As worship of Semiramis and her sun-god son Tammuz spread throughout the Eastern world the mother and child theme came to be a dominate thread that held the Roman Empire’s religious fabric together. As was noted in the previous posting, the mother and son duo were called by different names depending on the society. Later, when Catholic missionaries were sent throughout the world to spread their religion they were amazed to find the mother and child theme already established. The worship of the Queen of Heaven and her divine Son had been popular long before the Catholic Church was established in 33 A.D. by Simon Magus (Simon the magician) in Rome. See Simon of Samaria: The Legacy.

That the worship of Tammuz the sun god was popular globally hundreds of years before the Word (Jesus–Jn. 1:1-4,14) came to earth is evidenced in Ezekiel 8:14-16. In this passage we find that God, using a vision, has taken the prophet to the Temple in Jerusalem where he witnesses an abominable sight–Israelite women “weeping for Tammuz.” Ezekiel is also shown 25 men, their backs turned away from the Temple, kneeling toward the east where their god–Tammuz–would be rising. This is the first recorded incidence which depicts a “sunrise service” in honor of the sun god. Sun worshiping Israelite women annually wept over Tammuz for 40 days in remembrance of his being killed at the age of 40 by a wild boar. During that time they would deny themselves a type of food and/or drink. When the Catholic Church brought Tammuz worshipers into their midst they readily embraced both their god and the rituals associated with worship of him. The season of weeping and food denial later came to be known as the “Lenten Season,” which was later shortened to “Lent.” To further memorialize the occasion a boar was killed and eaten on “Easter Sunday.” Protestants would later drop the Lenten part of the occasion but would continue to pay homage to Tammuz’s mother–Semiramis–who came to be known as Easter in the Western World. Both Lent and Easter are an abomination to the Lord. The eating of pork on Easter Sunday is still a custom in some parts of the world. In my childhood (1940’s) we ate pork on that most revered of days. I thank God for His longsuffering and patience.

Long before the Catholics forced sun worshipers into the church, Simiramis had died, leaving no human representative of their religion. The priests that had served their queen, in order to keep their exalted status among the people, were forced to concoct a story that would justify their priestly existance. What they came up with was most unusual. They told the people that upon her death Simiramis (Easter) had gone to the sun where she joined Nimrod and Tammuz. Not wanting his worshipers to be without an earthly deity, Nimrod sent his wife/mother back to earth in spirit form. To facilitate this act he had placed her in a giant egg which he dropped into the Euphrates River. Fish then rolled the egg onto the bank where birds sat on it until it hatched. At this point the Queen of Heaven made her spiritual “appearance.” She then ruled the people through her priests. I have see pictures of drawings and carvings depicting the egg in which she came to earth. In short order the goddess of fertility turned a chicken into an egg-laying rabbit and declared an annual holiday in her honor complete with chickens, rabbits and eggs–symbolic of fertility. The tradition soon spread throughout the sun-worshiping world. As I stated earlier, I remember colored chicks and baby rabbits being part of the Easter Sunday celebration. An “Easter egg hunt” immediately followed the Sunday church service. I have already noted where the custom of coloring the eggs originated. Originally they were colored red with the blood of sacrificed children. In those days sun worshipers sacrificed their children physically. Today they sacrifice them spiritually.

When the so-called “Protestants” left Catholicism they took with them many of their mother’s heathen beliefs and traditions, some of which are listed in the Introduction to this website. Among the Protestants Easter continued to be one of the favored holidays as the financial aspect of the celebration took on more importance. Due to the money that religious holidays produce, Easter and Christmas have remained “God-pleasing” events within the Protestant/Catholic system. Following closely behind those customs, financially speaking, is St. Valentines Day. Halloween is also known for the sale of candy and costumes. When it comes to religion, money is a powerful underlying force. From the pastor’s salary to the parishioners tithe to having the highest church steeple in town, money is the major force behind church activities.

Over the years the observance of Easter has remained one of professing Christendom’s most popular heathen rituals world-wide. As noted, the celebration in honor of the goddess of fertility was not restricted to any particular part of the planet. For example, Anglican “Easter” was known as Isis in Egypt, Athena in Greece, Minerva in Egypt and Greece, Diana in Ephesus, Cybele in Rome, Ashtoreth in Palestine and Ishtar in various parts of the Middle East. Today billions of parishioners worship the Queen of Heaven/goddess of fertility with the same fervency as did their religious ancestors. Millions of colored plastic eggs and tons of candy are bought in preparation for the magical day. Candied hearts  representing Cupid/Jesus, along with millions of cards are bought and distributed in our public schools each year in February. And then there are Christmas presents. The Lord was right: “Satan has deceived the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).

Since church leaders decided to “meet the pagans half way” (an actual quote) in order to appease their new “converts,” God’s Words of condemnation of their beliefs and practices have been rejected and replaced by more relevant “truths.” Satan’s power over the apostate (Catholic/Protestant) church was evidenced when, in 1582, he persuaded the church to add 10 days to the Julian calendar in order to make pagan Easter and Jesus’ resurrection take place on the same day–Sunday, the church’s new Sabbath. “Good Friday” was also concocted to appease sun worshipers in the church whose god–Tammuz–died on Friday and was resurrected on Sunday, which meant that Tammuz (and Jesus by association) was in the tomb one day and two nights prior to his miraculous resurrection. The church applies this one day and two night time element to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This in spite of Him saying 13 times that he would be in the tomb three days and three nights. Either the church cannot count to three or does not believe Jesus Christ. My money is on the latter.

God has warned those who claim to be His people about embracing heathenism, which He calls an abomination and a snare (Deut. 12:30). Many of His warnings are found in the Old Testament. Many dismiss the Old Testament as irrelevant. But let us not forget that what was written by the prophets was written “for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world have come”–the end-time church (1 Cor. 10:11). In Ephesians 2:20 we are told that the New Testament Church was founded on the teachings of the prophets and the apostles. The Apostle Paul told Timothy that “ALL Scripture is inspired by God and is good for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:14-16). When Paul wrote that Truth the New Testament did not exist and would not exist for some 40 years. Finally, the Words of Jesus Himself should end any doubt as to the veracity of the Holy Bible: “Man must live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mat. 4:4). God spoke every Word in the Holy Bible. His Words were carried to the prophets, Jesus and the apostles by His Holy Spirit. They in turn spoke them and wrote them “for our instruction.” Only those who follow His instructions “… to the end shall be saved (at the end of the age–Mat. 10:22). L.J.