The church may be many things, but it is not stupid. It knew, in its early days, that to fully integrate itself into the lives of the people it had to merge itself in various ways into existing traditions. This did not deny the truth of the faith, but rather a move to replace the pagan holidays with Christ.
It "had to merge itself"??? It didn't merge, it waltzed in and slaughtered those that refused to comply, then lambasted the holidays with its own rhetoric to cover up the past. Much like the pios prudes that smashed priceless artifacts found in and on Egyptian tombs, depicting self flatulation and erect male phalus's. If you can get it, crush it, that's the motto of the church.
it also seems to acknowledge that the pagan holidays are at sensible times in the year, since they're based on measurable fact...
Not only a measurable fact, but calculated and well placed, something very difficult for the low IQ'd Pagans to accomplish. Especialy since they recognised how the solsr system functioed, whilst the Christians beat their chest and proclaimed the world flat and the center of the universe. Funny how the Pagans knew oh so much more then the Christians.
No doubt a further factor in their selection.
No doubt at all.
Bit of a stretch.Let's not forget that the early Church existed in a pagan world, so obviously they would have been exposed to, and familiar with, pagan customs.
I don't think it's a stretch, it's near bang on.
no more of a stretch than you suggestion that paganism had somehow learned about the "one god", previous to being taught the rest of it by the christians who arrived, burning and murdering on their way.
Pretty much...
While all you so called Christians sit and lament these preceived attacks as your own personal stigmata, remember this...
The first word in sanctus's religion is???
Roman.
This was, if my memory serves me correct, the first empire to fall under the spell of the Cross. IMHO, they knew a WMD when they saw it, so they embraced the Cross and adopted it. Mutated it and bent it to their will. They unleashed it on the masses as the "Be all" and "End all" of social structural engineered bondage.
We the free, do not scare you, we make you jealous. You only wish you were as free as us, but alas, you are to afraid to shead your Christian coils. So you will instead, judge us and condemn us, from a petty "If we can't join them, crush them" mentality.
