I celebrate Christmas, but it is more for my daughters. I don't want to rob them of all the presents they receive..... great reason, I know. However, I don't treat it as a religious holiday.... just a great time to help out others and give to those who don't have.
However, I do feel like I am forced to celebrate it by my family and society. If you don't celebrate Xmas people act like you just told them Hitler was your grandfather. They act like I am doing my children harm if I don't put up a tree and buy gifts for everyone I know.
Do any other Atheists feel forced to celebrate this holiday, or do you choose to do so willingly? Or do you simply choose not to celebrate it at all?
2007-12-12 03:02:19 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I have to agree with Clint.... I guess I feel more pressure to buy presents for people than to treat it as a religious holiday.
Maybe thats my problem with Christmas.....
2007-12-12 03:16:45 · update #1
No I do not, nor do I even feel forced to. It's merely a commercialized fraud that only fuels the consumerist culture that plagues society and diverts its away from more important matters. If others see me as a scrooge, so be it. I could care less.
I don't see the point in designating just one part of the year for expressing goodwill and love for fellow man. Why not show this "X-mas" spirit any other time of the year? During the holiday season, people put up this front to mask their otherwise selfish and spiteful nature that is demonstrated the rest of the year.
2007-12-12 03:20:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I simply adore the season. I put up my Christmas tree on or around November 1st. People seem nicer, I see more people out helping people which is what I do year round. I love the wrappings the decorations, the parties,the closeness of families and if someone wants to pray or whatever- well they are not hurting me any. I just stand still and watch them, then get back to opening gifts! I could really care less what people think so long as they don't make a spectacle of me in public over silly religious stuff we are ok.
2007-12-12 03:14:40 · answer #2 · answered by FallenAngel© 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not an atheist but I am not Christian either. We celebrate Christmas but I only buy gifts for children and people who I employ like my babysitter and I give bonuses in my business. In my house we focus on the Santa side of things. I agree that if you have young children then you feel a lot of pressure. I get a lot of negative reaction because I refuse to give gifts to adults like sisters and brothers. Oh well.
2007-12-12 03:10:26 · answer #3 · answered by lhallums82 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i replaced into raised Christian. My moms and dads (now a million former-xtian and a million Lutheran) have a pair days of the three hundred and sixty 5 days set aside to savour eachother's organization (often), have a effective meal, and in specific circumstances substitute presents or in simple terms sit down around the fire sipping whiskey for some hours. what style of an fool does no longer connect in the festivities? i'm no longer likely to church, hell we hardly went on holidays besides- we in simple terms celebrated presently on the grounds that replaced into custom and it replaced into exciting. i've got not got a faith telling me i'm no longer allowed to the two :) so i will occasion it up any way i elect to. On Christmas or Easter, i'd desire to have fun ANY sort of holidays, because of the fact the dates and a good number of of the traditions from those holidays have been style of borrowed from a number of different cultures. Wanna understand the humorous ingredient approximately this question? the individuals who heavily ask it, never take think of approximately Christmas trees, coloured eggs, Easter bunnies, Santa or the different trip mascots and traditions you are able to desire to think of of that originated from formerly cultures and by way of years of custom have been branded new meanings and given new names and practices. i think of once you're gonna ask something, you will discover extra advice there. Asking it extremely is quite pointless, heresy would not persist with and atheists do no longer possibly have every physique to offend by utilising having exciting on "somebody else's" trip. How dare we.
2016-10-11 03:22:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A celebration is just that. As an atheist, you have nothing to celebrate or remember. One day is just like the next and what is the probability of you dying? 100%
And once you are dead, it will take about 10 years to your life is reduced to the dates you lived, your spouse, and kids. So what in life is worth remembering if everything is just building a sandcastle in front of the incoming tide of time?
I will apologize for those trying to disrupt your pity party and show you there is more to life than the cold, hard fact E=MC^2 and your life has no purpose.
2007-12-12 03:08:32 · answer #5 · answered by DS M 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its just a traditional holiday, no different than 4th July or New Years. It means nothing more than getting together with family, gifts, eating and endless reruns of Its a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story.
Atheist.
2007-12-12 03:50:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I love Christmas and always have. I wasn't even aware that it had anything to do with religion or that it was supposed to be Jesus' birthday until I was about 10 years old.
Christmas for me is about family and friends, gifts, pine trees, snowmen, fireplaces, winter, Santa, reindeer, elves and all that good stuff. Being an atheist in no way makes me have anything against Christmas because I don't even associate Christmas with religion.
2007-12-12 03:09:35 · answer #7 · answered by egn18s 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I celebrate on the 25th of December, but I don't say that I celebrate Christmas because my celebration has nothing to do with Christ. And since most of the traditions involved are Pagan anyway it seems pretty random to say I'm celebrating Christmas.
2007-12-12 03:11:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
ive always liked christmas, the family get togethers, i dont even mind the baby jesus in the manger, i am an atheist, and i would never let anybody else shove their ideas down my childrens throats and tell them it is wrong to question the ideas, i dont have kids yet so i guess ill tackle that one when it comes, but i dont see any harm in the holiday fun as long as nobody comes around and starts preaching awfull stuff like "your going to hell" or "you are evil by nature and must ask for forgiveness" those kind of people will get ejected from my house really quick regardless of their relationship to me
2007-12-12 03:09:32 · answer #9 · answered by Seargent Gork 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't celebrate 'Christmas' necessarily, but I do look at the holidays as a great time to come together with family and friends, and a great time to give to those in need. The holiday holds no religious significance to me, and I have never been insulted for not celebrating it religiously.
2007-12-12 03:07:28 · answer #10 · answered by Rachel-Pit Police-DSMG 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋