In ancient northern Europe, no one knew why the seasons changed and the days got progressively shorter and colder as the Sun sank lower and lower in the sky, as its daily rising wandered ever further south along the eastern horizon, until finally – hopefully! – it would stop, “TURN”, and begin to head north again. When it finally did, they knew the days would slowly lengthen, eventually getting warmer, bringing back the Spring and Summer and all that goes with them and on which their lives depended. That is why the Sunturn was so important to our ancestors They did not understand why it occurred, nor could they be sure that it always would. Supposing it didn’t, and the days went on getting short and colder? When their supplies of food ran out they would starve, if they hadn’t already frozen to death from the cold - or knocked themselves out by bumping into a tree in the perpetual darkness! They must have been fearfully aware of their dependency on the Sunturn, and prayed for its occurrence. When it did, they celebrated and gave thanks.
When Christianity
came to northern Europe the
bishops realised that there
was no way to stop people
celebrating the Sunturn
– it was far too
important a festival; but they
didn’t want the natives (our
ancestors) praising and
thanking their own gods for
it, so they declared it to be
Jesus’ birthday and called
it “Christmas”.
After
more than 1500
years, and
playing an integral role in
the development of western
civilisation,
it is
time for those
of us with a more rational
turn of mind to put Christianity
completely and
explicitly behind us, instead of the
mixed attitude that we have
shown hitherto, fearful of
offending anyone by boldy
stating what a lot of nonsense
most of it is. The beginning of
the new (third) Christian
millennium is an ideal time to
formally do so. For those who
wish to stick to the Christian
calendar it is the year 2005;
for myself and those who share
my sentiments it is year 05 of
the post Christian era (pCe).
This way we can leave all
dates as they are, when
necessary followed by bCe, Ce
and now pCe.
Notwithstanding their historical and cultural importance, let us leave the myths of primitive middle-eastern religion, with its jealous God, and the Christian gospels - with their miracles and “Son of God” (indeed!), sent to attone for a sin (the desire for knowledge) we should rather be proud of - and return to the example of the more rational, free-thinking Greeks (our fellow Europeans!) and the reality of the Sunturn - not in fear of a fickle god, but in awe and wonder at nature’s works, and with deep appreciation and thankfulness for all we have learned about them. |