Christmas Tree Paganism

ChristServant

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2020
544
460
South
✟26,634.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I do celebrate Christmas but I try to not dwell on the more pagan elements of it. I don't judge anyone for having a tree but I felt uncomfortable still having one , same.reasons as you, so threw mine away some years ago.

I t doesn't bother me having no tree or decorations up. My home is already filled with some lovely figurines and art, so am happy. I must admit it if I wasn't worried about electricity meter costs or fire risks (was in a house fire a long time ago so get anxious about fire risks) I would hang fairy lights up around my home all autumn and winter long. Just to brighten the dark evenings a bit and make the place cosy



We are all on a journey to bring us closer to GOD the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and at different levels of faith so, it's not up to me to try to enforce my findings of scripture on others, give insight, yes but no more. GOD Holy Spirit will lead us, if we accept to be lead, into all truths.

I have some strong opinions on certain things that could not possibly be justified by someone referring to themselves as a Christian and will make it known and I hope other Christians would rebuke me too if it's needed.


Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him

We no longer look to be served. We look to serve and give our lives for others. No longer fight for privilege, influence and status. We esteem others better than ourselves and put their interests above our own.

Peace be with all those in the body of Christ
 
Upvote 0

Gregory Thompson

Change is inevitable, feel free to spare some.
Supporter
Dec 20, 2009
28,362
7,742
Canada
✟721,286.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Married
How do we redeem the times? Is not our sole job on this earth to live for Jesus and preach the Gospel?? Isn't it God who redeems the times?
In any time we are living, ask yourself how can this be "gospel" or "something Jesus did" then do it that way instead.
 
  • Winner
Reactions: Junia
Upvote 0

Lukaris

Orthodox Christian
Supporter
Aug 3, 2007
7,839
2,533
Pennsylvania, USA
✟745,296.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
I believe there actually is a Biblical influence pertaining to Christmas and Christmas trees. In Judges 9 there is a parable of the trees looking for a king. It seems that the establishment of Chanukah in 2 Maccabees 10:1-9 foreshadows much of how we celebrate Christmas. 2 Maccabees 10 - KJVA Bible - Bible Study Tools

The fact that the ancient lunar calendar places the date on the 25th of Casleu which falls in November or December (aka Kislev: Kislev - Wikipedia ) makes December 25 seem Biblical. In John 10 as He proceeded to establish Himself as the Good Shepherd ( compare with Ezekiel 34) was done on Solomon’s porch in fulfillment of Chanukah “feast of the dedication”.
 
Last edited:
  • Informative
Reactions: Ezana
Upvote 0

narnia59

Regular Member
Supporter
Jul 17, 2007
5,746
1,261
✟323,546.00
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
My protestant relatives recently told me that Christmas trees are pagan and thus Christians should not have them in their houses. How would you respond to this concept?
I'd tell them to quit ceding things of God to the pagans. Who after all made trees? Just because a pagan religion may have misused what God made, they have no claim over it. Some other examples:

Circumcision. Because it was practiced as a religous initiation ritual by pagan cultures did it keep God from claiming it? No. For that matter, does it keep Christian people from doing it today that has nothing to do with its religous heritage?

Annointing with oil. Practiced in pagan cultures as part of their religion. Did that keep God from claiming it and using it? No.

Water cleansing rituals. Practiced in pagan cultures as part of their religion. Did that keep God from claiming it and using it? No.

The serpent as a symbol of worship and power. Used by pagan cultures. Did that keep God from claiming it an using it? No.

Worship of and gods of the sun. Used by pagan cultures. Did that keep God from referring to Christ as the "sun". No.

The worship and deification of fire. Used by pagan cultures. Did that keep God from using it as a symbol for the Holy Spirit? No.

Myrrh. According to pagan mythology the tears of Myrrha. Did that keep Biblical Christians from annointing the body of Christ with it at his death? No.

Thunder gods -- represented multiple places in ancient mythology. Did that keep God from referring to his voice as thunder? No.

There's a rainbow goddess Iris in Greek mythology. Did that keep God from using a rainbow as a sign of His covenant with Noah? No.

It would help if people would understand that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has ceded nothing to the pagans, and they shouldn't either. Instead, they merely reinforce pagan claims to what is not theirs, and never was.
 
Upvote 0

prodromos

Senior Veteran
Supporter
Nov 28, 2003
21,424
11,978
58
Sydney, Straya
✟1,167,262.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
Sorry, I have to agree with your protestant relatives after reading something in scripture regarding trees. I will not have one in my house. Tree worship is spoken of in the bible and about offerings and sacrifices.

Thus says the Lord:


“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.

Sounded too close to Christmas tree to me, personal choice for me not to have one.
That isn't describing tree worship, it is describing the carving of wood into an idol.
 
Upvote 0

prodromos

Senior Veteran
Supporter
Nov 28, 2003
21,424
11,978
58
Sydney, Straya
✟1,167,262.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
Also, just a gentle reminder that this thread was posted in the Eastern Orthodox subforum. Non Orthodox may ask questions and post in fellowship, but are not allowed to post anything against the Orthodox faith.
Since Christmas trees aren't an Eastern Orthodox tradition I don't think anyone has broken the forum rules, but this is not the place for non-Orthodox to debate each other.
 
  • Like
Reactions: E.C.
Upvote 0

Knee V

It's phonetic.
Sep 17, 2003
8,415
1,741
41
South Bend, IN
✟100,823.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Sorry, I have to agree with your protestant relatives after reading something in scripture regarding trees. I will not have one in my house. Tree worship is spoken of in the bible and about offerings and sacrifices.

Thus says the Lord:


“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.

Sounded too close to Christmas tree to me, personal choice for me not to have one.


Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him

We no longer look to be served. We look to serve and give our lives for others. No longer fight for privilege, influence and status. We esteem others better than ourselves and put their interests above our own.

Peace be with all those in the body of Christ
That passage is about finding a tree in order to carve the wood into a pagan idol. They are decorating the god figurine, not the tree.

But as to the OP itself:
When we decorate and light up a Christmas tree, what pagan *thing* are we actually *doing*? I mean specifically. What pagan god is being invoked? What pagan ritual is being performed?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Taodeching
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Justin-H.S.

Member
May 8, 2020
1,400
1,238
The Shire
✟115,626.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
Christ conquers all. Neither the tree nor the wreath is pagan anymore. Just as the cross is no longer Roman. It is ours because Christ made it His.

Christ’s Church endures through the ages and ages. You could say we “Debo’d” it. A la Friday: “My tree now, punk!”

Paganizers and Judaizers. Troublemakers abound, and yet we’re not troubled.
 
Upvote 0

Lukaris

Orthodox Christian
Supporter
Aug 3, 2007
7,839
2,533
Pennsylvania, USA
✟745,296.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
God called His creation “good” in Genesis 1:10, Genesis 1:12, Genesis 1:18, Genesis 1:21, Genesis 1:25, & Genesis 1:30. God glories when He is praised by His creation ( Psalm 148 ).

St. Maximos the Confessor in teaching of the Lord’s Prayer ( Matthew 6:9-13) that “nature in itself is pure & undefiled” & had man known this, would not have fallen into temptation. ( St. Maximos the Confessor, On the Lord’s Prayer, Philokalia vol.2).
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

bèlla

❤️
Supporter
Jan 16, 2019
20,480
17,639
USA
✟933,190.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
In Relationship
I have no attachment to them but I wouldn’t split hairs with loved ones over this. Harmony matters more than being right in this instance. I can enjoy the festivities and decorations with no complaints.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Junia
Upvote 0

Yeshua HaDerekh

Men dream of truth, find it then cant live with it
May 9, 2013
11,444
3,769
Eretz
✟317,023.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Private
My protestant relatives recently told me that Christmas trees are pagan and thus Christians should not have them in their houses. How would you respond to this concept?

It surely is NOT within Orthodox tradition. It is a tradition brought from Europe...
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

buzuxi02

Veteran
May 14, 2006
8,608
2,513
New York
✟212,454.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
My protestant relatives recently told me that Christmas trees are pagan and thus Christians should not have them in their houses. How would you respond to this concept?
Graven images are pagan too but we still like decorating our homes with paintings, three dimensional figures and televisions. I love the artwork on my comic books, love collecting wrestling belts with various etchings and figures, and like the shinto art of bonsai trees (though I don't have one of those trees don't have the green thumb to keep it alive)
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

E.C.

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2007
13,746
1,267
✟134,199.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
First and foremost, this is the Eastern Orthodox forum and while we do welcome guests (come outside of a fasting period and you may be fed baklava) I'd appreciate it if the non-Eastern Orthodox would quit debating in our home.


We have Christmas trees in this country because culturally our roots are predominately from the British Isles, Germany, and other places where Christmas trees are common. Our ancestors had them, they came here and brought the trees with them so to say. Maybe there was a pagan purpose for it before, but with Christ we get to repurpose things and make it all about Him.

For the Orthodox, while it is debatably not an "Orthodox" practice because it wasn't a thing in majority Orthodox areas like Russia, and Greece; that does not mean that it is necessarily anti-Orthodox. Every culture has its thing that it does on certain holidays, so maybe having a tree in the house for Christmas can be our "thing" here in the West.
 
Upvote 0

Inkfingers

Somebody's heretic
Supporter
May 17, 2014
5,638
1,548
✟160,762.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
I tend to agree with C S Lewis when he said "a Pagan, as history shows, is a man eminently convertible to Christianity. He is essentially the pre-Christian, or sub-Christian, religious man. The post-Christian man of our day differs from him as much as a divorcée differs from a virgin".

Where the pagan is expressing beauty, even in pagan ways, he is approaching the true divinity.
 
Upvote 0

Junia

Well-Known Member
May 17, 2020
2,795
1,387
42
Bristol
✟31,159.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
Graven images are pagan too but we still like decorating our homes with paintings, three dimensional figures and televisions. I love the artwork on my comic books, love collecting wrestling belts with various etchings and figures, and like the shinto art of bonsai trees (though I don't have one of those trees don't have the green thumb to keep it alive)


Art isn't sinful if you don't worship it

I am a water colour painter just mostly amateur with the odd commission thrown in when my health is up.to it which isn't often.

Someone at church h who didn't know anything about .e was praying for me and said "I feel the Lord is saying He loves your artwork.". I was like " how do you know I paint? " he replied "I didnt.must have been Holy Spirit"
 
Upvote 0

Junia

Well-Known Member
May 17, 2020
2,795
1,387
42
Bristol
✟31,159.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
I tend to agree with C S Lewis when he said "a Pagan, as history shows, is a man eminently convertible to Christianity. He is essentially the pre-Christian, or sub-Christian, religious man. The post-Christian man of our day differs from him as much as a divorcée differs from a virgin".

Where the pagan is expressing beauty, even in pagan ways, he is approaching the true divinity.

Well the earth is the Lords so this makes sense. Who has done Jon over the earth and all in it??God!
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Junia

Well-Known Member
May 17, 2020
2,795
1,387
42
Bristol
✟31,159.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
I have no attachment to them but I wouldn’t split hairs with loved ones over this. Harmony matters more than being right in this instance. I can enjoy the festivities and decorations with no complaints.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella

I feel the same way....better to focus on our own walk with God and let others work out theirs.
 
Upvote 0