De ce sarbatorim Craciunul pe 25 decembrie?

Nici un text crestin nu precizeaza clar in cifre data si anul nasterii lui Isus. Suntem nevoiti sa le deducem din diverse surse.
Nu ne indoim de faptul ca s-a nascut anume in acea perioada, dar parerile sunt impartite in privinta datei exacte. Istoric vorbind, el s-ar fi nascut in jurul anului 7 inainte de Hristos si nu in anul zero. Avand in vedere faptul ca in scrierile biblice sunt mentionati ciobani la pascut oile in momentul nasterii lui Isus, nu ne putem imagina ca s-ar fi intamplat in plina iarna, ci poate undeva prin septembrie-octombrie.
Tot ce putem sa aflam din evanghelii este ca s-a nascut in perioada imparatului Irod, marele tiran. Dar Irod a murit in anul 4 i.de H, aceasta data fiind atestata in toate documentele istorice ale vremii. Ceea ce inseamna ca Isus s-a nascut inainte de anul pe care acum in consideram anul nasterii sale. E greu sa se determine exact anul, dar ar fi fost intre anul 7 si anul 4 inainte de H. Pentru a ne apropia mai exact de anul respectiv, sa ne aducem aminte de steaua luminoasa a magilor. Cu siguranta in noaptea nasterii sale s-a produs un fenomen astrologic iesit din comun, pt a explica aparitia unei lumini puternice pe cer. In prezent astrologii, prin formule si calcule pe calculator, pot reproduce toate evenimentele astrologice produse cu mii de ani in urma. Ei afirma ca in anul 0 nu s-a intamplat nimic iesit din comun pe cerul Bethleemului in luna decembrie. In schimb au notat un eveniment spectaculos in data de 05 decembrie anul 7 inainte de H. Jupiter s-a apropiat de Saturn foarte mult de 3 ori la rand, fenomen care se produce extrem de rar (in 3000 de ani numai de 13 ori), vizualizat de pe pamant sub forma unei lumini foarte puternice. Tripla conjonctiune a celor doua planete a fost interpretata de catre oamenii din acele timpuri ca un semn divin.
In ceea ce priveste data de 25 decembrie - la baza sarbatorii de Craciun este o sarbatoare pagana care diviniza zeul soarelui, fixata nu intamplator in ziua solstitiului de iarna. Aceasta sarbatoare era foarte indragita de toti oamenii. Conform traditiei se organizau mese festive si se chefuia in noaptea cea mai lunga a anului.
Decizia de a sarbatori Nasterea lui Isus pe 25 decembrie a fost luata de catre biserica in jurul secolului 4 d. H. pe baza sarbatorii pagane la care oamenii nu erau gata sa renunte usor. Reprezentantii bisericii crestine au fost asadar nevoiti sa le combine pe cele doua si sa-i dea acestei date o noua semnificatie.

Religious behavior: Middle Ages vs 21st century

Ever since its creation, the church has been an influential institution but also a powerful weapon able to manipulate and hold people hostages of their own fears.

Let's see what really changed since the Middle Ages.

1) Pilgrimages
In medieval times people often travelled hundreds of miles just to see a relic, hoping for a miraculous cure. Churches kept whole bodies of saints, heads, arms, pieces of Jesuss cross, pieces of bone, hair and blood and were expecting pilgrims with bottles of the martyrs blood and even souvenirs.  Well, don't laugh too much. Thousands of people still go on pilgrimages every year in our century.
Stories of miracles used to circulate in the middle ages as well as presently and people believed them to be true, without any evidence. Curiously nobody has ever witnessed such events, we are only expected to believe the legends and fear vengeful saints. Back in those days, most stories were invented by the church to intimidate people, determine them to go on pilgrimages and spend money on saints. In fact, medieval pilgrimages were a huge industry relying on sales of badges, souvenirs, offerings. There are documents that prove that sometimes demonstrations of supernatural power were organized in advance to give people what they expected to see - resurection from the dead, miraculous cures (people were hired to produce miracles for profit). Despite clear evidence of corruption and fraud the church's grip on the medieval mind remained strong in medieval times as well as nowadays.

2) Intolerance of other religions
The word of the church was the word of God. It had the power to absolve sins, protect from evil. If you didn't accept the beliefs of the church you were simply an outsider, an enemy. The church showed a belligerant attitude towards the outsiders. Anyone who disagreed with the church was considered an heretic. In our century, being part of a congregation still means sharing 100% its principles and beliefs, otherwise you are considered an outcast. No idea of reform is ever taken seriously. Unfortunately, many priests sometimes forget that Christianity did not begin as a bellicose religion. Although preaching Jesus, the church takes a different view according to political or social circumstances and require its believers to hate, ignore, deny and even kill for a religious cause. Take for example the crusades - when the pope urged knights to defend Christianity and free Jerusalem from Muslims.

3) Fighting and dying for your faith
The crusades were wholly wars, approved and encouraged by the pope. The church authorised them and offered spiritual benefits in return. The battle between Christians and Muslims became the battle between good and evil. The Muslims could never forget our interferance so many centuries ago and the crusades consequences are felt even today. Our history is full of hatred towards Muslims, Jews, protestants, directed and initiated by the church. "Don't worry, you are doing God's work." Those who attacked the wealth of the church and its involvement in politics were executed. And even in our century, the church generally aims to root out all opposition.

4) Fascination with the supernatural
People used to believe and they still do that going to church can get them rid of diseases, misfortunes, and the evil eye. So, they all go to church, kiss icons and worship bones of saints hoping for a miracle. They do not realize that in fact they don't need intermediaries in their relationship with God and that miracles happen only when they are supposed to happen, according to God's will, not priests' or anyone else's. Your faith is not strong enough if you rely on someone else to do your prayers for you. That's been going on for centuries.

To conclude: the cult of saints still exists, the hostility towards other religions still exists, the great journeys of pilgrimage still go on. So, is there anything that really changed in our religious behavior since the Middle Ages? Not really. 

I could never really understand this need for belonging to a certain religious group, since we are all different, have different ideals and obviously perceive divinity in different ways. Centuries ago, just like nowadays, believers were and are ready to kill others (throw bombs in metro stations, organize terrorist attacks) or suicide (in Islam - Kamikaze) in order to impose their religion on others. The 21st century should be the age of reason, yet humankind continues to interpret saint scriptures as an excuse to do wrong.

Interesting facts about Christianism

1) According to the earliest Christian documents, Mary Magdalene was a close friend of Jesus, accompanied him everywhere, stood by his side when he was crucified, was the first to discover his resurrection. However, she is not an apostle, her role in Jesus' life has been forever minimized by the church just because she was a woman. Not to mention the legend of her being a prostitute, invented to decrease her credibility, as she tried to continue her friend's work by preaching (after all, she knew what she was saying, after spending so much time with the son of God!).

2) Mary, the mother of Jesus, is believed to have been a perpetual virgin all her life, but actually, she had other children after Jesus. The truth has been very well concealed by the church because the idea of a virgin divine mother suited the new religion's purposes. The same early documents prove the fact that Jesus had 4 brothers and even sisters. Just one reference to the family is mentioned in the New Testament, all the others have been deliberately deleted by the church. 

3) James, the brother of Jesus (traditionally half-brother), preached to the Jewish Christians for 30 years after Jesus' death, however, his role has also been minimized by the church, simply because he was the son of Mary, allegedly a perpetual virgin, but also because of the rivalry between James and Paul (at that time, the Church faced a choice between James’s or Paul’s versions of Christianity).

4) Many people have no idea that John the Baptist was also related to Jesus (a cousin, there is but one reference in the Bible, if you read carefully). Jesus looked upon him as a teacher and admired him very much. The Christian church tried to cover this family relationship for centuries and the admiration Jesus felt was regarded as unworthy for a divine figure.

5) Chistianism, at its foundations, is pioneered by the apostle Paul, who ironically never met Jesus in his life. His beliefs, which later became the basics of Christianity (especially Orthodox and Catholic), relied on a vision he once had, nothing more.

(inspired by - The Secret Family of Jesus, documentary, 2006, UK, by Robert Beckford)

Despre relatia noastra cu divinitatea

Fiecare dintre noi are o relatie speciala si personala cu divinitatea. A crede este un lucru frumos iar a-ti exprima credinta in propriul fel, de obicei prin comuniune intima cu Dumnezeu, poate contribui la o stare de bine care ne ajuta sa trecem mai usor prin viata. Credinciosul percepe divinitatea in propriul sau fel, in functie de educatia care a primit-o sau lecturile care l-au ghidat. Nu ne poate impune nimeni sa ne imaginam ca Dumnezeu este intr-un anume fel, pt ca asa cum suntem noi toti diferiti si perceptiile noastre sunt diferite, dar nu neaparat gresite. Abordarea sau invocarea divinitatii insa poate fi de multe ori alterata de pornirile noastre prea umane, de ex. in majoritatea cazurilor, atunci cand se roaga, oamenii se axeaza pe cerinte infinite sau comunicarea unor nemultumiri. Ba unii chiar ajung sa reproseze divinitatii ca nu au obtinut suficient de rapid lucrurile pe care le-au cerut atat de fervent prin rugaciune. Deoarece Dumnezeu este in fiecare dintre noi, ne cunoaste dorintele si tainele, nu are nici un rost sa cerem cu insistenta anumite lucruri. El stie ce sa ne dea si exact cat putem duce. A crede nu este egal cu a cere. Cel mai intelept lucru pe care il putem face este sa multumim de fiecare data pt ceea ce avem deja fara a dori mai mult. Din pacate, de cele mai multe ori, oamenii uita sa multumeasca, considerand ca merita mai mult dar nu primesc in mod nejustificat.

Din pacate pentru o parte din oameni, relatia cu divinitatea se rezuma la mersul la biserica o data pe saptamana. Fatada, parada de ochii lumii si nimic mai mult. Pacat. Pacat intr-un sens si in altul. Multi dintre ei asculta slujba in mod automat fara sa priceapa mesajul. Se inchina, aprind lumanari, stau in picioare cu orele doar pt ca asa fac altii si asa «trebuie», isi fac cruce conform traditiei in timp ce se gandesc in alta parte sau analizeaza lumea din jur. Intrebati-i daca au deschis vreodata Biblia sau cunosc originea anumitor sarbatori crestine. O sa ramaneti surprinsi.

Credinta inseamna pur si simplu sinceritate si comuniune cu Dumnezeu intr-un spatiu intim. Si ce spatiu mai intim poate exista pe lume decat propriul suflet? Nu biserica este casa Domnului, ci sufletul. Acolo esti singur tu cu gandurile tale, te poti exprima liber, nu te aude si nu te judeca nimeni pentru ceea ce faci sau spui. Divinitatea salasluieste in sufletele noastre, acolo trebuie s-o cautam in primul rand. La urma urmei, cine se va ruga pentru tine mai sincer si mai curat decat tu insuti? Poate doar mama, dar in nici un caz un preot oarecare ce citeste zilnic de pe biletele nume de persoane pe care nu le cunoaste. Credinta nu are nevoie de intermediari. Daca recurgem la intermediari inseamna ca nu avem incredere in propria putere de a-L invoca pe Dumnezeu, de a putea comunica cu El. E adevarat, ca primii preoti care au existat pe lume (vezi Vechiul Testament) au fost unsi de Dumnezeu Insusi, pe baza vocatiei lor. Mai departe s-a perpetuat o traditie care a transformat vocatia intr-o meserie (profitabila), iar biserica intr-o institutie care de secole manipuleaza masele alaturi de alte institutii in cadrul statului. Sa ne aducem aminte de perioada in care oamenii erau pacaliti sa-si cumpere din timpul vietii un loc in rai (nu radeti, asta se intampla in evul mediu) sau de nenumaratele razboaie declansate pe parcursul istoriei de catre institutia bisericii sub pretextul credintei.

Rugaciunea trebuie sa fie dezinteresata si gratuita, relatia cu Dumnezeu trebuie sa nu coste nimic, credinta insemnand prin definitie daruire si altruism. Si atunci de ce mersul la biserica implica mereu alocarea de sume «neoficiale» ca niste taxe mai mult sau mai putin obligatorii? Ah, daca acesti bani ar ajunge intr-adevar la saraci si nevoiasi, nu as avea nimic impotriva. Dar din pacate aceste sume ajung in buzunarul cuiva (clerului), care se imbogateste pe seama naivitatii noastre.

Multe lucruri costa in viata asta, insa credinta este fara indoiala gratuita si accesibila oricui. Oricine, oricat de sarac trebuie sa-si poata permite sa comunice cu Dumnezeu. Nu are nevoie pentru asta decat de un suflet, o pornire spre dialog interior, singuratate si sinceritate. E atat de simplu sa cream acea relatie speciala si personala de care vorbeam la inceput, incat nici nu ne dam seama.


(p.s. In special pt mamica: declar pe propria raspundere ca nu fac parte din nici o secta si nu reprezint interesele nici unei grupari religioase.)

Religion – accepting inheritance or making a choice?

I wanted to write about this for such a long time but, frankly speaking, I was afraid to make waves. Religious issues have caused wars in the past centuries and even nowadays people continue arguing about religion and keep imposing their religious beliefs on other people without realizing that such an attitude endangers our freedom of thought as individuals.
Every human being has the right to believe in whatever he/she wishes to believe in and nobody is entitled to compel him/her to believe in something else or to question his/her choice. But most of us do that consciously or unconsciously during our entire life.
Unfortunately, even atheists tend to engage into religious debates and never miss the opportunity to display the rationality of their own considerations on this subject. No matter our religious education we just cannot help trying to force other people to share our beliefs. I cannot understand why. Although we more easily accept vegetarians or homosexuals, when it comes to religion, conflicts always turn out to be deep and dangerous.
I was born in a Christian Orthodox family and baptized in an Orthodox church at a very early age, being unable to agree or disagree with my parents’ decision to make me an Orthodox. In our country children are simply condemned to continue the tradition, based on a decision that has never been theirs.
I have read many things on different religions ever since I grew old enough to ask myself various existential questions and the subject started to interest me as from a philosophical point of view. Like everybody else, I used to share my family’s beliefs out of habit, but as I continued to build my own assumptions I gradually realized that the religion chosen for me by my parents does not define me at all. I am not in any way against it and I would never try to convince my family to share my views, however I prefer to be offered the freedom of choice at this age, without being misjudged or looked upon as a traitor or a freak.
Theoretically I have this freedom but breaking up with tradition would definitely mean alienation from my family, a hostile social environment, and having to deal with people’s incapacity to accept my new beliefs.
In conclusion, I would like a different life for my child. I want to encourage him to make his own choices in every possible matter, including religion. At the right age, he would probably show some interest (or not) in reading about religion and decide what he wants to believe in. I would be fine with him choosing any religion, something among the existing ones or even creating his own personal faith, as long as he believes in GOD. I still hope this beautiful perspective is possible and applicable without causing a social scandal.
We are not obliged to adopt our parents’ religious, political or any other kind of views. Religion is simply a choice we make. The important thing is to believe in what makes us happy.