Sir, – I notice more and more churches advertising Christmas tree festivals or exhibitions with a range of decorated trees on display in their sanctuaries.
What is the significance of the trees that they are displaying in relation to the doctrine of their faith, as I note that non-Christians, commercial businesses and even atheists also follow the same custom of putting up decorated trees?
The only verse I could find in the Bible concerning decorated trees was a section in Jeremiah 10:2-5 where God denounces the practice as futile: “Thus saith the Lord, ‘Do not follow the way of the Gentiles (pagans) . . . for the customs of the people are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails so that it will not topple.”
This bears a very close resemblance to the current practice of decorating trees for Christmas, but here we can see that such practices are very clearly pre-Christian and furthermore condemned by God.
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How can the churches reconcile this practice in their buildings today which many call the house of God?
In the light of the above verses I wonder would Jesus (Yeshua) condone this practice supposedly in honour of his birth?
Just food for thought for the Christmas Day conversation. – Yours, etc,
COLIN NEVIN,
Bangor, Co Down.