That folks like this hate it with a fervent passion.
“Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 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 ax. THEY DECK IT WITH SILVER AND WITH GOLD; THEY FASTEN IT WITH NAILS AND WITH HAMMERS, THAT IT MOVE NOT” (Jer. 10:2-4).
“Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing (Deut. 7:26). Tree worship, which originated in ancient Rome, counterfeits the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST.
The great Roman god (the Roman Nimrod) who died in the midst of his power and glory, was symbolized as a huge dead tree, stripped of all its branches and cut down almost to the ground.
Baal-Berith (the Babylonian Tammuz) was symbolized as an evergreen, or immortal tree.
The Christmas tree, then decked with gold (deity), and silver (unlimited provision), represents the deified, reincarnation life of Nimrod, which has sprung forth from the dead tree stump.
Face it or not, Believer, THAT TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR LIVING ROOM IS A CURSED MONUMENT TO THE PAGAN GOD, TAMMUZ.
And that’s one of the calmer exhortations. Yeesh.
(via Uncle Bear)
Sometimes I have trouble figuring out whether or not a site like this is a parody.
Yeesh.
It is probably not a parody. One of the reasons I have been lightly blogging as of late has been because I have been involved with a Christmas drama for my church. I played a pastor during the time of Cromwell who held an illegal Christmas service. I got knocked down to the ground and sent to jail. My fellow cast member assumed that the people who were sent to jail were either Puritans or Pilgrams. I explained to them that they got their history backwards. It was the Puritans who opposed Christmas. This opposition got transferred to the New World and Chistmas wasn’t celebrated by Americans until well into the Nineteenth Century because of the Puritan influence. I will explain the theology as a footnote below for those find such things boring. My daughter, Hope, thought I looked funny in stage make-up. 🙂
Historical Footnote: The Puritans held to a theological concept called the Regulative Principle. In general, if Scripture is silent then whatever it is silent about is permitted. But, for formal worship the Regulative Principle stated there needed to be positive warrant in Scripture. To do otherwise was considered “will worship”. There were several verses used to support this (e.g. Leviticus 10:1 where Nadab and Abihu were killed because they offered unauthorized fire) along with the Commandment against idolatry.
In the context of 17th Century the Puritans opposed the Prayer Book because it mandated a specific form of worship, violating the Regulative Principle. They also saw much of Anglican worship constituted idolatry. Christmas was seen through the grid of being part of the liturgical calendar. The Regulative Principle stipulated fomal worship only occurred on the Sabbath and since Christmas occured on other days of the week then it should be opposed. Christmas was thus seen committing idolatry. When Prince Albert introduced the Christmas Tree into England and America there was yet another basis for the idolatry charge. This is the historical background where you get the web page we are discussing. These days it tends to be on the periphery but 150 years ago it would have been the majority report in America.
Alas, like Rich, I fear this particular site is not parody. I’ve run across enough folks of this ilk to believe that they are quite sincere (if also, IMO, quite misguided). Rich does a good summary of that corner of Christian history (and its influence in the US); one of the ironies of our “freedom of religion” and founding fathers is that many of them, especially at the first foundings, were not only fleeing intolerance, but bringing it with them, too.
Or, to summarize another way, “All that Christmas stuff? Nothing but popish nonsense and idolatry.”
Bah, humbug.
The USA only got freedom of religion because there were competing state religions in different colonies/states. I recall reading that within a few years of being freed by the Constitution from forced tithing, about 90% of people stopped.
I figured the site was probably a parody. Pro and semi-pro humor sites, like the Onion’s work, are more obvious and funny on several levels. Most atheists couldn’t be bothered to do the work, and nearly all of those who feel strongly enough to do so lack a sense of humor and subtlety.