It Doesn't Mean That To Me

've heard these six words literally hundreds of times - usually as a response to pointing out the Biblical admonition against pagan rituals associated with the Babylonian holy days (holidays in modern English). For example, just over a month ago when a local "Christian" friend was telling me how cleverly his kids had dressed up for Halloween, I told him this holiday was of Satanic origin, and should not be observed by believers. He just smiled and said it doesn't mean that to me.

Another time, a Christian acquaintance defended taking his entire family to see the new Harry Potter film. Blithely brushing aside my concerns about Christians embracing the fictional occult phenomena, he repeated the now familiar refrain "but it's just fantasy and fun stories. Besides, it doesn't mean that to me."

Over the years, I've probably repeated the Biblical warnings against the pagan Babylonian ritual practice of keeping a christmas tree hundreds of times. On dozens of occasions I've cautioned friends and family that the christmas tree ritual is an ancient Satanic custom associated with the Greek demigod Cronos - his Roman counterpart being Saturn. In Scripture, he's better known under his Babylonian name of Tammuz.

In Ezekiel, as part of the sun god worship that had infected the Jerusalem temple, we find the "women weeping for Tammuz" (Ezekiel 8:14) because the Babylonian sun god had died as a young deity. As part of the demonic ritual, his death was honored on his birthday which coincided with the Winter Solstice. The idolatry of sun worship is closely identified with this seasonal period when the sun begins to stay in the sky longer.

The birth of Tammuz was December 25th, and to commemorate his death, the people would cut down a young evergreen tree (which causes the death of the tree) and decorate it with bright ornaments and candles. The star placed at the top of the tree is related to Ashtaroth - the star goddess mother of Tammuz (Attis to the Phoenicians, Adonis to the Greeks, Osirus to the Egyptians, etc). The practice goes back at least 2,500 years before Jesus Christ was born. Needless to say, Jesus was not born in December.

Over 500 years before the time of Jesus, the prophet Jeremiah wrote:

"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. For the customs of the peoples are vain; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of his hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright like the palm tree, but speak not; they must needs be borne, because they cannot go."

The ritual of the decoration of a "christmas tree" is descended from the worship of the groves in the Old Testament (Judges 3:7), the practice of Wicca (ancient Witchcraft) in the middle ages, and the Druids (child sacrifice) in more recent times. Over the years, whenever I've pointed this out to "Christians" that "celebrate" the holy day, virtually every one of them will justify their involvement with a variety of rationalizations. Sometimes they seek to `Christianize' the practice with a manger scene under the idolatrous tree - usually saying something to the effect of "Jesus has changed all that." Another favorite is "Oh, I know it has dark origins, but the kids love it and the tree smells so good."

Ezekiel also noted the fragrance associated with the ritual tree when the Lord warned how those that He was about to destroy "put the branch to their nose" (Ezekiel 8:17). As my family and "Christian" friends continue to stubbornly defend the christmas tree practice through the hardness of their hearts, I've learned they will ultimately seal their justification of honoring the Devil by summarily dismissing the subject (and me) with the catch phrase it doesn't mean that to me.

Of course, the rationalizations that "believers" offer to justify their veiled rejection of most things taught in the Bible are intricately crafted and cleverly varied. All those Biblical passages about how we should live are "the law," they say, and "we're not under the law, we're under grace." I've been repeatedly told about the "freedom" we have in Christ - another apparent justification for behaving in whatever fashion suits us.

When I tell all who will listen that the Sword of God is raised against "the children of disobedience" and that America is about to be harshly judged, I've learned to expect a series of defensive New Testament verses taken out of context - usually followed by the now hollow catch phrase "it doesn't mean that to me."

Those that have added that slick sound bite to their theological vocabulary can expect to learn a new phrase they will hear on judgment day: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity, I never knew you. And when they cry out in terrified desperation, `but Lord,' "we have eaten and drunk [taken communion] in thy presence," the Scriptures bluntly inform us that He will say "I know you not whence ye are." (Luke 13:26, 25)

And as they are being sent into outer darkness prepared for the Devil and his angels, the lost will undoubtedly follow in Satan's illustrious footsteps, and resort to twisting Scripture before the Lord - `But Lord, your Bible promised that I all I ever had to do was just say that prayer, and accept you.' Wouldn't it be ironic, if He would then say to those that refused to listen to His repeated warnings, It Doesn't Mean That To Me.

James Lloyd

Copyright © 2001 Christian Media Network

See Also

Strongholds And Stumblingblocks