'Vandals have hacked at the heart of Christianity': 2,000-year-old Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury

Originally posted by TrueBrit
Speaking as a Christian myself, I am of the opinion that the less physical iconography remains in the faith, the better.
Christianity is not about Church buildings, graveyards, holy sites, ritual, sundays or any other damn hippy cultist CRAP. Its about what you do every day in the name of God, and trying never to do anything that would make him mad at you. Its about being the very best you can be, every day , and thanking God, not your own inflated sense of self importance, for the things that benifit you.
Its essentialy about having a real relationship with God. If you need a tree to do that for you, then you arent doing it right.

This reminds me of a story

During the Teng Dynasty, Dharma Master Dan Xia (literally, Red Twilight) used to be a candidate for the civil service examination. But he got a "calling" and later became a Buddhist Monk instead.

On a cold winter night, a big snow storm hit the city and the temple where Dan Xia served as a Monk got snowed in. Cut off from outside traffic, the coal delivery man could not get to the Zen Monastery. Soon it ran out of heating fuel after a few days and everybody was shivering in the cold. The monks could not even cook their meals.

Dan Xia began to remove the wooden Buddha Statues from the display and put them into the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" the monks were shocked to see that the holy Buddha Statues were being burnt inside the fire place. "You are burning our holy religious artifacts! You are insulting the Buddha!"

"Are these statues alive and do they have any Buddha nature?" asked Master Dan Xia.

"Of course not," replied the monks. "They are made of wood. They cannot have Buddha Nature."

"OK. Then they are just pieces of firewood and therefore can be used as heating fuel," said Master Dan Xia. "Can you pass me another piece of firewood please? I need some warmth."

The next day, the snow storm had gone and Dan Xia went into town and brought back some replacement Buddha Statues. After putting them on the displays, he began to kneel down and burn incense sticks to them.

"Are you worshiping firewood?" ask the monks who are confused for what he was doing.

"No. I am treating these statues as holy artifacts and am honouring the Buddha." replied Dan Xia.

Originally posted by ScepticalBeliever
The only truly sad part is an extremely old piece of nature has been destroyed. Though, I think Mother Nature has much greater worries than one old tree. I'd never actually even heard about this tree before, in relation to Christianity. One less way of spreading propaganda for them now, on the positive.

edit on 9-12-2010 by ScepticalBeliever because: (no reason given)

Lol? no the only sad part is there's vandals out there so depraved as to do something like this knowing how it was treasured by a group.

It doesn't matter if you agree with the story or not, at least have the common respect for anothers belief.

reply to post by Gakus


Like Christians have been reknowned for doing all through-out history? If you do a tiny bit of research, the facts speak for themselves. Anyway, I don't want to de-rail this thread into a religion row, so that's all I will say.

Originally posted by ScepticalBeliever
reply to post by Gakus

 

Like Christians have been reknowned for doing all through-out history? If you do a tiny bit of research, the facts speak for themselves. Anyway, I don't want to de-rail this thread into a religion row, so that's all I will say.

This statement goes to further prove your own ignorance.

All you're doing is digger a further grave, two wrongs never make a right.

reply to post by Gakus


No , hes right Gakus. Unfortunately the spread of Christianity as an organised religion bought with it a follow wave of devastating hijackings of the faith, to excuse war, rape, and Christ (literaly ) knows what else. The thing is , that Jesus himself of course would never have condoned the things that have been said and done in his name, nor the things that might be said in his name in the future by persons wishing evil on someone. But evil did follow his name on its trip round the world, heck, someplaces they arrived all at once!

I am at a loss for words. I feel a little sick over this. I am really disgusted and think I will put a curse on those bloody fools!

'Tis a sad thing to read that the thorn tree has been once again destroyed. Were the roots still in the ground?

If so...then this kind of tree can grow back...if not...did the article not say that other such trees were planted in different places around Glastonbury? Either way, it will regrow and be "reborn" as all things are.

side note on icons...Many organized religions (christian mainly) use them to pray to, including the roman catholic church. Is it worship? Only those that choose to pray to them know. The rest of the public can only guess.

so i say:

Thorn Tree

Thorn tree on Glastonbury Tor
Regrow with vigor...open the door
When you return may you bring peace...
Show us that at least
The sacrifice you have made
To the one who yielded the blade
Held something that may have been missed...
In the future will bring us all bliss

© sd

By all rights there could of been an intelligent conversation on this topic...alas it has digressed as usual. I am becoming weary of posting interesting information for the sake of dialogue when all most people care to state, or applaud is rivalry and schism.

I am going to put forth my own threads from here on in and be very picky of the threads I join, as I either get irate, where I normally wouldnt, or feel somewhat more foolish for having participated. Does it not interest anyone that the tree in question is a Hawthorn, that is in fact a medicine for the heart, that it is in fact symbolic of the faith and tenent put forth by the OP? Does anyone want to do anything other then argue over whether or not its Christian and thus a viable example of vandalism?

reply to post by Holly N.R.A.


I applaud you
Second line same as the first

Originally posted by Shadowfoot
By all rights there could of been an intelligent conversation on this topic...alas it has digressed as usual. I am becoming weary of posting interesting information for the sake of dialogue when all most people care to state, or applaud is rivalry and schism.

I am going to put forth my own threads from here on in and be very picky of the threads I join, as I either get irate, where I normally wouldnt, or feel somewhat more foolish for having participated. Does it not interest anyone that the tree in question is a Hawthorn, that is in fact a medicine for the heart, that it is in fact symbolic of the faith and tenent put forth by the OP? Does anyone want to do anything other then argue over whether or not its Christian and thus a viable example of vandalism?

There is great symbolism here for those who recognize it. For others, there is simply a shrub, which was vandalized.

It's a disgusting act of vandalism but really not that big a deal..
The tree was not even 60 years old and over the years has been replaced a few times from saved cuttings..

Yesterday he recalled watching a tree being planted on Wearyall Hill in 1951 for the Festival of Britain. Although that specimen died, it was replaced the following year and stood firm until this week. Mr Coles said: ‘It’s the saddest thing I’ve seen in Glastonbury. Some of the main trunk is there but the branches have been sawn away. I am absolutely lost for words.’

The sacred tree is unique in that it blossoms twice a year - at Christmas and Easter - and sprigs taken from

Is this proven fact? does it actually bloom on those days only?
Because if that is the case, that's pretty damn significant to me, in the case of the existence of god.

No it is not proven fact that the tree only blooms on Christmas and Easter. That is another lie. One of the most glaring lies about this tree is the claim that it is 2000 years old. How does a tree planted in 1951 get to be 2000 years old in only 59 years? There is no evidence suggesting that it is even related to some tree hacked down by the roundheads. Was there even a tree in the first place to get hacked down by roundheads or is the whole thing a bloody lie to fool the daft evangelooneys. So a Hawthorn tree got cut down....So what? They're not endangered, or even that rare. The only reason people are freaking out about this tree is because of the lies that they fell for.

I think I'm gonna go cut down a tree and make wild claims about it's divine origins myself just to see how many people fall for my BS. Maybe I can make a few bucks off it too like the xtian evangelooneys do.

reply to post by Control


READ THE BLOODY OP. And then if you like, wikipedia "Glastonbury thorn".

Whats been done here is the same as burning down Westminster Abbey.
Its a site of pilgrimage, a holy site in a holy town.

The IGNORANCE of some of the posters here on ATS is now beyond belief.

reply to post by andy1972


Yah. And chopping down a 60 year old tree really equates to burning down Westminster Abbey, the stone edifice of which is physically proven to be constructed between 1045 and 1050. There really is a big difference between 1951 and 1045. About 1000 years.

...and like I'm gonna take the word of a Spaniard on English and Celtic island history.

Cer bacia at Hisbaen 'ch MORAN , baech 'r 'n gysefin boblogi a goresgynedig 'r dirio chan 'm dadau i mewn 'r 'n flaen chyflea. Adwaenoch 'n gymaint Saesneg hanes fel gwnei Cristion. And since when was a bloody tree the "heart of Christianity?" Ach mo gwerth yn dweud wrth Saesneg. MORAN!

reply to post by Control


1 - I'm ENGLISH
2 - With regards to your earlier diatribe on other postings about the "finer points" of christianity,
I bet your a hard core god botherer who claims that god can cure lesbians and gays, if not burn 'em.
3 . Glastonbury, and its myth's, have been at the centre of British christianisty since its begining's.
4 - This is a sad day for Britain, as a piece of it's heritage, ableit legendary, has been destroyed.
5 - What the # is "celtic island history"


I've read all your posts, and they all have one thing in common, frustration.
Your little rant over the whistleblower and how may have died because of him, or your assertion that many christians have a warped and twisted view of evangelical scriptures and should'nt be allowed to discuss them publicy.
Everyone of your posts end's in a frenzied attack.
I suggest you spend sometime with normal people.



Thank you and have a nice day !!!

The tree is hawthorn, and looking at the photo, there is still a fair bit of the tree remaining. Hawthorn will generally recover from this so it should grow back. In ireland, farmers leave hawthorn trees well alone. Even if theyr'e in the way. Cutting them down is considered extremely unlucky. Regarded to be magical and protected by powerful nature spirits. So the bastard that did this has got some seriously ill karma heading his way!!

Originally posted by backinblack
It's a disgusting act of vandalism but really not that big a deal..
The tree was not even 60 years old and over the years has been replaced a few times from saved cuttings..

Yesterday he recalled watching a tree being planted on Wearyall Hill in 1951 for the Festival of Britain. Although that specimen died, it was replaced the following year and stood firm until this week. Mr Coles said: ‘It’s the saddest thing I’ve seen in Glastonbury. Some of the main trunk is there but the branches have been sawn away. I am absolutely lost for words.’

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

Of course, 60 years old is nothing compared to the original tree that was felled during the English Civil War. But anyways, the tree has a symbolic meaning and is sacred. This is a disgrace !

And i'm not even religios...

another snipped [ i cannot claim credit for this - it came up in convo with a mate who is a botany student ]

the " miraculous " double bloom - isnt that special at all - its very interesting - but can be recreated by grafting common hawthorn [ the " holy tree " ] cuttings onto blackthorn roots

reply to post by flymetothemoon


how do you know how old the tree destroyed by cromwells men was ?