Christmas is supposedly a time to celebrate the birth of Christ - should non-believers celebrate this?
2006-12-13 00:45:26 · 31 answers · asked by nzwatchers 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
No, because Christmas is a hypocrital holiday to it's core. It's Saturnalia or Yule or Winter Solstice. They stole it from the NON Christian Pagans. So I don't see a problem with it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK-0GLUswwk
2006-12-16 08:07:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not christian myself, but i do celebrate christmas, but not in the sense that a normal christian would celebrate christmas. I still enjoy the festivities, the fact that people are generally happier at this time of year and also the fact that the school holidays means no traffic on my way to work!
I enjoy the christmas office party and basically everything that christmas brings. But i dont have turkey on christmas day or even put up a christmas tree (as i did when i was a kid) so does that mean i dont celebrate christmas? i dont know, i'd say i do but not in the 'usual' way.
I think as christmas has become so commercialised, most people dont know the meaning of it anymore.
On top of that i dont think non-believers celebrating christmas is really a problem more then it is confirmation of faith. By so many 'non-believers' celebrating christmas this should give you re-assurnace of belief in your faith.
Plus celebrate can be a vague word, people can celebrate in so many ways, it can sometimes be difficult to put it into proper context.
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year!
2006-12-13 01:00:56 · answer #2 · answered by The One 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it is the other way round!!
December 25th is midwinter festival and also a collection of mainly European ancient rites and traditions. It had nothing to do with Christ or the Christian religion.
When Christianity arrived in Europe it set about destroying all the religious sites of the resident religions and building churches over them in order to take over from them. This is exactly the same for the midwinter festival. They moved their celebrations from the 6th January, or, March which ever time line calendar you follow, to try and take over the non religious festivals.
The really interesting thing is that all the other religions, atheists and non believers all get on with each other, celebrate and are inclusive and happy. It is still only the Christians that seek to be exclusive and claim the time for their religion alone!!!!
Hypocritical? Yep, the Christians definitely are!!
Why not join the real world and wish happiness and love to everyone this year!
2006-12-13 01:07:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
True - a lot of Christmas traditions originate from the Christian faith, but that shouldn't matter now. Christmas is a time of peace, love, and joy.
And really, we (as in our generations) have exemplified the "Santa" aspect so much, that now Christmas is a holiday that anyone can celebrate, without having to commit to a religion.
In the end, it shouldn't be about what religion you are or where you're from - it should be about love. So I say go for it!
2006-12-13 01:07:32 · answer #4 · answered by tampachick0711 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't celebrate christmas - I am an Atheist. I don't go to church during Advent, I don't think about the birth of Jesus. I don't pray for world peace and I don't put a up a nativity scene.
But I do enjoy getting together with my family when we've all got time off work, I enjoy seasonal food like mince pies and big roast dinner. I like having attractive natural decorations in my home like a fir tree and pine cones and holly. I like to get pretty cards from my friends wishing me all the best at this time of year and in the new year. I like pulling crackers and getting presents and singing Frosty the Snowman! I don't think I am a hypocrite because I'm not doing anything christian, I'm taking advantage of the things I like about this time of year.
Hypocrites are people who claim to be christian but only go to church for christmas, weddings, christenings and funerals and who love Jesus but don't love their fellow man!
Gimme a thumbs down if you think I am a hypocrite
2006-12-13 00:58:16 · answer #5 · answered by Andy M Thompson 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yeah I get what you're saying. I think Christmas is so commercialized now you see people all over the planet celebrating and I bet half dont know what its about- just another day for gift giving.
Like what's the 'decorated tree' about... stockings... santas... candy canes... even a lot of the songs have nothing to do with Jesus!
I think it's true for Easter too... Rabbits and egg hunts and chocolate and grass baskets?
On the other hand... maybe Christians should start picking up on other cultural holidays.... we could all be partying year round!
2006-12-13 00:54:29 · answer #6 · answered by close2realize 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I dont celebrate Christmas apart from buying presents for my parents as they do celebrate. It is just another day and I have my own days to celebrate.
Christmas now is about family and forgiveness and peace and goodwill to all. If it makes someone happy to celebrate and they forget all the anger etc, why shouldnt they celebrate. Do you think "God" would be angry if they did? I dont think so.
There are more important things going on in this world than worrying about something so trival
2006-12-13 00:55:51 · answer #7 · answered by entertainer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Technically the christians pinched 'Yulet' from the pagans and converted for their own use.
Personally, as a non-Christian, I think of Christmas as a time for family, thinking of others, love and laughter. Surely those are meant to be Christian sentiments. This festival gets Christians more listeners than the guy down the market waving the bible or sermons from near empty churches.
Church attendances probably rocket - what other religion can claim to have a time of the year in which they can increase their membership?
Merry Christmas.
2006-12-13 00:54:12 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Considering that Christmas was overlaid onto an older celebration in order to incorporate it (unless you can explain what a decorated evergreen tree has to do with the birth of Jesus in a stable in Bethlehem...), no, not at all.
2006-12-13 02:49:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes i do, furthermore, what i also think is hypocritical is the fact this country blabs on about equal opps etc and doesnt give national holidays for other faiths as it does to Christianity.
As everyone blabs on about how is there isnt room in this world for ancient religions etc, i ask, is there room for an old mentality britain, i think we should embrace britain as our home no matter where we are from and forget the past of britain i.e. the idea of being owned by middle class white people.
2006-12-13 00:53:53 · answer #10 · answered by Conspicuously Inconspicuous 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋