>
> Hello Father! Being it's almost Christmas, I'd thought I
> would ask a Christmas question. Being the Christmas Tree is
> pagan, Why does the Catholic church accept it knowing its
> past?
The Christmas tree is pagan?? Actually you're wrong, but it's
an interesting thing to be wrong about. Christmas trees, after
all, are trees are trees are trees. And the Word of God in Holy
Scripture teaches us plainly that God created trees and all
plants and vegetation, and He saw that they were good (Genesis
1:11-12). Our Lord Jesus Himself assures us that Scripture cannot
be broken (John 10:35), and therefore we proclaim that Christmas
trees and all other trees are good. To say that Christmas trees
are pagan (and therefore evil) puts one under the curse
pronounced by Isaiah the prophet: "Woe to those who call evil
good and good evil" (Isa. 5:20).
It is God's creative act, bringing all things into being and
maintaining them in existence, that makes all things good. Sinful
man, abusing his own free will, misuses the good things given him
by God. So pagans of every kind have misused nearly every good
creature of God, even worshiping the creature instead of God
(Romans 1:22-25).
But sinful abuse of creatures does not destroy their fundamental
goodness. The vocation and dignity of Christians is to withdraw
created things from the evil uses to which sinners have put them,
and to turn them instead to the service and glory of their
creator God (cf. Romans 8:19-23; 1st Cor. 10:31).
Ideas have consequences, and therefore we should be careful to
discern the truth or falsehood of ideas. The idea that Christmas
trees are pagan and evil is a poisonous thought, bordering on
blasphemy. It alleges that human sin is mightier than God's
creative power, that pagan misuse of creatures makes void the
judgement of Scripture: "God saw that it was good" (Genesis
1:12). Catholics gladly use Christmas trees and many other
beautiful creatures of God to express our joy and to thank the
Father for the birth among us of His Son: "Then shall all the
trees of the wood sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes!"
(Psalm 96:12-13)
Sincerely in Christ,
Father Mateo
--- Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit ---
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