Difference between revisions of "False origins used by Christians"
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| − | This is a list of '''false | + | This is a list of '''false origins used by Christians''' that appropriate existing culture. I'm sure some of these were created inadvertently, but, no doubt, others were purposely made to make the world seem more Christian. These false origins are often repeated so frequently and with such conviction that many Christians never even think to doubt them. |
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| + | ==[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_cane Candy Cane]== | ||
| + | [[Image:False Origins Used By Christians - Candy Canes.png|thumb|256x256px|''The Milwaukee Journal'' 1968-12-13, p.49, "It's Christmas Season: My How Sweet It Is."]] | ||
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| + | Many Christians claim that candy canes were created as a Christian teaching tool. They believe the shape represents a shepherd's crook, and the colors of white and red represent the Jesus' purity and blood. | ||
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| + | Evidence of striped peppermint stick candy goes back to 1844, but the earliest printed example of even part of this specious Christian origin story goes back only to 1968.<br clear="all" /> | ||
==[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/history History]== | ==[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/history History]== | ||
| − | [[Image:False | + | [[Image:False Origins Used By Christians - History.png|thumb|256x256px|Several examples from Christian Web sites.]] |
When I was Sunday school, I was told that the word "history" was a portmanteau of "his + story," and the "his" referred to the Christian god. Thus, "history" was the story of God's creation. No attempt was made to explain that this was merely a learning aid. | When I was Sunday school, I was told that the word "history" was a portmanteau of "his + story," and the "his" referred to the Christian god. Thus, "history" was the story of God's creation. No attempt was made to explain that this was merely a learning aid. | ||
| − | History has a known etymology which comes from the Greek ἵστωρ [hístōr] which means "the one who knows, the expert." | + | History has a known etymology which comes from the Greek ἵστωρ [hístōr] which means "the one who knows, the expert."<br clear="all" /> |
==[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharisees Pharisees]== | ==[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharisees Pharisees]== | ||
| + | [[Image:False Origins Used By Christians - Pharisees.jpg|thumb|256x256px|Terrifying.]] | ||
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Pharisees are mentioned in various books of the [[New Testament]], almost always in a negative light. I was always taught the the word meant, "I am very fair, you see," said with a sarcastic tone, indicating that the Pharisees thought very highly of themselves. This was enforced by Brian M. Howard's 1974 Evangelical children's song, ''I Just Want to be a Sheep'', which contains the lyric, "Don't wanna be a Pharisee / 'Cause they're not fair you see." | Pharisees are mentioned in various books of the [[New Testament]], almost always in a negative light. I was always taught the the word meant, "I am very fair, you see," said with a sarcastic tone, indicating that the Pharisees thought very highly of themselves. This was enforced by Brian M. Howard's 1974 Evangelical children's song, ''I Just Want to be a Sheep'', which contains the lyric, "Don't wanna be a Pharisee / 'Cause they're not fair you see." | ||
| − | As a child, it didn't click with me that the Pharisees existed over a thousand years before the formation of the English language, so the words probably weren't related despite their similar sound. In actuality, the Pharisees were a traditional Jewish political group of the common people during the time of Second Temple Judaism (circa 70 CE) and their name comes from the Hebrew פְּרִישַׁיָּא [Pərīšayyā] meaning "set apart, separated." | + | As a child, it didn't click with me that the Pharisees existed over a thousand years before the formation of the English language, so the words probably weren't related despite their similar sound. In actuality, the Pharisees were a traditional Jewish political group of the common people during the time of Second Temple Judaism (circa 70 CE) and their name comes from the Hebrew פְּרִישַׁיָּא [Pərīšayyā] meaning "set apart, separated."<br clear="all" /> |
==[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadducees Sadducees]== | ==[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadducees Sadducees]== | ||
Revision as of 11:30, 15 March 2019
This is a list of false origins used by Christians that appropriate existing culture. I'm sure some of these were created inadvertently, but, no doubt, others were purposely made to make the world seem more Christian. These false origins are often repeated so frequently and with such conviction that many Christians never even think to doubt them.
Contents
Candy Cane
Many Christians claim that candy canes were created as a Christian teaching tool. They believe the shape represents a shepherd's crook, and the colors of white and red represent the Jesus' purity and blood.
Evidence of striped peppermint stick candy goes back to 1844, but the earliest printed example of even part of this specious Christian origin story goes back only to 1968.
History
When I was Sunday school, I was told that the word "history" was a portmanteau of "his + story," and the "his" referred to the Christian god. Thus, "history" was the story of God's creation. No attempt was made to explain that this was merely a learning aid.
History has a known etymology which comes from the Greek ἵστωρ [hístōr] which means "the one who knows, the expert."
Pharisees
Pharisees are mentioned in various books of the New Testament, almost always in a negative light. I was always taught the the word meant, "I am very fair, you see," said with a sarcastic tone, indicating that the Pharisees thought very highly of themselves. This was enforced by Brian M. Howard's 1974 Evangelical children's song, I Just Want to be a Sheep, which contains the lyric, "Don't wanna be a Pharisee / 'Cause they're not fair you see."
As a child, it didn't click with me that the Pharisees existed over a thousand years before the formation of the English language, so the words probably weren't related despite their similar sound. In actuality, the Pharisees were a traditional Jewish political group of the common people during the time of Second Temple Judaism (circa 70 CE) and their name comes from the Hebrew פְּרִישַׁיָּא [Pərīšayyā] meaning "set apart, separated."
Sadducees
Sadducees are mentioned in various books of the New Testament, but considerably less than the Pharisees. In church, the word Sadducees was explained to me as people who described themselves as "I am very sad you see," again, reinforced by the song I Just Want to be a Sheep which contains the lyrics, "Don't wanna be a Sadducee / 'Cause they're so sad you see." No attempt was ever given to explain them as an elite political group that existed from around 200 BCE - 70 CE which rivaled the Pharisees.
The actual etymology of Sadducees is unknown, but it suggested to come from the Hebrew צָדַק [ṣāḏaq] which means "to be just."
