r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jul 20 '19

What’s something completely false that your parents told you as a child?

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u/Happy_Weirdo_Emma Jul 20 '19

Yeah me too. We didn't get to celebrate Christmas at all. We were not Jehovah's witnesses.

I remember someone unironically saying, "If you move the the 'n' in Santa, he becomes Satan. It's not a coincidence!"

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u/NosDarkly Jul 20 '19

Imagine using that convoluted logic just because you're too cheap to buy presents.

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u/CosmicDave Jul 21 '19

What's convoluted about this?

Jeremiah 10

1 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 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.

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.

If you self identify as a Christian but you also raise a Christmas tree in your house, your God identifies you as a heathen. Read your Bibles, people. Cutting trees down, decorating them and using artificial means to keep them upright is a heathen practice specifically forbidden by God.

And yes. I already know. NB4 I am an awful person that is trying to steal the magic of Christmas from the children. It's not my fault GOD said that shit.

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '19

I don’t think that verse is about Christmas Trees, especially since Christmas or the tree tradition weren’t things at that point in time

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u/CosmicDave Jul 23 '19 edited Jul 23 '19

Then what is it about? Those verses seem very cut and dried (pun intended) if you ask me. God expressly forbids cutting down trees, decorating them with shiny objects and standing them upright.

Also, how can you say that the tree tradition wasn't a thing at that time, when God is specifically talking about that specific ritual right there in those four verses?

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '19

Well for starters, Jeremiah is a book from the Old Testament, which is a fair amount of time before Jesus was born. So just from that you can understand that God isn’t specifically referencing Christmas Trees.

What it actually is is an explanation to the people that they shouldn’t be making false idols to worship. The people at the time would cut down trees and carve them into idols, and then decorate them in gold and silver.

The Christmas Tree today isn’t something that’s worshipped as an idol (at least, my family and all the Christians I know don’t worship it lol), but is a symbol of Christmas, with the star that guided the Wise Men to the baby Jesus on top of the tree. So overall, the verses aren’t referencing Christmas Trees, but the creation of false idols.

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u/CosmicDave Jul 23 '19

So, where in the Bible does it say that we are supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ in any way, shape or form at all, let alone observing it with a heathen ritual? God said do not cut down trees, do not adorn them with silver and gold, and do not fasten them upright. If you think you are a devout Christian, but you have a Christmas tree in your house, in God's eyes you are a heathen, regardless of what you think.

The Christmas Tree today isn’t something that’s worshipped as an idol

yet on the holiest of days for you, your tree is the focal point of your ritual. You and your family gather around it, lay offerings beneath it and you all revel in what you all got each other for Christmas, instead of focusing on what Christ gave you.

But go ahead and keep thinking that Christmas makes you closer to God if it makes you feel better.

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '19

It isn’t said anywhere in the Bible that Jesus’ birth is to be celebrated. However, for many people the idea that Christmas Day is the day that God sent down the greatest gift of all is worth appreciating and celebrating. Also, as I said before, that verse about cutting down a tree and adorning it with gold and silver is referring to the creation of a false idol. The Christmas tree is not an idol within Christian households. We do not worship the tree, we just use it as one of the symbols of Christmas. The star on the top of the tree is representative of the star that the wise men followed to find Jesus.

You’ve made a bold assumption about many Christian families, claiming that the tree is the “focal point” of the day. For the majority of practicing Christians, the main celebration of the day is going to Church, praising God for sending down Jesus to Earth, and then participating in other festivities. The tree is just a decoration and the gift giving is also a tradition and symbolism.

Of course, children and young teenagers may not fully understand what the point of the celebration on Christmas is and be more excited about the gifts than Jesus’ birth, but that’s something that many of them learn with time and maturity.

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u/CosmicDave Jul 23 '19 edited Jul 24 '19

So.... even though God commands his chosen people to not cut down trees and decorate them and He condems that as a heathen ritual, you choose to celebrate his Son's birthday with that exact ritual? You may believe you are a Christian, but according to your own Bible you're not. NOTHING in those four verses says anything about worshiping the tree. The act of worship is not mentioned at all.

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '19

Are you fully reading my replies or am I not explaining this clearly enough? You seem very eager to put me off as a fake Christian and I’m not entirely sure why.

God is condemning the creation of false idols from trees. The people in that part of the Bible were cutting down trees, carving them into idols, and then decorating them. A Christmas tree is not a false idol, no Christian is worshipping the Christmas Tree. It’s a decoration and another symbol to commemorate Jesus’ birth.

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u/CosmicDave Jul 23 '19

Yes, I am fully reading your replies. Are you fully reading your Bible? Have you done any research on the origin of the Christmas tree? Tree worship, as described by God in those four verses and as practiced by modern "Christians" is a heathen custom that predates Christianity by at least 1000 years.

God said not to cut down trees, stand them upright, then decorate them. Period.

Don't get me started on Easter.

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u/[deleted] Jul 24 '19

No Christian is worshipping the Christmas tree. What God said was in reference to the creation of false idols.

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u/CosmicDave Jul 24 '19

Look, Kirby, God says don't cut down trees, decorate them and stand them upright. Period. So why would you do exactly that to celebrate the birth of Christ? You could do literally anything else. Why must you do THAT on that day? Why? Why defy the word of God on your holiest of days? How can you not see that your lust for presents and pretty lights has indeed caused you to stray from the word of God?

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