Jehovah’s Witnesses: What’s the difference between “worshipping” Christmas trees & “worshipping” wind chimes?
Why are Christmas trees ALWAYS satanic, but wind chimes could swing both ways?
My Japanese mother-in-law is Buddhist. However, she enjoys celebrating the Christmas holiday by decorating tree with various Christmas ornaments. She is not worshipping the tree; she just thinks it’s a “fun custom.” She is not celebrating the birth of Jesus – since she does not believe in Christianity.
She also has some wind chimes that purchased about 15 years ago in Pike Place Market (Seattle). I’m not sure what she thinks about the wind chimes, but some Buddhists think they are useful in chasing away bad spirits.
On this subject, the Watchtower writes:
"If one’s motive in putting up a wind chime has nothing to do with false religion, superstition or demonism, and there is little possibility of others’ getting the wrong impression regarding its use in the home, it is a simple matter for personal decision."
Why doesn’t the WTS come to the same conclusion about Christmas trees? It seems to me that the key difference is simple: the Watchtower (JW leadership) allows Witnesses to put up wind chimes, but has decided not to allow Witnesses to put up a Christmas tree. Similarly, piñatas, the exchange of wedding rings, and baby showers, all have "pagan" origins, but the Watchtower has decided to allow Witnesses to have them if they so desire. It’s all based on the whims of a few elderly men in New York.
So why not rewrite the policy on Christmas trees to read:
"If one’s motive in putting up a Christmas tree has nothing to do with false religion, superstition or demonism, and there is little possibility of others’ getting the wrong impression regarding its use in the home, it is a simple matter for personal decision."
Would that be fair and logical?
Thanks Uncle Thesis: We did put up a Christmas tree (a fake one) several weeks ago. And as far as I know, no one in my family prostrated him/herself before it in worship. So I conclude that there’s nothing wrong with the tree and that it’s just a fun custom.
Tagged with: baby showers • birth of jesus • christmas holiday • christmas ornaments • christmas tree • christmas trees • demonism • elderly men • false religion • fun custom • google • japanese mother • personal decision • pike place market • pike place market seattle • script type • watchtower • wind chime • Wind Chimes • wrong impression
Filed under: Wind Chimes
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Scott the whole point of putting a Christmas tree up in your house in December, whether your professing to be a Christian or not, is for the participation in a festival that is pertaining to be religious, in this case the Christian religion or that which is to do with the Christ. As Christmas is nothing to do with Christ Jesus then Christmas and your participation in it will be viewed by Jehovah and Jesus Christ as wrong. No matter what your ‘motive’ is once you have been shown that Christmas is pagan in origin and that Jehovah in the Bible condemns anything pagan which is used in a religious connotation then your ‘its just for fun motive’ for participating in this festival becomes immaterial to God, becomes a mere lame excuse to Him. Then to Jehovah you become just someone who honours Him with your lips but your heart is far removed from Him. In other words you worship God in the way that pleases you and not in the way that Jehovah says you must worship Him and which pleases Him.
You cannot be eating at the table of demons and at the table of Jehovah. You cannot slave for two masters. You must choose one or the other.
Now wind-chimes, on the other hand, are superstitiously perceived by some to ward of evil spirits, to others they are merely something that the wind blows through. Therefore it would be up to the Witnesses’ individual conscious whether to have one out in their garden or not.
Jehovah’s Witnesses worship Jehovah so we really are not in a position to tell you about worship of inanimate objects.
I think the best thing is to pose your question to someone that worships christmas trees and/or wind chimes and see how they distinguise between the two types of worship.
No difference. Either one would constitute idolatry. Idolatry is defined as the worship of anything or anyone other than the one true God.
If you wish to put up a christmas tree, go ahead.
Wind chimes are chimes constructed from suspended tubes, rods or other objects and are often made of metal or wood. Wind chimes are usually hung outside of a building or house and are intended to be played by the wind. Sound can be produced when the tubes or rods come in contact with a suspended central clapper, in the form of a ball or horizontal disk, or each other. Wind chimes may be used to observe changes in wind direction, depending on where they are hung.
since jw have such trouble with this tree idea….do they avoid loggers and national camp grounds because this are tree worshiping sites???
What about smokey bear? is that worshiping animals?
the Audubon society? worshiping birds???
wind chimes are very handy at scaring away birds in the garden, hanging in the fruit trees keeps the birds from stealing the fruit…..perhaps jw do not like scare crows either; do they think that the farmers worship them too??
jw really need to get a Biblical education and a life….
The difference with Christmas trees is their actual origin & how they were incorporated within celebrations now adopted by Christendom. Everything to do with them is connected with pagan superstition.
Their origin….
The article in the Catholic newspaper (’L’Osservatore Romano’) pointed out that back in ancient times, many evergreens, such as “holly, butcher’s broom, laurel and branches of pine or fir were considered to have magical or medicinal powers that would ward off illness.” It went on to say: “On Christmas Eve, 24 December, Adam and Eve would be commemorated with the highly popular episode of the Tree of the earthly Paradise . . . The tree ought to have been an apple tree, but since an apple tree would have been inappropriate in winter, a fir tree was set on the stage and some apples put on its branches or, to symbolize the future coming of Redemption, wafers prepared with crushed biscuits in special moulds that were symbols of the Eucharistic presence of Jesus, as well as sweets and gifts for children.” What about after that time?
Mentioning that the tradition of using a Christmas tree first started in Germany in the 16th century, ‘L’Osservatore Romano’ noted: “Italy was one of the last countries to accept the Christmas tree, partly because of a rather widespread rumour that the use of Christmas trees was a Protestant practice and should thus be replaced by the crib [the Nativity scene].” Pope Paul VI “began the tradition of setting up [in St. Peter’s Square, Rome] a massive Christmas tree” near the Nativity scene.
The point of the article about wind chimes is that barely anyone associates it with spiritism or false religion. I myself didn’t know anything about a connection to spiritism until about two years ago.
On the other hand, Christmas trees are still 100% associated with a pagan/religious holiday: Christmas. Concerning that quote you offered: people’s motive for setting up a Christmas tree has to do with false religion. You’re comparing two very different things, one thing that no one associates with paganism in any way, and another thing that is ONLY associated with paganism.
Pine trees unassociated with Christmas are fine. And many JWs have pine trees in their yards.
Vot wonders why your mother-in-law’s feelings about trees and wind-chimes has anything to do with us.
We care about what JEHOVAH thinks.
Where in the world do you live where the Christmas tree has no connection in observers’ minds to Christmas?
Why call it a "Christmas tree" then?
You go ahead and put up your little trees. Don’t let our pure worship of the true God affect your fun
"and there is little possibility of others’ getting the wrong impression regarding its use in the home"
I think if someone had a motive for cutting down a tree in the cold of December and bringing it into the house and then decorating it — well, I think the possibility is pretty certain that others would believe that a person doing that was in fact celebrating Christmas. I don’t think you could say that there would be "little possibility of others’ getting the wrong impression".
You said it yourself when you said your mother-in-law; "enjoys CELEBRATING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY by decorating tree with various Christmas ornaments… she just thinks it’s a “fun custom” ".
She’s celebrating the pagan CHRISTMAS holiday by using the pagan CHRISTMAS tree. That’s what matters to God Almighty. Whether or not she is Christian, Buddhist or whatever else does not matter to God Almighty. She’s partaking in a pagan holiday by celebrating Christmas and her decorating the Christmas tree for the pagan holiday only further shows that she is a participant in the pagan holiday.
That’s what matters to God.
Many of the inhabitants of the nations that God used the nation of Israel to destroy may not have believed in Jehovah, could have cared less what customs the Israelite’s followed or the Mosaic Law. Didn’t matter to Jehovah though, those nations were practicers of things that JEHOVAH found very offensive and so he used his people to get rid of them from off his land, the land that he promised to give to the nation of Israel.
With the celebration of the golden calf, not everyone who participated in the celebration of it, bowed down to it. Some just "joined in the fun" that was going on.
They even called the pagan celebration "a festival to Jehovah", so what was the harm, right?
WRONG!
What they were doing, whether, bowing down to the disgusting golden calf or joined in the festival to just "join in the fun", Jehovah found it majorly offensive and had the ones who didn’t repent, killed.
The problem today is that people don’t care how Jehovah FEELS, they only care about what makes THEM feel good.
Hey, if people want to continue to celebrate Christmas, put up Christmas trees and Christmas whatnot in their homes for the holidays, they have the right to do so. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t try to stop people by force from doing and participating in things that offend God. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t do it (celebrate Christmas) because of how God FEELS about it, that’s all that matters.
In the New World that God is bringing, I can GUARANTEE you that there won’t be anyone celebrating Christmas or decorating Christmas trees.
Christmas celebrating and whatnot is for the people who are PART of this present world that is ruled by the Devil. Jehovah’s Witnesses are not part of this present world, they live in it, but they are not PART of it.
The world they are waiting for is God’s New one that will be ruled by Jehovah through the Messiah where ONLY righteousness (meaning what is right by God) will exist (2 Peter 3:13).
I also noticed how you typed in that the Watchtower is the leadership of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The leadership (as you put it) of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, is Jesus Christ.
"Neither be called ‘leaders,’ for YOUR Leader is one, the Christ." ~Matthew 23:10~
Don’t worry dude, God and Jesus are about to sort everything out real soon.
Ciao
I have yet to meet a Christian that prays to trees or crosses.
Until today…..
Answerers here are saying Christians do this. If any of them ever get the chance to get an Audio Video record of the prayer and the worship please post it. Are they asking the tree to grant wishes? Are they asking the cross to give them riches.
Perhaps ‘wisdom’ as Solomon asked for, or ‘knowledge’ as the NWT translates John 17:3.
Just what is the worshipping and prayers that I have never seen?
________
Was wondering is someone the made a false prophecy 5 years ago or 55 years ago are any different?
Does God have a time limit on being a false teacher?
Does God say go ahead believe this prophet’s teachings because it was 35 years ago or 65 years ago they were a false teacher?
Does God have a time limit?