Geez! This is like correcting a typo and finding 3 more… I didn’t notice that you capitalized “Atheist,” so I’ll apologize to all Atheists for that. Also, I should probably admit that “ususual” isn’t spelled as in Webster. But then, It’s a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word. [AJ]
Gee I am sorry that you feel you are all alone, Seven. You are not.
I am not a god worshiper either. But I have wished people a Merry Christmas when they wished me one.
But I see no reason to tell most people that I reject their good wishes based on my spirtual belief. Just as I don’t tell those who request that I “Have a good day” that I don’t need their permission.
Celebrate what you want but why hurt others feelings?
If you want to make your point make a good choice about when and with whom you do that.
Those darn words.
No problem.
I say “thanks, but I’m not christian” in a very nice way… smile and all. The reaction is mixed. Some people get quite offended that I am not Christian, some smile and say “happy holidays then”. There doesn’t seem to be a gray area.
I’ve pretty much come to the idea that most people, Christian or not, celebrated Christmas as a child and just continue on doing it. It has been so mutated from a celebration of the birth of Jesus… This is what I was wondering.
From the look of the replies, it seems many look at it as a family celebration more then anything else.
Another thing that is interesting. I’ve been asking a question to many people I know. “What is Christmas to you?” Out of all the people I’ve asked (perhaps 30) only one person said something about Jesus. The number one answer was gifts -giving/receiving.
Seems odd in a country that is mostly Christian, it was allowed to mutate into such a non-christian holiday. Ahh… the power of marketing.
Oh yeah… and what I said about getting the family together and giving them gifts out of the blue… try it sometime.
My method, which I do with parents/close family.
When I’m poking around in small shops I almost always find something I know my wife, daughter or someone else would love. Many times I’ll buy it. Later, I’ll take them out to dinner at a nice resturant, then dash out to the car and bring in the few gifts.
I can tell you it is FAR more fun to see their faces when they don’t see something like that coming.
So everyones homework next month is to do just that.
Sorry, Seven, but I’m getting a very “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” sensation from this thread.
On the one hand, you insist that any family gathering held on December 25th is a Christian celebration, and on the other hand I’ve often heard Christians complain that Christmas isn’t Christmas if you forget the meaning behind it all.
As far as I’m concerned, I’m NOT celebrating a Christian event. I am partaking of a meal and an exchange of gifts with my family, who all gather on this one date because they don’t have to work, and they’ve traditionally gathered on that date in the past. NONE of us go to church - not an aunt, an uncle or a grandparent - and none of us pay any attention at all to Christianity. We choose the traditions we follow and as far as I’m concerned, we’ve claimed the day as our own. Yet you insist that because we hold it on (or around) December 25th, we’re celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ?
If I go to a movie theater and sit in the lobby eating popcorn, it doesn’t mean I’m watching a film. I may be in the theater, I may be doing an activity traditionally associated with watching a movie, but I’m not watching a movie!
Well, I may be celebrating on Christ’s Birthday, I may be doing some of the traditional things that Christians do to celebrate Christ’s Birthday, but if I’m not thinking about Jesus Christ or God or religion, then IMO I’m not celebrating the birth of Christ. Would it be different if I called my celebration Family Day and held it on December 26? How? Why?
Why isn’t December 25 a good random date on which to hold a family meal? It’s one day we all know to be around for, and none of us have to work. But to avoid the idea that someone somewhere might think we’re celebrating Christmas, you think we should pick another random date and try to co-ordinate three generations into having a meal together on the spur of the moment? It’s just not that easy. Too much family, too many people, too many different commitments.
And just because we give gifts at Christmas doesn’t mean we don’t give them the rest of the year. Why do you want to make that one day of the year a specific day to NOT give gifts?
If you really didn’t care for movies, would you still sit in a movie theater eating popcorn?
That would be sort of a strange thing to do don’t you think?
I don’t think I said that. I personally don’t want to have anything to do with “Christian” holidays, but I never said YOU should stop doing it. I aksed a couple questions on how athiests deal with christmas and I really expected more to say “I don’t do anything with christmas”… but that just wasn’t the case. I seem to be one of the only athiests that don’t see a point in christmas. I’m not rejecting family, nice food, gift giving and friends,… I reject Jesus and the Christian religion. Perhaps reject is a strong word, but I think you get my point.