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Jeremiah 10

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

Why then do Christians celebrate Christmas with trees when the Bible expressly forbids it?
If there is no harm in the Christmas Tree, then what harm is there for Mormons in using the cross?

asbestosman wrote:Jeremiah 10

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

Why then do Christians celebrate Christmas with trees when the Bible expressly forbids it?
If there is no harm in the Christmas Tree, then what harm is there for Mormons in using the cross?

What, are u a J-Dub now?

;)

Merry Saturnalia everyone and to all a good feast!

asbestosman wrote:Jeremiah 10

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

Why then do Christians celebrate Christmas with trees when the Bible expressly forbids it?
If there is no harm in the Christmas Tree, then what harm is there for Mormons in using the cross?

Cause decorated trees are pretty and it gives you something to look at. I'm not a christian and I always put up a tree.

Mercury wrote:What, are u a J-Dub now?

;)

I'd rather be a Steussite than a J-Dub.
;)

Merry Saturnalia everyone and to all a good feast!

Merry Consumerist-stolen-Christian-stolen-Pagan celebration of Greed, Family, The Son, the Sun, or whatever you wish to celebrate this time of year--perhaps Jesus's unbirthday if nothing else (as He almost certainly was NOT born on Dec. 25).

asbestosman, aren't they referring to idols here, which are carved and decorated? and not a tree with tinsel and ornaments?

charity wrote:asbestosman, aren't they referring to idols here, which are carved and decorated? and not a tree with tinsel and ornaments?

I don't know for sure. Would carved idols need to be fastened with nails and hammers? Where they decked with silver and gold? I know that idols were made from silver and gold, but I'd not heard about nails being used for that purpose, and I had not heard of gold-plated wood idols although I suppose that's a possibility.

This link addresses this very issue. I don't know who wrote it. I just now found it by googling "wooden idols covered with silver and gold."

http://biblelight.net/christmastree.htm

Interesting, but it could be that Jeremiah was talking about various kinds of idols of which Christmas trees are one. I'm wondering if someone here maybe knows more about it. Sure I can Google, but this place can be a lot of fun to see if someone had learned something from history books instead of Christians defending their use of co-opting pagan traditions.

By the way, it doesn't personally bother me either way. I do find the reluctance of crosses odd in part because of the tree tradition which has indisputable pagan origins.

asbestosman wrote:Interesting, but it could be that Jeremiah was talking about various kinds of idols of which Christmas trees are one. I'm wondering if someone here maybe knows more about it. Sure I can Google, but this place can be a lot of fun to see if someone had learned something from history books instead of Christians defending their use of co-opting pagan traditions.

By the way, it doesn't personally bother me either way. I do find the reluctance of crosses odd in part because of the tree tradition which has indisputable pagan origins.

This issue is not a big one for me, either. But Christmas trees, the kind we see, weren't they German in origin, and medieval times, not pre-Christian? Unless, of course, Jeremiah was being prophetic.

As far as the Bible goes, I think Christmas trees are okay as long as they do not shave the beard or forelocks. Circumcision is optional as is flocking if lawfully married.