Why would anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus' birth celebrate Christmas other than for the commercialism? Oh Come all Ye faithful, Away in a Manger, Angels we have heard on High, Silent Night, O Holy Night, THINK ABOUT IT. I bet tons of non believers have sang these songs now knowing they're all about the Messiah's birth and then went home and opened presents...seriously. Christmas is all about CHRIST and any athiest that takes place in the holiday is actually supporting Him.
2007-02-13 06:21:25 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There are holidays reserved for certain religions. I know atheists don't celebrate Hanukkah, Rash Hashanah, Id al Fitr, Easter or Palm Sunday. COME ON NOW if you look up Christian Holidays- there it is. Christmas.
2007-02-13 06:27:11 · update #1
and oh my gosh don't even tell me Christmas has nothing to do with Christ you dumbass
2007-02-13 06:29:14 · update #2
1. People like to get presents!
2. Most atheists in the USA have Christian family members. Christmas is a convenient excuse to get together and exchange presents.
2007-02-13 06:33:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Most of the actual trappings of Christmas are Pagan in origin. Hell, the fact we even HAVE a holiday to celebrate the Birth of Christ was something the Church in Rome cooked up around 350 AD to steal thunder from the Pagan festivals celebrating the birth of Apollo.
Santa Claus, (Despite the grafting of Saint Nichols on the the tradition) predates Christ by a couple thousand years. Most of the trappings of Christmas, the tree, the lights, the gift exchange, are all ripped straight from Pagan Yule celebrations.
Why not celebrate Christmas as an Atheist? Almost nothing that we do to celebrate the holiday has anything to do with Christ.
Even the date is Pagan. It's scheduled to coincide with the Winter Solstice. Based on on an analysis of the Biblical accounts of his birth, and some rudimentary knowledge of Israel's weather patterns, we know that Jesus was probably born in May or June, but some argue he could have been born as late as early November, but no later.
Until "Christmas" was invented, there was NO tradition placing his birth in December.
It's a made up holiday created to make it easier to convert Pagans. Why should anyone care about the beliefs of those who celebrate it?
2007-02-13 06:37:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Christians stole it from the Pagans. Now the atheists have stolen it from the Christians. Have you never thought that most atheists were raised Christian and just continue the tradition for the sake of sharing with family and friends? Or that it's okay to pick out bits of celebrations that you relate to and celebrate those, regardless of what religion it started with?
Christmas is no where near the actual birthday of Jesus. It was chosen because it is a big pagan holiday and that just made it easier to force people to convert to Christianity. Can you honestly overlook this fact and still ask a question like this? But you just go ahead and live in your Jesus world. It won't keep me from enjoying the spirit of the holiday season.
2007-02-13 06:33:43 · answer #3 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Actually, the Christian holiday is a relatively thin cultural veneer over the more ancient celebration of Yule, the winter solstice. Think about it. The gospel says that when Jesus was born the shepherds were in the fields watching their flocks by night, which they do in lambing season. Since when are lambs born in midwinter? Jesus was born in March. The Church pasted its holiday over the ancient Roman solstice festival of Sol Invictus, which also happened to correspond to the birth of Mithras (like Jesus, another popular Near Eastern savior-god). Atheists can appreciate the whole panoply of human cultural traditions which contributed to this winter feast, both the pagan and the Christian. And you must realize that most of the paraphernalia of Christmas are pagan in origin -- the Christmas tree, "Father Christmas" himself (syncretized with the Christian Saint Nicholas), etc.
2007-02-13 06:29:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Actually, Christmas was assigned to the date that it was to celebrate the solstice... but that's beside the point.
I don't care about the religious aspect of it. I was raised in a Christian setting, and I've spent my whole life celebrating it. Why would I stop? Its fun, I get a chance to see relatives that I don't see every day, and its a great excuse to have a couple days off! I don't have any problem with that... although I'm sure we can both agree that it could do without a great deal of the commercialism.
Here- would it make you feel better if I said I was celebrating the solstice? Does that help? If so, please tell me what to say to people who have a problem with me getting drunk on Easter with my Christian family. Though they don't seem to mind, I'm sure it must bother them because it seems to REALLY bother you.
2007-02-13 07:06:34 · answer #5 · answered by B-Hole 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I grew up in the catholic church - I know exactly what those songs are. Just because I gave up my faith in a supernatural god doesn't mean I gave up my memories.
Christmas to me is a family holiday. It's a chance to see family and friends that I haven't seen in a long time, to travel a bit, to have an excuse to exchange gifts with the people I love. Aside from the religious part, it's the same reason you celebrate it. And I'll bet that you enjoy the family part, and the gift-giving part, too.
It's also a cultural and economic event in this society. Did you know that a lot of major stores make the bulk of their profits during the christmas season? If the fundies did a taliban-style move and eliminated the commercial aspects of christmas, they would cripple the US economy. Does your god want that to happen?
2007-02-13 06:34:37 · answer #6 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Maybe they just like to have celebrations.. I would point out that Xmas is celebrated as pagan roots and way.. and that Christ wasnt born anywhere near December 25th (That would be Mithra actually a pagan god). The Xtian church long ago co-opted pagan holidays.. as the just couldnt get people to quit celebrating them.. so they just tried to make them thier own..
Even Easter is a pagan holiday.. (you tell me whats colored eggs and bunny rabbits have to do with Christ) Ishtar or Oeastara.. pagan god again.. basic fertility rites & celebration (where eggs and rabbits make sense)...
As for singing songs... no biggy.. its just a song to most people.. it has no meaning.. just like the pledge of alliegance has no meaning to most.. its just something that was drilled into kids at one time, and its totally by rote memory.. but it dosent mean anything word wise.. just like tons of Catholics recite things in latin... they mimic the words but dont have a clue as to what they mean even.. (really how many people do you know that understand even a little latin?)
BTW I'm totally 100% pagan.. I do not celebrate christmas at all in anyway.. but thats mainly because of Xtians co-optin MY holiday.. i still give a few people presents etc.. but thats only because i like those people and I have nothing against them and they do the xmas thing ..But you can pretty much bet they are all educated now on the pagan origions, and have the materials and literature to back it up.. which is more than any Xtian has ever been able to produce to me.. Xtians wanna CONVERT? OK i have a better track record of converting recovering Xtians (which is how they refer to them selves now LOL) than any Xtian has.. and i dont even require conversion.. and all i need to use is the Xtian bible to do it (not my fault ya'll cant read is it?)
Addendum: i would point out to all the would be xtians out there that JEREMIAH 10 explicitly forbids ya'll from having xmas trees etc and specifically notes that thats a pagan thing.. (I've read yer book .. you havent..Oops guess I'm one up on ya.. silly xtians)
2007-02-13 06:30:40 · answer #7 · answered by darchangel_3 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
did you know by bringing holly, mistletoe and a christmas tree in your house you are infact celebrating Saturnala, a festival honoring the Roman God Saturn? Christmas has alot of pagan roots including the name for your carols ... have you ever sang Yule-tide Carols or perhaps had a slice of a Yule log? Yule being the name for one of the 8 Witches sabbaths?
i think it's safe to assume Athiests have every right to celebrate it as a Cultural holiday as Christians have the right to use the Pagan Traditions to Celebrate your holiday.
2007-02-13 06:36:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
What do you suggest?
Catching all of the non-christians celebrating christmas and imprisoning them?
Torturing any atheist who wishes someone a merry christmas?
Locking up any non-christian until christmas is over to prevent them from possibly being merry?
I guess this is the backlash some christians are getting for making their holiday so important that the entire country comes to a halt to observe it. Non-christians are observing it too, but they are making it a non-religious holiday.
Some people get upset at this. Hey, push religion down somebody's throat and that person will just change it to match what they believe.
2007-02-13 06:30:42 · answer #9 · answered by A.Mercer 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It's a pagan holiday that the old Christian church absorbed. Research Yule, Saturnalia, and Mithras.
I like Christmas for time with my family and friends.
Where would I be going to sing all about the Messiah's birth, then going home and opening presents?
2007-02-13 06:28:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋