How Many Of You Christians Actually Celebrate Christmas?
I was wondering if Christians actually celebrate Christmas, and if they do whether they recognise the hypocricy of celebrating the rebirth of the sun god?
read the history books, your christmas is based on our (pagan) yule
2007-07-04 12:13:39
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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As a Christian I am not the least bit bothered if others do or don't celebrate Christmas. I do however view with some amusement the typical comments written by those who would wish to malign Christians without doing their homework. Many In here suggest that Christmas is somehow a pagan holiday or was stolen by Christians. What evidence do they offer to validate their assertions. They give the date. Well would changing the date free it of it's so called pagan origins? The fact is no one knows the exact date of Jesus birth but they would be hard pressed to find a day that pagans weren't celebrating something. In fact there are several pagan holidays on december 25th alone. So does the fact that pagans have celebrations mean that those days are off limits for anyone else? And there is absolutely no proof that early Christians celebrated these pagan rituals but the Christmas day celebration does seem to have its historical roots in providing an alternative to the Roman pagan feast of Saturnalia.
2007-07-04 13:59:19
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answer #2
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answered by Edward J 6
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Christmas has become far more than a celebration of Jesus' birth. Originally it incorporated pagan rituals so that the Church could arrest control of the celebration without forcing an outright ban on the feast. Now today, especially here in America where freedom of expression means that "religious demonstrations are repressed and are replaced with inane "seasonal" decorations there is less emphasis on Jesus.
It is a celebration that has become so much more. It is a family gathering and sharing time of year. I know a number of Jewish families who celebrate the holiday with all the trimmings but not the inclusion of "Christ" which is okay with me. The underlying message of Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men (and Women) is worth everyone celebrating regardless of which religion you practice, don't you think?
g-day!
2007-07-04 12:43:38
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answer #3
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answered by Kekionga 7
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I'm an atheist, but I am happy to share in anyone's gladness at Christmas or any other time. I'll gloss over the point made by others, that the birth of Jesus was actually around August, and Christmas was originally just pasted on to the pagan Yule festival (and possibly also the Jewish Hannukah) to establish itself in the minds and hearts of potential converts. That's not important. As an atheist I reserve the right to celebrate with any man any thing that gives his human heart a sliver of joy, be he Pagan, Christian, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, or of any other faith or none. If someone will deny my right to share a human joy because I do not believe the same as them, and then will call themselves a Christian, which among us is the hypocrite?
2007-07-04 12:23:32
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answer #4
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answered by mdfalco71 6
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What about people of other religions.
I'm not christian, but celebrate christmas. I don't celebrate the baby jesus. Its just an excuse to get together with family, exchange presents, have a meal, have a few drinks. Mainly because thats what familys have always done, so just wouldn't feel right to do otherwise.
2007-07-05 04:16:31
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answer #5
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answered by sparkle 5
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We celebrate christmas in the context that it's a family celebration at the end of the year.
Seeing as though it's origin is as a pagan celebration of the solstice, I see absolutely nothing hypocritical in that.
I do however, think it quite funny that so many christians disregard the fact that it's timing is based on the traditional pagan celebration rather than any evidence of someone who, probably never lived anyway, having been born then
2007-07-04 12:41:40
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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Christmas in the U.S. is really a secular holiday. The mass commercialization & advertising are focused entirely on gift purchasing as means to stimulate the economy.
I think it is all crass, and would prefer some other holiday ritual, but there is too much pressure from extended family and society. It would be rude of me to refuse to participate.
Do you use a Christmas tree in your celebrations? Do you think you are hypocritical for using a pagan symbol in your celebration?
2007-07-04 12:22:37
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answer #7
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answered by Jim L 5
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I think the hypocrisy of the Christians stealing a pagan festival for their own ends voids any reciprocal hypocrisy!
How many Christians celebrate Christmas with a fat man in a red suit? And that has what to do with the birth of Jesus Christ??
2007-07-04 12:25:08
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answer #8
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answered by libbyft 5
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It's a time to meet up with family, party with friends, have a few days off work and generally be nice to each other. Nothing wrong with getting into the spirit of things is there?
Atheists aren't emotionless drones. We do need R and R, and there is nothing hypocritical about partying with other people that happens to coincide with the birth of JC (even though he was born sometime in January :S).
Besides, that statement is like saying "religious people are hypocritical because they don't believe in science yet they use it every day."
2007-07-04 12:25:42
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answer #9
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answered by Equinox 5
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By definition, atheists do not celebrate Christmas. There's nothing to stop them celebrating the Winter Solstice, though; this being the original pre-Christian festival at this time of the year.
2007-07-04 12:19:52
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answer #10
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answered by Jellicoe 4
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Actually Christmas was only one of the many things that Christianity stole from Paganism. Paganism is older than Christianity believe it or not.
Pagan's have a festival/Sabbat known as Yule (the winter Sol , as in the Yule Log, Christmas tree etc....all came from Paganism. So really its the Christians who are the hypocrites and not the atheists.
Interesting Reading:
http://www.christianwicca.org/sabbats.htm
http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/festivals/christmas.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A531794
2007-07-04 14:37:30
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answer #11
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answered by marie_dewhurst 1
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