In the writing of this letter, I seek not to diminish the spirit of this festive time of year. I wish everyone a “Merry Christmas.” However, if we're going to talk about the real “reason for the season,” let's inject some truth into the discussion.

Recently, scientists have used sophisticated CT-scan/X-rays on a first-century B.C. device known as The Antikythera Mechanism.

They were astounded to find that the device contained 37 internal gears, and could be used to not only plot the exact astronomical positions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, but to forecast solar and lunar eclipses as well, with astonishing accuracy. It is, in fact, a functional early computer-of pagan Greek origin.

This proves the importance of both science and astronomy in early pagan societies-disciplines that were all but eradicated under Christianity's forced imposition, as they threatened to explain that which was attributed to God alone.

The pagan Greeks and Romans knew that around Dec. 23, the sun “conquered” the darkness; that is; the days stopped getting shorter and started to lengthen.

This is because, as the Earth travels on its elliptical path around the sun, it reaches the furthest point away around Dec. 23 (and June 21), turns the corner and is “born” again, starting its return.

This is the winter “solstice” - which was renamed “Christ's mass” (or “Christmas”) by Bishop Liberius, in Rome starting in 354 A.D. to “Christianize” the pagan “Saturnalia” festival.

In pagan society, this optimistic occasion carried the promise of returning warmth, of renewed life and prosperity - without any of the psychological baggage of the implied condemnation of the whole of humanity, so evil that it required the birth of a mythical child predestined for murder as a blood sacrifice to “save” mankind. (Pretty depressing, if you really think about it)

So, call it what you will, but let's teach our children the real “reason for the season.”

Karl Logan

Auburn