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Atheist celebrating Christmas?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by MissRanger, Nov 24, 2014.

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  1. MissRanger

    MissRanger Guest

    Any Atheist out here besides me? :slight_smile: Do you feel that it's hypocritical to celebrate a religious holiday when you don't even consider yourself a theist? Sometimes I do feel that I'm a hypocrite for celebrating Christmas considering I'm an Atheist. But Christmas is widely celebrated across the world so it's not something you can avoid especially if your family is from a religious background. Besides it's a tradition that has been instilled for so long and it's a fun holiday where your family and friends are gathered together. But what are your thoughts on this?
     
    #1 MissRanger, Nov 24, 2014
  2. Martin

    Martin
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    Christmas has become so commercialised these days that I think it has become easier to celebrate it in absence of its religious connotations. Only one of my religious friends actually celebrates the religious meaning behind it and attends church, whereas the rest of them treat it in the same commercialised manner as I do.

    Plus, I don't really think we have a choice to not celebrate it. We can choose not to participate in Christmas or Easter, but if you're in particular types of jobs then you're given the day off anyway, so you're sort of economically signed up for it. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
    #2 Martin, Nov 24, 2014
  3. Candace

    Candace
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    Why not? I think that it's a good time to spend time with friends and family. Also, look at how commercialized it's become (like Martin mentioned). You forget all of the religious connotations that come along with it.
     
    #3 Candace, Nov 24, 2014
  4. Browncoat

    Browncoat
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    Christmas = holiday for Capitalism and celebration of the consumer culture.
     
    #4 Browncoat, Nov 24, 2014
  5. QueHaPasado

    QueHaPasado
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    As a Christian, I don't have a problem with atheists celebrating Christian holidays. Christmas is more generally cultural than strictly religious nowadays, so just go ahead and celebrate it!

    That said, I don't understand people who get mad when Christians discuss the religious background of the holiday. No one is forcing anyone else to celebrate a certain way- it's just that some of my more vocal fellow Christians (meaningful look at the girls in my history class) really like talking about their beliefs. Christmas can be celebrated with a nativity scene and church service AND/OR a tree and gifts. (Can't we all just get along- siiiiiiigh)
     
    #5 QueHaPasado, Nov 24, 2014
  6. Ryujin

    Ryujin
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    I celebrate the national and commercial holiday of Christmas, give and (unfortunately) receive gifts - I kid, I like it sort of, but I'm becoming more and more adverse to it. I like meals, and seeing some of my family who live elsewhere.
     
    #6 Ryujin, Nov 24, 2014
  7. jay777

    jay777
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    You might use the opportunity as idea...
    people are in general more friendly during that time...
    to me its about love... doing something for animals... or something similar...

    same for valentines day... for me its a day to do something nice for someone...
    detached from gifts, just as idea...
     
    #7 jay777, Nov 24, 2014
  8. Kaiser

    Kaiser Guest

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    Finally, I can post this appropriately:

    [YOUTUBE]6hRL-C-Thq8[/YOUTUBE]​
     
    #8 Kaiser, Nov 24, 2014
  9. Fallingdown7

    Fallingdown7 Guest

    Christmas was originally a Pagan holiday, so isn't it equally wrong for the Christians to steal it and celebrate it for themselves?

    I don't believe so; I'm atheist and yes we still have Christmas. It's a day to share gifts and spend time with family. It's more cultural than religious these days I find.
     
    #9 Fallingdown7, Nov 24, 2014
  10. Skaros

    Skaros
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    It's become so commercialized that it's barely even a religious holiday anymore. Also, Christ was not actually born December 25th, so atheists shouldn't feel bad about celebrating Christmas. My brother and sister-in-law are atheists, and they've already put their decorations up weeks ago!
     
    #10 Skaros, Nov 24, 2014
  11. Kaiser

    Kaiser Guest

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    Halloween begins my favorite time of the year, which ends on New Year's Day. The highlight of this period is around Christmas, when the weather cools, the pretty decorations go up, and the mood, at least in some regards, of the nation tend to mellow out.

    I think my only issue with Christmas is, the whole "Don't take CHRIST out of CHRISTmas!", because of the historical basis of the holiday. Some are against the use of "X-Mas", because they claim, it is marking out 'Christ', when really, it's just a Greek letter meaning, roughly, "Christ" anyway.

    I just can't stand ignorance, really, and it comes out in bulk, on this subject, during the X-Mas Christmas CHRISTmas season.
     
    #11 Kaiser, Nov 24, 2014
  12. drwinchester

    drwinchester Guest

    I don't feel bad about celebrating it. For me, it's what I grew up with, it's what my family and most people celebrate, and I have a good time with it. If it makes you feel any better, it didn't originate as a Christian holiday- it takes its origins from a Pagan winter holiday, so it's always been a bastardized, customizable holiday. I like seeing it as a day where I can spend time with family and friends and kinda thank them in a weird, maybe way too expensive way, for being around.
     
    #12 drwinchester, Nov 24, 2014
  13. bicomplicated

    bicomplicated
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    Yeah, it's more of just a secular holiday these days than religous Holiday and the story of Santa, while originally it has a religious background about St. Nick who passed out gifts to poor children I believe, has NO religious meaning. Christmas has become very commecialized. Really just an excuse to get people to spend way too much money on buying gifts. Anyone can celebrate Christmas without the religious meaning tied to it.
     
    #13 bicomplicated, Nov 24, 2014
  14. mangotree

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    You can have a non-religious wedding, just like you can have a non-religious christmas.
    A lot of things that were once religious are no longer.
     
    #14 mangotree, Nov 24, 2014
  15. Pret Allez

    Pret Allez
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    As a devout follower of Mara, I prefer to celebrate the Northern hemisphere's winter solstice.

    But Christmas is a fine to celebrate too. It's about sharing love with your family, friends, and community; putting out just a little bit more effort than we all normally do.

    (*hug*)
     
    #15 Pret Allez, Nov 24, 2014
  16. BelleFromHell

    BelleFromHell
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    Christmas was originally a pagan holiday; it's no more wrong for an atheist to celebrate it than it is for a Christian to. That being said, I'm an agnostic and I also celebrate it. I've gotten shit from my Christian father for doing so, but I don't care.

    For me, Christmas is a time to hang out with friends/family and pig out on unhealthy food. Other people think differently, and that's OK, as long as they don't tell me how to celebrate.
     
    #16 BelleFromHell, Nov 24, 2014
  17. Tai

    Tai
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    I'm an agnostic atheist and I celebrate it.
     
    #17 Tai, Nov 24, 2014
  18. imnotreallysure

    imnotreallysure Guest

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    Fallingdown and Belle hit the nail on the head.
     
    #18 imnotreallysure, Nov 24, 2014
  19. kageshiro

    kageshiro Guest

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    I feel no guilt

    Christmas gives me winter break, an excuse to get and give nice presents to my nakama, end the year on a cheery high note and eat some delicious ass food. I don't need religion to appreciate any of that and the 'commercialism' doesn't bother me either
     
    #19 kageshiro, Nov 24, 2014
  20. BryanM

    BryanM
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    I celebrate the Holidays. Jesus Christ wasn't even born on December 25th if you go by records, so basically Christmas is just an old pagan holiday that Christians decided to start celebrating as the birthdate of Jesus Christ since nobody really knows what date he was born. I don't need to celebrate the birth of Jesus to hang out with friends and family and give each other gifts and be happy. I don't really celebrate Christmas as I celebrate the entire Holiday Season.
     
    #20 BryanM, Nov 24, 2014
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