Question on Christmas being Pagan?
- Thread starter YeshuaFan
- Start date
In Ot times. pagans actually worshipped things like trees as their gods!
We have tree huggers today where 'Mother Nature' is their ecological god and trees are their hope.
Hello YeshuaFan and Major;
From reading everyone's posts about trees, we can agree that trees are not Biblical as a way to celebrate the Lord's Birthday.
For the new believer or Christian that still hold on to "tradition," Christmas trees, as it's traditionally called, have always been beautiful to look at but this custom has nothing at all to do with Christ.
Nevertheless, the new believer or tradition see nothing wrong with the Christmas tree because we're not actually bowing down and worshiping. That's not the point.
If we understand the commands in Exodus 20:2-5 it's about who and the way we worship God.
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4a “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,
The traditional Christmas tree has long been defined as paganism supported by history and most everyone's posts, however, through the years this pagan tradition became acceptable by the world as a symbol of celebrating Christmas.
I grew up with a Christmas tree every year and have fun memories. It was fun and nobody got hurt. But with God, that's not my call, but His for He is my Judge.
So how do I go forward as husband and priest of my family regarding Christmas, the Resurrection and Thanksgiving?
Well, the Manger Nativity is a good start.
We all have a responsibility to accept the Truth and God will guide many solid Christians worldwide who may hold on to the traditional Christmas tree, but also how to make the way to worship His Only Begotten Son's Birth.
I think the Christian interpretation of the tree is the evergreen symbolizes everlasting life through Christ. The star on top is a reminder of the star at Jesus’ birth. The decorations are just pretty to look at.
It may have pagan roots but that doesn’t mean Christians use it for a pagan purpose. There are likely a number of common practices we all do in our current lives that have pagan roots but no longer have pagan meaning attached.
All that being said, probably better safe than sorry and we should consider at least making an attempt to avoid traditions with pagan origins as we become aware of them.
As to the people who are making social media displays and causing riffs in congregations in an attempt to demonstrate how pious they are, they clearly have logs in their eyes. I’m also guessing a large number of them indulged in gluttony a couple weeks ago for Thanksgiving yet people aren’t up in arms about that.
It may have pagan roots but that doesn’t mean Christians use it for a pagan purpose. There are likely a number of common practices we all do in our current lives that have pagan roots but no longer have pagan meaning attached.
All that being said, probably better safe than sorry and we should consider at least making an attempt to avoid traditions with pagan origins as we become aware of them.
As to the people who are making social media displays and causing riffs in congregations in an attempt to demonstrate how pious they are, they clearly have logs in their eyes. I’m also guessing a large number of them indulged in gluttony a couple weeks ago for Thanksgiving yet people aren’t up in arms about that.
I’ve heard a number of people complain about manger scenes as they depict an engraven image of Christ, albeit in infant form.
We got one about a month ago and will be setting it up Thursday
Hello Skipper;
I never heard this before until some families shared with me, that the Christmas tree symbolizes the triangle as the Trinity.
there is nothing wrong decorating a tree nor putting lights up on the house . many put out nativity figurines . many swear that putting up a tree is wrong.. they use the scripture in Jerimiah. while we dont put up a tree or decorate any more. we will put up a small christmas tree in the church in the corner. .but we do not worship the tree . there are people who wear a cross necklace that have not a clue about the cross. if you dont believe in putting a tree then you have that right.
Oh interesting, I hadn’t heard that before.
A lot of these 'forbidden acts' were a bit arbitrary.
"It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. The pilgrims’s second governor, William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to stamp out “pagan mockery” of the observance, penalizing any frivolity. The influential Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.” In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy."
History of Christmas Trees - Symbolism, Traditions & Trivia | HISTORY
The history of Christmas trees goes back to the symbolic use of evergreens in ancient Egypt and Rome and continues with the German tradition of candlelit Christmas trees first brought to America in the 1800s.
www.history.com
thats gorgeous.
whoever designed that is very talented.
I would like to even see tree houses made like that. ones that could possibly be waterproof and warm
Ignore those people. They have an agenda.
I was the very same way.
I just made the decision when I first married my wife that we would try to live by the truth as best we could.
Most likely their Church passes out pictures of Jesus in their Sunday School classes.
(It's called hypocrisy)
I think its a waste but then people put then people put up fake trees. Plus the type of tree, is always some kind of pine, but pines are not much good for anything except firewood. The needles make good mulch though.
I'd prefer a tangelo tree!
I'd rather people cared for real trees that we still have as they are homes for birds, and fruit and leaves for us. Which we need.
If people have an opinion on FB, it's just that, an opinion. No need to make a big fat deal over it. It's may be unbiblical, but if someone thinks its heresy then they most probably don't want to go to your church event anyway. The tree would just get in the way of whatever focus they are trying to have.
I used to pick fresh flowers for the church on sunday and even do gardening, and some church leaders objected because they'd rather use the land around the church for a parking lot. I'm not going to heckle them on FB. If they put up a tree for christmas it's probably someone's donation.
A lot of people donate stuff to church that is not necessarily christian. I once was given this cardboard cut out of a tree by the church and it had bible verses on it, except the bible verses were on QR codes meaning you had to have a smartphone to even read it.
Nobody ever did, they just saw the tree shape. It was supposed to be for children, but no child ever got that there were bible verses on it.
So that's what you get when you try to combine the two. Big fail! I'm like what. It would have been better to put bible verses instead of jokes in the christmas crackers.
I'd prefer a tangelo tree!
I'd rather people cared for real trees that we still have as they are homes for birds, and fruit and leaves for us. Which we need.
If people have an opinion on FB, it's just that, an opinion. No need to make a big fat deal over it. It's may be unbiblical, but if someone thinks its heresy then they most probably don't want to go to your church event anyway. The tree would just get in the way of whatever focus they are trying to have.
I used to pick fresh flowers for the church on sunday and even do gardening, and some church leaders objected because they'd rather use the land around the church for a parking lot. I'm not going to heckle them on FB. If they put up a tree for christmas it's probably someone's donation.
A lot of people donate stuff to church that is not necessarily christian. I once was given this cardboard cut out of a tree by the church and it had bible verses on it, except the bible verses were on QR codes meaning you had to have a smartphone to even read it.
Nobody ever did, they just saw the tree shape. It was supposed to be for children, but no child ever got that there were bible verses on it.
So that's what you get when you try to combine the two. Big fail! I'm like what. It would have been better to put bible verses instead of jokes in the christmas crackers.
The christmas ham represents what?
And also, what is significant about the reindeer, the christmas wrapping paper, and the red and white Santa outfits?
I'm sure anyone can find symbolism in anything. I once had someone ask on a Bible forum what do the catch of 153 fish symbolise in the Bible.
I didn't think it symbolised anything, except they had counted the number of fish caught, as that's just what fisherman do.
And also, what is significant about the reindeer, the christmas wrapping paper, and the red and white Santa outfits?
I'm sure anyone can find symbolism in anything. I once had someone ask on a Bible forum what do the catch of 153 fish symbolise in the Bible.
I didn't think it symbolised anything, except they had counted the number of fish caught, as that's just what fisherman do.
its all in the intent, does the tree repesent to us the time of the season we celebrate Christ coming to earth, or is it seen as pagans did in OT times?
We are now under the new Covenant, so would say that this issue would be up to the individual, as one cannot say its strictly sinning to have one up!
I am not going so far as to say that the tree thing is a sin.
The Bible makes it clear that created objects, in and of themselves, such as Christmas trees, have no secret demonic spiritual power, residing in their needles and branches.
All I am saying is that the practice TO ME is the same as trick or treat on Halloween. They are products of Pagan worship practices and IMO should be ignored. But that is just me.
Now before someone says that Halloween came from the church so it is Christian........it was In 998, St. Odilo, the CATHOLIC abbot of the powerful monastery of Cluny in Southern France, added a celebration on Nov. 2. This was a day of prayer for the souls of all the faithful departed. This feast, called All Souls Day, spread from France to the rest of Europe.
So now the Church had feasts for all those in heaven and all those in purgatory?