The Ashera pole and its scary resemblance to a Christmas tree

[abysmul]

If you participate in this you are participating in a pagan festival and if you subject your children to this woe to you!! No man truly repents saying, "what have I done?"

So our plastic tree, and electric lights, and mass produced clothes, toys, electronics, and printed sparkly gift bags with the likes of "Snoopy" and laughing snow men printed on them, in addition to the Mannheim Steamroller CDs we listen to, combined with the fact that my family knows that the "Catholic" "Christmas" is pagan and not Christian in origin, makes me and my family subject to woe?

 

[standingtall]

The only reason Christmas is viewed as a holiday anymore is because it has been turned into something that fattens the economy. The only reason Easter is seen as a holiday anymore is because it has been turned into something that fattens the economy.

The secular commercialization of Christmas in the U.S. is what has fattened the economy, not the celebration of the Christmas holiday itself. Same with Easter.

Christmas is celebrated all over the world. There are other countries in which Christmas/Easter are not commercialized that still view them as holidays.

 

[Whisper865]

The secular commercialization of Christmas in the U.S. is what has fattened the economy, not the celebration of the Christmas holiday itself. Same with Easter.

Christmas is celebrated all over the world. There are other countries in which Christmas/Easter are not commercialized that still view them as holidays.

Rationalize if you must... it is what it is.....

 

[BeeWrangler]

The secular commercialization of Christmas in the U.S. is what has fattened the economy, not the celebration of the Christmas holiday itself. Same with Easter.

Christmas is celebrated all over the world. There are other countries in which Christmas/Easter are not commercialized that still view them as holidays.

I agree, I was speaking of the people who do not see Christmas as a time to celebrate Jesus' birth. I believe the US and Canada (and some other countries) Christmas would just be another day if it was not blown into what most non Christians see it as and if the Government did not get rich off the taxes from it. It would not be a paid holiday and we would not be aloud to speak of it in schools or most workplaces. But it is not celebrated all over the world, remember that there are countries where people are killed everyday because Christianity is outlawed. I can name a few countries that do not recognize it and a few that outlaw it. But yes, there are some that have it the way it should be. Christians have it right, but it is the non Christians that keep it alive in many societies. If that was not true then God would still be in our schools and work places.

 

[standingtall]

Rationalize if you must... it is what it is.....

That's a big problem in Christianity...folks like you who don't seem to think rational thinking is necessary. In that aspect, you're not unlike an Islamic Fundamentalist.

By the way, you never answered my question. What holidays do YOU celebrate?

 

[standingtall]

I agree, I was speaking of the people who do not see Christmas as a time to celebrate Jesus' birth. I believe the US and Canada (and some other countries) Christmas would just be another day if it was not blown into what most non Christians see it as and if the Government did not get rich off the taxes from it. It would not be a paid holiday and we would not be aloud to speak of it in schools or most workplaces. But it is not celebrated all over the world, remember that there are countries where people are killed everyday because Christianity is outlawed. I can name a few countries that do not recognize it and a few that outlaw it. But yes, there are some that have it the way it should be. Christians have it right, but it is the non Christians that keep it alive in many societies. If that was not true then God would still be in our schools and work places.

I didn't say ALL countries celebrate Christmas. Maybe what I should have said is "other countries throughout the world". Better?

 

[BeeWrangler]

I didn't say ALL countries celebrate Christmas. Maybe what I should have said is "other countries throughout the world". Better?

It's hard to not misunderstand typing at times, but I think we are making the same point... Christmas is about Christ, but in some cases Christmas has been replaced with Xmas by government greed and non Christians.

 

[Whisper865]

What has been is what will be, and what had been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun. Satan is very tactful, paganism has blended itself in well with Christianity... Its different color but the flavor is the same...

Bible verses and concerning the celebration of pagan holidays and a few others that seem t be useful.

Deuteronomy 12:29-32
Romans 14:5-6
Colossians 2:16
Mark 6:21
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Matthew 15:3
Matthew 4:4
Colossians 2:8
Romans 12:1-3
Malachi 3:6
Zechariah 14:1-21
Revelation 11:1-19
Hebrews 13:8
1 Corinthians 1:17
Psalm 150:1-6
Exodus 20:8-11
Genesis 1:14
Revelation 14:12
2 Timothy 3:16-17
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Romans 14:5
Acts 20:6
Acts 12:4
John 8:32
Ezekiel 37:1-28
Isaiah 66:23
Proverbs 31:6-7
1 Chronicles 17::1-27
1 Kings 19:1-21
Exodus 31:1-18
Revelation 20:1-15
Revelation 17-1-18
Revelation 13:1-18
Hebrews 10:26
1 Corinthians 16:26
Acts 12:3-4
Acts 12:3
Acts 2:1
Matthew 14:6
Matthew 2:11
Zechariah 11:17
Ezekiel 48:1-35
Numbers 28:16-17

There are many others...

 

[Boidae]

What has been is what will be, and what had been done is what will be done. There is nothing new under the sun. Satan is very tactful, paganism has blended itself in well with Christianity... Its different color but the flavor is the same...

Bible verses and concerning the celebration of pagan holidays and a few others that seem t be useful.

Deuteronomy 12:29-32
Romans 14:5-6
Colossians 2:16
Mark 6:21
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Matthew 15:3
Matthew 4:4
Colossians 2:8
Romans 12:1-3
Malachi 3:6
Zechariah 14:1-21
Revelation 11:1-19
Hebrews 13:8
1 Corinthians 1:17
Psalm 150:1-6
Exodus 20:8-11
Genesis 1:14
Revelation 14:12
2 Timothy 3:16-17
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Romans 14:5
Acts 20:6
Acts 12:4
John 8:32
Ezekiel 37:1-28
Isaiah 66:23
Proverbs 31:6-7
1 Chronicles 17::1-27
1 Kings 19:1-21
Exodus 31:1-18
Revelation 20:1-15
Revelation 17-1-18
Revelation 13:1-18
Hebrews 10:26
1 Corinthians 16:26
Acts 12:3-4
Acts 12:3
Acts 2:1
Matthew 14:6
Matthew 2:11
Zechariah 11:17
Ezekiel 48:1-35
Numbers 28:16-17

If you yourself feel convicted not to celebrate and holidays, then do not celebrate them. However, do not take personal conviction and turn it into a conviction for all.

You are not the Holy Spirit that resides in me and the Holy Spirit that does resides in me which convicts me and I know when He convicts me has never convicted me over celebrating holidays.

My household will continue to celebrate Christmas and other holidays as well, including Halloween which is my favorite holiday next to Christmas.

 

[Whisper865]

If you yourself feel convicted not to celebrate and holidays, then do not celebrate them. However, do not take personal conviction and turn it into a conviction for all.

You are not the Holy Spirit that resides in me and the Holy Spirit that does resides in me which convicts me and I know when He convicts me has never convicted me over celebrating holidays.

My household will continue to celebrate Christmas and other holidays as well, including Halloween which is my favorite holiday next to Christmas.

Sounds familiar... I think I have read about others reacting the same way when they when the TRUTH was presented to them...

 

[abysmul]

Colossians 2









16 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 or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

 

[truefiction1]

Two men went into a church to pray. One prayed thus: "O Lord, I thank You for not making me as stupid as that man over there, who thinks that it is okay to break Your Divine Laws by celebrating the pagan holiday of Christmas and erecting a tree, after the manner of an evil pagan. For unlike him, I study Your Word, the Bible, carefully, and am thoroughly versed in all Your commandments."

The other, could not even look up with his eyes toward heaven, but meekly begged God as follows: "Lord, have mercy upon your useless and worthless servant, for I have offended Thee with proud and vain thoughts, and have often thought to compare myself favorably to others because of my great selfishness, even though my own sins are more numerous than the sands of the oceans, and am not even worthy to be called your servant. Even so Lord, forgive me and save me."

Which one of these, do we think, has the greater understanding of what the Lord wants of us?

 

[Whisper865]

Colossians 2









16 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 or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

I understand that everything is happening just like we were told it would happen. And that I do no possess the power to change anyone's thinking only God has the power to add to men. I can only blow my trumpet as loud as possible and hope for the best.

 

[abysmul]

I understand that everything is happening just like we were told it would happen. And that I do no possess the power to change anyone's thinking only God has the power to add to men. I can only blow my trumpet as loud as possible and hope for the best.

You seem to be good at it.

 

[Boidae]

Sounds familiar... I think I have read about others reacting the same way when they when the TRUTH was presented to them...

You're not presenting truth, you're presenting your version of the truth as you interpret it to be or via your personal conviction that doesn't apply to everyone, but rather only you.

As I said, if you feel convicted not to celebrate holidays, then by all means, don't do it, but don;t try and tell others as though your personal conviction applies to all when it doesn't.

 

[Whisper865]

You're not presenting truth, you're presenting your version of the truth as you interpret it to be or via your personal conviction that doesn't apply to everyone, but rather only you.

As I said, if you feel convicted not to celebrate holidays, then by all means, don't do it, but don;t try and tell others as though your personal conviction applies to all when it doesn't.

Also sounds familiar...

 

[Boidae]

Also sounds familiar...

And that's fine, so it sounds familiar. What you have been saying all sounds familiar as well, and it does nothing to convict me or cause the Holy Spirit within me to convict me.

I have prayed about this topic before, and the revelation that I received was that not all can celebrate holidays and not have it lead to sin, therefore they shouldn't celebrate them.

This is all I have been saying.

 

[Hentenza]

An Asherah pole is a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the Ugaritic mother-goddess Asherah, consort of El. The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archeological finds of Judaean piller-figurines has engendered a literature of debate.

The asherim were also cult objects related to the worship of the fertility goddess Asherah, the consort of Ba'al or, as indescriptions from kuntillet Ajrud and Khibet el-Qom attest, YAHWEH, and thus objects of contention among cults. The insertion of "pole" begs the question by setting up unwarranted expectations for such a wooden object: "we are never told exactly what it was," observes John Dayt. Though there was a certainly a movement against goddess worship at the Jerusalem Temple in the time of king Josiah, it did not long survive his reign, as the following four kings "did what was evil in the eyes of Yahwew" (2 kings 23:32, 37; 24:9 , 19). further exhortations came from Jeremiah. the traditional interpretation of the Bilical text is that the Israelites imported pagan elements such as Asherah poles from the surrounding Canaanites; the modern interpretations suggest instead that the Israelite folk religion was always polytheistic, and it was the prophets and priests who denounced the Ahserah poles who were the innovators.

lol My family's Christmas tree bears no resemblance to what you wrote. We put one up every year as part of the Christmas tradition but our CHRISTmas is about Christ not about worshiping a tree. I think you are seeing what is not there for most of us.

 

[Whisper865]

And that's fine, so it sounds familiar. What you have been saying all sounds familiar as well, and it does nothing to convict me or cause the Holy Spirit within me to convict me.

I have prayed about this topic before, and the revelation that I received was that not all can celebrate holidays and not have it lead to sin, therefore they shouldn't celebrate them.

This is all I have been saying.

Like I said, I realize I cant change you. I can only scream the TRUTH and hope for the best... Have you ever herd the story of the two dogs? The dog you feed the most will be stronger...

 

[Boidae]

Like I said, I realize I cant change you. I can only scream the TRUTH and hope for the best... Have you ever herd the story of the two dogs?

You're still not understanding what it is that I am saying.

Yes, I have heard the story.

However, since you're not willing to listen to anything anyone else says, and are bent on screaming a truth which may not apply to those you are screaming at, I am not going to continue this conversation with you.

Just remember, that what is convicting to you, is not convicting to all as it doesn't apply to them.