The Anthropomorphism of Satan

Early Christians did not personify Satan, in fact it was not until the Medieval period that Satan became anthropomorphized into the image which is commonly understood during the modern day (e.g. red skin, horned head, tail etc.). Initially, Satan was predicated upon pagan mythological figures who Christian’s then viewed as demons and/or part of a larger demonic evil outside the boundaries of Christianity. Prior to this, there was no consensus among artists and theologians as to how Satan should be depicted within religious artwork. Often throughout history, Satan has been illustrated as a blue angel, a male figure with blue skin and white hair. The color blue was chosen as it is symbolic of the night and the unknown, adding emotional and spiritual ambiguity, intended to inspire fear not through grotesquery but rather through an uncanny yet elegant emulation. In addition to this portrayal, Satan has also been represented as a figure with 3 goats, designed as a direct counter balance to Jesus Christ who is often portrayed within religious artwork in possession of 3 lambs which represent humanity. More specifically these 3 lambs represent purity, sacrifice, and redemption. In contrast to this, the 3 goats of Satan were meant to represent demonic entities, more specifically rebellion, deception, and spiritual corruption. This triadic symbolism was intentional as it created a theological and visual counter weight for Christ, casting Satan not only as the antithesis of Christ, but as a distorted reflection of him within the mirror of divine structure and purpose

The Origin of the Tradition of Bringing Christmas Trees Indoors

During the Ancient Roman Saturnalia festival near the winter solstice, coniferous branches, boughs, and trees were brought indoors and kept. Although the exact rationale is debated, the concept may have developed as a means to symbolize everlasting life and/or as a method to ensure the god Saturn, the patron deity of time, wealth, and agriculture among other things within Ancient Rome, would prolong summer and shorten winter. In the 4th century A.D. this festival was replaced by the Christian holiday of Christmas which adopted the practice of bringing trees indoors as well. It should be noted, bringing coniferous trees indoors during the winter solstice was a pagan tradition throughout the northern hemisphere, with multiple cultures and empires outside of the Ancient Romans adopting the practice

The Christian Adaptation of the Pagan Ostara Festival Which Became Easter

Just as Christmas replaced the pagan holiday of Saturnalia, Easter replaced the pagan holiday of Ostara, a festival celebrating the pagan goddess of spring, a time of renewal, fertility, and birth. The Catholic Church strategically adopted the pagan seasonal calendar to fit its own narrative, rebranding the winter season of scarcity with a time of purification for Christians, entitling this period as “Lent”

The Contradiction of Radical Islamic Terrorism

Radicalized Islamic terrorists and their supporters say that Jihad states in the Quran to “kill the un-believers, wherever you find them” which they use to justify terrorism and murder. In reality, they are twisting the actual words and context of the Quran. If read from front to back, reading Verse 1, and then after Verse 5, instead of only Verse 5, of Surah at-Tawbah, the Quran states [This is a declaration of disassociation, from Allah and his Messenger] “to those with whom you had made a treaty among the polytheists”, meaning “to the pagans you have drafted a treaty with”, “expected are those with whom you made a treaty among the polytheists” meaning that “the statement only applies to the pagans, not the polytheists who did not break the treaty and fight against Muslims, simply because they followed Islam”. The context is incredibly specific and only applies to a small group of individuals, but radicalized Islamic terrorists and their sympathizers, either purposefully or unknowingly (it doesn’t matter, as they are both incorrect) are going against the word of the Quran

Jesus Christ’s Birthday Being an Ancient Roman Holiday

Jesus Christ’s birthday was actually in the summer but moved to the winter in order to coincide with the pagan solstice festival “Saturnalia”, in which lit trees and slaughtered goats were celebrated as hallmarks of the tradition. This pagan holiday was an annual massive gathering to feast and socialize. The traditional form of Christmas was phased out during the 19th century in favor of being changed to a more Christian centered holiday. Originally, during Saturnalia, trees were brought indoors to keep them alive in the hopes that summer would be prolonged and winter would be shortened