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

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

www.dailymail.co.uk

Vandals have destroyed one of the most celebrated Christian pilgrimage sites in Britain and chopped down a tree said to have sprouted from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea 2,000 years ago.
The Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury, Somerset, is visited by thousands every year to pay homage and leave tokens of worship. Those visiting today were moved to tears on finding the tree cut to a stump.
The sacred tree is unique in that it blossoms twice a year - at Christmas and Easter - and sprigs taken from

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Really, it sprouted from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea. whatever the likelihood or not of that. Is it vandals? Or someone else? Is it really a 'religious attack'?

Anyway a bit more history of the tree:

Christian legend dictates that Jesus's great uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, came to Britain after the crucifixion 2,000 years ago bearing the Holy Grail - the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper. He visited Glastonbury and thrust his staff into Wearyall Hill, just below the Tor, planting a seed for the original thorn tree. Roundheads felled the tree during the English Civil War, when forces led by Oliver Cromwell (pictured) waged a vicious battle against the Crown. However, locals salvaged the roots of the original tree, hiding it in secret locations around Glastonbury. It was then replanted on the hill in 1951. Other cuttings were also grown and placed around the town - including its famous Glastonbury Abbey. Experts had verified that the tree - known as the Crategus Monogyna Bi Flora - originated from the Middle East. A sprig of holy thorns was taken from the Thorn tree by Glastonbury's St Johns Church on Wednesday and sent to the Queen. The 100-year-old tradition will see the thorns sit on Her Majesty's dinner table on Christmas Day

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www.dailymail.co.uk
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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.

Yeshua is the heart of Christianity.

Try hacking Him down!

Originally posted by spacedonk
...Is it really a 'religious attack'?

I've seen others cry "religious attack" over far less.

Either way, sad stuff. A persons religion is theirs. I wouldn't dream of doing this, or serve pork outside a Mosque. It's all about respect. I wouldn't serve pork outside a busy Mosque, serve non kosher food to Jews or make a chocolate Jesus for Christians. Because I respect their POV even though I may not like or agree with it.

I went to the tree this morning, i am so shocked! It is a special Holy tree not just for christinaity but for pagans and all faiths. We now know who did it and he revenged the whole town because he wanted to build flats and we opposed the destruction of the hill where the tree grows. So after the sprig was sent to the queen he ruined the tree over night. - Ella, Glastonbury, 09/12/2010 17:19 Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

from one of the commenters on the story. so just a local pronlem relating to construction not a religious attack!

Not a religious attack necessarily. perhaps revenge for financial the wrongddoings by the owner of the hill where the tree sits.

The Guardian - Glastonbury Tree

'One possibility is that the attack may have been part of a vendetta against Mr James, who is on police bail.

Mr James said he had spoken to police about the attack on the tree "but we don't know who it (the culprit) could be yet."

He said: "People have said the tree was destroyed to get at me because of the Crown Currency Exchange affair.

"They were saying it was vendetta time. I know a lot of people are hurting at the moment but this was a very holy tree. It's weird.”

The owner of Wearyall Hill is Edward James, 70, who was arrested this week in connection with the collapse of Crown Currency Exchange, of which he is a major shareholder. The company, which has 8,000 creditors, collapsed in October, owing £16 million.

One possibility is that the attack may have been part of a vendetta against Mr James, who is on police bail.

Mr James said he had spoken to police about the attack on the tree "but we don't know who it (the culprit) could be yet."

He said: "People have said the tree was destroyed to get at me because of the Crown Currency Exchange affair.

"They were saying it was vendetta time. I know a lot of people are hurting at the moment but this was a very holy tree. It's weird.”'

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.

How cold is it over there?

I guess Sherwood Forest is fare game also. The King's trees!

I dont care whos responsable for the carnage here, muslims, local vandals or bankrupt and crooked business men, my response is the same.

What the culprit needs is the trunk of the holy thorn tree stuck up his arse.
He should be impaled and then have a string of xmas tree lights tied round his neck so everyone at night can admire him from afar.

Vendetta??
A vendetta is burning his car, his house or his family, even pissing through his letterbox, but not cutting down a bloody tree thats been there for nearly two milleniums.
Whats wrong with the world.

OHHHHHHHHHH, Nooooooooooooo, this just is heart breaking.

www.sarahboait.co.uk...

Here is some interesting information for those of you who don't know: Crataegus M. is the Latin for Hawthorn, the fruit and/or flower of which is used to treat heart disease, chronic high blood pressure etc.. There is an intriguing connection in my eyes between the sacred heart (Jesus icons often depict this)and the medicinal nature of this tree species throughout untold centuries. It is certainly worth some investigation.

My fiance and I are deeply saddened by the destruction of such a historical and symbolic tree, in the same manner as we were deeply saddened by the destruction by the Taliban of the giant Buddha statues in Afghanistan.

the " holy tree " is not even the origional

a previous tree - of unknown age - was chopped down by cromwellian forces during the english civil war

amazing how the people who make great claims of it ignore this inconvenient fact

reply to post by TrueBrit


well said - i am not even a christian - but i know the bible condems iconography

reply to post by ignorant_ape


It is the principal of the thing.
en.wikipedia.org...

Wow im not into christinatiy but thats just real sad... whats the point of that, twas a lovely tree and not doing anyone any harm..

kx

Don't Christians have something against idol worship? Because that's rather what this sounds like. Anyways, it's a tree. There's absolutely no proof it had anything to do with Jesus. But then again, that's most of Christianity, isn't it?

reply to post by ShadeWolf


I agree with your point up to a point. If you are familiar with the history as I have been reading it, after the first one was chopped down root cuttings were propagated from the original. Now I am not Christian, I am however a lover of history and I hold a great deal of respect for plants, at least as much as a vegetarian respects the lives of animals. It is a sad tragedy to destroy a medicinal plant of such great antiquity for so many reasons I can't describe them all.

there are some olive trees that are thought to be 2000 years old, some grape vines considered to be as old as well, it is beyond religious iconagraphy as an argument in my oppinion of the OP. We humans have not just lost respect for ourselves and each other as a species, but seemingly everything of the natural order.

I guess since you can't google from a tree, or download an awesome new APP, the simple wanton destruction of a life form, one with history even, should be just fine..I mean hey its just a stupid tree...right? I mean since I thought Icons were not allowed in Chistianity, then chopping down an old tree should be just fine. BTW Orthodox Christians in R7ussia and Turkey and Greece and the Middle East DO worship Icons.

This is not meant to be personally scathing, Im sorry if I come off that way.

That was such wicked, hateful thing to do. It was not 'just a tree'. It was sacred and held great meaning for many many people. It was also part of our cultural heritage. And someone just hacked it down as though it were nothing. I am really saddened by this and find it difficult to believe how callous some people can be. I don't care that it wasn't part of 'real Christianity', I'm not a Christian. This tree was special, it was a symbol of hope. I only hope that they may be able to keep the line going somehow and bring it back, perhaps by taking root cuttings or something.

peace
J

reply to post by Shadowfoot


No, it's alright. I see your point, and it is a tragedy that a tree that old was destroyed. My only point was that it's not exactly worthy of worship as a holy relic.