by wednesday 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
LOL, Wednesday! So did I, for the most part....so did I.....until the last 10 yrs in it....
BUT....I, too, enjoy decorating a Christmas tree and celebrating the holidays simply because they're festive and full of fun for families....to draw us closer together at times.
Frannie B
what? Are you saying people today read? where have you been?
what? Are you saying people today read?
LOL, PP!!! Yup....they even hafta read to get into singing and rock groups or to get a part in movies and TV sitcoms nowadays....
Frannie B
Christmas may have Pagan origins, but I don't see why that's a bad thing. What's wrong with a family getting together and having fun?
Hi Wednesday,
For your pleasure
http://www.spotlightministries.org.uk/christmas1.htm
This has some info regarding JW's twisting the scripture in Jeramiah and likening it to the christmas tree.
Jehovah's Witnesses have not officially used that scripture in regard to the Christmas tree since at least 1950.
*** w50 12/15 522 Questions from Readers ***รณ Does Jeremiah 10:3-5 refer to the erection and trimming of Christmas trees??C. M., Washington
This scripture cannot be properly applied to cutting down evergreens, building bases to hold them upright, and decorating them with gold and silver tinsel or other ornamentation. Jeremiah 10 is exposing the folly of worshiping idols.
Hence it is clear that Jeremiah 10:3-5 does not refer to decorated Christmas trees, when we view these verses with their context and with the historical background of that time in mind.
eby
yes it cannot be a CHRISTMAS tree...but the christmas tree has nothing to do with jesus. Another fun thing borrowed from pagans to liven up Christianity.
Isnt it a german thing with immortality or something...I dont it was soooo long ago since I learned that. Probably well after Jeremiah;s time but you never know. I cannot find my timeline hahah.
We were talking about that at church. It most likley was talking about totem pole type idols. Yet, the Bible clearly says do not learn the ways of the pagan nations and you can look in any encyclopedia or type in origins of christmasany search engine and dozens, if not hundreds of articles will come up showing the history of where the practice of Christmas came from and they all admit it was from pagan religions.
Actually, there is nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas , knowing it comes from pagan origins. IF there is no God.
But, if you DO believe there is a one true creator, and you fear him, hadn''t you ought to find out what he has to say about it?. God has absolutely ntohing against families getting together and having fun. As long as you obey him about not adapting pagan celbrations as your own. And you can type in
"Origins of Christmas" in any search engine and it will come up with dozens of articles admitting the pagan origions of Christmas. I have fond memories of it myself. But, I know that God says not to learn the ways of the pagans. It makes him very angry and he's the same, yesterday, today and forever.
And because I DO fear God, then how he feels about it means more to me then how I use to feel about it.
So, I have the fond memories because I was innocent back then and didn't know. I just did it because my family always had. Most people don't bother to look into why they do what they do. They do what their families always did.
But, it's so easy to look it up in any encyclopedia or websearch .There's absolutely no reason in this computer age to remain ignorant of this.Anyone can look it up themselves
It clearly states in every article that it comes from purely pagan origins and gives the history and how the Catholic church adopted it in order to convert pagans to Christianity.. So it's not really a question of 'Is it really pagan"? anyone can look it up in five minutes and get the answer.
What it does come down to is. "Do you beleive God is the supreme creator? Do you beleive he meant it when he said to not learn the ways of the pagans"? Do you belive that God doesn't change ? Have you looked into it to see in fact if it is Pagan? If so, after doing that ask yourself. Do you want to obey him and give up a practice that always seemed innocent and sweet and in his honor, and gave you alot of good memories and was sooo fun in order to truly obey and serve him? Or do you plan to defy him because it's something you have always done and it seems right, and is fun and therefore you just don't want to give it up even if you DID just learn it's from pagans?.
Do you think God will just "wink" at it because it's so fun for you? Do all your reasons gain any clout with him?
That's what it comes down to. Of course if you don't believe in God or don't fear him, then you have nothing to worry about. For now.
It really only comes down to that, and God gives you a free will to choose. And if the choice is wrong, then each one of us will reap the consequences of our decision..
Windyrr2,
"Do you beleive God is the supreme creator? Do you beleive he meant it when he said to not learn the ways of the pagans"?
I believe in God. How do you know that God said not to learn the ways of the pagans? Are you going to tell me the bible says so?
God existed BEFORE the bible and he was worshipped very well before the bible. In fact, the bible took many of its stories and themes from paganism. Look up ancient egyptian myths, look at what other cultures believed before Jesus ever appeared.
Sirona
