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CHAPTER SIXTEEN Take Your Stand for True Worship What does the Bible teach about the use of images? What view do Christians take of religious holidays? How can you explain your beliefs to others without offending them? What question must you ask yourself after leaving false religion, and why do you think this is important? SUPPOSE you found out that your whole neighborhood has been contaminated. Someone has secretly been dumping poisonous waste in the area, and now the situation is life threatening. What would you do? No doubt, you would move away if you could. But after doing that, you would still face this serious question, ‘Have I been poisoned?’ 2 A similar situation arises with regard to false religion. The Bible teaches that such worship is contaminated with unclean teachings and practices. (2 Corinthians 6:17) That is why it is important for you to get out of “Babylon the Great,” the world empire of false religion. (Revelation 18:2, 4) Have you done this? If so, you are to be commended. But more is involved than just separating yourself or resigning from a false religion. Afterward, you must ask yourself, ‘Do any traces of false worship remain in me?’ Consider some examples. IMAGES AND ANCESTOR WORSHIP (a) What does the Bible say about the use of images, and why might God’s view be difficult for some to accept? (b) What should you do with any items you own that are connected with false worship? 3 Some have had images or shrines in their home for years. Is that true of you? If so, you might feel that it is strange or wrong to pray to God without such a visible aid. You may even feel attached to some of these items. But God is the one who says how he should be worshiped, and the Bible teaches that he does not want us to use images. (Exodus 20:4, 5; Psalm 115:4-8; Isaiah 42:8; 1 John 5:21) So you can take a stand for true worship by destroying any items you own that are connected with false worship. By all means, come to view them as Jehovah does (a) How do we know that ancestor worship is futile? (b) Why did Jehovah forbid his people to engage in any form of spiritism? 4 Ancestor worship also is common in many false religions. Before learning Bible truth, some believed that the dead are conscious in an invisible realm and that they can help or harm the living. Perhaps you used to go to great lengths to appease your dead ancestors. But as you learned in Chapter 6 of this book, the dead have no conscious existence anywhere. Thus, attempts to communicate with them are of no use. Any messages that seem to come from a dead loved one really originate with the demons. Therefore, Jehovah forbade the Israelites to try to talk with the dead or to participate in any other form of spiritism. What can you do if the use of images or the practice of ancestor worship was in your religious past? 5 If the use of images or the practice of ancestor worship was part of your former way of worship, what can you do? Read and ponder over Bible passages that show you how God views these things. Pray to Jehovah daily about your desire to take a stand for true worship, and ask him to help you to think as he does. CHRISTMAS —NOT CELEBRATED BY EARLY CHRISTIANS (a) Christmas supposedly commemorates what, and did Jesus’ first-century followers observe it? (b) What were birthday celebrations associated with during the time of Jesus’ early disciples? 6 A person’s worship could be contaminated by false religion as it relates to popular holidays. Consider Christmas, for example. Christmas supposedly commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, and nearly every religion that claims to be Christian celebrates it. Yet, there is no evidence that the first-century disciples of Jesus observed such a holiday. The book Sacred Origins of Profound Things states: “For two centuries after Christ’s birth, no one knew, and few people cared, exactly when he was born.” 7 Even if Jesus’ disciples had known the exact date of his birth, they would not have celebrated it. Why? Because, as The World Book Encyclopedia says, the early Christians “considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.” The only birthday observances mentioned in the Bible are those of two rulers who did not worship Jehovah. (Genesis 40:20; Mark 6:21) Birthday celebrations were also held in honor of pagan deities. For example, on May 24 the Romans celebrated the birthday of the goddess Diana. On the following day, they observed the birthday of their sun-god, Apollo. Hence, birthday celebrations were associated with paganism, not with Christianity. Explain the connection between birthday celebrations and superstition. 8 There is another reason why first-century Christians would not have celebrated Jesus’ birthday. His disciples likely knew that birthday celebrations were connected with superstition. For instance, many Greeks and Romans of ancient times believed that a spirit attended the birth of each human and protected that one throughout life. “This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born,” says the book The Lore of Birthdays. Jehovah certainly would not be pleased with any observance that would link Jesus with superstition. (Isaiah 65:11, 12) So how did Christmas come to be celebrated by many people? THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS How did December 25 come to be regarded as the day to celebrate Jesus’ birth? 9 It was not until several hundred years after Jesus lived on the earth that people began to commemorate his birth on December 25. But that was not the date of Jesus’ birth, for it evidently took place in October. * So why was December 25 chosen? Some who later claimed to be Christian likely “wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun.’” (The New Encyclopædia Britannica) In winter, when the sun seemed weakest, pagans held ceremonies to get this source of warmth and light to come back from its distant travels. December 25 was thought to be the day that the sun began its return. In an effort to convert pagans, religious leaders adopted this festival and tried to make it seem “Christian.” In times past, why did some people not celebrate Christmas? 10 The pagan roots of Christmas have long been recognized. Because of its unscriptural origin, Christmas was banned in England and in some of the American colonies during the 17th century. Anyone who even stayed home from work on Christmas day had to pay a penalty. Soon, though, the old customs were back, and some new ones were added. Christmas once again became a big holiday, and that is what it still is in many lands. Because of the connections that Christmas has with false religion, however, those who want to please God do not celebrate it or any other holiday that has its roots in pagan worship. DO ORIGINS REALLY MATTER? Why do some people celebrate holidays, but what should be our chief concern? 11 Some agree that such holidays as Christmas have pagan origins but still feel that it is not wrong to celebrate them. After all, most people are not thinking about false worship when they observe holidays. These occasions also give families opportunities to draw close together. Is this how you feel? If so, likely it is love of family, not love of false religion, that makes taking a stand for true worship seem difficult. Be assured that Jehovah, the one who originated the family, wants you to have a good relationship with your relatives. (Ephesians 3:14, 15) But you can strengthen such bonds in ways that God approves. Regarding the matter that should be our chief concern, the apostle Paul wrote: “Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord.” Illustrate why we should avoid customs and celebrations that have bad origins. 12 Maybe you feel that the origins of holidays have little to do with how they are celebrated today. Do origins really matter? Yes! To illustrate: Suppose you saw a piece of candy lying in the gutter. Would you pick up that candy and eat it? Of course not! That candy is unclean. Like that candy, holidays may seem sweet, but they have been picked up from unclean places. To take a stand for true worship, we need to have a viewpoint like that of the prophet Isaiah, who told true worshipers: “Touch nothing unclean.” DISCERNMENT IN DEALING WITH OTHERS What challenges may arise when you do not participate in holidays? 13 Challenges may arise when you choose not to participate in holidays. For example, fellow employees may wonder why you do not engage in certain holiday activities where you work. What if you are offered a Christmas gift? Would it be wrong to accept it? What if your marriage mate does not share your beliefs? How can you make sure that your children do not feel deprived because of not celebrating holidays? What could you do if a holiday greeting is extended to you or if someone wants to give you a gift? 14 Good judgment is needed to discern how to handle each situation. If a holiday greeting is casually extended, you could simply thank the well-wisher. But suppose you are dealing with someone you see or work with regularly. In that case, you might choose to say more. In all cases, be tactful. The Bible advises: “Let your utterance be always with graciousness, seasoned with salt, so as to know how you ought to give an answer to each one.” (Colossians 4:6) Be careful not to show disrespect for others. Instead, tactfully explain your position. Make clear that you are not against gift-giving and gatherings but prefer to participate in these activities at a different time. 15 What if someone wants to give you a gift? Much depends upon the circumstances. The giver might say: “I know that you do not celebrate the holiday. Still, I want you to have this.” You may decide that accepting the gift under those circumstances is not the same as taking part in the holiday. Of course, if the giver is not familiar with your beliefs, you could mention that you do not observe the holiday. This would help to explain why you accept a gift but do not give one on that occasion. On the other hand, it would be wise not to accept a gift if it is given with the clear intention of showing that you do not stick to your beliefs or that you would compromise for the sake of material gain. WHAT ABOUT FAMILY MEMBERS? How can you be tactful when handling matters related to holidays? 16 What if family members do not share your beliefs? Again, be tactful. There is no need to make an issue of every custom or celebration that your relatives choose to observe. Instead, respect their right to their views, just as you want them to respect your right to yours. (Matthew 7:12) Avoid any actions that would make you a participant in the holiday. Still, be reasonable when it comes to matters that do not amount to actual celebration. Of course, you should always act in a way that will leave you with a good conscience. How can you help your children not to feel deprived because they see that others are celebrating holidays? 17 What can you do so that your children do not feel deprived because of not celebrating unscriptural holidays? Much depends on what you do at other times of the year. Some parents set aside times to give presents to their children. One of the best gifts you can give your children is your time and loving attention. PRACTICE TRUE WORSHIP How can attending Christian meetings help you to take a stand for true worship? 18 To please God, you must reject false worship and take a stand for true worship. What does this include? The Bible states: “Let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Christian meetings are happy occasions for you to worship God in the way that he approves. (Psalm 22:22; 122:1) At such meetings, there is “an interchange of encouragement” among faithful Christians. Why is it important that you speak to others about the things you have learned from the Bible? 19 Another way that you can take a stand for true worship is to speak to others about the things you have learned from studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many people truly are “sighing and groaning” over the wickedness that is taking place in the world today. (Ezekiel 9:4) Perhaps you know some people who feel that way. Why not speak to them about your Bible-based hope for the future? As you associate with true Christians and speak to others about the marvelous Bible truths you have learned, you will find that any desire for the customs of false worship that may have remained in your heart will gradually disappear. Be assured that you will be very happy and will receive many blessings if you take your stand for true worship. ^ par. 9 See the Appendix, pages 221-2. ^ par. 9 The Saturnalia also played a part in the choice of December 25. This festival honoring the Roman god of agriculture took place on December 17-24. Feasting, merrymaking, and gift-giving took place during the Saturnalia. ^ par. 10 For a discussion of how true Christians view other popular holidays, see the Appendix, pages 222-3.
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ŠESNAESTO POGLAVLJE Obožavaj Boga na ispravan način Što Biblija uči o korištenju slika i kipova? Kako kršćani gledaju na blagdane? Kako drugima možeš na uviđavan način objasniti svoja vjerovanja? Koje si pitanje moraš postaviti nakon što napustiš krivu religiju, i što misliš zašto je to važno? ZAMISLI da saznaš da je cijelo tvoje susjedstvo zatrovano. Netko je u njemu potajno odlagao smrtonosni otpad, pa su životi ljudi ugroženi. Što bi učinio? Sigurno bi se odmah odselio ako bi mogao. No i nakon toga bi te mučilo ozbiljno pitanje: ‘Jesam li i ja otrovan?’ 2 Slična situacija vlada u vezi s krivom religijom. Biblija uči da je ona takoreći zatrovana nečistim učenjima i običajima (2. Korinćanima 6:17). Zato je važno da izađeš iz ‘Babilona Velikog’, svjetskog carstva krive religije (Otkrivenje 18:2, 4). Jesi li to učinio? Ako jesi, to je za svaku pohvalu. No nije dovoljno samo napustiti krivu religiju. Nakon što to učiniš, trebaš se pitati: ‘Jesam li na bilo koji način još uvijek povezan s krivom religijom?’ Navest ćemo neke primjere. RELIGIOZNE SLIKE I KIPOVI TE OBOŽAVANJE PREDAKA (a) Što Biblija kaže o korištenju religioznih slika i kipova, i zašto je nekima teško prihvatiti Božje gledište o tome? (b) Što trebaš učiniti sa svim predmetima koje posjeduješ, a povezani su s krivom religijom? 3 Neki godinama u svojim domovima drže religiozne slike i kipove ili imaju oltare. Je li to i kod tebe slučaj? Ako jest, možda ti se čini čudnim ili neispravnim moliti se Bogu bez nekog takvog pomagala. Možda su ti čak neke od tih stvari posebno drage. No Bog je taj koji određuje kako ga trebamo obožavati, a Biblija uči da on ne želi da koristimo religiozne slike i kipove (2. Mojsijeva 20:4, 5; Psalam 115:4-8; Izaija 42:8; 1. Ivanova 5:21). Prema tome, ako Boga želiš obožavati na ispravan način, uništit ćeš sve predmete koje posjeduješ, a koji su povezani s krivom religijom. Gledaj na njih kao Jehova, koji ih smatra nečim ‘odvratnim’! Mojsijeva 27:15). (a) Kako znamo da je obožavanje predaka uzaludno? (b) Zašto je Jehova zabranio svom narodu da sudjeluje u bilo kojem obliku spiritizma? 4 I obožavanje predaka sastavni je dio mnogih krivih religija. Prije nego što su upoznali biblijsku istinu neki su vjerovali da su mrtvi pri svijesti i da žive u nevidljivom području te da mogu pomoći ili nauditi živima. Možda si štošta činio kako bi umirio svoje mrtve pretke. No kao što si naučio u šestom poglavlju ove knjige, ljudi nakon smrti nisu pri svijesti i nigdje ne nastavljaju živjeti. Dakle, uzaludno je pokušavati stupiti u kontakt s njima. Sve poruke za koje se misli da dolaze od neke voljene umrle osobe zapravo potječu od demona. Zbog toga je Jehova zabranio Izraelcima da pokušavaju razgovarati s mrtvima ili sudjelovati u bilo kojem drugom obliku spiritizma (5. Što možeš učiniti ako si dosad koristio religiozne slike i kipove ili obožavao pretke? 5 Što možeš učiniti ako si dosad koristio religiozne slike i kipove ili obožavao pretke? Čitaj biblijske retke koji ti pokazuju kako Bog gleda na to i razmišljaj o onome što čitaš. Moli se Jehovi svaki dan i reci mu da ga želiš obožavati na ispravan način te ga zamoli da ti pomogne da razmišljaš kao i on (Izaija 55:9). PRVI KRŠĆANI NISU SLAVILI BOŽIĆ (a) Što se na Božić navodno slavi, i jesu li ga slavili Isusovi sljedbenici u prvom stoljeću? (b) S čime se povezivalo proslave rođendana u vrijeme Isusovih prvih učenika? 6 Nečija vjerovanja mogu biti zatrovana krivom religijom, što se vidi u slavljenju uvriježenih blagdana. Uzmimo za primjer Božić. Njime se navodno slavi rođenje Isusa Krista, a dio je skoro svake religije koja tvrdi da je kršćanska. Pa ipak, nema dokaza da su Isusovi učenici iz prvog stoljeća slavili taj blagdan. U jednoj knjizi stoji: “Dvjesto godina nakon Kristovog rođenja nitko nije znao kada se on točno rodio, a rijetko koga je to i zanimalo” (Sacred Origins of Profound Things). 7 Sve i da su Isusovi učenici znali točan datum njegovog rođenja, ne bi slavili njegov rođendan. Zašto? Zato što su prvi kršćani “slavljenje bilo čijeg rođendana smatrali poganskim običajem” (The World Book Encyclopedia). Jedine proslave rođendana spomenute u Bibliji tiču se dvojice vladara koji nisu obožavali Jehovu (1. Mojsijeva 40:20; Marko 6:21). Pored toga, rođendane se slavilo u čast poganskih bogova. Naprimjer, Rimljani su 24. svibnja slavili rođenje božice Dijane. Sljedećeg dana slavili su rođenje Apolona, njihovog boga sunca. Dakle, proslave rođendana povezivalo se s poganstvom, a ne s kršćanstvom. Objasni kako je slavljenje rođendana povezano s praznovjerjem. 8 Postoji još jedan razlog zašto kršćani u prvom stoljeću nisu slavili Isusov rođendan. Po svoj prilici, njegovi su učenici znali da je slavljenje rođendana povezano s praznovjerjem. Naprimjer, mnogi Grci i Rimljani iz antičkog doba vjerovali su da rođenju svakog čovjeka prisustvuje neki duh koji ga štiti tokom života, a “taj je duh bio u mističnoj vezi s bogom na čiji se dan rođenja osoba rodila” (The Lore of Birthdays). Jehovu sigurno ne bi radovale proslave koje bi Isusa povezivale s praznovjerjem (Izaija 65:11, 12). Kako to da onda Božić slavi toliko ljudi? PORIJEKLO BOŽIĆA Zašto je 25. prosinca odabran kao datum Isusovog rođenja? 9 Tek nekoliko stotina godina nakon što je Isus živio na Zemlji ljudi su njegovo rođenje počeli slaviti na dan 25. prosinca. No Isus se nije rodio tog datuma, nego, po svemu sudeći, u listopadu. * Zbog čega je odabran baš 25. prosinca? Neki koji su se kasnije izjašnjavali kao kršćani očito su “željeli da se datum poklapa s poganskim rimskim praznikom kojim se slavi ‘rođenje nepobjedivog sunca’” (The New Encyclopædia Britannica). Zimi, kad je sunce bilo najslabije, pogani su vršili obrede u želji da taj izvor topline i svjetla vrate s dalekih putovanja. Smatralo se da sunce svoj povratak započinje 25. prosinca. Da bi obratili pogane, vjerski vođe usvojili su tu svetkovinu i nastojali je prikazati kao “kršćansku”. Zašto u prošlosti neki ljudi nisu slavili Božić? Već se odavno priznaje da Božić ima poganske korijene. Tokom 17. stoljeća zbog nebiblijskog porijekla bio je zabranjen u Engleskoj i u nekim američkim kolonijama. Tko god na Božić ne bi došao na posao, nego bi ostao kod kuće, morao je platiti kaznu. Međutim, stari su običaji ubrzo ponovno postali popularni, a usvojeni su i neki novi. Božić je ponovno postao važan blagdan, a takav je i dan-danas u mnogim zemljama. No budući da je povezan s krivom religijom, oni koji žele ugoditi Bogu ne slave ni Božić ni bilo koji drugi blagdan koji ima korijene u poganskoj religiji. JE LI PORIJEKLO DOISTA BITNO? Zašto neki ljudi slave blagdane, no što nam treba biti najvažnije? Neki se slažu da blagdani poput Božića imaju pogansko porijeklo, ali ipak misle da nema ništa loše u tome da ih slave. Ustvari, većina ljudi ne misli da služi krivim bogovima kad slavi blagdane. Osim toga, te prigode obiteljima daju priliku da budu zajedno. Imaš li i ti takvo mišljenje? Ako imaš, tada ti se vjerojatno zbog ljubavi prema obitelji, a ne prema krivoj religiji, čini teškim obožavati Boga na ispravan način. No budi uvjeren da Jehova, koji je osnovao obitelj, želi da imaš dobre odnose sa svojom rodbinom (Efežanima 3:14, 15). Te veze možeš ojačati na načine koji su dopadljivi Bogu. O tome što nam treba biti najvažnije apostol Pavao je napisao: “Ispitujte što je ugodno Gospodinu!” (Efežanima 5:10). Navedi primjer koji pokazuje da se trebamo kloniti običaja i proslava koji imaju loše porijeklo. Možda smatraš da porijeklo blagdana nema nikakve veze s njihovim današnjim slavljenjem. Je li njihovo porijeklo doista bitno? Jest! Navest ćemo jedan primjer. Zamisli da u jarku vidiš neki slatkiš. Bi li ga uzeo i pojeo? Naravno da ne bi jer je prljav. Slično tome, blagdani mogu izgledati lijepo, ali uzeti su iz nečistih izvora. Da bismo obožavali Boga na ispravan način, moramo imati stav poput proroka Izaije, koji je slugama pravog Boga rekao: “Ne dotičite ništa nečisto!” (Izaija 52:11). BUDI RAZBORIT U OPHOĐENJU S DRUGIMA Koji se problemi mogu pojaviti jer ne slaviš blagdane? Odluka da prestaneš slaviti blagdane može ti donijeti određene probleme. Naprimjer, možda se tvoji kolege pitaju zašto na poslu ne sudjeluješ u nekim običajima vezanim uz blagdane. Što ako dobiješ poklon za Božić? Je li neispravno uzeti ga? Što ako tvoj bračni drug nema ista vjerovanja kao ti? Što učiniti da tvoja djeca nemaju osjećaj da im je nešto uskraćeno jer ne slave blagdane? Što možeš učiniti ako ti netko čestita blagdan ili ti želi dati poklon? Moraš biti razborit da bi znao kako riješiti svaku situaciju. Ako ti netko usputno čestita, možeš mu se naprosto zahvaliti. No što ako je riječ o nekome koga redovito viđaš ili s kim radiš? U tom slučaju možeš reći nešto više. Bilo kako bilo, budi taktičan. Biblija savjetuje: “Neka vaša riječ uvijek bude ugodna, solju začinjena, da znate svakome odgovoriti kako treba” (Kološanima 4:6). Vodi računa da se s drugima ne ophodiš s nepoštovanjem. Umjesto toga, obazrivo objasni svoj stav. Jasno reci da nisi protiv darivanja i okupljanja, ali da bi u tome više volio sudjelovati u neko drugo vrijeme. Što ako ti netko želi dati poklon? Puno ovisi o okolnostima. Osoba ti može reći: “Znam da ne slaviš ovaj blagdan, ali ipak ti želim dati ovaj poklon.” Možda zaključiš da uzeti poklon u takvim okolnostima nije isto što i slaviti taj blagdan. Naravno, ako onaj tko ti daje poklon ne zna za tvoja vjerovanja, možeš mu reći da ne slaviš taj blagdan. Tako će osoba lakše shvatiti zašto primaš poklon, ali ga ne daješ tom prigodom. S druge strane, ne bi bilo dobro uzeti poklon ako ti ga netko daje da bi dokazao da se ne držiš svojih vjerovanja ili da si spreman učiniti kompromis radi materijalne koristi. KAKO JE S ČLANOVIMA OBITELJI? Kako možeš biti taktičan kad rješavaš pitanja vezana uz blagdane? Što ako članovi obitelji nemaju ista vjerovanja kao ti? I tada budi taktičan. Nema potrebe prepirati se oko svakog običaja ili proslave koji su uvriježeni među tvojom rodbinom. Oni imaju pravo na svoje mišljenje i poštuj to, kao što želiš da oni poštuju tvoje mišljenje (Matej 7:12). Nemoj ni na koji način sudjelovati u slavljenju blagdana. Međutim, budi razuman kad je riječ o stvarima koje nisu povezane sa samom proslavom. Naravno, uvijek trebaš učiniti ono što neće uznemiriti tvoju čistu savjest (1. Kako možeš pomoći djeci da nemaju osjećaj da im je nešto uskraćeno kad vide da drugi slave blagdane? Što možeš poduzeti da tvoja djeca ne bi imala osjećaj da im je nešto uskraćeno jer ne slavite blagdane koji nisu u skladu s Biblijom? Veoma je važno što radite tokom ostalih dana u godini. Neki roditelji s vremena na vrijeme kupe poklon svojoj djeci. Vaše vrijeme, ljubav i pažnja neki su od najboljih darova koje im možete dati. OBOŽAVAJ BOGA NA ISPRAVAN NAČIN Kako ti posjećivanje kršćanskih sastanaka pomaže da obožavaš Boga na njemu dopadljiv način? Da bi ugodio Bogu, moraš napustiti krivu religiju i obožavati ga na ispravan način. Što to uključuje? Biblija kaže: “Razmišljajmo jedni o drugima kako bismo se poticali na ljubav i dobra djela, i ne propuštajmo svoje sastanke, kao što neki imaju običaj, nego hrabrimo jedni druge, tim više što vidite da se približava dan” (Hebrejima 10:24, 25). Kršćanski su sastanci radosne prigode na kojima možemo obožavati Boga na njemu dopadljiv način (Psalam 22:22; 122:1). Na njima se ‘uzajamno hrabrimo’ s vjernim kršćanima (Rimljanima 1:12). Zašto je važno drugima govoriti o onome što si naučio iz Biblije? Da bi Boga obožavao na ispravan način, također trebaš govoriti drugima o onome što si naučio proučavajući Bibliju s Jehovinim svjedocima. Mnogi ljudi “tuguju i plaču” zbog zloće koja danas vlada u svijetu (Ezehijel 9:4). Možda poznaješ neke koji se tako osjećaju. Zašto ne bi razgovarao s njima o svojoj biblijskoj nadi za budućnost? Budeš li se družio s pravim kršćanima i govorio drugima o divnim biblijskim istinama koje si saznao, vidjet ćeš da će s vremenom nestati svaka želja za običajima krive religije koja ti je možda ostala u srcu. Budi uvjeren da ćeš biti jako sretan i da ćeš primiti mnoge blagoslove budeš li obožavao Boga na ispravan način! (Malahija 3:10). ^ odl. 9 I Saturnalije su igrale ulogu u tome da se odabere datum 25. prosinca. Ta svetkovina u čast rimskog boga poljodjelstva trajala je od 17. do 24. prosinca. Praznično slavlje, gozbe i darivanje obilježavali su Saturnalije. ^ odl. 10 O tome kako pravi kršćani gledaju na ostale uvriježene blagdane vidi Dodatak na 222-223. stranici.