

I believe that Adam was the first man, and that we are all his decendants.

How long Adam was in the Garden, and what components were used in the construction of the Earth I do not know.

Hope that answers your question

Gaz

You had written, "Wilford Woodruff was one of the greatest men who have ever lived. I would compare him to Enoch or Paul. He was taught by angels and spoke with God, and was a living Prophet upon the Earth in and for his time. That is why I quote him."

So do you think when Wilford Woodruff stated in the quote you used that "The Lord Almighty never created a world like this and peopled it for six thousand years" that he knew what he was talking about with regards to 6,000 years being the length of time people have been living on earth?