The 7 Deadly Sins Of The Christmas Tree

elman · #21 17th November 2008, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Eph4:26

God made a law . . . .

Genesis 2:16 17 -- of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat - But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it.

Eve broke it.

And what was the real power that was promised to Eve by Satan when she committed sin?

Genesis 3:1
And (Satan) said to (Eve) . . .

Genesis 3:5
"For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Paul warns of the danger of such tree worship . . .

2 Cor 11:3
But I (Paul) am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity {of devotion} to Christ.

And what is the simplicity and devotion of Christ? The Gospel, which is the resurrection. Coming to life after dying.

Luke 9:23 -
And (Jesus) was saying to {them} all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

The battle between God and Satan is Death to Self vs. Fulfilling Self. The christmas tree, in my opinion, metaphorically represents the tree in the garden because it promises the lie of fulfilling self.

So why does that make the tree of good and evil the Christmas tree? Maybe it is the tree of life in the garden.

stone · #22 17th November 2008, 05:29 PM

Most of everything that christians do have pagan\gentile roots.

EVERYTHING!

jeremiah 10 doesn't even speak of carving the tree, read it again, it simply speaks of cutting it down, fastening it, and decorating it. I don't care what you say, although i know those of you that do those things will justify yourselves like anyone else, i don't care what you do either, i will not have a pagan tree or a pagan clause in my house.

Santa Claus: he know when you are sleeping, when you are bad, when you are good, etc... HELLO!

*smacks you guys on the back of the head*

What you do is your business, what i do is mine. I do what is pleasing to god, you do what is pleasing to yourself.

Jessica Lauren · #23 17th November 2008, 06:15 PM

SANTA is just something fun. It only gets bad when people take Jesus out of the picture. But both together? Harmless. Don't take the fun out of EVERYTHING. Jesus isn't about to condemn us to hell for decorating a tree and kids believing in Santa Claus for fun!

Eph4:26 · #24 17th November 2008, 06:16 PM

The erection of a tree within the temple was one of the catalysts that brought on the Jewish revolt.

1 Maccabees 1:10
And there came out of them a wicked root Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow.

And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in the hundred forty and third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude,

And entered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof,

And the table of the shewbread, and the pouring vessels, and the vials. and the censers of gold, and the veil, and the crown, and the golden ornaments that were before the temple, all which he pulled off.

He took also the silver and the gold, and the precious vessels: also he took the hidden treasures which he found.

And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, having made a great massacre, and spoken very proudly.

Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people,

And every one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king.

Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his religion, and sacrificed unto idols, and profaned the sabbath.

For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda that they should follow the strange laws of the land,

And forbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings, in the temple; and that they should profane the sabbaths and festival days:

And pollute the sanctuary and holy people:

Set up altars, and groves, and chapels of idols, and sacrifice swine's flesh, and unclean beasts

Grove

(1.) Heb. ''asherah, properly a wooden image, or a pillar representing Ashtoreth, a sensual Canaanitish goddess, probably usually set up in a grove (2 Kings 21:7; 23:4). In the Revised Version the word "Asherah" (q.v.) is introduced as a proper noun, the name of the wooden symbol of a goddess, with the plurals Asherim (Ex. 34:13) and Asheroth (Judg. 3:13).

The LXX. have rendered asherah in 2 Chr. 15:16 by "Astarte." The Vulgate has done this also in Judg. 3:7.

(2.) Heb. ''eshel (Gen. 21:33). In 1 Sam. 22:6 and 31:13 the Authorized Version renders this word by "tree." In all these passages the Revised Version renders by "tamarisk tree." It has been identified with the Tamariscus orientalis, five species of which are found in Palestine.

(3.) The Heb. word ''elon, uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "plain," properly signifies a grove or plantation. In the Revised Version it is rendered, pl., "oaks" (Gen. 13:18; 14:13; 18:1; 12:6; Deut. 11:30; Josh. 19:33). In the earliest times groves are mentioned in connection with religious worship. The heathen consecrated groves to particular gods, and for this reason they were forbidden to the Jews (Jer. 17:3; Ezek. 20:28).

Yardstick · #25 17th November 2008, 06:23 PM

I think instead of worrying about the idolatry of a christmas tree we should look at how the original message has been warped by consumerism.

Jessica Lauren · #26 17th November 2008, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by Yardstick

I think instead of worrying about the idolatry of a christmas tree we should look at how the original message has been warped by consumerism.

Seriously.

Celticflower · #27 17th November 2008, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Yardstick

I think instead of worrying about the idolatry of a christmas tree we should look at how the original message has been warped by consumerism.

Smartest thing in this thread so far.

staugustine68 · #28 17th November 2008, 08:16 PM

Setting up my Christmas tree in a few days will not make me a Pagan. Therefore, It isn't my problem.

Yarddog · #29 17th November 2008, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by Eph4:26

God made a law . . . .

Genesis 2:16 17 -- of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat - But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it.

What does that have to do with the Christmas tree?????????

The Tree of Knowledge represents the Mosaic Law.
Romans 3:
20 For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Yarddog · #30 17th November 2008, 08:24 PM

It sure looks like a landslide in the voting.

YD