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You can celebrate however you choose, but the fact is Christmas was made to celebrate the birth of Christ. You can celebrate any holiday at any time, but I don't think you can take Christ out of Christmas. Of course, I recognize the pagan origins of many holiday traditions.
And the winter solstice was a pagan holiday long before Christians co-opted it.
But, I see your point -- you resent it when non-Christians adapt Christian festivals to their own purposes, but you think it's perfectly fine when Christians adapt non-Christian festivals to their own purposes (ie, the winter solstice, Halloween, etc.). And I suppose you feel your double-standard is entirely justified because... well, just because.
You can celebrate however you choose, but the fact is Christmas was made to celebrate the birth of Christ. You can celebrate any holiday at any time, but I don't think you can take Christ out of Christmas. Of course, I recognize the pagan origins of many holiday traditions.
"Christmas" was made to celebrate the birth of Christ, but pretty much everything else that has to do with the Christmas season was already in place and used in celebrating Saturnalia before early Christians took over the holiday.
I wonder how many leaners have seen the displays the atheists put up right next to Christian ones in Santa Monica. They were nothing but aimed at mocking and there is a real difference.
Which is why these atheists only want to put up their displays during Christian holidays, to mock, ridicule and antagonize religious people.
I completely get the nativity scenes, etc., but what I don't get is those that suddenly are opposed to Christmas trees, lights, wreaths, santa, and on and on.
Who said that unless it's a matter of expecting the public to pay for the utilities.
You love any site you think has a video for you to deflect from the discussion, and you know it.
No I was showing my festive mood ! Don't worry roy no one is going to stop you from spraying foam all over your front yard. Or put up the giant santa claus on your roof, no one is taking your christmas away ! And to the comment I made about the businesses ruining christmas, it is true. Christmas is no longer about spending time with family and friends it's been commercialized, now one has to buy a gift for someone because if they don't they are being a "scrouge" The commercialization of christmas can be said to have started with Disney. So just because you see a display in your local store does not mean your local store is not using that as a means to entice people to come in. Look at macy's here in NYC they dedicated A HUGE space for xmas decorations and why do they do that ? They don't just do it because they like it, they don't do it because macy's a christian company they do it to entice people to come in. They do it in the hopes people will come into the store and buy stuff. So yes I stand by my comment that christmas is no longer what it was, christmas now is all about the gifts ! If you don't believe me than don't buy anyone anything for the christmas and see what happens.
Just in time for the annual "Christmas traditions are taken from pagan rituals" posts. Don't you think most of us know this by the time we're 12 or so?
Then why do we keep hearing that it's christian.
It's really not, they just stole it.
The title "Tis the Season: Killing Christmas 2012" makes me think of a action film about a hitman with a poster showing Santa, a Christmas tree and nativity scene in the crosshairs of a high-powered rifle... And only one man can stop him.
"Tis the season for payback. Deck the halls...with revenge!"
Starring Jason Statham and Steven Seagal...
You seen any of seagal's movies lately sheesh I could imagine him playing santa and just sitting down the whole entire time ! Although that does sound like one heck of a movie, it kind of reminds me of this :
[quote=Frozenyo;27015358]How can an atheist take away your belief by putting up a separate display? Is your belief that weak?[/qoute] Did you not understand the end result....
My faith being weak..... nNO!!! Christmas Day does not guide my faith.
I don't understand why all of a sudden people have a problem with Christmas decorations. It's been a tradition in this country forever and now people have a problem with it?
Get over it and move on to important things.
In the meantime, enjoy the beauty of the lights and decorations.
No, it hasn't. In fact Christmas wasn't widely celebrated or observed in the US until the mid-19th century and at some points in some places it was illegal to celebrate it. This was also the case in Great Britain, home of the Protestant Reformation which shaped the early character of this country. Read a book sometime.
And what of Christmas that doesn't have pagan origins more than likely came from Charles Dickens, whose novel A Christmas Carol wasn't published until...you guessed it...the mid-19th century. You have the Kingdom of Hanover to thank for Christmas trees, which weren't popular in the US until after the Civil War...around the same time that Christmas became a federal holiday.
...and I'm a Jew. What's YOUR excuse?
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Originally Posted by chielgirl
When I lived in the States, a Jewish friend and I would slowly walk around on christmas eve, just sauntering, and drive people crazy.
I always wanted to say: I'm not in your hurry.
Side note, I finished sending all of my holiday boxes Stateside today.
LOL...that's awesome. We usually go out for Chinese and to the movies while the gentiles are having Christmas. It's wonderful.
Why didn't they put it down the road....you and I both know why
Of course we both know that the city of Santa Monica had designated locations.
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Thanks, I will and you do the same. I'm pretty sure it was a pagan that introduced us Christians to egg nog and rum......you'd be quite surprised to find it's not really a religious celebration for most, most of us have brought in all those fun decorations and adorned our trees with silver and gold......it's called just enjoying the season and appreciating family.
That's the way I've always seen it.
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Thanks for sharing Nothing like reading a site from Jews not for Jesus..... I can see where you would find this good reading from your own viewpoint...........
What was Jesus' faith?
<hint: he wasn't a Christian>
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I don't think it matters to most the origin of Christmas, but it does seem important to most Atheists
to spread the story or to set a Christian in their place, by claiming that the day was theirs first.
I don't think the pagans were atheists. They had more gods than you do.
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You people act like your carrying on some kind of tradition.
We act like it's a tradition not exclusive to Christians.
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I can see where you would find this good reading from your own viewpoint...........
