"Bruce,

Actually, I love the believers - but I hate the icons that originate from the pagan worship practices that came into it - and there are many of them in the Body of Messiah.

Wikipedia online encyclopedia defines an icon as:

An image or symbolic representation often with sacred significance; A symbol that illustrates a concept or message without the use of words; A figure, representation or image, which is itself regarded as sacred.






Iconoclasm:

Iconoclasm is not being allowed to depict an icon within a culture of the culture's own religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major domestic political or religious changes.

People who engage in or support iconoclasm are called iconoclasts, a term that has come to be applied figuratively to any person who breaks or disdains established dogmata or conventions.

The Wikipedia online encyclopedia defines an iconoclast:

Iconoclast may refer to: Primary meaning: A person who performs iconoclasm, destruction of a culture's religious symbols. One who attacks cherished beliefs.

This makes me an "iconoclast." [Now, I am not against ALL icons - every religion has them - I am simply against the pagan-originated ones that have crept into the Church.]

Paganism in the Church

According to the Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity: "The Christian historian Theodoret boasts that in many places saints and martyrs took the place of pagan gods, and their shrines the place of pagan temples." (Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity, copyright 1977, page 132)

The Second Council of Nicaea (Seventh Ecumenical Council) - 787 A.D said: "We decree with full precision and care that, like the figure of the honored and life-giving cross, the revered and holy images, whether painted or made of mosaic or of other suitable material, are to be exposed in the holy churches of God, on sacred instruments and vestments, on walls and panels, in houses and by public ways; these are the images of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and of Our Lady without blemish, the holy God-bearer, and of the revered angels, and of any of the saintly holy men."

The Icons of Dogma & Doctrine

As noted, icons are symbols of a cherished belief. Icons may be paintings, statues, and other articles of faith. Icons may also appear in the form of doctrine or dogma that has in itself taken on a "sacred" characteristic. In other words, an icon may be a cherished tradition or belief system.

Again, Christianity is not the only religion that has these, Judaism and other religious faiths have them as well.

So, why do I "pick on" the Christian faith?

Because we, of all the faiths in the world, are the sole bearers of the Truth of Messiah Yeshua, since Yeshua/Jesus, the "Way, the Truth and the Life" came to bring the true faith into the world. Yet, over the centuries, that truth has been compromised and corrupted by the doctrines and practices of men: practices that were of pagan origin.

"The Christian church took over many pagan ideas and images. From sun-worship, for example, came the celebration of Christ's birth on the twenty-fifth of December, the birthday of the Sun." (Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity, page 131)

"In the late third century came the first deliberate attempts by Christian missionaries to 'baptize' features of pagan religions and thus overcome them by absorbing them into Christianity. Churches took over from temples, martyrs replaced the old gods in popular devotion, and the festivals of the Christian year took the place of the high-days and holy days of paganism." (Eerdman's, page 88)

"The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the 'Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." (Asherah and Easter, Larry Boemler, Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 18, Number 3, 1992-May/June)

I could go on and on citing many pagan practices being incorporated into the Christian Church. [For more information, read my book, What IF???]

After reading it, consider the following question, "If pagan influence has crept into the obvious practice (icons, holy days, etc.), what about those things that are not so obvious?" (Such as doctrine - like the anti-Nomianist (anti-Law) positions found in the Church? Where did all this come from?)

The Pagan Connection in Christianity

Back in the early '70s, I was told by a professor at my first Bible College that the Apostles changed the Sabbath Day to Sunday in honor of the Resurrection of Messiah. I bought that explanation for decades: hook, line and sinker. Then later, when I joined the Messianic Movement in 1987, I was confronted with this question again. This time, I didn't just take someone's word for it. I studied it out for myself and discovered that nowhere in Scripture was it stated that they changed it.

I DID, however, find out that the Sabbath Day in the Church was changed by the traditions of men in post-Apostolic times. So, the day that God made holy in Scripture was changed in favor of the pagan holy day, the "day of the Sun" - "Sunday." Thus, the faith of the "Way, the Truth and the Life" was made corrupt and impure by the traditions of men.

It really doesn't take alot of work and study for the average Christian to discover how much pagan practice has come into the Church - if they really want to know. It is pretty obvious with very little study. The problem is: most Christians don't really care enough to study it out and to act on what they discover.

This is why I write these articles. Perhaps I can so provoke you to study these things out to find out the truth for yourself - and then to come back to the Biblical practices!

So, Why am I an Iconoclast?

What made me an "Iconoclast" was that I wanted to know the truth. I am also an iconoclast because I would like to see purity in the faith again. I would like to see the Church made spotless, ready for the Bridegroom.

Care to join me?

This article is the viewpoint of Bruce R. Booker and does not necessarily represent the views of all the members of Beth Yeshua Messianic Congregation.