I get freaked out by churches
Some of the hymns that they sing have nice chords but the lyrics are dodgy
And yes I have all of the usual objections
To the miseducation of children who, in tax-exempt institutions,
Are taught to externalise blame
And to feel ashamed and to judge things as plain right and wrong
But I quite like the songs
– Tim Minchin, White Wine In The Sun
I like Christmas. I like to celebrate it. I like to give gifts that let my family and other loved ones know I care.
But I don’t like Christmas music any more. I’ve heard every song way too many times, and by now it just sucks. It’s got a bit to do with my conviction that the Christian metaphysic is utterly false as well.
OK, story time.
Last month, my church (I’m an atheist Unitarian Universalist) did an LGBTQ-related service for National Coming Out Day. My part was colloquially titled “Outing the Canon,” i.e., pointing out how many great contributors to our culture were queer. As I was going down my list of great musicians, I threw in “my mother’s favorite, Johnny Mathis.” When the next speaker, our music director, came up, he paused, looked me right in the eye, and exclaimed: “JOHNNY MATHIS?!?!?!?” He’s an out gay man born in the 1950s, but I guess he hadn’t gotten that particular memo.
So the other day my girlfriend and I are in the store, and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” comes on. I asked my GF if she knew who it was singing. When she shook her head, I belted out: “JOHNNY MATHIS?!?!?!?” in my best imitation of our music director.
Despite hearing him sing almost every day growing up (my mom was a BIG fan), I don’t think I’ll ever be able to hear his music again without thinking of that.
I’m an atheist. I like an OCCASIONAL Christmas song, AFTER the American Thanksgiving. I don’t want to hear 100% Xmas songs, even in stores. There’s a very limited list that gets played, and I don’t listen to even my favorite songs as often as they’ll rotate through that playlist.
This goes for ANY music, not just Xmas songs. I mean, I used to love “Stairway to Heaven” and most of The Wall, but I got burned out on them because many radio stations got into the habit of overplaying those songs.
Here’s one I particularly like, by the way, David Bowie and Bing Crosby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKTHvW2JcAA .
Awesome Christmas duet! I have that on my iTunes “Winter Holidays” playlist, along with a bunch of Brian Setzer Orchestra, Barenaked Ladies, and other random artists.
Oh yeah, and “Joy to the World.”
The Three Dog Night song, not the carol. 
(“Jeremiah was a bullfrog…”)
I would say, though, that most of those don’t reference religious matters (ie the true mythos of the religion) as does your average Christmas carol.
A few more to add to the list:
Jesus He Knows Me - Genesis(?) (about the hypocriticalness of 1980s televangelists)
Spirit in the Sky - Doctor and the Medics (Norman Greenbaum originally) (this one was when I probably first wondered about how atheists feel about references to Christianity in music - I first hear it (and wondered) back when I was a much more dogmatic Christian.)
You’ve been whooshed, here’s your sign. 
(I know that most Dopers are American, I was feigning ignorance / hyper-nationalism with my comment. It’s an old chestnut I usually trot out this time of year.)
Yes, this one, which no one I’ve met as an adult says they’ve ever heard.
Atheist - love Christmas music, never get tired of it. Well, except that crazy “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” Who are those nutty vandals who demand figgy pudding and won’t leave until they get some? Song seriously bugs.
I am an atheist and celebrate Christmas in the sense of getting together with family and exchanging gifts.
I have generally always disliked most Christmas songs. They don’t bother me because of there lyrics, I just find them substandard and not in my style.
There are a few Christmas songs I like, but generally I avoid radio if it plays Christmas songs.
Yep. Except for this particular novelty tune, which I’m still fond of ( but I really like most iterations of that band anyway ).
But I have no atheist-oriented objections. My atheist parents always did the Christmas celebration and still do.
Why do you think we would care if a “secular” radio station played a religious song in the summer?
Non-Christians don’t go around getting all butt-hurt at every mention of religion by sombody else. I’m an atheist, and don’t like Christmas music, but that’s for aesthetc reasons, not philosophical reasons. It’s just way too light and syrupy for me. I don’t get offended by it, though. I celebrate Christmas, and I play Christmas carols for my kids on the guitar. I don’t “have something to say” if I hear somebody talking about their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on the radio. Why would I?
I guess I’ll buck the trend of this thread by admitting that I’m an atheist who hates Christmas music. It is one of the reasons I don’t go to malls during the months of November and December.
The only Christmas song I could ever tolerate was Mannheim Steamroller’s version of Silent Night because of its beautifully unique and emotion-provoking arrangement, but I don’t even listen to that anymore.
I’ve grown up completely outside of the church. I call myself an agnostic rather than an atheist, because there are things I’m willing to call “God”, but they’re things like thermodynamics and mathematics. I’m sure any believer would call me an atheist.
I have never had any problem appreciating the art that religion creates, though. It’s some of the best and most beautiful there is. My favorite Christmas song is “O Come O Come Emanuel”.
<rant>
Recognizing that you’re being a bit humorous there…I’m an atheist, and I absolutely do care. I was raised Jewish, and I’ve always seen it as other people trying to force their religion on me.
A few days ago, I changed one of the pre-sets on my car radio because the local rock station went to “Holiday” programming…by which they meant all Christmas music.
They have every right to do this…they can run their business any way they want to. But they lost me as a customer.
Basically…I don’t object to others enjoying Christmas…or any other holiday. And if I’m at a party for the occasion, I don’t mind someone wishing me a Merry Christmas, since I’m clearly partaking in the spirit of the holiday. But I don’t like cashiers, radio stations, puppy dogs, and random strangers assuming that I celebrate a holiday just because they do.
</rant>
I get into a fun debate with an atheist friend of mine who was raised Christian. I posit that “Christmas is a secular holiday” is a Christian belief…he disagrees, saying it’s a secular belief. :smack:
Ironically, I do own two artificial Christmas trees, and occasionally lend them out for parties.
I’m an atheist. I don’t listen to commercial radio, so I avoid the songs from that end. In malls and such I just tune them out. It isn’t the “religious” nature of the songs as much as the overuse.
I also lean toward parodies and such. I got my songbook for this years santarchy, and I’m ready!!
You better break out - the bourbon and rye
Tequila and gin - I’m telling you why
Santarchy is coming to town
He sees you when you’re naked - and when you’re smoking pot
And when you’re masturbating - even when you cop a squat
Soooooooooooo
Get out of the way of our red-suited wave
Is this any way for St Nick to behave?
Santarchy is coming to town.
I’m Jewish and I hate hearing Christmas carols in stores, in commercials, on the radio, etc. I have permanently removed the radio station that plays nonstop carols from my radio presets.
Here’s another atheist who quite enjoys Christmas music, if not the kind of crap that you find on the radio stations this time of year. I like traditional hymns and carols done in a traditional type of way, along with the occasional indie version of a Christmas song, like this:
or a little bit of this:
or some of this:
this too!
And yes, for the record, I don’t care in the slightest if mainstream radio plays religious songs or not, and of course they do, all year long. But hey, that good old fashioned Christian martyrdom never does get tired.
By a little someoneI’m sure you’ve never ever heard played on the radio. :rolleyes:
My experience is that it is usually not the atheists who have problems: they’re just singing about mythical creatures. It’s the people of other religions, including those branches of Christianity that believe Christmas is of the Devil. They actually have some investment in the supernatural.
After reading the thread, I also note that atheists who grew up in a religious household makes sense, too. Again, they had something invested in the religious significance.