De-paganizing Christmas suggestions

Several people in our neighborhood have declared that the custom of Christmas trees is pagan and should be shunned. I too once thought like this but had a re-think prompted by my new step-daughter when she first came to stay and wanted to have a Christmas tree.

The result can be seen in the above picture of two trees with angels at the base. Here's why it can be seen as appropriate and nothing to do with pagan rites.

The first human ancestors are symbolized by two trees at the center of the garden of Eden. The tree of life symbolizing Adam and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil symbolizing Eve. As you well know they fell and, thus, became false parents coming under the dominion of the false ruler of this world (John 12:31) and false god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). The central restoration providence of God has been to recover what was lost and, thus, make a new start. 

If Eve alone had fallen and Adam had remained intact it would have been relatively easy to re-create Eve through Adam as he would have kept his quality as her perfect subject partner. This is why the providence of restoration initiated by God has sought to re-create the true Adam. Jesus, in whom you believe, is the very person who fulfills this crucial position. He became one with the heart of God such that God and Jesus were one and the same. He fulfilled the quality of being the dwelling place of God as per 1 Corinthians 3:16. Incidentally, this is why Jesus said, "believe in me".

As you also know Jesus was not believed in, or followed, by anyone before he was killed on the cross and so could not restore someone in the Eve position. John the Baptist, although testifying to Jesus, not only failed to attend him but negated Jesus' claim that he (JtB) was the Elijah by denying this making Jesus appear to be an imposter. Judas Iscariot (one of the 12!) betrayed him, and Peter denied him, The three main disciples fell asleep during the critical prayer in the garden of Gethsemane and all the disciples ran away when Jesus was walking the path to the cross. A foreigner, Simon of Cyrene, was made to carry the cross for Jesus. and the thief on the right testified to Jesus.

Only during Jesus' resurrection did the followers of Jesus begin to truly understand who Jesus really was. But, by then, it was too late to substantiate on the earth what Jesus had accomplished. Thus spiritual re-birth was the only option for mankind to prepare again for the 2nd coming of Christ in the prolongation period that ensued due to the terrible mistake of the first Chosen people. Jesus indicated that the first chosen people had lost their qualification in the parable of the vineyard and Christianity took on the mission of "Israel" the 2nd chosen people of God. Christians are spiritually re-born through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the true Adam, the Holy Spirit is the true Eve, but this re-birth cannot be bequeathed to the progeny of parents re-born in this way. This is why Christ has to come again.

I recognize that a lot of Christians are going to have a problem with the Holy Spirit as being in the position of true Eve but it does make logical sense.

So now you can see why there are two trees - one representing True Adam, and one representing true Eve. If you put an angel on top of your tree you are reversing dominion (such as actually happened with the Fall of Man) - this kind of angel should be blown off with a shotgun. This is why they are at the base and supporting the true parents of mankind as should have happened if God's word had been taken seriously by the 1st ancestors.

The 2nd coming of Christ is best understood from this title of 'True Parents' rather than the terms Christ or Messiah. So, your trees at Christmas will reflect this understanding and remind you of the essential part of God's providence of restoration fulfilled with the 2nd advent of Christ - the recovery and re-instatement of the parents who were lost at the terrible event of the Fall of Man. Thus, now we are living in a new era as different to the New Testament Age as it was to the Old Testament Age which preceded it. Just as the teaching of the Old Testament Age was outshone by the teaching of Jesus and the Holy Spirit then, similarly, the new teaching brought by the Lord of the 2nd Advent will outshine the conventional Christian teaching. This is the meaning of the Bible verse talking about the Sun and Moon darkening and the stars falling from heaven in the Last Days that can be unlocked from the dream of Joseph in Genesis 37:9,10)

So, my new step daughter could have 2 trees rather than just the one she had set her heart on. Of course you can also have just one tree as the Messiah, Jesus, is the root of the new start and represents God who is the One God who gave birth to the entire of Creation - Universe and Cosmos - that has 2 sets of dual essentialities. The primary set of dual characteristics are those of internal nature (invisible) and external form (visible) - in mankind, created in the image of God, this is mind and body. The secondary set of dual characteristics is that of positivity and negativity, masculinity and femininity - male and female. These are displayed throughout all of creation. God is the reality of the number 3 - the triune God.

To represent God you could have a source of warmth and light (Love and Truth) shining upon your Christmas tree(s). This would be like the Cosmic Spring which this new era would bring into being.

So the cycle of celebrating the birth of Christ at Christmas with the death, and resurrection, of Jesus at Easter (another pagan word . . .) could be finished forever with the original ideal of creation fully restored and substantiated with true sons and daughters of God re-born through True Parents. Satan exposed and driven out forever - no longer able to function as the  manifestation of selfishness and parasitical nature as his source of food would be gone. No more ignorance, no more conflict and the sorrow generated by that.

Wouldn't that be nice?!

Jesus did say that we should be perfect as Heavenly Father is perfect but the present level of Christian thought can't get its head around that: Modern theology is doomed because it says that since God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He can also love as he pleases. Can I love as I please alone - without my dear wife? Can I? Those who say that I can are crazy. Then, can God love all by Himself? (209-81, 19901127)

Wishing you all the best this Christmas time and that your decorations can inspire you as well as all those who see them. Christ came again already; Christianity made a similar mistake as the 1st chosen people. Evidence for that is here.
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Looking forward to hearing from you!

Andrew and Marie Derricutt