ChatGPT and Celebrations of a Christian

Welcome to my blog, “Celebrations of a Christian”. The theme scripture for this article is John 8:31,32 [Phillips]. “So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, ‘If you are faithful to what I have said, you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!‘”

John 17:3 tells us that our everlasting life depends on knowing God (not just knowing that God exist). Knowing God involves understanding how God feels about things, like you would with a close friend. And knowing God means understanding His truth through His word. 1 Timothy 2:4 (RSV) says of God, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to [*an accurate or true] knowledge of the truth.” God is not harsh or demanding, but there are things that He will not tolerate. Deuteronomy 6:14-15: reminds us, when God is speaking to His people he says, “Do not follow other gods, the [pagan] gods of the peoples [pagan nations] around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.” Is this shocking to you… that the loving God we know would be this blunt? If so, why are we not being taught this from the church pulpit today? Please, read on.

This blog will provide an in-depth examination of the “Celebrations of a Christian” and how some may be intertwined with the worship of people’s pagan gods, people who, as Christians, we would have nothing to do with if they were alive today, and especially with the celebrations of their pagan holidays. Nor would we attach Jesus to any of them.

What exactly are we referring to when we mention ‘celebrations’? Essentially, we’re discussing the various observances participated in globally by both Christians and non-Christians. However, it is noteworthy to say that millions of Christians worldwide have made an informed and conscious decision to step away from many of these celebrations. They do so without judging others who choose differently.

The objective of this article is to illuminate the rationale behind this newfound position among some Christians. We hope that after engaging with this material, there will be less judgment cast upon those who may seem to have taken a rather firm stance. We earnestly seek God’s guidance and blessings as we navigate this subject. Furthermore, it’s our hope that this article will inspire all Christians to honestly ask themselves, “How does my God feel about all these festivities?”

Therefore, in view of these millions of Christians’ decisions not to celebrate many of these events, we feel it’s a good time to pause and investigate these celebrations, which include:

New Year’s Parties and Festivities
Valentine’s Day
Easter
Independence Day
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Mardi Gras, Birthdays, Mother’s Day, and many more…

My Opening Comments: | Celebrations of a Christian

Many of the celebrations celebrated today bring back fond memories of our childhood. These include memories of joyful gatherings, delicious food, and cherished family traditions.

However, as Christians, it’s crucial to reflect on how God views each of these occasions. Some of these date back to pre-Christian times and have been passed down from generation to generation, often without much consideration of God’s perspective on these festivities. But wouldn’t you agree that we should look at God’s views of the celebrations, especially in view of what 2 Corinthians 13:5a [AMP], says, “Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers…“

Looking Back Into Pre-Christian Time

Before we delve into today’s celebrations, let’s turn back the pages of history and explore how God perceived the celebrations of His pre-Christian people, the Israelites. For a period of approximately 1300 to 1400 years, the Israelites were God’s people, starting from the time Moses led their exodus from Egypt. This continued until the apostles organized Christian congregations following Jesus’ death. Why should we consider their history? As stated in 2 Timothy 3:16 [BRG], “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness“.

As we look back and bring things up to current times we’ll be utilizing AI (ChatGP T-4). But please note: when using AI, I’ll omit parts that are irrelevant, denoted by an ellipsis (“…”). Below are a few more things to look for.

Facts You Should Know Before Getting Started

Artificial Intelligence is programmed to be unbiased, especially on religious matters, and at times, it is extremely so. For this reason, you’ll notice that AI will present the facts of a matter and often soften or water down those facts towards the end of its statement. I choose not to omit its watering down because I believe that would be unfair to my readers. My aim is to remain as humanely unbiased as possible without compromising Bible truth. But please, I ask you, as the reader, to put more emphasis in your heart on the facts of what AI says, rather than its attempts to water it down at the end. Simply read what it says, then pause to ask yourself how God, not man, really feels about this matter. I’ll try to help by inserting my comments as explained below.

AI’s answers to my questions will appear in “Vivid Red” as shown here. Furthermore, when I append AI’s answers, I’ll do so within brackets “[*]” with an asterisk. The asterisk indicates [*my commentary added as shown here].

I invite you to use my questions and ask AI yourself. Simply copy and paste my questions into the AI interface. Then read AI’s complete unaltered responses. But when doing so be sure to select GPT-4 from the menu before pasting it on AI. GPT-3.5 is great, but I find it doesn’t provide as much detail as GPT-4.

Celebrations of God’s People—Pre-Christian Times | Celebrations of a Christian

My Question-1: Let’s begin by asking AI this question. “What were some of the celebrations of the Israelites, as God’s People?”

AI’s Answ er: The Israelites… had several religious celebrations and festivals… These were… opportunities to remember significant events in their history. Here are a few:

Passover (Pesach): …It commemorates the Exodus, the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt… It involves a special meal… where each element symbolizes an aspect of the Exodus story.
Feast of Unleavened Bread: …this week-long feast involves the removal and avoidance of all leavened bread. [*In religious ceremonies, bread containing yeast for fermentation represents sin. Therefore, priests use unfermented bread.] as a remembrance of the haste with which the Israelites left [*slavery in] Egypt.
Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost (Shavuot): …this festival… marks the wheat harvest in the Land of Israel and also commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah [*the beginning writings of the Bible] to the entire nation of Israel assembled at Mount Sinai.
Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths (Sukkot): This feast was… connected with the end of the harvest season. Israelites would dwell in temporary shelters… to remember… [*the time they lived] in the wilderness after the Exodus [*from Egypt].
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): This is the holiest day… of fasting, reflection, and intensive prayer. It’s spent primarily in synagogue services, seeking God’s forgiveness for sins committed over the past year.
Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah: …the Jewish New Year or the Feast of Trumpets. This is a day of rest and the sounding of the shofar (a trumpet made from a ram’s horn).
Feast of Lots, or Purim: This [*was a] feast [*it] celebrates the deliverance [*by God] …from a plot to destroy them…[*and was] read during the celebration.

…Many of [*these] continue to be celebrated by Jewish people today.

God Ordained Celebrations

My Question 2: AI’s answer above only lead to me asking more questions on this fascinating subject, such as. “Why did none of these celebrations or festivities not offend God. And why was God happy for his people to have these celebrations?”

AI’s Answ er: The celebrations and festivals of the ancient Israelites were ordained by God Himself… They were integral parts of the religious and social life… serving as both communal celebrations and solemn observances. Here are a few reasons these celebrations were pleasing to God:

Remembrance and Thanksgiving: …These celebrations served as reminders of God’s provision and deliverance… The festivals were opportunities to give thanks to God for His mercy, deliverance, and provision.
Worship and Devotion: These festivals… involved sacrifices, offerings, prayers, and other acts of worship [*sacrifices and offerings are not needed by Christians today because, “For the death he [Jesus] died, he died to sin once for all time” Romans 6:10 [CSB]].
Community and Fellowship: The celebrations brought the community together, strengthening social bonds and promoting unity… They fostered a sense of belonging and shared identity… [*in the same way our Christian meetings do today]
Rest and Joy: Some of these celebrations also included elements of rest (from regular work) and joy. God designed these festivals not just as solemn observances, but also as joyful celebrations—times for the community to come together in happiness and fellowship.

In contrast to the pagan practices surrounding them, these God-ordained celebrations focused on the worship of [*YHWH] Yahweh [*/ Jehovah] alone, reinforcing monotheism [*the existence of only one supreme deity or God], promoting righteous living, and discouraging the worship of other gods. They helped maintain a holy and set-apart people, devoted to [*the one and only true] God [*Yahweh / Jehovah].

What Upset God?

Question 3: Next I asked… “Was there times when God’s people would upset Him while their focus was on these celebrations?”

AI’s Answ er: Yes, there were instances when the Israelites’ actions during these celebrations upset God. This usually happened when they incorporated elements of pagan worship or idolatry in their worship. And when they behaved in ways that were contrary to the commands and principles set forth by God. Here are a few examples:

A Few Examples

Golden Calf Incident (see Exodus 32): While Moses was on Mount Sinai a big event happened. This was while he was receiving the Ten Commandments from God. The Israelites grew restless and asked Aaron [*their spiritual leader, especially during Moses’ absences] to make gods for them. Aaron fashioned a golden calf, and the people began to worship it with feasting and reveling [*naming it “a festival in Yahweh’s honor” see Exodus 32:5 [NOG]]. This was a clear violation of the commandment against idolatry, and it greatly angered God.
Misuse of Sacred Celebrations: There were times when the Israelites performed their festivals and sacrifices, but something was wrong. Their hearts were far from God or they were also engaging in sinful behaviors. [*This shows that our worship of God must be wholehearted service. Our worship cannot be half-hearted towards Him. It also demonstrates that we must be free of unrepented sins—that is, we must avoid displaying a lack of concern over our sins.] In such cases, God expressed through the prophets that He did not delight in their festivals. A key instance of this is found in the book of Amos (Amos 5:21-24).

Amos 5:21-24
[*Which says [NWT] “21 I hate, I despise your festivals, And I take no pleasure in the aroma of your solemn assemblies.22 Even if you offer me whole burnt offerings and gift offerings, I will find no pleasure in them; And I will not look with favor on your communion sacrifices of fattened animals. 23 Spare me the din of your songs; And let me not hear the melodies of your stringed instruments. 24 Let justice flow down like waters, And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”] This is where God rejects the feasts and assemblies of Israel because of their lack of justice and righteousness.
Incorporating Pagan Practices [*syncretism]: The Israelites were influenced by the cultures around them [*in much the same way Christians are influenced by the world’s attitude toward wrongdoing today,] and at times incorporated pagan practices into their worship. This syncretism [*the combination of different forms of belief or practice] was a direct violation of God’s commandments and led to His displeasure. For example, in the books of Kings and Chronicles tell of numerous instances where the Israelites worshiped other gods. This was done alongside Yahweh [*/ Jehovah]. They even set up high places and engaging in practices that were common among the pagan nations around them. [*My notes about these “High Places”: These high places were erected by the Israelites in recognition of such gods as Baal, Asherah, Moloch, Chemosh, Dagon, and Ashtoreth. These gods were prominent deities of the Canaanites, Ammonites, Moabites, Philistines, and the Mesopotamian people in general. These civilizations significantly impacted God’s people and the development of human society, including their complex religious systems, which featured numerous gods and goddesses associated with natural phenomena, locations, and societal roles.

As Christians, we can learn about Satan’s tactics today from this history. Satan understands the powerful influence the world can have on God’s people. He also knows that God will not tolerate any form of syncretism, or the mixing of paganism, as part of His pure worship.

It is also important to note that some scholars today argue that Christian “church steeples” should not be a part of any form of Christian worship. We now know that church steeples did not become a common feature of Christian church buildings until the Romanesque and Gothic architecture periods, dating back to approximately the 10th to 12th centuries CE. This means that the last living apostle, John, never heard of or saw a church steeple. In fact, no Christian saw one for at least six hundred years after John’s death.

We also know that the Romanesque and Gothic architecture periods were influenced by Roman architecture and its ancient pagan religious roots. Are “church steeples” linked to the worship of ancient gods or their “phallic symbols”? We can’t say for sure. But there is enough evidence that a reasonable Christian might seek a place of worship that has removed the steeple from their building.]

The Spirit in Which These Were Observed

These examples underscore that while God established the festivals for the Israelites to celebrate and remember Him, the spirit in which these were observed was equally important. God desired His people to worship Him [*alone] in truth, [*with] sincerity, and obedience. He was not pleased when they turned away from Him, even if they continued to observe the outward forms of their religious celebrations

God’s Tolerance for Mixing Pagan Worship

Question 4: My next question was about God’s tolerance. “Did their God ever show any tolerance for them mixing pagan worship together with pure worship”

AI’s Answ er: The God of the Israelites, Yahweh (Jehovah), repeatedly expressed through His commandments and prophets that He would not tolerate the mixing of pagan worship with the worship of Him. This is a theme recurrent in several books of the Bible. Here are a few instances:

The Ten Commandments: In the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-5), God clearly stated, “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them…”
Deuteronomy: In Deuteronomy 12:30-31, God warned His people against being ensnared by the ways of the nations they were to dispossess, stating, “Do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do the same.’ You must not do so to the Lord [*YHWH (Yahweh / Jehovah)] your God, for every abominable thing that the Lord [*YHWH (Yahweh / Jehovah)] hates they have done for their gods…”
The Prophets: Several of the prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, warned the Israelites against the syncretism of their faith—mixing the worship of Yahweh (Jehovah) with the worship of other gods. This was one of the major reasons the Israelites faced divine judgement in the form of invasions and exiles.

So, no, God did not show tolerance for the Israelites mixing pagan worship with pure worship. He consistently emphasized that He is a jealous God, requiring exclusive devotion, and He warned His people of the severe consequences of idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness.

Celebration of a Christian—How They Differ | Celebrations of a Christian

Question 5: Next, I ask AI about the differences… “When God’s people were doing everything right, how do the Celebrations of an Israelite differ from the Celebrations of a Christian in today’s world? Are Christian celebrations today designed by God as they were for Israel?”

AI’s Answ er: The Israelites’ celebrations as recorded in the Old Testament [*the Hebrew writings of the Bible] were specifically mandated by God, with explicit instructions given as to how and when these celebrations were to take place. They often involved ritualistic elements such as animal sacrifices, offerings, and ceremonial cleansing. These celebrations included Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), the Feast of Tabernacles, the Day of Atonement, and others.

Christian Celebration Differ—All But One…

On the other hand, Christian celebrations in the New Testament [*Greek writings of the Bible] and beyond are not typically prescribed in the same explicit detail. The New Testament does not outline a Christian calendar of festivals to be observed, as was the case in the Old Testament. Instead, the New Testament emphasizes the principles of faith, love, and obedience to [*God and] Christ. The main celebration that is directly instructed in the New Testament is the Lord’s Supper (also known as Communion or the Eucharist), as a remembrance of Christ’s death and [*This was the only celebration that was given by God’s son for Christians to follow; however, over the centuries, Christendom has added the,] resurrection (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) [1 Corinthians 11:25-26 [VOICE] tells us of this event, saying, “²⁵After they had finished dinner [*and had passed the bread], He took the cup and in the same way [*as the bread] said, “This cup is the new covenant, executed in My blood. Keep doing this; and whenever you drink it, you and all who come after will have a vivid reminder of Me. ²⁶Every time you taste this bread and every time you place the cup to your mouths and drink, you are declaring the Lord’s death, which is the ultimate expression of His faithfulness and love, until He comes again.”]

[*Note that Jesus didn’t speak of this event commemorating his resurrection, only his death. This suggests that God wants Christians to commemorate Jesus’ death in much the same way that Jews celebrate their annual Passover. It would not be a celebration of dancing and rejoicing, but a solemn event. Jesus’ resurrection was never mentioned as part of this equation. Perhaps it’s because his death, which released us from our sins, is what God wants His followers to stay focused on. By making any other event a part of his death, it could distract us from the meaning of God’s son’s sacrifice. Therefore, the emphasis remains on the significance of Jesus’ death for Christians.]

Christmas Easter Halloween not Mandated By God?

Back to AI: However, over time, Christians developed traditions of celebrating certain events from the life of Christ, such as Christmas (the birth of Christ) and Easter (the resurrection of Christ). These celebrations are not explicitly mandated in the Bible, and their observance can vary greatly among different Christian denominations and cultures. It’s also worth noting that some of these celebrations, like Christmas and Easter, have been influenced by pre-Christian or non-Christian cultural [*and pagan] practices, which is a point of contention among some Christians.

Christian celebrations today are generally centered around worship of Christ, community fellowship, and acts of service. [*However, Christians must keep in mind that God would never tolerate the mixing of pure worship with pagan customs, no matter how outdated those customs seem to be, and even more so when it comes to mixing them with His Son’s sacrificial death—see Question 4 above. AI continues,] They do not involve the ritualistic sacrifices and offerings that characterized the Israelite celebrations, as Christ’s sacrifice [*and death, which] is understood to have fulfilled [*or stopped Christians from having] those requirements (Hebrews 10:10), [*which reads, “And in accordance with this will [of God] we [who believe in the message of salvation] have been sanctified [that is, set apart as holy for God and His purposes] through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) once for all” [AMP]]

In conclusion, AI continues, while there are some broad similarities in that both Israelite and Christian celebrations are community-focused and God-centered, the specifics of these celebrations, their origins, and their practices can be quite different. The Israelite celebrations were directly ordained by God with explicit instructions, while Christian celebrations, apart from the Lord’s Supper, have largely developed over time with various [*pagan] cultural influences. [* My Notes Thus Far: When we examine the religious celebrations of Judaism, which were observed by God’s people prior to Christianity, we can see that they were specifically designed by God for His people. However, when we consider the Christian celebrations of today, aside from the commemoration of Christ’s death, we discover that these celebrations were not directly prescribed by God and are observed by people outside of Christianity all around the world. Furthermore, it appears that several of these so-called ‘Christian celebrations’ may have originated from customs and ritualistic practices associated with paganism. It is not surprising, then, that many Christians worldwide are informing their families and friends that, although they won’t pass judgment on others, they have decided to refrain from participating in these holidays. In fact, there are now millions of Christians who have made this choice, and their numbers are increasing every day.]

Please Note That: Please note that the apostles of Jesus warned about an impending apostasy, or falling away from the pure worship of their day. They suggested it would happen after their death. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 [AMP]: “Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, [*by teaching you things other than what we have taught you] for that day [*Jesus’ return] will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith [*the polluting of pure worship by watering down the truth] by professed Christians [*leaders], and the man of lawlessness] [*these Christian leaders] is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist [*or ones taking the lead in these false teachings], the one who is destined to be destroyed” In this passage, Paul is warning Christians not to be deceived by those making false claims, even in his day. He says that there will first be a rebellion or turning away from pure worship before Jesus returns. This is often interpreted as the great apostasy or falling away from the faith. This great apostasy began after the last apostle died, which is thought to have been in the year 98 CE. Jesus also indicated that in our day there would be a separation from this apostasy by true Christians in his parable of the wheat and the weeds in Matthew 13:24-30; the explanation of the parable is found in Matthew 13:36-43. (Also see 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Peter 2:1-3, which suggest that the apostles were aware of and warned about the coming of this great apostasy within the Christian faith.)”

Christian Customs versus Pagan Customs—How This Happened

Question 6: My next question to AI, aimed at illustrating how this happened, is: Do the customs of Christian celebrations resemble pagan customs in any way?

AI’s Answ er: Certain customs associated with Christian celebrations have roots or similarities with pre-existing pagan traditions. This is mainly because as Christianity spread throughout different regions and cultures [*in the time after the death of the last apostle, John, missionaries, in their attempt to convert pagan people to Christianity, allowed many of the customs of pagan worshippers to be incorporated into Christianity’s customs. Even much of the attire that pagan priests wore was adopted into the priestly vestments of Christendom. Vestments are clothing worn by the priests or church leaders during a religious ceremony, pagan or Christian, and not used as everyday attire. (Here’s a good question for ChatGPT: “Can any of the vestments worn by Christendom’s priests for ceremonial purposes be linked to pagan Roman customs or vestments?”). As the Christian faith grew, these customs spread throughout the churches of Christendom, shaping many new distinct, or so called “mainstream”, religions over the centuries. It is also worth noting here that having many Christian faiths to choose from does not coincide with what the Apostle Paul wrote at Ephesians 4:5, which reads, “⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” This “one faith” was not only established by Jesus, but also upheld by His apostles, as echoed in the Apostles’ writings during their lifetimes. AI continues], some local customs and celebrations [*of the pagans] were adapted and given new, Christian [*names and] meanings. Here are a few examples:

Christmas Easter Halloween

Christmas: The date of Christmas (December 25th) aligns with the Roman festival of Saturnalia and the winter solstice [*The worship festival of the “Unconquered Sun” god, whose name was “Sol Invictus” took place annually on December 25th throughout Rome by the pagans. This pagan celebration marked the sun’s “rebirth”. We must ask ourselves, would “YHWH” (Yahweh / Jehovah) want his son’s birth associated with this pagan god in any way? AI continues], which were marked by feasting and gift-giving. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and mistletoe as decorations also have pre-Christian origins in winter solstice celebrations. [*a great crowd of Christians today no longer celebrates Christmas worldwide. I invite you to consider joining them.]
Halloween: Halloween has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain [*why not ask AI this question, “What was the Celtic festival of Samhain? AI continues], which was a time when people believed the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. As Christianity spread in Celtic regions, November 1st was designated as All Saints’ Day to honor all saints and martyrs, and the evening before it, known as All Hallows’ Eve [*and eventually Halloween], retained some of the traditions of Samhain.
Easter: The name “Easter” itself is thought to come from [*the worship of the pagan god] Eostre, a goddess associated with spring and fertility [*thus the Easter bunny and Easter eggs, which are both symbols of fertility, no doubt to honor this fertility goddess, Eostre. AI continues] in Anglo-Saxon paganism [*ask AI, ‘what is Anglo-Saxon paganism?’ AI continues]. Elements such as the Easter bunny and Easter eggs are often linked to symbols of fertility [*these gods were worshiped for many years before Christ came to earth by these pagan people. AI continues] and new life from pre-Christian traditions.

Elements of Pagan Roots

It’s important to note that while these celebrations have some elements with pagan roots, [*they began with pagans—and are not sanctioned by God] for many Christians, the focus of these holidays is on the Christian meanings and not on their historical origins [*however, they are still strongly tied with pagan customs such as gift giving, the evergreen tree, and much more. AI continues]. For example, Christmas is primarily seen as a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus [*Jesus’ birthday on Christmas day is tied to the rebirth of the pagan Sun god “Sol Invictus” on Dec 25th. The pagan people celebrated this date to this pagan god for many years before the birth of Jesus. AI continues], and Easter is a time to celebrate [*using the aid of the rabbit and the egg for the worship of the fertility gods for] His resurrection [*this whole paragraph by AI, as I stated above, is AI’s attempt at being unbiased, which is part of its programming. I cannot emphasize this point enough, please, take note and listen to what AI said about, in Question 4, how God felt about His Israelite worshipers mixing pagan customs in with the pure worship God demands of us. Then ask yourself if God has changed his mind on this after reading, Malachi 3:6 [NKJV] “For I am “YHWH” [Yahweh / Jehovah], I do not change…” and Hebrews 13:8, which says of Jesus, who reflected his father [YHWH] perfectly, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” [NKJV]

God Wants All Christians to Come Together in Unity

Rather than causing divisions in our devotion to God, [YHWH] Yahweh / Jehovah, wants Christians to come together in a bond of true unity and love. (John 13:35 [VOICE] “Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others.” Who today is guiding more than eight and a half million people across the globe to serve God with divine unity and love for people worldwide? Find out with a FREE link to this 32 page brochure.

Find Out Who Are God’s People Today—Teaching Truth in Unity Worldwide

Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, said while questioning Jesus, “What is truth” see Wikipedia John 18:38. The answer to his question can be found here at BibleSnippet.com. Are you seeking truth? Or do you ask, as Pontius Pilate did, “What is truth”?