Atheists/Agnostics, Do You Celebrate Christmas? (parties, official, TV, represent)
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I always get a kick out of people who have to declare themselves an atheist or agnostic. Just keep your stupid beliefs or non-beliefs to yourself. You'll be praying to God or Allah or someone at the end of your life, you'll be frightened of that black abyss waiting for you.
Bunch of attention cravers. Pfft.
How about this, try showing people respect and let them believe what they want? If you don't believe, then just stay home and shut your trap?
Well, I'm agnostic and I celebrate the secular Christmas. Christmas isn't simply a religious holiday anymore than Halloween. A lot of holidays have either secular roots (no, Thanksgiving has nothing to do w/ Christianity) or have become secular over the years (e.g., St Patrick's day). And last I checked, there were no rules on who could celebrate what holidays. I'm not pagan, but I celebrate Halloween and Easter. I'm not Irish, but have taken part-and invited to take part in by people of Irish descent- St. Patrick's Day. 95% of my family aren't American citizens (mix of permanent residents and Haitian Canadians) but we all celebrate the 4th of July and Thanksgiving.
Question for you, Choclot: once you strip away all of the non-Christian, pagan, and secular aspects of the holiday, what is left that can solely be attributed to Jesus Christ? Gift giving, the Christmas tree, Santa, Christmas dinner, and many decorations all have roots that predate Christianity. So how do YOU celebrate Christmas in the "correct" Christian way?
I think it's the height of foolishness and arrogance that Christians like you seem to think you have sole dominion over this holiday, when many, many aspects of it predates Christianity or have no religious connection. It's NOT your holiday, why do you give a fig what other people choose to do on December 25th?
There is no "secular" Christmas. That is just some made up term that folks use to justify/rationalize taking part in Christmas. In your examples, you failed to mention any other religious holiday that you observe. Do you celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Do you observe Rosh Hashanah and/or Yom Kippur?
All of the things you mention re: Christmas are traditions that take place in the religious aspects of Christmas. Whether or not you choose to recognize them is your own business. Do you even realize that celebrating Christmas (Christ's Mass) is contradictory? If you are celebrating the pagan origins of the winter solstice, should you not be celebrating Saturnalia instead?
Sorry, but Christmas IS a Christian holiday. To claim otherwise is a bit bizarre. In fact, is showcases an unhealthy amount of denial. Perhaps you are one of those new-age "cultural Christians".
There is no "secular" Christmas. That is just some made up term that folks use to justify/rationalize taking part in Christmas. In your examples, you failed to mention any other religious holiday that you observe. Do you celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Do you observe Rosh Hashanah and/or Yom Kippur?
All of the things you mention re: Christmas are traditions that take place in the religious aspects of Christmas. Whether or not you choose to recognize them is your own business. Do you even realize that celebrating Christmas (Christ's Mass) is contradictory? If you are celebrating the pagan origins of the winter solstice, should you not be celebrating Saturnalia instead?
Sorry, but Christmas IS a Christian holiday. To claim otherwise is a bit bizarre. In fact, is showcases an unhealthy amount of denial. Perhaps you are one of those new-age "cultural Christians".
Rooted in Christianity, but obviously other paths have emerged.
Or are all those people on Bourbon Street getting in touch with God during Mardi Gras?
Sorry, but Christmas IS a Christian holiday. To claim otherwise is a bit bizarre. In fact, is showcases an unhealthy amount of denial. Perhaps you are one of those new-age "cultural Christians".
Then I guess Congress should repeal its Federal Holiday status.
Rooted in Christianity, but obviously other paths have emerged.
Or are all those people on Bourbon Street getting in touch with God during Mardi Gras?
Deeply rooted in Christianity. It is a HUGE component of Christian culture. It boggles the mind that non-believers would even want to get close to this sort of holiday. But, I'm glad to know that so many are celebrating the spirit of Christ. Whether knowingly or not.
Did you see DT113876's post? If so, that's what I'm referencing. I have Jewish friends...I don't take part in any Jewish holidays..because I'm not Jewish and I'm Christian.
Do you have friends and loved ones of various faiths? Do you celebrate all of these holidays?
I like DT113876's term. Many atheists are merely cultural Christians in disguise.
When a Jewish friend invites me to a bar mitzvah, I attend, I bring a gift, I celebrate the event, because they are my friends. I don't care what religion they are, and they don't care what religion I am. What they care about is the friendship and the mutual respect that friendship is based upon. If I'm invited to celebrate Hannukah with Jewish friends, I am happy to do so, because my friends are honoring me by sharing their home and holiday with me. It's no different than getting invited to someone's birthday. The date of their birthday has no significance to me, except that someone I care about came into the world on that date. That's reason enough to celebrate.
I've been to Wiccan weddings, and Presbyterian weddings, and fundamentalist Baptist weddings, and secular weddings. I don't have to believe that a woman should be covered from the chin to her ankles to attend a fundamentalist Baptist wedding. I don't have to believe that a marriage is not a union of equals, but that the wife is always subservient to her husband in such a marriage. I just have to know that one or both of the people getting married happen to be friends with me, and that I respect their choices and beliefs just as they respect mine.
I don't have to be a Catholic to appreciate the beauty of Christmas Mass.
The beauty itself is enough to warrant celebration. I don't have to be a Christian to appreciate the values of peace and love and kindness and generosity, nor does it take a belief in Christianity to associate those values with the holiday of Christmas. Christmas trees have nothing to do with Christianity, yet most people appreciate the beauty of a Christmas tree, regardless of their beliefs.
Just because CHRISTmas begins with the name CHRIST doesn't mean it's owned by Christians. CHRISTchurch, New Zealand begins with the name CHRIST, and yet many non-Christians live there.
Each of us is free to decide what a holiday means to us, or if a holiday means anything at all. And if someone who doesn't share your religion happens to still find meaning in a holiday you celebrate, you shouldn't demean their beliefs because they don't match yours. And that's exactly what comments like they don't share the same level of conviction as you are. It's a demeaning, disrespectful remark.
Christ is peace, good will, kindness towards one another, etc. So, the spirit of the season=Christ.
I don't believe that Christ was the Savior nor do I follow his teachings. I don't root my moral or ethical beliefs in his teachings or Christianity. One needn't be a Christian to celebrate peace, good will and kindness.
Deeply rooted in Christianity. It is a HUGE component of Christian culture. It boggles the mind that non-believers would even want to get close to this sort of holiday. But, I'm glad to know that so many are celebrating the spirit of Christ. Whether knowingly or not.
It boggles your mind? Why?
No offense, but how old are you? Did you just visit the local mall and trip over an epiphany?
There is no "secular" Christmas. That is just some made up term that folks use to justify/rationalize taking part in Christmas. In your examples, you failed to mention any other religious holiday that you observe. Do you celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa? Do you observe Rosh Hashanah and/or Yom Kippur?
All of the things you mention re: Christmas are traditions that take place in the religious aspects of Christmas. Whether or not you choose to recognize them is your own business. Do you even realize that celebrating Christmas (Christ's Mass) is contradictory? If you are celebrating the pagan origins of the winter solstice, should you not be celebrating Saturnalia instead?
Sorry, but Christmas IS a Christian holiday. To claim otherwise is a bit bizarre. In fact, is showcases an unhealthy amount of denial. Perhaps you are one of those new-age "cultural Christians".
I know little about Rosh Hashanah since it's not a major holiday here in the US. I HAVE taken part in many Kwanzaa traditions, since I went to a Catholic school (yes, Catholic) that named the grades after the different concepts of Kwanzaa. Others on this thread have explained this, but I'll repeat that Christmas is the main secular holiday in the US and Jewish/Hindu/Muslim holidays aren't as widely celebrated. I would absolutely celebrate a major Hindu holiday like Diwali if I lived in India, for example, b/c it's as popular over there among the secular masses as Christmas is here.
YES, Christmas is partly a secular holiday, whether you want to open up your eyes to see it or not. What does candy canes, snowmen, reindeer, Santa Claus, stockings, and carols have to do w/ Jesus Christ? Does Christianity hold dominion over gift giving?
Again, how do YOU celebrate Christmas w/o the secular/pagan accents? You conveniently didn't answer that question. I'm also curious about the wedding band question another poster asked you that you also conveniently ignored. Do you wear a wedding band? I'd bet, dollars to donuts, that, despite all of your ranting here, you celebrate in a lot of non-Christian ways. And if I'm wrong and in fact you only do things the "Christina way" than you are in the severe minority and congrats! you'll be the only one going to heaven
YOU are the only one in denial, considering that you're the sole person in your corner. Me saying "Merry Christmas" isn't hypocritical b/c I don't attach any religious connotations to that word. Does someone named Christopher have to change his name one he becomes an atheist? The fact that the word "Christ" is in the name means nothing nowadays. Heck, many Christians celebrate Easter despite the fact that the word derives from the name of a pagan goddess!
When a Jewish friend invites me to a bar mitzvah, I attend, I bring a gift, I celebrate the event, because they are my friends. I don't care what religion they are, and they don't care what religion I am. What they care about is the friendship and the mutual respect that friendship is based upon. If I'm invited to celebrate Hannukah with Jewish friends, I am happy to do so, because my friends are honoring me by sharing their home and holiday with me. It's no different than getting invited to someone's birthday. The date of their birthday has no significance to me, except that someone I care about came into the world on that date. That's reason enough to celebrate.
I've been to Wiccan weddings, and Presbyterian weddings, and fundamentalist Baptist weddings, and secular weddings. I don't have to believe that a woman should be covered from the chin to her ankles to attend a fundamentalist Baptist wedding. I don't have to believe that a marriage is not a union of equals, but that the wife is always subservient to her husband in such a marriage. I just have to know that one or both of the people getting married happen to be friends with me, and that I respect their choices and beliefs just as they respect mine.
I don't have to be a Catholic to appreciate the beauty of Christmas Mass.
The beauty itself is enough to warrant celebration. I don't have to be a Christian to appreciate the values of peace and love and kindness and generosity, nor does it take a belief in Christianity to associate those values with the holiday of Christmas. Christmas trees have nothing to do with Christianity, yet most people appreciate the beauty of a Christmas tree, regardless of their beliefs.
Just because CHRISTmas begins with the name CHRIST doesn't mean it's owned by Christians. CHRISTchurch, New Zealand begins with the name CHRIST, and yet many non-Christians live there.
Each of us is free to decide what a holiday means to us, or if a holiday means anything at all. And if someone who doesn't share your religion happens to still find meaning in a holiday you celebrate, you shouldn't demean their beliefs because they don't match yours. And that's exactly what comments like they don't share the same level of conviction as you are. It's a demeaning, disrespectful remark.
Very nicely said.
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