Christians, did you know that it is a pagan ritual?

Question

to have a Christmas tree??? I am a Christian an it was pointed out to me here recently that in the Bible it actually says this in Jeremiah 10:3 and in studying it I have found that the Gentiles worshiped natural phenomenon by means of hand made icons and symbolic imagery, the signs of Heaven. These were astral deities worshiped in the days of Manasseh and reinstituted following the death of Joshua. How will you feel about trimming the tree now? Serious question. I'm not sure what ti think.

Good one Avacado, very funny or not

Adan Good info, didn't know this either, where yould I find information like this?

Interested Reader: Good answer but it bother me in that what kind of role model are we for Christ if it says in the Bible not to do this. It seems many know it is of pagan origin and then they think we Christians are weird because of these holiday traditions. Ya know the Catholic Church sure has caused a lot of confusion.. and confusion isn't from God. No offense to Roman Catholics, I was once one and my family still is.

Ya, what is the deal with that, whey did the Roman Catholic Church steal a celtic Winter Soustice ??(SP) (I'm tired)

Yappy: Good answer but then again it was pointed out to me by a yahoo member that it says in the Bible, spoken by Jesus that people would do this. Do you think maybe he was refering to later generations when this tradition started? That is what I am concerned about that is almost like a prophecy as it wasn't done back then I don't think. I do see your point about the tree reminding others of Our belief in Christ as when I see Jewish lites in the windows I think of their faith.

Answer 1

Yes

Jeremiah 10:2-4
2Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.



I had done some research on this and found the orgins of this it really convicted me not to have one in my home.

I know many good people do set these up. And many don't think anything is wrong with it. They say "I do not worship a Christmas tree." Question is: Do they admire it? Was it originally an Idol? What does God say about setting up Idols?
Best Yet : DO THEY BOW DOWN BEFORE IT? Yes they do, on Christmas morning.

This is no different than sitting up Buddha in a persons home. I had asked a question about that a few days ago.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlcZ7c4s3qJk2Q1OXiNgQq7sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071102074319AAK2EIu

Most people do things and don't know why they do them, other than it is tradition.

Mark 7:9
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.


All Christians should search this out. It is not pleasing to God. They should study the whole orgins of the Christmas holiday. The truth of this would open their eyes about paganism and they would be able also to see the Catholic Church and it's orgins.

Such things as the pagan idol queen of heaven with her son and statues of Mary(queen of heaven) and the son. They are the same thing.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_heaven

Pagans are sun worshipers. This is where lighting candles comes from. It is the pagan way of calling the sun back.
Notice also in all pictures of saints and Jesus there is the sun behind their head. (they claim it is a hallo) The Catholics were pagans that have taken the form of Christianity to decieve Christians. (Study Constatine) Everything they do is base on pagan practices and the SUN worship. Even their day of worship.

Key words to seach for are:
Christmas
Christmas tree
Nimrod
Queen of Heaven
Pagan
Bondfire
Constatine


Leviticus 26:1
Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.



1 Kings 15:12
And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

Isaiah 2:18
And the idols he shall utterly abolish.

Isaiah 57:5
Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?

Ezekiel 14:5
That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

Ezekiel 20:16
Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.

Answer 2

When we are concerning about Christmas, we sure can easily know that this tradition is set by Catholic Church (I forget the detail info, sorry!) and also all of it's connecting details like Santa Claus, or Christmas tree.
But to have a christmas tree actually is not worshiping it, I think. http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html
The site show the history of the tree, and this does not actually violate the tradition, although things like that are (at least I think) helping Christians to think Godly (when they see the marks of Christian they might be reminded of words in the Bible, or in the cristmas tree case remembering how God love us so we wouldn't commit more sins) rather than making cult worships to nature symbols. As long as we don't value it as extreme as kissing it (like what we do to cross in a few 'lost' church), it is good, as it don't replace the image of God Himself!

Answer 3

People want the holidays to be special. The Christmas tree fulfills that need. We have held on to those activities that make life memorable. I have some very good memories of Christmas and Christmas trees. No one can take that away from me. Just because ancients religions respected nature doesn't mean that I can't respect it, also. Buy a live tree for Christmas and plant it somewhere that needs a tree. Common sense tells me that trees are important to the earth.

Answer 4

yeah, i know.

just acknowledge the differences between our use of it today and their use of it more than a thousand years ago. i mean, if you sincerely believe in your faith, what difference does it make? did it ever really strengthen your faith in the first place? i know it never did anything for mine!
don't get all freaked out about it. so don't have a tree this year. it doesn't really matter whether or not you have one. what matters is Jesus.





(in answer to your comment)

i actually didn't realize that the bible said this in jeremiah 10:

Do not learn the way of the nations,
or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens;
for the nations are dismayed at them.
3For the customs of the peoples are false:
a tree from the forest is cut down,
and worked with an axe by the hands of an artisan;
4people deck it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it cannot move.

you had a very good comment about my post when you talked about being concerned with "what kind of role model" we're being. i guess, really, what matters is that we we should not blindly follow those traditions. whatever you choose to do (to keep one or not to keep one), you should probably be prepared to defend your decision (people have made a lot of very good points on this topic). but i think that the symbolism of it in the christian realm is very different than the symbolism of the pagan realm. but really, christmas trees are not necessary.

Answer 5

There are many pagan rituals incorporated into Christianity.
Remember though a Christmas tree has nothing to do with Christ really. The great church of Rome basically horned in on a Celtic celebration by deciding to celebrate the birth of Christ on the winter solstice. The two should be separate.

Answer 6

Some more background for ya, but first, the answer. To the pure, all things are pure. You get on your knees and ask God what would glorify him, then you do that with a clear concious. If you are decorating a tree as an expression of celebration for your saviour, then go for it. But, if it weighs on your concience, then don't.

Some more background: Did you know that the Chaldean word for baby is YULE. How does that come into play? Well, the Babylonians would celebrate the birth of Nimrod (which, was Dec 25th,) by burning their babies in the fire. Hence, Yule logs. They would have orgys in these groves of trees. When Constatine made Rome the state religion, he did not want to outlaw the Babylonian practice, and upset the pagans, but he did not want to leave it as is and defy the Christians. So, he kept the holiday, but transfered it to Jesus. Up until this time, Christians celebrated the ressurection every Sunday.

Also, let's talk about Easter. Nimrod's mother, ASHTER, claimed to have a virgin conception. They would celebrate the fertilization of her egg, by hiding and decorating eggs. Now the name ashter has been transliterated into easter.

Apparently Satan has been the great copy cat since a long time ago.

Answer 7

It means those who put their trust in a chuck of wood even though it's carved well and clothed beautifully, are foolish. The person who worships God is wiser than the wisest person who worships a wothless substitute for this person has discerned who God really is. Whom do you place your trust?
They were doing old time Horoscopes. Which we all know now is wrong. I teach my kids tree or no tree , presents or no presents . This is the time for us to be thankful that God loved us so much he sent his son to us. There are years i don't buy presents for my kids. Cause i buy all year. Sometimes i don't put up the tree. Cause it's not about that But i tell them it's about God's love for man kind. Its what ever you make it out to be.

Answer 8

Pagans were worshipping trees long before christianity. Its no accident that the so-called Xmas Day occurs only 3 days after the Winter equinox - which IS a pagan 'holiday'.

Answer 9

Oye............ Its a symbol. The Evergreen tree survives in the winter and is thus a symbol of fertility, of life. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ. The Christmas tree is just an illustration. We don't worship Christmas trees or eggs or bunny rabbits, those are all just symbols of fertility, of life. They're just illustrations to show someone the bigger picture. No one has a copy-write on Evergreen trees or stars or eggs or rabbits. The pentagram was another symbol used to symbolize the five wounds of Christ. None of these symbols are worshiped, they are just used to symbolize things. The Spanish missionaries showed certain flowers to the Native Americans so that they could relate to things about Christianity.

Answer 10

I kinda assumed everyone already knew that the Christmas tree was rooted in paganism. So what? Easter was deliberately set to coincide with a pagan holiday, and many a hymn was written to the tune of a drinking song--all to gain Christianity more rapid acceptance. The only question is when you trim the tree, which deity are you conscious of honoring? If it's still God, nothing's really changed.