- The following Old Testament scripture is oft trotted
out by various Christian/Pseudo-christian sects, groups and humbugs of
variant degrees of claimed spiritual and biblical "purity" to
convince many that celebrating Christmas by dragging a tree into ones home
and decorating it is somehow service to demonic entities or an act of paganism...
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| Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus 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. For 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. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten
it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." (KJV) |
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- Par for the course, these same often conveniently leave
off the next few sentences in the passage that makes it abundantly clear
that it is speaking of pagans fashioning and embellishing a wooden IDOL,
not merely decorating a tree ...
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| "They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not:
they must needs be borne (carried around), because they cannot go (walk).
Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them
to do good." |
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- It should be rather evident that it's a far, far cry
from decorating a tree to fashioning an idol to be worshiped! Last I checked,
no one bowed down to a Christmas tree to worship it, nor regarded it as
anything sacred or holy (most wind up rotting away on the curbside a week
after Christmas waiting for the disposal trucks) and the presents placed
beneath its piney balms were for the people, not the idol, which is the
usual "service" an idolater would be expected to perform. See
how bassackwards religious Pharisaism can turn things? And sadly, powerfully
convincing to many. One would think common sense would prevail, but in
religion, very little common sense exists.
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- The idol is mounted to a board or some form of platform
and carried about, because it cannot walk, and to keep it from feebly tipping
over and breaking. The only reason Christmas trees are placed in 'stands'
is to keep it from falling over and wrecking the living room or swooping
down and poking out Aunt Martha's one good eye, it's not to present the
illusion that the tree is a living being standing on its own! That is the
essential element of the Old Testament passage, the foolishness of the
heathen making a god of mere wood and fashioned silver or gold or other
precious coverings, which cannot see, nor hear, nor talk, much less DO
anything, be it good or evil.
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- I suppose we could let Christmas trees just lay there
on the floor and decorate them that way, but then we'd really just have
a Christmas "shrub" and the effect is entirely lost. Christmas
trees are not an act of paganism or idolatry, they are no different from
the tradition of dressing in your best Sunday duds or making any other
external display to represent something wonderful or cherished. In this
case, it is the celebration of the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ. For
some it might be the old Winter Solstice, entirely removed from anything
'Christian.' Ultimately, for the Christian, the Apostles left us with good
teachings regarding our place in this world, "in the world, but not
of it," and while here we have certain liberties which are not to
be trampled or judged:
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| "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard
to food or drink or in respect to a FESTIVAL or a new moon (feast) or a
Sabbath day -- things which are a mere shadow (symbol) of what is to come;
but the substance belongs to Christ." Col. 2:16-17 |
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- It should be noted that Paul, above, was writing to almost
entirely gentile believers for whom many 'pagan' festivals and feasts would
have been commonplace, and the Apostles had already drafted the clarifying
one-accord letter to gentile believers, freeing them from any constricts
of Jewish religious traditions (Acts 15).
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- So, enjoy your Christmas, tree and all, make merry and
give generously to those without, remembering the great gift that was given
to us all in Christ Jesus...
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| "God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the
Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory." 1 Timothy 3:16 |
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