Quote:
Originally Posted by breathesgelatin
MysticCat, while I respect your views, I have to point out that part of the reason early Christians put their holidays at the same time as major pagan holidays (Christmas and Easter are just two notable examples) was not just to "replace" pagan holidays but to encourage observance by rural/pagan people who might not really know all the details of theology. The Church (and here I'm speaking primarily of the Catholic Church) has had a long tradition in the history of its missions and proselytization that allows new Catholics, former practitioners of other religions, to practice their old rites, but usually under a Christian guise. . . . Of course Protestants and some Catholics might be offended by this today, but the historical record stands.
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Oh, I wouldn't disagree at all -- I just wasn't going into that much detail.
The Celtic Christians referred to this as "baptizing" pagan practices.