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Plenty of both religious and non-religious people celebrate both Easter and Christmas without religion.
I myself grew up in a Christian denomination which did not celebrate either Easter or Christmas as religious holidays. I don't know of any Christian denomination which considers the Easter Bunny, Santa, Frosty or Rudolph to be religious figures.
Prayer on the other hand, is a religious expression. Isn't that exactly what you said only a few posts ago?
You can argue this in many different ways and they can all be right. If you want to deny that prayer is visible, heard, said, and is present in the public space then you can. Many non-christians will disagree with your belief about Christmas trees Easter eggs, but so what. We are all free to believe whatever we like.
You can argue this in many different ways and they can all be right. If you want to deny that prayer is visible, heard, said, and is present in the public space then you can. Many non-christians will disagree with your belief about Christmas trees Easter eggs, but so what. We are all free to believe whatever we like.
I'm not at all denying that prayer happens in public spaces. I'm not sure how you drew that conclusion.
What is the religious significance of Christmas trees and Easter eggs, please?
And yet some people - who claim to be spiritual - apparently don't give a flying fart about others' feelings.
I think that's a very important point.
Before retiring, I had a Buddha statue on my desk in my principal's office (gasp), It was tiny, not much bigger than a large postage stamp, and the only way anyone could see it was if they walked behind my desk, which of course, they shouldn't be doing. It was just for me. I would go into my finance officer's office, and there for everyone to see was a cross. It's just unnecessary.
When I lived on Broad Street in Falls Church, Virginia, once or twice a year, the catholics would line the street on one weekend with protest signs. They had a right to be on the sidewalk in front of my house, about 10 feet from my front door, but it offended me. And some years, after they would leave after several hours, they would stick their protest sign in my flower bed. I wouldn't protest in front of their home.
What's ironic to me is that a christian (and I know we're not only talking about christians) would do something that intentionally offends someone else. It seems so anti-christian.
Well, we are down to alternate through a bunch of prayers. Or none. Some Christians should ask themselves "How do I react if it is a Muslim prayer?" then cast your vote.
Me, I don't care. I do look at how people react to it. foaming at the mouth at the thought of prayer that doesn't line up with a personal belief is a red flag. It doesn;t mean its wrong, we just have to double check.
Decorated trees for Yule or Winter Solstice predate Christmas. Decorated eggs to celebrate fertility predate Easter.
And if cultural traditions had evolved differently and we celebrated with different decorated items, so what? It would hardly matter.
The significance has meaning to those who celebrate the occasions of christmas and easter. If it was borrowed from other tradtions all the better. That is how syncretism works.
It does not have to matter to anyone else.
The public square is where we are free to express our religion subject to the secular constraints for safety and order. What safety or order violations are imposed by prayer?
None.
If something violates safety or order, observations would be involved. For example, no more than 300 people in this particular room.
Saying a prayer is a preference because it is something personal. Opposing prayer is also a preference. Either way, I wouldn't stop anyone from expressing themselves. But I also wouldn't like it if business wasn't taken care of because people couldn't put their personal preferences aside.
The significance has meaning to those who celebrate the occasions of christmas and easter. If it was borrowed from other tradtions all the better. That is how syncretism works.
It does not have to matter to anyone else.
You're right. It does not have to matter to anyone else. But the problem is it is foisted on everyone else. cb speak with forked tongue.
The significance has meaning to those who celebrate the occasions of christmas and easter. If it was borrowed from other tradtions all the better. That is how syncretism works.
It does not have to matter to anyone else.
I am asking specifically what the religious significance of a Christmas tree and an Easter egg are. I don't believe that they have any religious significance at all. I certainly don't know of any. And again, I celebrate the occasions of Christmas and Easter.
So, I am asking a third time. If you decline a direct answer for a third time, I will conclude that you don't know of any religious significance of either one, but are unwilling to say so.
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