Apology for the Christmas Tree

Pavel Mosko

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OK I've been trying to find some boards to post some articles/blog posts especially stuff I like to reference for current projects I'm working on and have in mind. I would like to put this one on the actual Apologetics board since it is that except board is more geared to people outside the faith than Christians who question the legitimacy of something. There are other boards this could go depending on the area or point you want to focus on, I'm just picking this board based on the theological assumptions of the original detractor since that seemed to describe it the best as far as why it was written in the first place.


Introduction
In the last decade, Christmas, has come under attack. Most westerners are used to have such attacks coming from atheists, Muslims, and liberals, but what is truly, interesting is when CHRISTIANS object to Christmas displays. One of the anti-Christmas movements gaining some traction is the notion among certain Christian fundamentalists is that Christmas is a pagan corruption, and the Christmas tree itself is a form of pagan idolatry.
There are some grains of truth to this claim, but in this series, I will be putting forth some reasons why I believe the Crusade Against Christmas and Christmas trees is itself is a dangerous movement that has a few heretical implications for Christianity. Furthermore, in spite of whatever the origins of decorative trees, Christmas has been a way that Christians have celebrated some of the important truths of their faith for at least 1700 years (roughly speaking).
My Presentation of the case against the Christmas tree comes from a former Facebook Associate. He is a nondenominational Charismatic who claims to be a prophet. I will refer to him with the pseudo name, “Brother X”.


Brother X's Case against the Christmas tree in a Nutshell
1) Brother X, correctly notes the Early Church “used the Old Testament as its Bible” (Because the NT was still being written in the 1st century, and took a couple of centuries for copies to be made by hand to become widely available).
2) He then References Old Testament verses regarding Idolatry. Not only were the Jews of the OT not practice idolatry but they were supposed to avoid having a knowledge of it. They were to remove all traces of it from their land, avoid saying the names of pagan gods etc.
3) The Christmas tree is a practice that descends from paganism. (Not the exact custom, but pagans from various regions from Egypt, Rome, and Germany did decorate their homes during the winter months with greenery, like tree branches, vines, mistletoe etc. )
4) Brother X then references Jeremiah 10:3-4. Brother X “Doesn’t this sound like a Christmas tree?”
Jeremiah 10:3-4
“For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4"They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter.”
5) Brother X notes Old Testament passages regarding contamination (i.e. leprosy, mold, other disease) says this is a prevalent theme in the Pentateuch because “of the spiritual implications from contamination”. People can be corrupted by coming into contact with things that are impure, corrupt and evil.
6) Therefore, according to Brother X, all Christians should stay away from all customs and practices that descend from paganism, even Christmas trees... L
PS – or point 7) Brother X, believes the reluctance of other Christians to see things the way he does is a result of “Their conscience being seared” (1 Timothy 4:2) and is further proof of their idolatry!

My Rebuttal point 1) Brother X view is contradicted by Jesus and the NT.
Mark 7:17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
Our corruption is not a result of being exposed to things the Mosaic Law forbids but the sins we actually practice. I guarantee that 99.999% of people buy and decorate a Christmas tree not to worship it, or to celebrate pagan gods but because they think it is pretty and want to make their home a bit more festive and bright for the holidays.

Point 2) Bishop Elect Stan Smith reaction
My BFF is too busy to be blogging these days, but figured I would give his reaction which is very apt and on target. He cites: Colossians 2:21-23New International Version (NIV)
21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
“This is a way of being special without having to actually do anything, Like help someone.”
(This is actually jumping the gun a bit, but he actually is on to something here. One of my later points, I was going to make Brother X seem to be on the road to becoming a cult leader. He never seems to be able to be at a church for any length of time. He seems driven to nitpick and fault find with everyone around him. He has his own little group that he is happy with, but he pretty much sets the rules and expels anybody that contradicts him).

Point 3) Inconsistencies and Myths about Culture
1) People who make these overly strict rules are usually not entirely consistent in their application of such principles (and thank God for that). What I’m saying is we have some aspects of the pagan heritage that are embed deep in our society that are hard to escape from. A few examples: The Months of the Year come from Roman pagan society, while the names of the days of the week come directly from Norse pagan society. Do such people protest these bits of paganism by refusing to use such terminology? Another example is our money, it is no secret that many of the Founding Fathers were Masons and used the symbols taken from Egyptian paganism. Do such people refuse to use US dollar bills because “The All-Seeing Eye of Ra” is printed on one side? I suspect the answer in most cases would be “No”, since that would extremely inconvenient.
2) A) Besides this there are some myths about culture. Many Charismatics have almost a Gnostic conception of a pure “Spiritual” belief or practice that is free of culture. The first time I recognized this was reading a Ken Hagin book, “Plans, Purposes, and Pursuits” when he spoke about “worship in the Spirit”. He chastised people who did “Square Dancing” during the Church service (dancing in the Spirit), and said “that was fleshly”. He however approved of the “Pentecostal hop”, which I guess seems more visceral and therefore more spiritual. This sort of reasoning is nonsense. Almost everything we do is culture related. The Pentecostal hop is just a product of a special sub culture. It is not something that is purely spiritual. Maybe the first people who did it, reacted that way, but once others see others do it. You get into “monkey see, monkey do”. And yes, even if you are against “the teaching of men”, you do end up develop your own unique cultural tradition.
B) One thing should also be said of Hebrew Culture before ending the post. Because Hebrew culture is the culture of the Bible, and the Jews are “God’s Chosen people” many people see Hebrew culture as something that is pure and Holy, spiritual etc. To those kinds of notions, I have to remind people that every culture beyond The Garden of Eden comes from somewhere else! Before Abraham left UR of the Chaldees he resided in a pagan land and had the culture of that land. You can see that in the Old Testament itself. Why do you think God is always appearing in the Pentateuch as a form of fire? That was a vestige of the Sumerian culture and religion that was part of the early Hebrew way of seeing the divine. Similarly, during the Captivity in Egypt the Hebrew culture adopted a number of things from the Egyptians: like the practice of stoning, they adopted their forms of poetry and wisdom literature (psalms, proverbs etc. is based on similar things the Egyptians did). Anyway, if paganism infects true religion and culture the Hebrews were infected 4 or 5 thousand years before the Christmas tree.


Point 4) Some Positive Preaching From aspects of the pagan heritage
Philippians 1:15-18New International Version (NIV)
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
It's interesting that saint Paul only cares about one thing, that Christ is preached! He doesn’t sweat the details or motivations. So based on that I will make a few points.
A) The Christmas tree has been a means of celebrating one of “the essential truths” of Christianity the Incarnation of Christ. The Christmas tree does not corrupt true religion but utilizes and engages contemporary culture for the message of the Gospel much like Paul preaching at Mars Hill in the book of Acts.
B) On the subject, of the pagan heritage It should be noted that the pagan heritage has given us a few good things. Without evangelism of the Germanic tribes their might not be any military chaplains. One of the conditions for evangelizing the Germanic tribes was they demanded clergy that would go into battle with them (to replace their priests of Odin and Thor that went with them into battle to have the favor of the gods). And from these we got the warrior priests of the crusades, that is the early ancestor of the modern military chaplain. Can anyone truly say that this is not a benefit? (Given how vulnerable young people are during peace time, let alone when fighting an actual war.)

Not to beat a dead horse
There are many other points that could be made and scriptures that could be quoted.
Overall I see the Crusade against the Christmas tree as a divisive issue that goes against the basic spirit of the original "Counsel of Jerusalem" in Acts 15, and flies in the face of much of the ministry of saint Paul.
 
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JSRG

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I want to make a few notes against the points you are arguing against that I think you could have brought up.
3) The Christmas tree is a practice that descends from paganism. (Not the exact custom, but pagans from various regions from Egypt, Rome, and Germany did decorate their homes during the winter months with greenery, like tree branches, vines, mistletoe etc. )
Point 3) Inconsistencies and Myths about Culture
1) People who make these overly strict rules are usually not entirely consistent in their application of such principles (and thank God for that). What I’m saying is we have some aspects of the pagan heritage that are embed deep in our society that are hard to escape from. A few examples: The Months of the Year come from Roman pagan society, while the names of the days of the week come directly from Norse pagan society. Do such people protest these bits of paganism by refusing to use such terminology? Another example is our money, it is no secret that many of the Founding Fathers were Masons and used the symbols taken from Egyptian paganism. Do such people refuse to use US dollar bills because “The All-Seeing Eye of Ra” is printed on one side? I suspect the answer in most cases would be “No”, since that would extremely inconvenient.
2) A) Besides this there are some myths about culture. Many Charismatics have almost a Gnostic conception of a pure “Spiritual” belief or practice that is free of culture. The first time I recognized this was reading a Ken Hagin book, “Plans, Purposes, and Pursuits” when he spoke about “worship in the Spirit”. He chastised people who did “Square Dancing” during the Church service (dancing in the Spirit), and said “that was fleshly”. He however approved of the “Pentecostal hop”, which I guess seems more visceral and therefore more spiritual. This sort of reasoning is nonsense. Almost everything we do is culture related. The Pentecostal hop is just a product of a special sub culture. It is not something that is purely spiritual. Maybe the first people who did it, reacted that way, but once others see others do it. You get into “monkey see, monkey do”. And yes, even if you are against “the teaching of men”, you do end up develop your own unique cultural tradition.
B) One thing should also be said of Hebrew Culture before ending the post. Because Hebrew culture is the culture of the Bible, and the Jews are “God’s Chosen people” many people see Hebrew culture as something that is pure and Holy, spiritual etc. To those kinds of notions, I have to remind people that every culture beyond The Garden of Eden comes from somewhere else! Before Abraham left UR of the Chaldees he resided in a pagan land and had the culture of that land. You can see that in the Old Testament itself. Why do you think God is always appearing in the Pentateuch as a form of fire? That was a vestige of the Sumerian culture and religion that was part of the early Hebrew way of seeing the divine. Similarly, during the Captivity in Egypt the Hebrew culture adopted a number of things from the Egyptians: like the practice of stoning, they adopted their forms of poetry and wisdom literature (psalms, proverbs etc. is based on similar things the Egyptians did). Anyway, if paganism infects true religion and culture the Hebrews were infected 4 or 5 thousand years before the Christmas tree.

Something you could point out is that "Christmas tree" started getting used long after those other cited usages of trees by pagans had ceased. Your link asserts that the modern practice of Christmas trees started in the late 1400s or early 1500s (interestingly, it seems German Protestants were the ones who popularized it, somewhat throwing a wrench into the claim of "the Catholic Church took the idea from paganism!" claim). As far as I can tell, there is no evidence that there's any connection between pagan usage of trees and the Christmas tree. They seem separated by too lengthy a time period for it to work.

4) Brother X then references Jeremiah 10:3-4. Brother X “Doesn’t this sound like a Christmas tree?”
Jeremiah 10:3-4
“For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4"They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter.”
Point 4) Some Positive Preaching From aspects of the pagan heritage
Philippians 1:15-18New International Version (NIV)
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
It's interesting that saint Paul only cares about one thing, that Christ is preached! He doesn’t sweat the details or motivations. So based on that I will make a few points.
A) The Christmas tree has been a means of celebrating one of “the essential truths” of Christianity the Incarnation of Christ. The Christmas tree does not corrupt true religion but utilizes and engages contemporary culture for the message of the Gospel much like Paul preaching at Mars Hill in the book of Acts.
B) On the subject, of the pagan heritage It should be noted that the pagan heritage has given us a few good things. Without evangelism of the Germanic tribes their might not be any military chaplains. One of the conditions for evangelizing the Germanic tribes was they demanded clergy that would go into battle with them (to replace their priests of Odin and Thor that went with them into battle to have the favor of the gods). And from these we got the warrior priests of the crusades, that is the early ancestor of the modern military chaplain. Can anyone truly say that this is not a benefit? (Given how vulnerable young people are during peace time, let alone when fighting an actual war.)
I should note that as far as I can tell, the first instance of anyone actually using this argument against Christmas trees comes from the 20th century, and seems to have been popularized by Herbert Armstrong and his Worldwide Church of God (with the argument later spreading to other groups):

If this is true--and it does seem to track with the handful of "anti-Christmas" works from the 19th century I've looked at, which make no mention of Jeremiah, even when attacking Christmas trees--this would make the entire argument rather suspect simply from that. Even setting that aside, the interpretation is rather questionable, as from context Jeremiah seems to be referring to idols made from a tree, not simply a tree itself.
 
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Setting aside the accuracy of the accusation that these practices were derived from pagan practice, it seems prudent to me to examine what the impact of these practices are at present. In many ways, the...iconoclasm?...present in these types of objections are largely a form of superstitious belief since they give power to the pagan deities by claiming even historic association is problematic. Regardless of origin, there is at present no association between pagan deities and the more or less secular traditions surrounding Christian holidays. When parents speak of the Easter bunny, or Santa Claus, these are seen not as actual beings bringing these blessings but a way of making the holidays fun for children. These practices do not give worship that belongs to God alone to another, so the objectors are the ones giving undue influence rather than those who treat it as harmless fun.
 
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Rescued One

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Jehovah's Witnesses(a cult) quote that Jeremiah verse. All Amish and some Mennonites don't put up trees. Dec. 6 is St. Nicholas day not Dec. 25 which isn't actually the birthday of Christ. I like Christmas trees and don't think they're sinful. Christians and non-Christians have houseplants. I'm not a Santa Claus fan, but I happen to like Nativity sets. God knows who is a Christian and who isn't; he knows who worships trees!
 
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SeventhFisherofMen

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Jehovah's Witnesses(a cult) quote that Jeremiah verse. All Amish and some Mennonites don't put up trees. Dec. 6 is St. Nicholas day not Dec. 25 which isn't actually the birthday of Christ. I like Christmas trees and don't think they're sinful. Christians and non-Christians have houseplants. I'm not a Santa Claus fan, but I happen to like Nativity sets. God knows who is a Christian and who isn't; he knows who worships trees!
Yes Jesus knows our intentions, He knows if someone is putting up a Christmas tree to appreciate Christmas and those that are worshipping trees. I have never met anyone who has said they put up a Christmas tree to worship it. You could argue that the calendar has names of gods like March standing for Mars the roman god of war, but does anyone who is Christian actually worship Mars just because it's March?? Really silly if you think about it, i do not believe that Jesus is a God that is splitting hairs trying to find what we are doing wrong that is called the accuser and it is not Jesus!
 
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Rescued One

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Yes Jesus knows our intentions, He knows if someone is putting up a Christmas tree to appreciate Christmas and those that are worshipping trees. I have never met anyone who has said they put up a Christmas tree to worship it. You could argue that the calendar has names of gods like March standing for Mars the roman god of war, but does anyone who is Christian actually worship Mars just because it's March?? Really silly if you think about it, i do not believe that Jesus is a God that is splitting hairs trying to find what we are doing wrong that is called the accuser and it is not Jesus!
Or are all people named Martin condemned?
 
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OK I've been trying to find some boards to post some articles/blog posts especially stuff I like to reference for current projects I'm working on and have in mind. I would like to put this one on the actual Apologetics board since it is that except board is more geared to people outside the faith than Christians who question the legitimacy of something. There are other boards this could go depending on the area or point you want to focus on, I'm just picking this board based on the theological assumptions of the original detractor since that seemed to describe it the best as far as why it was written in the first place.


Introduction
In the last decade, Christmas, has come under attack. Most westerners are used to have such attacks coming from atheists, Muslims, and liberals, but what is truly, interesting is when CHRISTIANS object to Christmas displays. One of the anti-Christmas movements gaining some traction is the notion among certain Christian fundamentalists is that Christmas is a pagan corruption, and the Christmas tree itself is a form of pagan idolatry.
There are some grains of truth to this claim, but in this series, I will be putting forth some reasons why I believe the Crusade Against Christmas and Christmas trees is itself is a dangerous movement that has a few heretical implications for Christianity. Furthermore, in spite of whatever the origins of decorative trees, Christmas has been a way that Christians have celebrated some of the important truths of their faith for at least 1700 years (roughly speaking).
My Presentation of the case against the Christmas tree comes from a former Facebook Associate. He is a nondenominational Charismatic who claims to be a prophet. I will refer to him with the pseudo name, “Brother X”.


Brother X's Case against the Christmas tree in a Nutshell
1) Brother X, correctly notes the Early Church “used the Old Testament as its Bible” (Because the NT was still being written in the 1st century, and took a couple of centuries for copies to be made by hand to become widely available).
2) He then References Old Testament verses regarding Idolatry. Not only were the Jews of the OT not practice idolatry but they were supposed to avoid having a knowledge of it. They were to remove all traces of it from their land, avoid saying the names of pagan gods etc.
3) The Christmas tree is a practice that descends from paganism. (Not the exact custom, but pagans from various regions from Egypt, Rome, and Germany did decorate their homes during the winter months with greenery, like tree branches, vines, mistletoe etc. )
4) Brother X then references Jeremiah 10:3-4. Brother X “Doesn’t this sound like a Christmas tree?”
Jeremiah 10:3-4
“For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4"They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter.”
5) Brother X notes Old Testament passages regarding contamination (i.e. leprosy, mold, other disease) says this is a prevalent theme in the Pentateuch because “of the spiritual implications from contamination”. People can be corrupted by coming into contact with things that are impure, corrupt and evil.
6) Therefore, according to Brother X, all Christians should stay away from all customs and practices that descend from paganism, even Christmas trees... L
PS – or point 7) Brother X, believes the reluctance of other Christians to see things the way he does is a result of “Their conscience being seared” (1 Timothy 4:2) and is further proof of their idolatry!

My Rebuttal point 1) Brother X view is contradicted by Jesus and the NT.
Mark 7:17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
Our corruption is not a result of being exposed to things the Mosaic Law forbids but the sins we actually practice. I guarantee that 99.999% of people buy and decorate a Christmas tree not to worship it, or to celebrate pagan gods but because they think it is pretty and want to make their home a bit more festive and bright for the holidays.

Point 2) Bishop Elect Stan Smith reaction
My BFF is too busy to be blogging these days, but figured I would give his reaction which is very apt and on target. He cites: Colossians 2:21-23New International Version (NIV)
21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
“This is a way of being special without having to actually do anything, Like help someone.”
(This is actually jumping the gun a bit, but he actually is on to something here. One of my later points, I was going to make Brother X seem to be on the road to becoming a cult leader. He never seems to be able to be at a church for any length of time. He seems driven to nitpick and fault find with everyone around him. He has his own little group that he is happy with, but he pretty much sets the rules and expels anybody that contradicts him).

Point 3) Inconsistencies and Myths about Culture
1) People who make these overly strict rules are usually not entirely consistent in their application of such principles (and thank God for that). What I’m saying is we have some aspects of the pagan heritage that are embed deep in our society that are hard to escape from. A few examples: The Months of the Year come from Roman pagan society, while the names of the days of the week come directly from Norse pagan society. Do such people protest these bits of paganism by refusing to use such terminology? Another example is our money, it is no secret that many of the Founding Fathers were Masons and used the symbols taken from Egyptian paganism. Do such people refuse to use US dollar bills because “The All-Seeing Eye of Ra” is printed on one side? I suspect the answer in most cases would be “No”, since that would extremely inconvenient.
2) A) Besides this there are some myths about culture. Many Charismatics have almost a Gnostic conception of a pure “Spiritual” belief or practice that is free of culture. The first time I recognized this was reading a Ken Hagin book, “Plans, Purposes, and Pursuits” when he spoke about “worship in the Spirit”. He chastised people who did “Square Dancing” during the Church service (dancing in the Spirit), and said “that was fleshly”. He however approved of the “Pentecostal hop”, which I guess seems more visceral and therefore more spiritual. This sort of reasoning is nonsense. Almost everything we do is culture related. The Pentecostal hop is just a product of a special sub culture. It is not something that is purely spiritual. Maybe the first people who did it, reacted that way, but once others see others do it. You get into “monkey see, monkey do”. And yes, even if you are against “the teaching of men”, you do end up develop your own unique cultural tradition.
B) One thing should also be said of Hebrew Culture before ending the post. Because Hebrew culture is the culture of the Bible, and the Jews are “God’s Chosen people” many people see Hebrew culture as something that is pure and Holy, spiritual etc. To those kinds of notions, I have to remind people that every culture beyond The Garden of Eden comes from somewhere else! Before Abraham left UR of the Chaldees he resided in a pagan land and had the culture of that land. You can see that in the Old Testament itself. Why do you think God is always appearing in the Pentateuch as a form of fire? That was a vestige of the Sumerian culture and religion that was part of the early Hebrew way of seeing the divine. Similarly, during the Captivity in Egypt the Hebrew culture adopted a number of things from the Egyptians: like the practice of stoning, they adopted their forms of poetry and wisdom literature (psalms, proverbs etc. is based on similar things the Egyptians did). Anyway, if paganism infects true religion and culture the Hebrews were infected 4 or 5 thousand years before the Christmas tree.


Point 4) Some Positive Preaching From aspects of the pagan heritage
Philippians 1:15-18New International Version (NIV)
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
It's interesting that saint Paul only cares about one thing, that Christ is preached! He doesn’t sweat the details or motivations. So based on that I will make a few points.
A) The Christmas tree has been a means of celebrating one of “the essential truths” of Christianity the Incarnation of Christ. The Christmas tree does not corrupt true religion but utilizes and engages contemporary culture for the message of the Gospel much like Paul preaching at Mars Hill in the book of Acts.
B) On the subject, of the pagan heritage It should be noted that the pagan heritage has given us a few good things. Without evangelism of the Germanic tribes their might not be any military chaplains. One of the conditions for evangelizing the Germanic tribes was they demanded clergy that would go into battle with them (to replace their priests of Odin and Thor that went with them into battle to have the favor of the gods). And from these we got the warrior priests of the crusades, that is the early ancestor of the modern military chaplain. Can anyone truly say that this is not a benefit? (Given how vulnerable young people are during peace time, let alone when fighting an actual war.)

Not to beat a dead horse
There are many other points that could be made and scriptures that could be quoted.
Overall I see the Crusade against the Christmas tree as a divisive issue that goes against the basic spirit of the original "Counsel of Jerusalem" in Acts 15, and flies in the face of much of the ministry of saint Paul.
In general I have thoughts on the matter which I have attempted to abbreviate below:

The only tree related to the gospel is probably the one Jesus was nailed to.

The christmas tree seems to be related to the yule log celebration.

The presents story with an old saint nick is European in origin. In some parts of Christianity, the God of the bible has been replaced with Santa Claus.

Beyond all that, it doesn't really affect me. Arguing over an event where people have found selfish reasons to be nice to one another isn't edifying. One day people will look for selfish reasons to be nice to one another, and won't be able to find one .. and then life on earth will be truly dreadful.

So perhaps thankfulness is the correct attitude.
 
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I want to thank you for bringing up this topic. I have a very deep spiritual connection with Advent/Christmas and celebrate it on my own terms, mostly involved now in an Episcopal High church. I have many non-Christian friends, many of those are atheists. I have never , ever once had an atheist attack me or my desire to celebrate a holiday. Same for anyone who is Jewish or Islamic. And even the Buddhists with whom I have spent so much time do not care what holidays someone else celebrates.
The ONLY people who have ever attacked me or tried to hinder my enjoyment or experience of the Christmas Holiday have been Christians. ( It actually ended badly for a few Church of Christ members too. ) I have found that a very select few Christians can be the ones who do not know when to mind their own business and keep their mouths shut in regards to holidays.

That being said, I advise you to first and foremost, do your own thing. Celebrate in the way that speaks to you and works for you. This is about my celebration of a holiday, not someone else's . Likewise, it is your choice to celebrate the holiday as YOU choose. I center the Holiday around the days leading up to, and the attendance at Midnight Mass. That is what works for me. Some may not choose that, and that is fine.

We have here in America this wonderful thing called freedom. Sadly, some people tend to forget that, both for them
selves and others. I have come under criticism in the past for saying that I am an American first and a Christian second. But think of this: in some countries, I could not have the freedom, or the knowledge to make that choice. But that is what we celebrate at Christmas, our freedom to worship as we please. And if there is anything more rejoiceful than the WORD being made Flesh, the promise of the Coming, then I know not what it is.

Attacks on Christmas will never stop. Just remember that some people, due to lack of self esteem, self loathing (which is rampant in fundamentalist Christian churches) will be so unhappy that they believe that lashing out at those who seem to be happier than they are is the only way that they can justify their self-hating existence.

Show them Love, Charity and perhaps they will one day see the beauty of the Holiday and the deep message beneath it, a message of pure Love when God revealed Himself to the World.
 
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OK I've been trying to find some boards to post some articles/blog posts especially stuff I like to reference for current projects I'm working on and have in mind. I would like to put this one on the actual Apologetics board since it is that except board is more geared to people outside the faith than Christians who question the legitimacy of something. There are other boards this could go depending on the area or point you want to focus on, I'm just picking this board based on the theological assumptions of the original detractor since that seemed to describe it the best as far as why it was written in the first place.


Introduction
In the last decade, Christmas, has come under attack. Most westerners are used to have such attacks coming from atheists, Muslims, and liberals, but what is truly, interesting is when CHRISTIANS object to Christmas displays. One of the anti-Christmas movements gaining some traction is the notion among certain Christian fundamentalists is that Christmas is a pagan corruption, and the Christmas tree itself is a form of pagan idolatry.
There are some grains of truth to this claim, but in this series, I will be putting forth some reasons why I believe the Crusade Against Christmas and Christmas trees is itself is a dangerous movement that has a few heretical implications for Christianity. Furthermore, in spite of whatever the origins of decorative trees, Christmas has been a way that Christians have celebrated some of the important truths of their faith for at least 1700 years (roughly speaking).
My Presentation of the case against the Christmas tree comes from a former Facebook Associate. He is a nondenominational Charismatic who claims to be a prophet. I will refer to him with the pseudo name, “Brother X”.


Brother X's Case against the Christmas tree in a Nutshell
1) Brother X, correctly notes the Early Church “used the Old Testament as its Bible” (Because the NT was still being written in the 1st century, and took a couple of centuries for copies to be made by hand to become widely available).
2) He then References Old Testament verses regarding Idolatry. Not only were the Jews of the OT not practice idolatry but they were supposed to avoid having a knowledge of it. They were to remove all traces of it from their land, avoid saying the names of pagan gods etc.
3) The Christmas tree is a practice that descends from paganism. (Not the exact custom, but pagans from various regions from Egypt, Rome, and Germany did decorate their homes during the winter months with greenery, like tree branches, vines, mistletoe etc. )
4) Brother X then references Jeremiah 10:3-4. Brother X “Doesn’t this sound like a Christmas tree?”
Jeremiah 10:3-4
“For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4"They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter.”
5) Brother X notes Old Testament passages regarding contamination (i.e. leprosy, mold, other disease) says this is a prevalent theme in the Pentateuch because “of the spiritual implications from contamination”. People can be corrupted by coming into contact with things that are impure, corrupt and evil.
6) Therefore, according to Brother X, all Christians should stay away from all customs and practices that descend from paganism, even Christmas trees... L
PS – or point 7) Brother X, believes the reluctance of other Christians to see things the way he does is a result of “Their conscience being seared” (1 Timothy 4:2) and is further proof of their idolatry!

My Rebuttal point 1) Brother X view is contradicted by Jesus and the NT.
Mark 7:17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
Our corruption is not a result of being exposed to things the Mosaic Law forbids but the sins we actually practice. I guarantee that 99.999% of people buy and decorate a Christmas tree not to worship it, or to celebrate pagan gods but because they think it is pretty and want to make their home a bit more festive and bright for the holidays.

Point 2) Bishop Elect Stan Smith reaction
My BFF is too busy to be blogging these days, but figured I would give his reaction which is very apt and on target. He cites: Colossians 2:21-23New International Version (NIV)
21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
“This is a way of being special without having to actually do anything, Like help someone.”
(This is actually jumping the gun a bit, but he actually is on to something here. One of my later points, I was going to make Brother X seem to be on the road to becoming a cult leader. He never seems to be able to be at a church for any length of time. He seems driven to nitpick and fault find with everyone around him. He has his own little group that he is happy with, but he pretty much sets the rules and expels anybody that contradicts him).

Point 3) Inconsistencies and Myths about Culture
1) People who make these overly strict rules are usually not entirely consistent in their application of such principles (and thank God for that). What I’m saying is we have some aspects of the pagan heritage that are embed deep in our society that are hard to escape from. A few examples: The Months of the Year come from Roman pagan society, while the names of the days of the week come directly from Norse pagan society. Do such people protest these bits of paganism by refusing to use such terminology? Another example is our money, it is no secret that many of the Founding Fathers were Masons and used the symbols taken from Egyptian paganism. Do such people refuse to use US dollar bills because “The All-Seeing Eye of Ra” is printed on one side? I suspect the answer in most cases would be “No”, since that would extremely inconvenient.
2) A) Besides this there are some myths about culture. Many Charismatics have almost a Gnostic conception of a pure “Spiritual” belief or practice that is free of culture. The first time I recognized this was reading a Ken Hagin book, “Plans, Purposes, and Pursuits” when he spoke about “worship in the Spirit”. He chastised people who did “Square Dancing” during the Church service (dancing in the Spirit), and said “that was fleshly”. He however approved of the “Pentecostal hop”, which I guess seems more visceral and therefore more spiritual. This sort of reasoning is nonsense. Almost everything we do is culture related. The Pentecostal hop is just a product of a special sub culture. It is not something that is purely spiritual. Maybe the first people who did it, reacted that way, but once others see others do it. You get into “monkey see, monkey do”. And yes, even if you are against “the teaching of men”, you do end up develop your own unique cultural tradition.
B) One thing should also be said of Hebrew Culture before ending the post. Because Hebrew culture is the culture of the Bible, and the Jews are “God’s Chosen people” many people see Hebrew culture as something that is pure and Holy, spiritual etc. To those kinds of notions, I have to remind people that every culture beyond The Garden of Eden comes from somewhere else! Before Abraham left UR of the Chaldees he resided in a pagan land and had the culture of that land. You can see that in the Old Testament itself. Why do you think God is always appearing in the Pentateuch as a form of fire? That was a vestige of the Sumerian culture and religion that was part of the early Hebrew way of seeing the divine. Similarly, during the Captivity in Egypt the Hebrew culture adopted a number of things from the Egyptians: like the practice of stoning, they adopted their forms of poetry and wisdom literature (psalms, proverbs etc. is based on similar things the Egyptians did). Anyway, if paganism infects true religion and culture the Hebrews were infected 4 or 5 thousand years before the Christmas tree.


Point 4) Some Positive Preaching From aspects of the pagan heritage
Philippians 1:15-18New International Version (NIV)
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
It's interesting that saint Paul only cares about one thing, that Christ is preached! He doesn’t sweat the details or motivations. So based on that I will make a few points.
A) The Christmas tree has been a means of celebrating one of “the essential truths” of Christianity the Incarnation of Christ. The Christmas tree does not corrupt true religion but utilizes and engages contemporary culture for the message of the Gospel much like Paul preaching at Mars Hill in the book of Acts.
B) On the subject, of the pagan heritage It should be noted that the pagan heritage has given us a few good things. Without evangelism of the Germanic tribes their might not be any military chaplains. One of the conditions for evangelizing the Germanic tribes was they demanded clergy that would go into battle with them (to replace their priests of Odin and Thor that went with them into battle to have the favor of the gods). And from these we got the warrior priests of the crusades, that is the early ancestor of the modern military chaplain. Can anyone truly say that this is not a benefit? (Given how vulnerable young people are during peace time, let alone when fighting an actual war.)

Not to beat a dead horse
There are many other points that could be made and scriptures that could be quoted.
Overall I see the Crusade against the Christmas tree as a divisive issue that goes against the basic spirit of the original "Counsel of Jerusalem" in Acts 15, and flies in the face of much of the ministry of saint Paul.

Xmas is to do with idolatry or the mixing of idolatry with the name, Christ, this mixing is an abomination. one fix would be to have Nimrodmass on the 25 th of Dec. and Christmas on the 25th june.
 
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Pavel Mosko

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Xmas is to do with idolatry or the mixing of idolatry with the name, Christ, this mixing is an abomination. one fix would be to have Nimrodmass on the 25 th of Dec. and Christmas on the 25th june.
Thanks, your post reminds me of the reason why I wrote this in the first place.


Also, as someone I follow online said recently "The Ultimate paganization is to associate Christ's birth with that of Nimrod. Also, if we have no proof that Christ was born on Dec 25th, then we certainly don't have any evidence that Nimrod was born on that day either (seeing how he was born a few thousand years before Christ).
 
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sparow

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Thanks, your post reminds me of the reason why I wrote this in the first place.


Also, as someone I follow online said recently "The Ultimate paganization is to associate Christ's birth with that of Nimrod. Also, if we have no proof that Christ was born on Dec 25th, then we certainly don't have any evidence that Nimrod was born on that day either (seeing how he was born a few thousand years before Christ).

I could have worded the post better. I have been upsetting people lately by my lack of seriousness,but making the separation is what sanctification is all about.

I assume that the 25th Dec date is associated with Rome and it's religious festivals; Rome Paganised Hebrew festivals (Holy Days) by adapting Hebrew names to their already existing festivals; Xmas was different in that their is no Biblical equivalent. Pagan seems to be a Latin word, I do not know if Rome called itself Pagan or not.
 
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I could have worded the post better. I have been upsetting people lately by my lack of seriousness,but making the separation is what sanctification is all about.

I assume that the 25th Dec date is associated with Rome and it's religious festivals; Rome Paganised Hebrew festivals (Holy Days) by adapting Hebrew names to their already existing festivals; Xmas was different in that their is no Biblical equivalent. Pagan seems to be a Latin word, I do not know if Rome called itself Pagan or not.
Sure, but that was about the Jewish Roman wars, stuff like Masada, the Bar Kochba revolt etc. and the general frustration with the Jews for being a thorn in their side, that they decided to get revenge in a manner that would bother the Jews the most. It really doesn't have much to do with later Christianity of the Nicene era.
 
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Sure, but that was about the Jewish Roman wars, stuff like Masada, the Bar Kochba revolt etc. and the general frustration with the Jews for being a thorn in their side, that they decided to get revenge in a manner that would bother the Jews the most. It really doesn't have much to do with later Christianity of the Nicene era.

When did Xmas start?
 
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prodromos

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God made trees. Trees look very nice when decorated. I think most people do not worship trees or decorations.
I suspect there are some people who worship trees, but I doubt they would even pretend to be Christian.
 
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prodromos

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When did Xmas start?
I presume you are referring to the Feast day of the Nativity of our Lord? (that is what Eastern Christians call it, and traditionally it was celebrated on the same day as Epiphany on January 6th in the East, the feast day of His baptism)
 
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Hazelelponi

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OK I've been trying to find some boards to post some articles/blog posts especially stuff I like to reference for current projects I'm working on and have in mind. I would like to put this one on the actual Apologetics board since it is that except board is more geared to people outside the faith than Christians who question the legitimacy of something. There are other boards this could go depending on the area or point you want to focus on, I'm just picking this board based on the theological assumptions of the original detractor since that seemed to describe it the best as far as why it was written in the first place.


Introduction
In the last decade, Christmas, has come under attack. Most westerners are used to have such attacks coming from atheists, Muslims, and liberals, but what is truly, interesting is when CHRISTIANS object to Christmas displays. One of the anti-Christmas movements gaining some traction is the notion among certain Christian fundamentalists is that Christmas is a pagan corruption, and the Christmas tree itself is a form of pagan idolatry.
There are some grains of truth to this claim, but in this series, I will be putting forth some reasons why I believe the Crusade Against Christmas and Christmas trees is itself is a dangerous movement that has a few heretical implications for Christianity. Furthermore, in spite of whatever the origins of decorative trees, Christmas has been a way that Christians have celebrated some of the important truths of their faith for at least 1700 years (roughly speaking).
My Presentation of the case against the Christmas tree comes from a former Facebook Associate. He is a nondenominational Charismatic who claims to be a prophet. I will refer to him with the pseudo name, “Brother X”.


Brother X's Case against the Christmas tree in a Nutshell
1) Brother X, correctly notes the Early Church “used the Old Testament as its Bible” (Because the NT was still being written in the 1st century, and took a couple of centuries for copies to be made by hand to become widely available).
2) He then References Old Testament verses regarding Idolatry. Not only were the Jews of the OT not practice idolatry but they were supposed to avoid having a knowledge of it. They were to remove all traces of it from their land, avoid saying the names of pagan gods etc.
3) The Christmas tree is a practice that descends from paganism. (Not the exact custom, but pagans from various regions from Egypt, Rome, and Germany did decorate their homes during the winter months with greenery, like tree branches, vines, mistletoe etc. )
4) Brother X then references Jeremiah 10:3-4. Brother X “Doesn’t this sound like a Christmas tree?”
Jeremiah 10:3-4
“For the customs of the peoples are delusion; Because it is wood cut from the forest, The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. 4"They decorate it with silver and with gold; They fasten it with nails and with hammers So that it will not totter.”
5) Brother X notes Old Testament passages regarding contamination (i.e. leprosy, mold, other disease) says this is a prevalent theme in the Pentateuch because “of the spiritual implications from contamination”. People can be corrupted by coming into contact with things that are impure, corrupt and evil.
6) Therefore, according to Brother X, all Christians should stay away from all customs and practices that descend from paganism, even Christmas trees... L
PS – or point 7) Brother X, believes the reluctance of other Christians to see things the way he does is a result of “Their conscience being seared” (1 Timothy 4:2) and is further proof of their idolatry!

My Rebuttal point 1) Brother X view is contradicted by Jesus and the NT.
Mark 7:17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
Our corruption is not a result of being exposed to things the Mosaic Law forbids but the sins we actually practice. I guarantee that 99.999% of people buy and decorate a Christmas tree not to worship it, or to celebrate pagan gods but because they think it is pretty and want to make their home a bit more festive and bright for the holidays.

Point 2) Bishop Elect Stan Smith reaction
My BFF is too busy to be blogging these days, but figured I would give his reaction which is very apt and on target. He cites: Colossians 2:21-23New International Version (NIV)
21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
“This is a way of being special without having to actually do anything, Like help someone.”
(This is actually jumping the gun a bit, but he actually is on to something here. One of my later points, I was going to make Brother X seem to be on the road to becoming a cult leader. He never seems to be able to be at a church for any length of time. He seems driven to nitpick and fault find with everyone around him. He has his own little group that he is happy with, but he pretty much sets the rules and expels anybody that contradicts him).

Point 3) Inconsistencies and Myths about Culture
1) People who make these overly strict rules are usually not entirely consistent in their application of such principles (and thank God for that). What I’m saying is we have some aspects of the pagan heritage that are embed deep in our society that are hard to escape from. A few examples: The Months of the Year come from Roman pagan society, while the names of the days of the week come directly from Norse pagan society. Do such people protest these bits of paganism by refusing to use such terminology? Another example is our money, it is no secret that many of the Founding Fathers were Masons and used the symbols taken from Egyptian paganism. Do such people refuse to use US dollar bills because “The All-Seeing Eye of Ra” is printed on one side? I suspect the answer in most cases would be “No”, since that would extremely inconvenient.
2) A) Besides this there are some myths about culture. Many Charismatics have almost a Gnostic conception of a pure “Spiritual” belief or practice that is free of culture. The first time I recognized this was reading a Ken Hagin book, “Plans, Purposes, and Pursuits” when he spoke about “worship in the Spirit”. He chastised people who did “Square Dancing” during the Church service (dancing in the Spirit), and said “that was fleshly”. He however approved of the “Pentecostal hop”, which I guess seems more visceral and therefore more spiritual. This sort of reasoning is nonsense. Almost everything we do is culture related. The Pentecostal hop is just a product of a special sub culture. It is not something that is purely spiritual. Maybe the first people who did it, reacted that way, but once others see others do it. You get into “monkey see, monkey do”. And yes, even if you are against “the teaching of men”, you do end up develop your own unique cultural tradition.
B) One thing should also be said of Hebrew Culture before ending the post. Because Hebrew culture is the culture of the Bible, and the Jews are “God’s Chosen people” many people see Hebrew culture as something that is pure and Holy, spiritual etc. To those kinds of notions, I have to remind people that every culture beyond The Garden of Eden comes from somewhere else! Before Abraham left UR of the Chaldees he resided in a pagan land and had the culture of that land. You can see that in the Old Testament itself. Why do you think God is always appearing in the Pentateuch as a form of fire? That was a vestige of the Sumerian culture and religion that was part of the early Hebrew way of seeing the divine. Similarly, during the Captivity in Egypt the Hebrew culture adopted a number of things from the Egyptians: like the practice of stoning, they adopted their forms of poetry and wisdom literature (psalms, proverbs etc. is based on similar things the Egyptians did). Anyway, if paganism infects true religion and culture the Hebrews were infected 4 or 5 thousand years before the Christmas tree.


Point 4) Some Positive Preaching From aspects of the pagan heritage
Philippians 1:15-18New International Version (NIV)
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
It's interesting that saint Paul only cares about one thing, that Christ is preached! He doesn’t sweat the details or motivations. So based on that I will make a few points.
A) The Christmas tree has been a means of celebrating one of “the essential truths” of Christianity the Incarnation of Christ. The Christmas tree does not corrupt true religion but utilizes and engages contemporary culture for the message of the Gospel much like Paul preaching at Mars Hill in the book of Acts.
B) On the subject, of the pagan heritage It should be noted that the pagan heritage has given us a few good things. Without evangelism of the Germanic tribes their might not be any military chaplains. One of the conditions for evangelizing the Germanic tribes was they demanded clergy that would go into battle with them (to replace their priests of Odin and Thor that went with them into battle to have the favor of the gods). And from these we got the warrior priests of the crusades, that is the early ancestor of the modern military chaplain. Can anyone truly say that this is not a benefit? (Given how vulnerable young people are during peace time, let alone when fighting an actual war.)

Not to beat a dead horse
There are many other points that could be made and scriptures that could be quoted.
Overall I see the Crusade against the Christmas tree as a divisive issue that goes against the basic spirit of the original "Counsel of Jerusalem" in Acts 15, and flies in the face of much of the ministry of saint Paul.

I need to read this later in a more wakened state. (wake - not weak).

I want to participate and see you with great respect. However - I'm in the "no personal Christmas tree" category.

I did read something last year (might have been one of the Lutherans who were very historically knowledgeable) in answer to a post I made, that made me feel more comfortable with the thought of a Christmas decoration so I asked my husband if I could buy a wreath for the front door and he said no.

I'm fine with the no - he's my husband regardless of any particular difference of opinion and I respect his wishes in this matter.

But I wouldn't mind talking it through again this year here on forum to go through this all again.

So - let me wake up for a couple hours and if I can find the time for an in depth discussion later I'll come back and read, then bring up some of my thoughts.

I know I'm super super late to this - thread is a month old, but better late than never right?

God be with you.
 
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Pavel Mosko

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I need to read this later in a more wakened state. (wake - not weak).

I want to participate and see you with great respect. However - I'm in the "no personal Christmas tree" category.

I did read something last year (might have been one of the Lutherans who were very historically knowledgeable) in answer to a post I made, that made me feel more comfortable with the thought of a Christmas decoration so I asked my husband if I could buy a wreath for the front door and he said no.

I'm fine with the no - he's my husband regardless of any particular difference of opinion and I respect his wishes in this matter.

But I wouldn't mind talking it through again this year here on forum to go through this all again.

So - let me wake up for a couple hours and if I can find the time for an in depth discussion later I'll come back and read, then bring up some of my thoughts.

I know I'm super super late to this - thread is a month old, but better late than never right?

God be with you.
I'm OK with that. The post is more made for folks who are crusading against the holiday and the trees based on a spurious study of history, superficial reasons, bad theology, and maybe even superstition thrown in. Not seeing or feeling the need for Christmas because you are born and raised in a non-Christian country, or outside the west is a completely different story... unless of course you are joining in the forementioned fundamentalist jihad. :)


It's interesting right now I am listening to a Master Class on "Making Your Ideas Sticky" (making memorable videos and other things that people will want to watch, read, talk about with your friends etc. So much of the Christmas Mythology of the anti-Christmas folks fits this unfortunately. As David Wood points out in his video, most Urban Legends have nothing that is verifiably true about them, yet they are sticky. They are these simple, colorful stories that get passed around.
 
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