Is the christmas tree evil?

[Karin]

**Yes. I considered myself Catholic until I was 32. I am now 43 and have not done Christmas in 5 years. Over the past 11 years since I’ve stopped going to mass, I’ve learned more about the bible then I did during all those 32 years times seven. I no longer am involved in the sin I use to do. I’m married and have a beautiful home. I tithe to help the spiritual widows and spiritual orphans. All of which, came at the sacrifice of not doing Christmas. I now view Christmas as a time for believers, atheist and pagans alike to hold hands and give thanks for being alive for one more year. Nothing more. There is no spiritual truth in the annual ritual of Christmas. Did not Jesus order his followers to take up their crosses and follow him? (Luke 9:23) When I did Christmas, I was laying my cross down and fulfilling the flesh. **

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Interesting…so you do not go to church any more or mass…that is a bigger sin than putting up a Christmas tree

 

[deb1]

** I’m married and have a beautiful home. I tithe to help the spiritual widows and spiritual orphans. ****? **

Just curious, what is a spiritual widow or spiritual orphan and how are they different then just a widow or orphan?

 

[Church_Militant]

TC,
You can’t validly make a generalized statement about what we do.You have no idea what I or any of us do out of conscience toward God, and frankly I think it’s wrong to try to get us to “blow our own horns” as to whatever good works we do. Doesn’t Our Lord plainly tell us that to make public our good works is to lose our reward for them?

That is, metaphorically speaking, doesn’t the Christmas tree of today represent the same values as the tree worship in ancient Israel did that God condemned?

Like Karin says…depends on who you talk to. But it’s no one’s business but the person’s and God’s.

If what you do has proved to make you feel closer to God then I have no problem with it, but to express it the way you did in your OP was pretty poor. You intentionally used a Catholic Bible and addressed Catholics as if we are idolators, something that is simply not so.

Yes. I considered myself Catholic until I was 32. I am now 43 and have not done Christmas in 5 years. Over the past 11 years since I’ve stopped going to mass, I’ve learned more about the bible then I did during all those 32 years times seven. I no longer am involved in the sin I use to do. I’m married and have a beautiful home.

IMO, your loss. If you have separated yourself from the Catholic Church, (and from your posts, it sounds like you have), then you have wandered off into the post reformation new winds of errant doctrine, and hence are prone to believe (or not believe) things that the Christian Church has historically taught from the time of the apostles through today.

Your personal spirituality is laudable, but accurate doctrine is more important since it tends to inform our spirituality. This is, of course, a topic for another thread but also something that one needs to think seriously about.
Pax tecum,

 

[deb1]

** However, I’m afraid I did not make myself as clear as I should have in my question in Post #1. That is, metaphorically speaking, doesn’t the Christmas tree of today represent the same values as the tree worship in ancient Israel did that God condemned? **

I would say no, not unless the person is carving the tree trunk into the likeness of a pagan goddess and worshipping the object as they did in ancient Israel…

I know of no Christian-or person of any faith for that matter- who worshps such an item.

 

[tabcom]

for some yes…for many others no. (With respects to doing christmas)

**
Thank you.

This affirms my conviction not do christmas any longer.

As Christ said,

Matthew 7:13
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
14
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.**

 

[Karin]

**Thank you. **

This affirms my conviction not do christmas any longer.

.

interesting…so you where one of those Catholics that worshiped a Christmas tree as a pagan god???

 

[deb1]

**. All of which, came at the sacrifice of not doing Christmas. I now view Christmas as a time for believers, atheist and pagans alike to hold hands and give thanks for being alive for one more year. Nothing more. There is no spiritual truth in the annual ritual of Christmas. Did not Jesus order his followers to take up their crosses and follow him? (Luke 9:23) When I did Christmas, I was laying my cross down and fulfilling the flesh. **

**? **

It is possible that you were simply to materialistic and shallow in regards to Christmas. Therefore not practicing it might have helped you spiritually.

There are many of us who do not view Christmas in a materialistic manner. We see it as a time of great joy, when the light of God came into this world and was made flesh. Why shouldn’t we have a day set aside to celebrate this event?

We all have our own individual weaknesses that we must overcome to further our walk with God. BUt we can’t expect other Christians to limit their behavior based on our own shortcomings.

 

[deb1]

**Thank you. **

This affirms my conviction not do christmas any longer.

**As Christ said, **

Matthew 7:13
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
14
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.

There are Christians who leave church and get drunk and beat their wives. Hopefully, you won’t stop attending church because of a few bad people.

 

[estesbob]

**Yes. I considered myself Catholic until I was 32. I am now 43 and have not done Christmas in 5 years. Over the past 11 years since I’ve stopped going to mass, I’ve learned more about the bible then I did during all those 32 years times seven. **
Yes. We were ignorate of the metaphoric symbolism that the christmas tree represents.

**? **

So what you have learned from the Bible is that hundreds of millions of people are worshipping a pagan idol and only you have figured this out! Must make you feel very, very important

Your post is proof positive of the danger of rejectng the Church and depending on ones own personal intepretation of Scriptue, Christ founded Our Church for a reason. One of the great advantages of being a member of His Church is we dont have to figure out all these things for oursleves. One wonders what other “revelations” you will come upon in your studies. One thing for sure-You wont find the TRUTH-you already walked away from that.

 

[valient_Lucy]

Yes. We were ignorate of the metaphoric symbolism that the christmas tree represents.

A symbol does not have power over us, we have power over a symbol. We determine what meaning, if any a symbol has. A tree does not intrinsically mean pagan Gods or Goddesses. Furthermore, Christ redeemed the world, and the world includes trees. Even the trees can be used to spread the Good News of our redemption.

 

[estesbob]

A symbol does not have power over us, we have power over a symbol. We determine what meaning, if any a symbol has. A tree does not intrinsically mean pagan Gods or Goddesses. Furthermore, Christ redeemed the world, and the world includes trees. Even the trees can be used to spread the Good News of our redemption.

Daniel 3

** Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever.

“Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord.”**

 

[Lukelion]

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Were you made to worship a tree or statue as a Catholic? I’m sorry, that was just wrong.

 

[deb1]

A symbol does not have power over us, we have power over a symbol. .

Tabcom, Lucy’s statement has me thinking. Aren’t we to avoid superstition? By investing the Christmas tree with power beyond it’s symbolic meaning(which you are doing when you say that your family could accidentally worship it) aren’t you giving in to superstition?

 

[Tom]

Tab, I’m a little confused, the things you used to do vs. the things you now do, seems you’re inferring you couldn’t do things as a Catholic, or you were required to sin as a Catholic. Maybe I should use your statements to make my point.

I’ve learned more about the bible then I did during all those 32 years times seven.

You blame your lack of knowledge on the Catholic Church? Are there NO Catholics that study Scripture? Are you saying my reading Scripture at least 30 minutes a day is of no avail? Was someone or something stopping you as a Catholic? I know MANY fine Catholics who are very well versed in Scripture, what prevented you from becoming one of them? Scripture is read at Mass every day. The lectionary which I use provides daily readings which covers the entire Bible in two years, it follows closely the one used in Mass, except due to the numerous feast days the one used for daily Mass takes a little over three years to cover all of the Bible. Based on your erroneous interpretation of Scripture, you are either listening to the wrong people or you’re interpreting incorrectly yourself. Why do you blame the Church for your lack of knowledge? The material certainly is available within the Church why didn’t you seek it as a Catholic?

 

[Tom]

**I no longer am involved in the sin I use to do. ** Congratulations, now how were you forced to sin as a Catholic? Are all non-Catholics sin free, or is it just you?

 

[Tom]

I’m married and have a beautiful home.

Again congratulation, so am I, and I am a Catholic, so what does this have to do with anything?

 

[Tom]

I tithe to help the spiritual widows and spiritual orphans. All of which, came at the sacrifice of not doing Christmas.

I tithe also, but I didn’t have to give up celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior to do it. Why do you feel you could only tithe by giving up Christmas?

 

[Tom]

I now view Christmas as a time for believers, atheist and pagans alike to hold hands and give thanks for being alive for one more year. Nothing more.

Atheists and pagans do not, as a general rule, celebrate Christmas. Your view is distorted.

 

[Tom]

There is no spiritual truth in the annual ritual of Christmas.

There is no spiritual truth in celebrating the birth of our Lord and savior? Are ya kidding me?

That is, metaphorically speaking, doesn’t the Christmas tree of today represent the same values as the tree worship in ancient Israel did that God condemned?

No, as most have pointed out, no one worships the tree.

 

[tabcom]

Just curious, what is a spiritual widow or spiritual orphan and how are they different then just a widow or orphan?

**The old testament was a shadow, the new testament is the very image (Col. 2:17). What was once literal is now spiritual. Before Christ, only the descendants of Abraham received the blessing. It was with Christ that the gospels was given to the gentiles. No longer was God restricted to blood relatives alone. It became spiritual.

The bible teaches that Christ is the husband (Ephesians 5:21-33) and that God is the Father (Mat. 6:9). A widow is one without a husband. An orphan is one without father. Metaphorically speaking, we believers are to look out for those that don’t know Christ and God and lead them to righeousness.
**