Many of us who live in the United States are told that the winter holidays are supposed to be a time for coming together and focusing on our similarities rather than our differences (the so-called "Christmas spirit"). I'd like to do that by sharing one of the things I have in common with "real Christians."

You see, I do not decorate any sort of tree this time of year. I do not do so because I regard the practice as silly, wasteful, and because I have no emotional attachment to this particular holiday tradition. "Real Christians" do not engage in the practice either, as their bible frowns on this pagan practice (Jeremiah 10:1-25 NIV) that predated the time in which Jesus is alleged to have lived. You and I both know that "real Christians" read their bible as the literal word of the god in which they claim to believe. So yes, they are fairly serious about doing what it instructs.

The bible informs Christians that theirs is a jealous god. Even the first of their 10 commandments reinforces this point. Messing around with pagan practices that could be mistaken for the worship of false gods is not something any "real Christian" would take lightly. It would be one of the worst things they could do.

You may see other sorts of festive decorations around the home of a "real Christian" this time of year, but you will not find a Christmas tree.