Will Atheist be celebrating Thanksgiving since it was started by Christians?

Question

Wouldn't this be a little bit hypocritical of them since this was started by Christians who were being thankful for what the Lord had done for them?How can these people be thankful for what the Lord has done?

Even though we think of the harvest festival as "the first Thanksgiving," the colonists did not use a name for their autumn celebration. The occasion was not called "Thanksgiving" because the word had a completely different meaning to the Pilgrims. To them, a day of "thanksgiving" was actually a religious holiday set aside for giving thanks to God. As a result, the Pilgrims would never have given such a religious name to a secular day marked by feasting, dancing, singing, and playing games. Instead their harvest celebration was simply identified by the season and the activities involved. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that the feast we know today acquired the name "Thanksgiving."

When most people imagine "the first Thanksgiving," they think of the Pilgrims sharing a hearty banquet with local Native Americans. While it is true that the American colonists invited the Native Americans to celebrate their first harvest in the New World, the event did not spark the Thanksgiving tradition that we know today. In fact, the occasion was not called "Thanksgiving" and the Pilgrims did not even celebrate it the following year. What we think of as "the first Thanksgiving" was actually quite different from our modern celebration.

I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THIS RESPONCE.I WONDER WHAT THESE SAME PEOPLE WILL BE SAYING ABOUT CHRISTMAS NEXT MONTH?WELL I GUESS I DON'T REALLY WONDER, I already know.

"..... let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were THANLFUL; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened."

PIRLIOUS: Breathing was actually started by my Lord.

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and BREATHED into his nostrils the BREATH of life; and man became a living soul."

THE AIR THAT WE ALL BREATH BELONGS TO GOD.AT ANY MOMENT HE COULD SAY: THAT WILL BE ENOUGH OF MY AIR. JUST ONE MORE THING TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

I SEE MANY OF YOU ARE DECEIVED INTO THINKING THIS WAS AN INDIAN PILGRAM AFFAIR.IT WAS NOT.ITS ABOUT BEING THANKFUL TO GOD.

Answer 1

Seems like there were some Native Americans there, too, and they certainly were NOT Christian. Get over yourself already. BTW, my husband and I (Pagans) will be joining a friend (Christian pastor) in serving a Thanksgiving meal to the needy, as we did last year. I suggest you approach some other religious groups about doing the same thing. Thanksgiving is for everyone, not just for you holier-than-thous.

Answer 2

Actually most people celebrate New Years and hold no
allegiance to Old Lang Sign from Ireland ? some people
celebrate The 4th of July and are not Americans? for us
to celebrate something does not mean you believe totally
in it. Actually Atheists celebrate being a none believer in
God` but many Atheist read the Bible .Yet many people
who are Christians celebrate Halloween which is a pagan
Holiday based on the occult..Witch craft..Death..sorcery..ect,
so does that mean that Christians should stop celebrating
any Holiday that doesn't include Jesus Christ..ect. This
surely would be perceived as being HYPOCRITICAL.

Answer 3

I don’t remember hearing anything about atheists in the story of how Thanksgiving was founded.
And the Indians weren’t Christions either so they weren’t thanking the Lord that Christians thank.
And now today, even though Thanksgiving is viewed primarily as a Christian Holy Day, many in America celebrate it as just a day to give special thanks for whatever they are grateful for and whomever and or whatever they are grateful too.
Being atheist doesn't make them ungrateful for what they have.

Answer 4

Atheists typically celebrate all of the major American holidays because it's simply common practice in America. The religious origins of most of the major holidays aren't even the focal point of them anymore. (For example, I didn't even know that Easter was about anything more than bunnies, eggs, candy, baskets, and spring until I was about 14.) In terms of thanksgiving, it's just be a day to have the family get together and eat a big feast which traditionally includes a Turkey. There doesn't have to be anything God-related to it. Christmas, as well, is just a holiday for family to get together, exchange gifts, decorate pine trees, and watch movies about Santa Claus. Just because it started as a celebration of Jesus's birth doesn't mean that it what it's still based around in modern America (for everyone). It's all about Santa and elves and snowmen and gifts and stockings and cookies and pine trees and fireplaces now.

Answer 5

No more than if you celebrated Hanukkah with a Jewish family. Even if they deny the existence of God, that doesn't mean they believe in nothing at all! Why deny them the opportunity to be thankful to whomever for whatever they have in their lives? Would you not have Thanksgiving dinner with an Atheist if invited in the spirit of fellowship? If the answer is no, then I suggest you reconsider your own "Christian" ideals and behavior.

Answer 6

Thanksgiving is NOT a religious holiday, so anybody can celebrate it. Christmas wasn't started by Christians - it was originally called "Saturnalia" - a very big Roman orgy. A lot of what Christians think they came up with first was "borrowed" from other religions that preceded them, some by thousands of years. BTW: did you know that Jesus was Jewish and wanted his followers to be devout Jews? Probably not.

Answer 7

The flip side is did you celebrate Halloween? as it's a Pagan festival...... Does it really matter?

I am a Pagan and I know alot of Christians that celebrate it, and you think I care. End of the day people percieve things in shades of grey these days. I celebrate Christmas and yes it is the birth of Christ. I celebrate it as a day that the family gets together and enjoy each others company. Not a day that Christ was born.

Answer 8

Thanksgiving isn't completely Christianized, it's very American. And why not allow Atheists and other nonChristians to celebrate all the American holidays, most of them are very secular and commercial anyway.

Answer 9

Well if you want to split hairs. Thanks Giving has nothing to do with Christianity. Matter of fact most Christian holidays has nothing to do with Christianity they are stolen form pagan holidays and reworded. Christmas is Pagan holiday and not Birth of Christ, Easter another stolen holiday, Halloween is barely remembered as a pagan holiday. Check into it you may be surprised.

Thanks Giving was a feast that was provided by pagan Indians so the white man wouldn't starve. They were being friendly allowing them to join in their feast.Bet if they knew what would eventually happen they would have let them starve.

Sorry didn't actually mean to bash here but hey truth be told.

Answer 10

"Will Atheist be celebrating Thanksgiving since it was started by Christians?"

"How can these people be thankful for what the Lord has done?"

I am sure there will be many atheists having a nice turkey dinner with their families. They wont however, be acknowledging some imaginary god for providing the food...

simple as that really !