Home | News | JESUS WAS BORN IN OCTOBER’

JESUS WAS BORN IN OCTOBER’

22/12/2013 03:21:00 BY JOSEPH ZULU

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MBANANE – While many prepare for Wednesday, which is Christmas day, thousands of other believers will not commemorate the day.
This is because they view it as non-Christian.

Christmas is celebrated on December 25 to remember the birth of Jesus Christ who is also considered the son of God in certain Christian teachings.
Religious groupings such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists (SDA), Rastafarians as well as Muslims do not celebrate the day.
Though all the religions acknowledge the historical existence of Jesus, they say Christmas is a pagan activity.

Jehovah’s Witnesses who were interviewed said they did not celebrate the day as it was not biblical.
There are about 5 000 members of the Jehovah’s Witness movement in the country according to data obtained during their annual conferences usually held at Somhlolo stadium.

Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, estimates that there are 7 400 Jehovah’s Witnesses’ members in the kingdom. “Nowhere in the Bible does it say Jesus was born on Christmas day,” said Moses Dludlu, a Jehovah’s Witness.
Dludlu said he had never celebrated Christmas. “We have always been advised that Christmas was introduced in the church by non-Christians,” he said.
He said there was no verse in the Bible which encouraged people to celebrate Jesus’ birth.

Dludlu said Jesus reminded his disciples to remember his death but did not say anything about remembering his birth. He said on December 25, Jehovah’s Witnesses continue with the work of spreading Jesus’ teachings. “We travel from door to door where we continue teaching His word,” said Dludlu.
He said even children also accompanied their parents so that they could learn the importance of not commemorating the day.
Dludlu said even children within this faith were taught to understand why Christmas was not celebrated.

He said children were encouraged to teach their friends so they understood why Jehovah’s Witnesses did not celebrate the day.
Bartholomew Mbuli, who is also a senior member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses church, said one needed to attend Bible lessons to understand why Christmas was not celebrated. “It’s is not something I can teach you in one session,” said Mbuli.

Mbuli said Jehovah’s Witnesses encouraged such teachings to create an environment in which any questions were answered.
Pastor David Donga, Ministerial Secretary of the Seventh Day Adventists in Swaziland, said Christmas was not recognised in the Bible.
Donga who is the Ministerial Secretary of the Church said he was speaking on behalf of Pastor Jacob Mhlanga, the President of SDA in the country. He said according to his knowledge of the Jewish calendar, Jesus was born in October.
Donga said Christians who celebrated Christmas should remember the poor, widows and orphans. He said this was the only way he could encourage people to remember Jesus.
Donga also said it was better to celebrate the death of Jesus as opposed to his birth.
He said on December 25, members of the SDA church usually spent time with their families. “We also invite neighbours so that we have lunch together,” said Donga.
He then revealed that there were about 7 000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country.

Imam Hammidulah Dlamini was reached for comment but he declined, referring questions to Luqman Mugenyasooka, the Imam at the Ezulwini Muslim Institute.
An Imam is a leader within the Islamic faith, similar to a priest among Christians. Mugenyasooka was not available when attempts were made to call him on his cellphone.
According to information obtained independently, the story of the birth of Christ is actually related in the Koran.
The Koran is the Muslim holy book similar to what Christians refer to as the Bible. Muslims also view Christmas as a non-religious activity, according to information sourced from Wikipedia.

Meanwhile, Amborse Zwane, who is a member of the Rastafarian movement, said his religion did not celebrate Christmas as Jesus could not have been born in December.
Rastafarianism or Rastafari movement is an African-based spiritual ideology that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica. It is sometimes described as a religion but its members consider it to be a `way of life.’

Zwane is also the Director at the Lubombo Community Radio as well as the Lubombo Community Multi-media Centre (LCMC)
Like Christians, Rastafarians also use the Bible as their holy book.
Zwane said according to the Bible, Angel Gabriel is said to have been sent to inform Mary, the mother of Jesus, about her miraculous pregnancy in June. He said if the angel arrived in June, Jesus should then have been born in March. “God could not have allowed Jesus to be born prematurely,” said Zwane.

Zwane also said biblically, birthday celebrations were when many Christians were persecuted.
He said the Bible spoke about John the Baptist who was beheaded during the birthday of the King’s daughters. Zwane said a lot of ungodly activities took place during Christmas. These include the slaughtering of animals. “A lot of blood is spilt during this period,” said Zwane.
He said on December 25, Rastafarians treat the day like any other day without celebrating it.