would it be morally wrong to celebrate christmas with my family?

Question

i'm atheist.
i don't have children.
i may one day have children.
i think that how they are raised is very important in their mental growth and what ideals i portray to them are also important.

i'm not asking if you think it's wrong, i'm asking if you think it's wrong based on my beliefs.

can you bring yourself to answer this question based on what i actually wrote?

awesome answers.

thanks, guys.

Answer 1

Just celebrate and ease up a bit dear

Answer 2

I presume you are an adult. There is nothing morally wrong in celebrating any festival or occasion.

If you wish to celebrate Christmas, you may want to find out "WHY" Christians celebrate Christmas. Celebrating any festival with the right meaning behind it, would be the BEST thing to do.

The story of Christmas is in the Bible on Matthew chapter 1, verse 18 through
Chapter 2.

You may not be interested in the details of the historical background, but you are concerned about ideals you portray to your (future) children. If that is so, be ready to answer them when they ask you, "Mom/Dad, why are you celebrating something that you don't believe in?"

If you like to have a season to give and receive gifts, you may choose ANY season, like Memorial Day , Independence Day, Wesak(Buddhist), Dheevali(Hindu), Ramadan(Muslim), Halloween, Chinese New Year, or even Christmas. It does not really matter, does it?

What I would say is, 'Be true to yourself'.

Answer 3

Really, you should be able to celebrate regardless of you religious beliefs. Christmas can just as easily be considered a family tradition of 'togetherness' as it can a religious holiday. Consider Thanksgiving, it actually has a fairly negative history (well, consider what happened in the later years) but people choose to celebrate it regardless, and it is void of religion (usually). Why not treat Christmas the same way? After all, nothing of the modern holiday resembles the religions from which it came except the most basic of symbols. If you need any more convincing, almost all ancient people celebrated some sort of mid-winter type festival and not always for religious purposes. Winter is a dark and cold time, and is often emotionally trying. Spending some extra time celebrating with family should not violate any sort of atheist beliefs (now if your family asked you to celebrate by going to church with them it might), and there is nothing morally wrong with celebrating a holiday with such a diverse (and not entirely religious) history. And in the future, when and if you should have children, teach them the same thing: Christmas is just a time for family and friends to get together, celebrate, and show affection and appreciation often in the form of gift giving.

Answer 4

My advice is not to celebrate Christmas so much as to celebrate on the same day as Christmas. A bit like how Christians don't celebrate the solstice, but they do celebrate on the same day and their celebration uses most of the same symbols and traditions. Christmas trees aren't Christian to begin with, presents are just nice, and Santa is a marketing device invented by Coca Cola. There's no reason why you shouldn't be involved in those things.
But even if you were to go for a strongly Christian celebration, it wouldn't be morally wrong since you're not hurting anyone.

Answer 5

If there is any right and wrong here I think it would be morally wrong NOT to celebrate Christmas with your family, and especially when you have children.

Even if your family wants to make it a religious occasion, you can still participate out of respect to them without compromising your values.

I grew up in a Christian family, but Christ was never part of Christmas and you can do the same thing. My fondest childhood memories center around Christmas and I hope you don't rob your children later on of their Christmas memories.

It's very easy to teach your children that Jesus has nothing to do with the holiday.

Answer 6

You can celebrate it as a time of year to bring the family close together. It seems like it's not about Jesus or God anymore anyway. I'm not atheist, but I think of Christmas more as a time of year where I get to see my family and enjoy good food.
Your children would feel like the odd ones out if you didn't celebrate Christmas (Unless their father was Jewish or another religion).
I wouldn't stress so much about it.

Answer 7

There is no reason you can't celebrate Christmas with them. You can celebrate Christmas without Jesus in it, without Santa if you want. What I plan to do is tell the Santa story and do all the regular Christmas stuff, but make sure they know it's just a story.

Answer 8

Even atheists can appreciate the joy of giving. Besides, Christmas is so commercialized these days that I'm surprised people still tie it to religion. Celebrate with your family, don't be held separate and apart from it.

Answer 9

Morally wrong - yes and no. Yes, because you don't believe in Jesus, so it would be hypocritical to celebrate his birth and what his birth means, and the integrity of your beliefs would be compromised. No, because so many aspects of Christmas have become secularized and its always ok to get together and celebrate love between family.

If and when you have children, that will be the time you will need to take a stand on how you want them to be raised. Your point of view may change in the future.

Answer 10

Christmas is fun, and for a child it's the best time of year. Don't rob your kids of that!