Deuteronomy 12

ots of various prescriptions. A couple major themes:

1. People who are ceremonially unclean can eat meat. Phew.

2. The blood of meat must be poured on the ground.

3. Destroy the idols and Ashareh poles of the pagan practices in Canaan,

4. Do not worship God the same way the pagans worship their gods.

Point 4 is repeated throughout the chapter. I think verses like that gave rise to many Puritanical (I.e., anti-Catholic) traditions in the Christian history. Take Christmas for instance, which the Puritans did not observe. December 25th was the winter solstice at one point, which led rise to the German pagan rituals surrounding it. When Christianity became popular and evangelized the Germans, it adopted the celebration and Christianized it as Christmas in part to evangelize them.

So, does once pagan mean always pagan? Well, I think that goes too far, at least based on Deuteronomy 12. It you look at the examples within the chapter of what God is concerned about, they are the "detestable practices" of idols, Ashereh poles, and especially child sacrifice.

Going back to Christmas, it's interesting that December 25 is no longer the winter solstice, it is now December 21. But Christmas is not observed on the 21st, which actually shoes that the Christian tradition has gone a separate path from the original pagan rationale for a celebration that day,

Also, if once pagan means always pagan, then women should not wear earrings. Remember that random versus in Genesis as Jacob was heading back to Bethel?