Wrong to celebrate christmas?

Question

I am agnostic, or more specific Unitarian Universalist. My family is christian, although not devote. My girlfriend is a devote christian. I celebrate christmas, easter, etc, with them, buy them gifts, not because I believe in Jesus, but because I respect their choice of religion, and well, I dont want to be left out. They also celebrate days that are important to me. Is it wrong to celebrate christian holidays if you are not a christian?

Answer 1

No.....that's crazy. You sound as if you have respect for all religions or lack thereof.......nothing bad comes from respect. Ignore people who give you crap about it - I think it's cool that two people with such different faith backgrounds can make it all work! :-)

Answer 2

There was a debate in the New Testament (either 1 or 2 Corinthians, I can't remember which; I just read it) on whether Christians could purchase and eat food which had been sacrificed to idols. Many Christians at the time had no problem with it, because the gods to whom the food was sacrificed didn't actually exist. However, others thought it was wrong. So what did Paul say about it? He said eat, if you have no problem with it, and you're not causing others to stumble by doing so. Just make sure that what you call good, others don't call evil (this is also in Romans). But if you feel guilty, refrain from it. What it comes down to is personal preference. Do you celebrate Christmas while keeping in mind the pagan gods the solstice was/is celebrated for? Then it's wrong. Or... do you celebrate Christmas while only thinking of Christ's birth? Then it's not wrong. I'll look at the website once I'm done submitting my answer (shift-click doesn't work on this browser), and add my comments on it. Edit: I actually read the entire website. Utter crap. Just because something isn't in the Bible, doesn't mean that we shouldn't practice it. That's taking "sola scriptura" to an extreme. If "sola scriptura" was followed to its natural conclusion, it would be a sin to have altar calls, the "sinner's prayer", the Apostle's Creed, Christian churches (after all, the earliest Christians met in peoples' houses), TV, radio, movie theaters, Hollywood, the U.S., presidents, cars, electricity, et cetera. Early church fathers accepted Christmas starting as early as the late 2nd century. The Christians felt it was only fair, as pagans converted to Christianity, that they were able to keep their holidays. The meaning was simply changed. I don't see how anyone can unequivocally condemn Christmas because it's "not in Scripture", but use the internet, which also isn't in Scripture.

Answer 3

I don't think so. We celebrate christmas and eastertime and we ain't christians. We think christmas is fun and a happy time and the idea is to promote a good mood and all. Same with eastertime.

Yeah we know the religious reasons for those holidays, but how u affect your friends and stuff is really the important thing to us.

So even tho christmas is based on christian religion, there really ain't any reason why everyone can't enjoy it.

Answer 4

I am Wiccan and yet I celebrate Christmas and Easter, etc. It's not for any religious reason, but for the traditions and the personal meaning those holidays hold for my family and I.

Answer 5

Christmas is a retail holiday that the Christians are trying to turn into a religious holiday. We must stop them!

Answer 6

To be honest, most Christian Holidays have been mainstreamed so much in the US that there's not much Christian about them anymore, sadly. But I don't see how there's anything wrong celebrating with your friends. Who cares what the occassion is? Friends are what's important IMO if you are good with your beliefs and they are good with thiers.