The Sun ☀️

The sun is amazing. It provides light, warmth, energy, and natural vitamin D to support our immune system. All of which are provisions that God has graciously made for us to enjoy and to benefit from. In actuality, without the sun, life as we know it, would cease to exist.

I remember when I was in my early teens back in Indiana, one of my best friends had the prettiest golden tan. I figured I could have a tan just like her if I just laid out in the sun like she did. Right? One day after we had just spent the afternoon in my backyard laying out in the sun together, and as I was just beginning to think I was getting some color, her mom came to pick her up and said to me, “Elaine, you need to get out in the sun more.” 😳

Later that summer, on a Florida family vacation, I stayed out on the beach all day the first day, walking up and down the Daytona Beach coastline. My thought was, I’d surely get a good tan if I did that, right? Wrong! 🤕 I was practically burnt to a crisp, from head to toe. I spent the entire rest of our family vacation sick in bed with sun poisoning. It was the absolute worst sunburn of my entire life. I remember I was so sick to my stomach, I was dizzy for days, and I fainted whenever I tried to stand up. It was awful!

It’s safe to say that I learned early on that too much of a good thing, or something used in the wrong way can and does have consequences. I also realized that I’m fair complected and that fair skin just doesn’t tan as well as other skin types.

So I’ve pretty much avoided overexposure to the sun in one way or another ever since. At first it was mostly seeking some shade whenever outside, and giving up laying out in the sun, but it wasn’t until I was in my 30’s that I started thinking about sun damage and started wearing sunscreen daily. In my 40’s I experienced the first of several Basel cell skin cancers that have emerged over the past 25 years or so. In my 50’s I did find some skin care products that lightened some of the brown spots on my face, and I also increased my sunscreen SPF to 50. Now at age 67, and at the suggestion of my dermatologist, I’ve starting wearing a sun 👒 bonnet as well.

Hat or no hat, the long term effects of sun exposure, especially the years of not wearing sun screen when I was young, has taken its toll on my skin. Regardless, I still enjoy the outdoors as much as possible and am thankful for all of God’s provisions, including the sun. I say all of this to make a point of something disturbing that was recently brought to my attention and is actually my main purpose of this writing.

There’s a false theology involving the sun that started many years ago however still exists today, called Astrotheology. It’s best described as the combination of astrolatry (worship of the sun, moon, and stars) and Christianity.

I find it both disturbing and incredible that there are so many false religions and false teachers in the world today. What is it about false religions and false teachers that draws people in? Why believe a lie instead of the truth?

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:25

Anyway, to explain Astrotheology in more detail, the following includes excerpts from one of my favorite websites, Got Questions:

Astrotheology attempts to twist Scripture so that Jesus Christ, instead of being God’s SON, is actually God’s SUN. Astrotheology ties the gospel to ancient god myths and mystery religions.

True theology looks up at the stars, moon, and sun; sees proof of God’s glory; and worships Him for what He has made.

The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

True theology does not worship the creation (which astrolatry does), and it does not view the creation as a symbol of God (which astrotheology does).

The false concept behind Astrotheology is that the story of Jesus Christ is the story of man’s relationship with the sun and the seasons. Early man was afraid of darkness and realized his dependence on the sun, waiting for the sun to come again day after day. Darkness became a symbol of evil (the devil), and God, who gave us the sun for light and warmth and growing food, was good. Eventually, says astrotheology, these ideas were expressed in the Bible as the story of Jesus Christ.

Astrotheology falsely teaches that Bible verses that say Jesus is the light of the world (e.g., John 8:12) are really referring to the physical sun. Additionally they purport that the twelve months of the year are represented by Christ’s twelve apostles, and the four Gospels represent the four seasons.

Additionally, Astrotheology falsely teaches that the mythologies of ancient gods such as Osiris, Horus, Adonis, and Mithras were based on seasonal cycles, and that the story of Jesus Christ is just a retelling of those ancient tales. Several books and two recent films, The God Who Wasn’t There and Zeitgeist, are making these claims popular.

The problem with such claims is twofold: 1) astrotheology and similar beliefs dismiss the evidence for the historical Jesus Christ, and 2) the so-called parallels between the Gospels and the mythical religions are invalid, as honest research will show. The claims made by the historical Jesus are unique and do not match the stories of the pagan gods.

Any attempt to allegorize the Word of God, pervert its plain sense, or deny Jesus Christ is abominable. The Bible warns us against “ignorant and unstable people” who distort Scripture “to their own destruction. . . .

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position” (2 Peter 3:16–17).

Don’t be led astray.

Instead of being led astray by the claims of astrotheology, we should “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Instead, grow in the grace of God.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:16-17