My Fellow Christians: Is a Christmas Tree an Idol?

[Saint Frankenstein]

Do you worship the tree like you worship God? If not, no. Sometimes people use ridiculous definitions of idols and idolatry and take it so far that you can't have anything. Nutty Muslims like the Taliban banned music, pictures, photography and tv because they viewed those things are idolatry. So it's important to be level-headed and not go overboard with things.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I don't think it's an idol, although I am not sure why we put them up. It's a pagan symbol. Nevertheless, they are very pretty and probably not going away.

Christmas tree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Library : The Christmas Tree: Legends, Traditions, History - Catholic Culture

 

[Renji]

I would want to answer, but the question is aimed to christians only. Would an ex-christian do?

 

[ChristineES]

I would want to answer, but the question is aimed to christians only. Would an ex-christian do?

You can go ahead and answer, you used to be a Christian and I know that well.

 

[Nada]

Lol...

 

[Renji]

I don't think it's an idol, even if the origin is pagan,I don't see it as an idol since it's not being worshiped or revered, which, by definition, makes something an idol . It's no way comparable to the Asherah Poles.

 

[savagewind]

I am a junk collector which means I buy things cheap which I do not need or I get stuff free. I got around to using some of it lately. One thing was a small tree shaped thing made of foam. Another thing was cheap pink sparkly plastic beads strung together. Another thing was a rhinestone button but it had a metal tag sticking out which made it worthless. Almost worthless because I gave the lady a dollar for it. And some lace. I put them all together and made a beautiful thing! It is a shiny pink Christmas tree. I shall give it away as a present to my sister with cataracts. She will be able to enjoy it it is so shiny.

It is so pretty I stare at it. Is this a dangerous thing to do? Should I put a bag over it? Should I throw it away? What does God want me to do with it?

 

[savagewind]

The correct answer is throw it away. I'm not stupid. I should never have had a cone shaped thing in my house in the first place.

 

[savagewind]

This is a tree shaped thing. Is it a bad thing? Why is it bad?

 

[savagewind]

I can certianly see how a cone shape might be offensive to some people. What about round?
I make things out of other people's refuse. I made this out of rejects to sell at the holiday flea market at a church. According to one religion I know I sinned three times doing that.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Sorry, Christine, I'm not a Christian, but if I can respectfully add a slightly different point of view that might be relevant?

We put a tree up in our house for Christmas, which we simply see as a family day. Some of our family (extended) are Christian (in fact, majority) but my wife and I are atheists, and my kids are kids.
If I thought the tree was an object of worship, I wouldn't have it in my house (whether it's Pagan, Christian, or whatever else). So to me, the intent matters, as some have already stated. In the same manner, I have a bible in my house, but for me it's an item of study and reference, not worship. It's certainly more religious than the tree, yet Christians wouldn't see that as an idol they were worshipping, I suspect.

 

[Yeshe Dondrub]

By now this should be common knowledge, well perhaps because as a Buddhist I studied comparative, and divinity to gain understanding.

Most Christian holidays have pagan roots, Including Christmas and Easter.

During a point in roam, it was decided to combine the religions, including aspects of earlier roman Mithraism.

Christams: THe tree, red and green colors, yule log, ornaments, wrapping gifts, and star are reflection of pagan beliefs during that solstice.

Easter: based on the Goddess Ester, the eggs, fertility, rabbit, hidden eggs, eggs of ornament, are also all pagan.

The Christian aspects blended in, but most still follow a blended pagan, Jeudo Christian faith.

 

[Nada]

By now this should be common knowledge, well perhaps because as a Buddhist I studied comparative, and divinity to gain understanding.

Most Christian holidays have pagan roots, Including Christmas and Easter.

During a point in roam, it was decided to combine the religions, including aspects of earlier roman Mithraism.

Christams: THe tree, red and green colors, yule log, ornaments, wrapping gifts, and star are reflection of pagan beliefs during that solstice.

Easter: based on the Goddess Ester, the eggs, fertility, rabbit, hidden eggs, eggs of ornament, are also all pagan.

The Christian aspects blended in, but most still follow a blended pagan, Jeudo Christian faith.

It's all pagan.It's not true Christianity.

 

[Yeshe Dondrub]

It's all pagan.It's not true Christianity.

You can say Christianity in General is based on pagan roots, and so can Judaism, which in old times, the very writing and tetragrammaton involved invocation and spell work to bend will of others. Even YHWH origins are not Israelite. Yet it is how it is applied in various groups and scholars evolved in thought.

Which above is what I said, the pagan roots are common throughout the history of both.

However ALL is incorrect, since the resurrection, passover aspect during the same time is a Judeo-Christian based creation. It was merged in Rome and celebrations took both forms. Even Greece adopted aspects of both.

 

[savagewind]

It's all pagan.It's not true Christianity.

Things can not be Christian. People are Christian or not Christian.

 

[Nada]

Counterfeit Christianity,Christendom is.Not true Christianity.

 

[Andywelikandy]

On FB, I belong to a group for Messianic Jews and Christians. We are having a discussion that the author of the subject compared Aaron's Golden Calf, in Exodus, to the same kind of idolatry as a Christmas tree. I stated that a Christmas tree nowadays is not worshiped, but a decoration.
Am I mistaken about that? Do you agree with him that a Christmas Tree is an idol on the level with the Golden Calf or just an idol?
Any discussion is welcome.

An idol is a person or a thing that is worshipped or venerated like a statue of the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary. Idol worship is totally FORBIDDEN in the whole Bible (OT and NT). Idol worshpers will be sentenced to hell on Judgment day, doesn't matter if it is EVEN the Pope. Since nobody worships a Christmas tree or prays to it, like praying to Mary, that is not idol worship. It will be good to Google for "Origin of the Christmas tree."

 

[Nada]

An idol is a person or a thing that is worshipped or venerated like a statue of the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary. Idol worship is totally FORBIDDEN in the whole Bible (OT and NT). Idol worshpers will be sentenced to hell on Judgment day, doesn't matter if it is EVEN the Pope. Since nobody worships a Christmas tree or prays to it, like praying to Mary, that is not idol worship. It will be good to Google for "Origin of the Christmas tree."

Yes Idolatry.There is no real hell though where people burn for all eternity in fire.

 

[pearl]

Is the cake displayed in the celebration of a birthday an idol? All of our celebrations would be rather dull
if we did not use 'props', they simply enhance the festivity.

 

[InChrist]

I don't know anyone who has faith in or trusts a Christmas tree as their God and Savior. From my perspective a Christmas tree is a seasonal decoration. The passage in Jeremiah is specifically speaking about carving an idol from a tree and worshiping it.