Thank you Rhys and Jojoross those answers help :-) my wife's birthday is in a week and I was in a dilemma am I glorifying God by celebrating this? or am I slapping him in the face (by using customs originally intended for honor of false gods)on the other hand am I insulting my wife and family by not celebrating, what they celebrate?? (christmas, easter, birthdays etc, etc)
It is good to honor your wife, whether it's her birthday or not. Don't let fear of a custom's origins stop you from honoring your wife. If you do too much research into this kind of thing, you can take it too far to the point where it just becomes silly. I couldn't find it, but Ray said in an e-mail once: "If you find out that pagans were the first to wear shoes, are you going to STOP WEARING SHOES?" I did find an e-mail where he mentioned the shoes, and another about birthdays:
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2759.0.html
Yes, Christimas and all of its accoutrements and paraphania (evergreen tree, orbs, eggs, mistletoe, presents, winter solstice, yule logs, fires, drinking, etc.) are also pagan. But then again virtually all who shun this day with great horror think nothing of having a traditional wedding with the same pagan acoutrements (vale, something old, something new; something borrowed, something blue, rings, rice, honeymoon, bells, wedding cake, etc.). Then of course at least some of them have their boys in the Boy Scouts with all their pagan accoutrements (left-handed locking little finger hand shake, spirit of scouting, the insignia--fleur-de-lis, etc). Did I mention that it was the pagans who whore shoes before the Christians. The Scriptures tell us that we should "Be ye not righteous over much" (Ecc. 7:16). And Paul said: "To the pure all things are pure."
I just don't get all bent out of shape over these things. I personally do not get caught up in the "spirit" of any of these things, but neither do I condemn those who do. These are things that each of us must decide in their own way. However, for what it is worth: Dumping Christmas for Hannukah seems to me like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
God be with you,
Ray
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,7914.0.htmlRay, I have found only two occasions where the celebration of birthdays are listed in the bible. The Old Testament talks about not following the traditions of the pagans and so also does the New Testament. Since my research shows that the history of birthday celebrations is definitely a pagan tradition, how do you view it.
DA
Dear DA: Keeping account of one's age and year of birth is mentioned dozens and dozens of times in Scriptures. No, it does not use such terms as "birthday parties," but it may well been a day of recognition and celebration.
God be with you,
Ray