I have never studied this specifically. I know there have been other instances of the early church instituting their own holidays to coincide with other pagan festivities. It helped to keep new converts’ interest in Christianity and keep them from sliding back into their old superstitions. I don’t see any issue with that…I’m glad my church has changed their music to keep up more with the times!

As far as the Saturday-Sunday issue, it’s debated in Christian circles, but to me, I think there are bigger fish to fry. Whether or not you believe in and worship God or not seems to me more important than which day you do it on. Getting sticky on which day seems to smack of legalism.

Paul commented on a similar issue in Romans 14:5-8…. 5) One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6) He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7) For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 ) If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

The way I see it from the Christian perspective is that living for Jesus every day is more important than what time during the week we set aside for Him.

Thanks again for your comment!
Rod

Firstly congrats on the new little (or medium sized) guy.

I came across an interesting presentation on Amazing Facts on Vision TV yesterday. Here’s the crux:

Should Christians be observing the Sabbath on Saturday instead of Sunday?

The origins of the change date back around 320 AD when the Roman Emperor Constantine decreed the Empire’s day of worship would be changed from Saturday to Sunday. The state religion was Sun worship. So Christians of the day seemingly bowed to the pressure of political correctness and changed their day of worship to Sunday. And the rest is history. Even in the Roman Catholic Church’s modern catechism there’s a question that asks why the Sabbath is observed on Sunday and not Saturday. The corresponding answer states that it was an institutional change decreed by man (not God).

Was the Sabbath not ordained by God to be on Saturday in the Ten Commandments? God didn’t change it so why do Christians think they have the right to change it? In the Old Testament the punishment for breaking the Sabbath was comparable to breaking any of the other commandments.

Is this an overly legalistic question? The New Covenant is based on love rather than laws. Having said that, if you love God and your neighbour you’ll keep all of the commandments without any conscious effort.

Hmmmmm…