This is something Iv been thinking about for some time and asked a select group of people that Iv found to be atheists about. Now Id like anyone elses opinion reguardless of Faith or nationality.
Christmas, what has it become and how do you celebrate it? If an atheist celebrates it in any manner is that being hypocritical? I already know SteveA's views on this and he told me I can quote them if I took this to the general board but I think Ill let that go for a bit to get reactions before I pull Steves answers out for display.
There is no noble purpose to this, no class Im taking and need to write a report on or anything, just my general brain fart that wondered how people view it all. If someone decided to write a report based on this topic Id be interested to read it after it was completed.
-
The Christmas story
-
Well my views are it does not matter if you get anything or not, that is the corporate side of the holiday. It is nice just to have a formal get together with family, by a fire, with some good food, and watch a nice football game.
-
I know Helms...It should just be kept a nice family holiday.
-
Well Im an atheist, and I call it Christmas and its still celbrated here. Hypocritical? eh, maybe. I kept it going after I was an adult because I liked it, wanted my kids to have the same experiences as I did and not have them left out of what the other kids they had as friends experience.
I knew a jewish kid growing up for a few years and he was always depressed about christmas and what everyone else got to have vs. him. Didnt want to do that to my kids.
I dont begrudge what otheres do to celebrate it or what they belive and we like going to the Christmas parade. -
Well, I'm a Christian and my family and I do something different everyday. We don't go to church however on Christmas sundays because service is cancelled then. But yeah it's no big. It's the only day when my mom, dad, 3 brothers, sister, and grandmother are there. I wouldn't expect a an atheist to not celebrate christmas. It's just a holiday also. Though I guess it has more meaning to other religions.
-
http://de.essortment.com/christmaspagan_rece.htmChristmas isnt christian. go research into it, its pagan so really, anyone can celebrate christmas.
-
yeah there are some ridiculous things out there. You know people protested to get the puff of dust taken out road runner when the coyote fell off a cliff!
-
Oh no I didn't say it was. But that's just what I celebrate it as I guess.
Helms < In the JCPENNY thingy majigger they don't allow anyone to say merry christmas just happy holidays. My friend and I went in the store last year yelling "merry christmas and God bless"... stupid kids. lol
-
The problem with store clerks wishing people a merry Christmas is that they are saying either:"Christmas is now so secular and meaningless in our society that I can wish you a merry one regarless of your faith."or:"Worship my saviour, regarless of your faith."Personally I take it the first way, and I don't mind. But Christians shoud mind.I wonder how people would feel about being wished a happy Ramadan.
-
I agree, infact I found that out recently when stevea posted a link to that in another post (or was it you? in my head it was steve, if im giving credit to teh wrong person I apoligize) and that is part of what led me to start wondering about this one night when I was driving in the rain after dropping kids off and alone for an hour in the car.I agree anyone can celebrate it I jsut thought it was greatly interesting how other people view it as it is mostly accepted as christian.
-
When people wish me a merry Christmas i always say "yea and a happy Hanukkah to you too!" Then they all awkward, its funny.
-
It's hard to criticize a parade with Frosty and Santa, but to some extent it's like white people marching about their whiteness. (In other words, "I'm the majority, look at me, I'm better than you.") If you were born into a Christian family, it is unlikely that you will be able to understand that.Christmas/ Easter / pagan links.
-
Wow guys um I didn't think it was that serious. I suspected Christmas to be just holiday because that's what people identify it as on calenders, movies, shows, etc. Didn't think it was so offensive.
-
i never thought it was, i just always thought it was funny that people automatically think everyone celebrates it
-
I gotcha
-
nice
-
well now thats ridiculous. let the people have their parade i say. It doesnt bother me as a previous jewish now agnostic, i mean shouldnt people be able to express their religion/beliefes how ever that want to?
-
Right Steve, but did you see any white guys at the Million Man march? And did the cracker ass whities complain about not being invited? I don't know what the specific situation was with that even, but (non-redneck) whites, unfortunately not many from the South, who marched with the blacks during the civil rights era. Generally, blacks aren't excluded from white churches, and whites aren't excluded from black churches, but worship is still probabably the most segregated activity that people engage in. But I digress.There is a difference between minorities marching ("I'm in a minority group, but I'm speaking out!"), and a majority group marching ("Look how many of us there are!").That's all pretty over the top when it comes to things like Christmas parades. (Passion plays, which are antisemetic by nature, are another story.) I think parades and so on are just fine. But it would be nice if people were sensitive enough to understand why a 7-year-old would feel excluded during the 3-month-long Chirstmas holiday. It's not an issue of the 7-year-old being too wimpy. It's not that people shouldn't have their celebrations, but a little more compassion would be nice. South Park nailed it (as they often do) with their excellent Christmas episode (the Mr. Hankey episode, I think), where Kyle sings "I'm a Jew on Christmas", while he's in a padded cell. Pretty funny stuff.If I were a Christian, though, I'd be concerned about the dumbing down of the holiday.
-
my church is as mixed as it gets.
-
Your situation is very unusual.