Atheists who celebrate Christmas?

Question

I've often wondered, do you ever feel like frauds? If not, how do you justify betraying your beliefs for a little material gain?

Oh, and I happen to be an atheist and I happen not to celebrate Christmas. I thought I'd clear that up.

It's funny though that many of you proceded to attack Christians because an atheist disagrees with your choice to celebrate the birth of a religious icon you don't believe in.

Answer 1

Don't think I've ever seen so many insulting and inaccurate replies to one question. It's a perfectly valid thing to ask and as for Paul S Bullfighter - if you intend to insult someone's intelligence at least do it intelligently.
For all the atheists who do take part in Christmas, can we assume you do the same for all other religious festivals?

Answer 2

I celebrated christmas when I was an atheist and now also that I am a Christian. I don't think there are scriptures about celebrating "Christ's birthday." There are some about traditional holy days, rules, ceremonies, rituals, etc, but not specific to being a follower of Christ. Purists could claim that christmas trees, easter eggs, etc are idols. I don't think they are as long as you don't worship them or get all bent about the whole "MERRY CHRISRMAS" vs. happy holidays hoopla. Also the scriptures have descriptions of Jesus enjoying celebrations and also making sure friends don't drink bad wine. Party on. Seriously I have never associated christmas, easter, thanksgiving or mardi gras with religion of any sort.

Answer 3

I think humans have been adapting traditions and creating their own meanings throughout recorded history. Do Christians feel like frauds celebrating what is an adapted pagan holiday when Jesus wasn't born in December but it was a pagan holiday so the church put it there to facilitate conversion? I love celebrations and I know what they mean to me and that is what matters. I celebrate the season of winter, the solstice and the knowledge days will get longer again and spring will eventually return, a time to feast and spend time with loved ones, to take the time to be appreciative of the good things and share a bit with those less fortunate, to foster the message of peace and brotherhood between people that we should focus on all year (you don't need to be religious to believe in those things), I love the secular Santa traditions and the pagan practice of bringing greens in to the house as a reminder of life in the midst of winter. My star on the tree is the sun, etc... So that is what this holiday means to me. I don't pretend to believe things I don't to get gifts. Gift giving was part of the pre-existing Roman Saturnalia holiday. No one who is bothered by my not being Christian needs to give me anything.

Answer 4

Well, I am not an Atheist, nor am I a Christian, I am Pagan but I do not belive that Christmas is really a Christian holiday. It was actually origionally Pagan, but the Christians "adopted" it to convert the masses.
It has been celebrated by many different belief systems, and I dont really associate it with any religion, its not religious to me, I dont worship on that date. I think it is a great day to celebrate family. Why don't we just leave it as a family get together.

Answer 5

Do Christians feel like frauds for celebrating a supposedly religious holiday by buying frivilous items for people, telling lies about an imaginary fat man and flying deer, and putting up gaudy decorations?

Giving gifts, getting together with family, and stuffing my face full of food are not in opposition to my beliefs. I don't pray or go to church at Christmas. My celebration of Christmas has about as much to do with religion as my celebration of the Fourth of July.

Answer 6

Where I live, 76% of the population is nonreligious. We are all pretty okay with celebrating christmas :-)

I don't know what the trouble is: we set up a tree, decorate the house (NO angels, cribs or anything) with colourful and sparkling decorations. Before gifts we sing a (secular) christmas carol and, for the little ones, we have a santa coming. We basically celebrate being with each other. I'm sure it's similar for many others in my part of the country.

Answer 7

Celebrating the winter solstice (the original reason for the season) has been around for thousands of years before Christianity came around. They have found archaeological sites from 7,500 years ago with structures designed to mark the winter solstice. that's 5,500 years before Christianity.

Christmas is a late comer. They just slapped their name on an old celebration.

Personally I like getting together with friends and family. Eating good food, exchanging gifts. What's not to like?

BTW, do not forget Jeremiah 10:2 - 10:4:
"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

Maybe Christians shouldn't be celebrating Christmas with trees and garland and all that.

Answer 8

Nope. I enjoy Xmas very much. It's a family time of giving and sharing. But you won't find a nativity scene or angels adorning my house. I keep it completely secular. The minute someone shows me a connection between the birth of a Jewish baby in the desert and snowmen, reindeer and evergreen trees, I'll stop. BTW, don't you Christians feel like frauds with the Santa Claus stuff and the pagan imagery of a Christmas tree?

Answer 9

I don't celebrate Christmas. I celebrate X-Mas. In other words, I enjoy a period where I get to spend time with my family, give them gifts, laugh with friends and generally have a good time. I do not "betray" my beliefs. I do not pray when we sit around the dinner table before we eat. I do not thank god or any other deity for my food.

I thank my family for the food they bought. I tell them that I love them. I tell them I am glad I have some time off to be with them. I tell them I appreciate them and thank them for any gifts they offer me.

Believe me, there are many Christians who do far less.

Answer 10

Tee hee hee, boy are you in for a shocker... :)

Here's a little teaser, but you really ought to read up a bit. Atheists are the LEAST fraudulent folks celebrating Christmas. But hey, thanks for the giggle.

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A winter festival has been a traditional festival in many cultures due to the winter solstice.[1] In part, the Christmas celebration was created by the early Church in order to entice pagan Romans to convert to Christianity without losing their own winter celebrations.[2][3] Most of the most important gods in the religions of Ishtar and Mithra had their birthdays on December 25. Various traditions are considered to have been syncretised from various winter festivals.