How do I refute the argument that Jeremiah 10:2-4 prohibits Christmas trees?

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An Evangelical Protestant told me that Jeremiah 10:2-4 prohibits Christmas trees.

“Thus says the Lord:
“Learn not the way of the nations,
nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens
because the nations are dismayed at them,
3 for the customs of the peoples are false.
A tree from the forest is cut down,
and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.
4 Men deck it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so that it cannot move.” - RSV-CE

My argument was that the Catholic Church I attend has Christmas trees in it so they must be okay. He said that it is a tradition of pagan tree worshippers (Norse?) that Christians have picked up but that God forbids it in this passage of the Bible.

Any ideas?
 
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resolute said:
He said that it is a tradition of pagan tree worshippers (Norse?) that Christians have picked up but that God forbids it in this passage of the Bible.
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Well great, we don’t worship Christmas trees, so there’s no problem here at all! Unless he’d like to say that we do, in which case, it’s up to him to prove that we worship Christmas trees. Require him to cite something credible from a Catholic source. I’d be tempted to eat my hat if he found one (assuming I had a hat)! If I remember correctly, the Christmas tree started as a way to mock pagan tree worshipping, so… ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Also, I don’t think that verse refers to Christmas trees. For one, what craftsmanship is done by a craftsman on a tree? Is it okay to have one if it’s not decorated with gold and silver? How about plastic trees, are those okay?
 
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Jeremiah is Old Testament and talking about man making false Gods, false idols, then worshipping them.

Jeremiah is not talking about the Christmas tree that represents the birth of Christ

Read the entire chapter of Jeremiah. He is saying how useless these false gods are, they are dead, they can do nothing for themselces
 
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10.5 Like scarecrows in a melon patch, they cannot talk, they have to be carried, since they cannot walk. Have no fear of them: they can do no harm – nor any good either!’
10:6 Yahweh, there is no one like you, so great you are, so great your mighty name
 
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Your friend needs to read the rest of the chapter, so that he can see that the prophet is not talking about Christmas trees at all.

The passage is about creating idols to be worshipped, in place of the One true God.The craftsman in the passage is carving an idol, then dressing it in precious metals, clothing of violet and purple. Read it yourself.

www.biblegateway.com

Jeremiah 10 RSVCE - - Bible Gateway

www.biblegateway.com www.biblegateway.com
 
That’s a very easy charge to sidestep. If we simply don’t put gold and silver on our trees (or simply don’t get them from a forest), it can no longer be talking about Christmas trees if it was “supposed to” before.
 
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Your friend is also conflating two seperate ideas

Pagan tree worship
And
Incorrect reading of an Old Testament prophet

Tell him that
 
Thom, it doesn’t need to be sidestepped, rather discuss what it really means
 
I just read the whole thing. Okay, I see what you’re saying. So they were using the wood from the tree, like the trunk, to carve idol statues? So it’s not referring to putting silver and gold tinsel or garland on trees?

Sorry for all the questions but I better have my ducks in a row because he knows the Bible a lot better than me.
 
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Good for you. The more you read, the more you know. Don’t let anyone just pick out isolated verses to try to trip you up, often reading verses before and after will bring out the real meaning.

God bless you.
 
He does not know the Bible that well, to misunderstand this Chapter
 
resolute said:
I just read the whole thing. Okay, I see what you’re saying. So they were using the wood from the tree, like the trunk, to carve idol statues? So it’s not referring to putting silver and gold tinsel or garland on trees?

Sorry for all the questions but I better have my ducks in a row because he knows the Bible a lot better than me.
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Also note later the text states:
Be not afraid of them,
for they cannot do evil,
neither is it in them to do good
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I think it’s obvious that Jeremiah ain’t talking about Christmas AT ALL. Christmas is all about Christ, not pagan worship. I also find it very appalling when some Protestants don’t celebrate Christmas because the Bible doesn’t say we should. I be like:🤔😒:roll_eyes:???
 
resolute said:
An Evangelical Protestant told me that Jeremiah 10:2-4 prohibits Christmas trees.
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Jeremiah is referring to idols carved from wood. Hebrew has only a single word, etz (עץ), for both “tree” and “wood”. For instance, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Gen. 2 16-17, and the ark of the covenant to be made of acacia wood in Deut. 10:3.
http://biblehub.com/hebrew/6086.htm
 
resolute said:
He said that it is a tradition of pagan tree worshippers (Norse?) that Christians have picked up but that God forbids it in this passage of the Bible.
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www.britannica.com

Christmas tree | Tradition, History, Decorations, Symbolism, & Facts

Christmas tree, live or artificial evergreen tree decorated with lights and ornaments as a part of Christmas festivities. While Christmas trees are traditionally associated with Christian symbolism, their modern use is largely secular. Learn more about Christmas trees, including their history.
www.britannica.com www.britannica.com

“The modern Christmas tree, though, originated in western Germany. The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a “paradise tree,” a fir tree hung with apples, that represented the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption); in a later tradition the wafers were replaced by cookies of various shapes. Candles, symbolic of Christ as the light of the world, were often added. In the same room was the “Christmas pyramid,” a triangular construction of wood that had shelves to hold Christmas figurines and was decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree.”
 
resolute said:
Evangelical Protestant told me that Jeremiah 10:2-4 prohibits Christmas trees.
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Dear Friend

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Merry Christmas

From a fellow non Catholic
 
I can’t help looking at your post and thinking “Yeah, that’s the right depiction of my response too.”

Merry Christmas to you as well!
From a fellow Catholic who loves your GIF posting craftsmanship
 
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