From: Subject: Saint Valentine's Day: Its Real Origins Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2011 11:26:15 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.cogwriter.com/valentine.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5994 Saint Valentine's Day: Its Real Origins

St. Valentine's Day: Its Real Origins

By COGwriter =

Throughout the = world,=20 February 14th is often celebrated as "Valentine's Day". What is the = truth about=20 "Saint Valentine's Day"?

Notice what a = 2008 news=20 item correctly reported:

St. = Valentine=92s Day =97 a=20 day to declare your affection for that special someone.

And = what did=20 Saint Valentine have to do with love notes and affection? Absolutely = nothing!=20 In fact, there=92s a good chance he may never have existed. You see, = at least=20 according to most accounts, the day was begun by the residents of = ancient Rome=20 who wanted to honor the she-wolf that had raised Romulus and Remus. It = was=20 Romulus who founded Rome, after killing his brother Remus in a fit of = rage. At=20 least that=92s the story they=92ve been telling over the = centuries.

However=20 the Christian church leaders in Rome didn=92t like the celebration. = Too=20 pagan-like, they said. But, knowing the celebration was too popular = for them=20 to end, they gave it some Christian respectability instead. They = decided since=20 it coincided with St. Valentine=92s feast day they would call it St. = Valentine=92s=20 Day (Brown P. Origin of Valentine=92s Day may surprise us. The Enid = News &=20 Eagle, Enid OK, Published: January 16, 2008 12:49 am.=20 http://www.enidnews.com/opinion/local_story_016004906.html viewed=20 01/17/08).

Yet = Christianity = Today=20 reported,

Civilizations = have=20 celebrated Valentine's Day for millennia, but even so, on February 14, = we seem=20 ready to celebrate love once again. Here are some articles on the = holiday's=20 Christian history, thoughts on love, and ways to show your Valentine = how much=20 you care.

"Civilizations" = of the=20 world certainly "have celebrated Valentine's Day for millennia", but = real=20 Christians have not. On that page with that claim there was also an ad = for "The=20 perfect gift for your Valentine!"

How = commercially=20 convenient.

In 2009, Christianity Today's = Valentines from=20 Heaven article began with:

How God reminded nine singles of his love = for them=20 on Valentine's Day

Since I'm single, I spent February 14 trying to = concentrate=20 on the fact that God is my valentine...(Valentine's from Heaven. = Christianity=20 Today.=20 = http://www.christianitytoday.com/singles/newsletter/responses-valentine.h= tml,=20 viewed 2/12/09)

The above page had an ad that attempted to sell some = type of=20 dating service. Would God want to be viewed as a Valentine?

In 2007, = Christianity=20 Today's History of Valentine's Day article began with, =

St. Valentine = was=20 actually two people (that weren't romantically involved) who were = martyred on=20 the same day (c. 270). Feasts commemorating them were celebrated on = February=20 14. One was a priest and physician who died in Rome during the = persecution of=20 Christians by Claudius II Grothicus. The other was the bishop at = Terni, Italy=20 who was also martyred in Rome. Both have been buried at different = places along=20 the Flaminian Way (History of Valentine's Day. Christianity Today. = 1999.=20 = http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/valentines/features/history.htm= l,=20 January 31, 2004).

The = Christianity=20 Today article above never mentioned the pagan origins of the = holiday. The=20 closest it comes is by stating,

So why do = people send=20 "valentines" or "love-tokens" to one another on that day? The origin = of that=20 tradition is not thought to have any connection with the saint's day. = Rather=20 it comes from an early European belief that the second week of = February was=20 when birds began to mate. The idea suggests that lovers should = probably=20 exchange notes and gifts on February 14 in conjunction with what = nature=20 practiced. It then concludes with "Nowadays, Valentine's Day is = observed as a=20 special day for love and romance. This topic is one of the oldest, and = probably most-discussed, issues in history! As Christians, we know = that love=20 originates from God and that God is love (1 John 4:16). =

That is the = history of=20 Valentine's Day? Is that what Christianity Today believes = Christians=20 should know about that day? Are the customs associated with Valentine's = Day=20 truly biblical? Or does the Protestant world wish to obscure the truth? = Did=20 Christianity Today intentionally = leave the=20 whole truth out?

Perhaps.

However, if one looks further, one will realize that = although=20 in every recent year Christianity Today tries to sell gifts = related to=20 Valentine's Day on the internet, it does have an article that admits the = following:

There are more tales of the "origins" of Valentine's Day than = arrows in=20 Cupid's quiver. As expected, most have something to do with pagan = ritual=20 (pretty much every holiday=97from Christmas to Mother's Day=97has=20 something to do with pagan ritual). Four centuries before = Christ,=20 Romans had a day called Lupercalia. Without going too much into it, = I'll sum=20 it up as a sexual lottery. Pull names out of a box at random and = couple with a=20 young member of the opposite sex. After a year, you get to pick = another name=20 (Olsen T. Then Again Maybe Don't Be My Valentine. Christianity = Today.=20 February 12, 1999).

So, Valentine's Day was originally a sexual lottery = according=20 to Christianity Today. Yet, despite knowing that much of the = truth, in=20 2010 (like it did in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009) Christianity = Today=20 still promotes and tries to sell gifts for Valentine's Day.

The Origins=20 of Valentine's Day

Even the old = World=20 Book Encyclopedia (Valentine's Day. Volume 19. 1966, pp.205-206) = states,=20

...the = customs of the=20 day have nothing to do with the lives of the saints. They probably = come from=20 an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia which took place = every=20 February 15. The festival honored Juno, the Roman goddess of women and = marriage, and Pan, the god of nature...The Romans celebrated their = feast of=20 Lupercalia as a lovers' festival for young people. Young men and women = chose=20 partners for the festival by drawing names from a box...After the = spread of=20 Christianity, churchmen tried to give Christian meaning to the pagan=20 festival. In 496, Pope Gelasius changed the Lupercalia festival of = February 15 to Saint Valentine's Day February 14. But the = sentimental=20 meaning of the old festival has remained to the present time. = Historians=20 disagree about the identity of St. Valentine".

Furthermore it = also=20 states,

"LUPERCALIA...was=20 celebrated on February 15 in honor of Faunus, a rural Italian god. = Faunus was=20 later identified with Pan, the god of herds and = fertility...Priests...ran=20 around striking all the women the met (Lupercalia. Volume 12. 1966, = p.456).=20

The pagan being = named=20 Cupid (a supposed son of Venus) was also involved. According to pagan = mythology,=20 anyone being hit by Cupid's arrow falls in love with the first person = he/she=20 sees. One source was bold enough to state,

The church = replaced=20 elements of various love-gods (Juno Februata, Eros, Cupid, Kama, = Priapus) with=20 St. Valentine, an imaginary Christian. A number of contradictory = biographies=20 were created for him...By taking over some of the features of the = Pagan gods=20 and goddesses, St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers...St.=20 Valentine's Day can be traced back to Lupercalia, the Roman "festival = of=20 sexual license" (ST. VALENTINE AND VALENTINE'S DAY,=20 http://www.religioustolerance.org/valentine1.htm, February 6,=20 2004).

Notice what the = Roman Catholics = teach,=20

The roots of = St.=20 Valentine's Day lie in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, which = was=20 celebrated on Feb. 15. For 800 years the Romans had dedicated this day = to the=20 god Lupercus. On Lupercalia, a young man would draw the name of a = young woman=20 in a lottery and would then keep the woman as a sexual companion for = the year=20 (The Origins of St. Valentine's Day.=20 http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/ValentinesDay/, January 31,=20 2004).

It is of = interest to note=20 that the same Catholic source states,

The = Catholic Church=20 no longer officially honors St. Valentine, but the holiday has both = Roman and=20 Catholic roots.

Does = Valentine's Day=20 sound like a holy festival of love or a pagan holiday of = lust?

More on the = Origins of Lubercus, Now Known as St. Valentine's Day

The Feast = of=20 Lubercus The first interpretation has this celebration originating = as a=20 pagan tradition in the third century. During this time hordes of = hungry wolves=20 roamed outside of Rome where shepherds kept their flocks. The God = Lupercus,=20 was said to watch over the shepherds and their flocks and keep them = from the=20 wolves. Every February the Romans celebrated a feast called Lupercalia = to=20 honor Lupercus so that no harm would come to the shepherds and their = flocks.=20 Also during Lupercalia, but in honor of the goddess Juno Februata, the = names=20 of young women were put into a box and names were drawn by lot. The = boys and=20 girls who were matched would be considered partners for the year, = which began=20 in March. This celebration continued long after wolves were a problem = to Rome.=20 --- St. Valentine's Day As Christianity became prevalent, = priests=20 attempted to replace old heathen practices. To Christianize the = ancient=20 pagan celebration of the Feast of Lubercus, the church officials = changed the=20 name to St. Valentine's Day. To give the celebration further = meaning and=20 eliminate pagan traditions, priests substituted the drawing of Saints = names=20 for the names of the girls. On St. Valentine's Day the priest placed = saint's=20 names into an urn or box. The young people then drew a name from the=20 container. In the following year, the youth was supposed to emulate = the life=20 of the saint whose name he had drawn. By the fourteenth century they = reverted=20 back to the use of girl's names. In the sixteenth century they once = again=20 tried to have saintly valentines but it was as unsuccessful as the = first=20 attempt. While it can't be proved historically, there were seven men = named=20 Valentine who were honored with feasts on February 14th. Of these men, = two=20 stories link incidents that could have given our present day meaning = to St.=20 Valentine's Day...----February 14th - The Day the Birds Began to = Mate=20 The Europeans also believed that on February 14th the birds began to = choose=20 their mates. In fact Chaucer, in his "Parlement of Foules," wrote: = "For this=20 was Seynt Valentine's Day when every foul cometh ther to choose his=20 mate"...The tradition of birds choosing their mates on St. Valentine's = Day led=20 to the idea that boys and girls would do the same. Now when a youth = drew a=20 girl's name, he wore it on his sleeve, and attended and protected her = during=20 the following year. This made the girl his valentine and they = exchanged love=20 tokens throughout the year. Later this was changed to only men giving = love=20 tokens to females, usually without names but signed "with St. = Valentine's=20 Love." Later, in France, both sexes drew from the valentine box. A = booked=20 called Travels in England, written in 1698, gives an account of the = way it was=20 done: On St. Valentine's Eve an equal number of Maids and Bachelors = get=20 together, each writes their true or some feigned name upon separate = billets,=20 which they roll up and draw by way of lots, the Maids taking the Men's = billets, and the Men the Maids'; so that each of the young Men lights = upon a=20 Girl that he calls his Valentine, and each of the Girls upon a young = Man which=20 she calls hers. By this means each has two Valentines--but the Man = sticks=20 faster to the Valentine that is fallen to him than to the Valentine to = whom he=20 is fallen. Fortune having thus divided the company into so many = couples, the=20 valentines give balls and treats to their mistresses, wear their = billets=20 several days upon their bosoms or sleeves, and this little sport ofen = ends in=20 Love. This ceremony is practised differently in different Countries, = and=20 according to the freedom or severity of Madame Valentine. This is = another kind=20 of Valentine, which is the first young Man or Woman chance throws in = your way=20 in the street, or elsewhere . . . (The Origins of Valentine's Day.=20 http://www.techdirect.com/valentine/origin.html, January 31,=20 2004).

Anyway, the = preceding=20 article mentions those three as the possible origins of Valentine's day. = Actually all three of those are to some degree correct (and World = Book=20 Online, in its article Valentine's Day--which I checked on February = 6,=20 2004--says that some believe that all three played a role in the=20 origins)--Valentine's day was a pagan holiday that the Catholic Church = modified=20 and that most Protestants embrace, which is probably why some Europeans = also=20 declared that to be the day the birds mated (birds mate pretty much = every day in=20 some part of Europe, so its seems disingenuous to coincidentally declare = it on=20 February 14).

Thus, much of=20 Christianity Today's version of the "History of Valentine's Day" = appears=20 to be a selective Protestant fantasy.=20

But the most = likely=20 beginning of the "holiday" seems to have to do with the beginning of the = Roman=20 Empire, and probably is prior to the third century:

Archaeologists say they=20 have unearthed Lupercale-the sacred cave where, according to legend, a = she-wolf nursed the twin founders of Rome and where the city itself = was born.=20

The long-lost = underground chamber was found beneath the remains of Emperor Augustus' = palace=20 on the Palatine, a 230-foot-tall (70-meter-tall) hill in the center of = the=20 city...

According to = myth,=20 Lupercale is where a she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, the twin sons = of the=20 war god Mars and mortal priestess Rhea Silvia, who had been abandoned = in a=20 cradle on the bank of the Tiber River...

Every year on = February=20 15 ancient priests killed a dog and two goats and smeared the = foreheads of two=20 boys from noble families with the sacrificial blood as part of the = Lupercalia=20 celebration. (Valsecchi, Maria Cristina. Sacred Cave of Rome's = Founders=20 Discovered, Archaeologists Say. National Geographic News. January 26, = 2007.=20 January 26, 2007. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070126-rome-pal= atine.html)

Of course, the = story of=20 Romulus and Remus is really the fable about the beginning of the Roman=20 Empire--now that Europe is once again trying to revive this empire, I am = sure=20 that its leaders are pleased to have located "the sacred = cave".

Is=20 Valentine's Day A Holiday in Honor of "The Queen of = Heaven"?

Another source = adds,=20

The roots of=20 Valentine's Day can be traced back to pagan festivals of third century = Rome.=20 February 14th was set aside as a day to honor the goddess Juno, who = was the=20 queen of the Roman gods and goddesses and was the goddess of women and = marriage. This day was also the eve of the Feast of Lupercalia. This = festival=20 was in honor of the god Lubercus (The History of Valentine's.=20 http://www.christinescyberuniverse.com/VDay/VdayHistory.html, January = 31,=20 2004).

And who was = Juno?=20

JUNO = was the=20 queen of heaven and wife of Jupiter (Zeus)...The ancient Greeks called = her=20 HERA (Juno. World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 11. 1966, = pp.162-163).=20

A holiday for = the queen=20 of heaven!

What does God = say about=20 that?

...the women = knead=20 dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink=20 offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. Do they = provoke Me=20 to anger?" says the LORD. "Do they not provoke themselves, to the = shame of=20 their own faces?" (Jeremiah 7:18-20, NKJV)

Thus says the = LORD of=20 hosts, the God of Israel, saying: 'You and your wives have spoken with = your=20 mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, "We will surely keep our = vows=20 that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out = drink=20 offerings to her." You will surely keep your vows and perform your = vows!'=20 "Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who dwell in the land = of=20 Egypt: 'Behold, I have sworn by My great name,' says the LORD, 'that = My name=20 shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the = land of=20 Egypt, saying, "The Lord GOD lives."'Behold, I will watch over them = for=20 adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the = land of=20 Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an = end to=20 them" (Jeremiah 44:25-28, NKJV).

In other words, = God was=20 not happy that people wanted to worship the queen of heaven and He would = punish=20 them for it.

Another source = mentioned,=20

The Feast of = Lupercalia=20 was celebrated in honor of the God Lupercus, who was said to watch = over=20 shepherds and their flocks and kept them safe, since during this time = hordes=20 of hungry wolves roamed outside Rome. The festival was celebrated on = February=20 15 at the cave of the Lupercal on the Palatine Hill, where the = legendary=20 founders of Rome, the twins Romulus and Remus, were supposed to have = been=20 nursed by a wolf. However, other scholars, while not dismissing the=20 celebration of Lupercalia, prefer to explain the celebration which = took place=20 in the middle of February as a celebration to the Goddess Juno = Februato. It is=20 to their thinking linked to Valentine's Day. While all scholars agree = to the=20 time when the practice of men drawing the names of women took place, = there do=20 exist slight differences in whose honor the celebrations took place. = As time=20 marched on, Christianity steadily gained converts and it became an = officially=20 supported religion in the Roman state under Constantine I, who ruled = as=20 emperor from AD 324 to 337. All pagan cults were prohibited in AD 392 = by an=20 edict of emperor Theodosius I. At this time, priests attempted to = replace old=20 heathen practices. The ancient pagan celebration of the Feast of = Lubercus was=20 renamed St. Valentine's Day . The priests replaced the practice of = having men=20 draw names of girls with having young people draw names of saints. The = youths=20 were supposed to emulate the life of the saint whose name they had = drawn. The=20 practice of this custom was unsuccessful at first and reverted back to = the use=20 of having men draw names of girls (The Myth of the Origin of = Valentine's Day.=20 http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/9300/stp.html, January 31, 2004).=20

No matter if = Valentine's=20 is the Feast of Lupercus/Lubercus or Queen of Heaven Juno or both (which = it=20 probably is) it is NOT listed as a Feast of = the LORD=20 (see Leviticus 23).

(Furthermore, Jesus' mother Mary is also not the = Queen of=20 Heaven, for details, please see the article Mary, the = Mother of=20 Jesus and the Apparitions)

Are Those Who=20 Advocate Valentine's Day Like the Valentinians of Old?

Look at was = written about=20 the group known as the Valentinians prior = to the=20 third Century:

The = Valentinians, who=20 are no doubt a very large body of heretics-comprising as they do so = many=20 apostates from the truth, who have a propensity for fables, and no = discipline=20 to deter them (therefrom) care for nothing so much as to obscure what = they=20 preach, if indeed they (can be said to) preach who obscure their = doctrine. The=20 officiousness with which they guard their doctrine is an officiousness = which=20 betrays their guilt. Their disgrace is proclaimed in the very = earnestness with=20 which they maintain their religious system...By the help of the sacred = names=20 and titles and arguments of true religion, they have fabricated the = vainest=20 and foulest figment for men's pliant liking...Not even to their own = disciples=20 do they commit a secret before they have made sure of them. They have = the=20 knack of persuading men before instructing them (Against the = Valentinians.=20 This treatise is professedly taken from the writings of Justin, = Miltiades,=20 Irenaeus, and Proculus. [Translated by Dr. Roberts.] ) =

Is this not = what the=20 Protestant and Catholic worlds now do? Do they not have a propensity for = fables?=20 Did not Christianity Today obscure what they preach about 'Saint' = Valentine's Day? Is this not a disgrace? By placing the biblical title = 'Saint'=20 as part of its title have they not fabricated the vainest figment for = men's=20 liking?

Many members = of the=20 Church hierarchy were Valentinus' followers, and the ordinary = Christians had=20 great difficulty to distinguish between the true Christian priests and = the=20 Valentinian Gnostics since their doctrine was so similar. The main = difference=20 resided in the Valentinian's different vision of the nature of God; = this=20 vision was incompatible with the structure and rule of the clergy that = was=20 emerging in the Catholic church. The Valentinians resisted this change = and the=20 Orthodox Christians imposed it" (The History of Jesus Christ: 7.2 = Christian=20 Doctrine. http://www.nullens.org/jesus/chapter7/jch72.htm, January 31, = 2004).=20 It may also be of interest to note that, "The chief sacrament of the=20 Valentinians seems to have been that of the bridal chamber (VALENTINUS = AND=20 VALENTINIANS.=20 http://57.1911encyclopedia.org/V/VA/VALENTINUS_AND_VALENTINIANS.htm, = January=20 31, 2004).

Perhaps I = should add that=20 Valentinus is = the first=20 one to write that God existed in three hypostases--which is now a major = part of=20 the doctrine about the trinity.

Furthermore, = it should=20 be mentioned tha in Valentinus' theology all emanations from the = heavenly=20 Father are pairs of beings with male and female attributes. This has = important=20 psychological implications. Sexual pairing represents a state of = submission,=20 interdependence, and wholeness that makes possible the peace and bliss = of=20 Heaven...upon conversion Valentinian Christians {so-called} took part = in=20 sacraments that culminated in a divine marriage ceremony in which they = were=20 spiritually married to angels (Kingt A. Primitive Christianity in = Crisis, 2nd=20 ed. A.R.K. Research, Antioch (CA), 2003).

The 'angels' in a sense = were the=20 converts' "Valentine'.=20

Thus it is possible that the Valentinians MAY have had some influence = in=20 getting this 'holiday'. (It should be noted that the Roman Catholics = claim there=20 were three saint Valentines, and the holiday name probably came from one = of=20 them.) Even if the followers of Valentinus had no effect on this day, = the day=20 certain reflects some of their basic ideas.

Does God Approve of Using Pagan Practices to Worship = Him?

Notice that the Bible repeatedly warns against using pagan practices = to=20 worship God:

29 When the LORD your God cuts off from before you = the=20 nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in = their=20 land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow = them, after=20 they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after = their=20 gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do=20 likewise.' 31 "You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; = for every=20 abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; = for they=20 burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 = Whatever I=20 command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it = nor=20 take away from it (Deuteronomy 12:29-32, NKJV).

2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the = heathen, and=20 be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed = at them.=20 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out = of the=20 forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe (Jeremiah = 10:2-3,=20 KJV).

...abstain from things offered to idols (Acts = 15:29, NKJV).=20

But because most who profess = Christianity=20 do not heed these warnings, they are disobeying God's instructions.=20

Adopting=20 Pagan Holidays Supports Islamic Positions!

Look at some of = what the=20 Muslims say about Valentine's Day,

Celebrating = the=20 Valentine Day is not permissible because: Firstly, it is an innovated = holiday=20 that has no basis in the Sharee`ah...Christians were aware of the = Pagan roots=20 of Valentine's Day. The way the Christians adopted St. Valentine's Day = should=20 be a lesson for Muslims. In fact, the failure to fully separate = Valentine's=20 Day from its pagan roots explains why Islamic scholars and a number of = Muslims=20 avoid adopting traditions of non-Muslims, even though they could = possibly be=20 Islamicized...We should avoid anything associated with pagan immoral = practices=20 - We do not need to honour or celebrate the death of a Christian = "saint" -=20 Islam does not encourage flirting or suggestions of romantic = relationships=20 before marriage - Love between families, friends and married people = does not=20 need to be celebrated on a day with such un-Islamic origins (Ruling on = Celebrating Valentine's Day. = http://www.contactpakistan.com/news/news144.htm,=20 January 31, 2004).

Notice that = because of=20 sexual immortality associated with Valentine's Day, many of the states = in=20 Malaysia have taken proactive steps to try to stop sinning = then:

PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi said the Kedah, Kelantan and = Selangor governments have directed all local authorities to work = closely with=20 police and Rela in order to carry out operations to check immoral = activities=20 during Valentine=92s Day...He said the National Fatwa Council forbids = Muslims=20 from celebrating Valentine=92s Day because of elements of = Christianity=20 and sin. (Move on Valentine=92s Day =91sins=92 Malaysia Star = =96 Feb 8, 2011.=20 http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=3D/2011/2= /9/nation/8024821&sec=3Dnation)

Notice that the = Muslims=20 associate Valentine's Day with Christianity (obviously the false = compromising=20 kind) and sin.

In other words, = Valentine's Day causes the name of Christ (through the term = 'Christianity') to=20 be blasphemed among the Gentiles (Romans 2:24; Isaiah 52:5)!

Even the = Muslims can see=20 that the hypocrisy in this.

How does this = pagan=20 holiday help get the true gospel out?

It does = not.

And that is the = point.

Concluding Comments on St. = Valentine's=20 Day

The Bible never = indicates=20 that Christians should celebrate anything like St. Valentine's Day. = Thus, the=20 celebration of Valentine's Day is not enjoined on believers--even if = there is=20 some controversy associated with some of the history of it.

The Bible is = clear that=20 God is not pleased with activities that honor the 'Queen of Heaven'. =

Valentine's Day = is NOT=20 some attempt to share God's love. It began as a pagan courtship and sex = holiday.=20 It is even an example to Muslims of how "Christianity" (falsely = called)=20 is sinful--this is no way to get the good news of Jesus out.

Although it has = dropped=20 some of its more direct pagan symbols, even today, the pagan being Cupid = is=20 associated with the Valentine holiday. The so-called 'Christianization' = of=20 non-biblical, pagan celebrations is an affront to God and causes His = name to be=20 blasphemed among the Gentiles.

No professing = Christian=20 should take any part in such celebrations.

B. Thiel, Ph.D. = Valentine's Day: Its Real Origins. www.cogwriter.com/valentine.htm (c)=20 2004/2005/2006/2007/2008/2010 0210