Um, Why do Atheists Celebrate Christmas

[Bluerang1]

I was just wondering, and wondering what you guys think. I mean it's generally "Christ's" "Mas". Christ means Jesus Christ, and Mas means Carnival, celebration, remember, whatever, it should be a religious thing. And it is.

But why do Atheists, especially the ones who hate religion with a passion get to join in in out fun? They also suck out the meaning of this glorious time, same as Easter which hurts. I know they've been commercialised, Santa, Easter Bunny, but we created the Holiday. If you don;t respect us, don;t respect our Holidays.

I love/hate how Muslims get Eid to themselves, it's respected and that's that. Christians need more respect. Let the thoughts, begin:

PS. Would it also kill you not to use our time/day system ;) (Romans started that but used Jesus in that BC/AD...)

 

[Arcanine1993]

FREE PRESENTS! no srsly it doesnt matter what religion you are its about family and being together im a atheist but I still celebrate christmas! Its about sharing and being kind just for one day!

 

[I Laugh at your Misfortune!]

I think that christmas has positive values beyond the religious aspect. Nowadays, it's very much a kind of holiday for celebrating your family and all that. I don't mean to be disrespectful towards christians, but Christmas isn't really just their holiday anymore.

Of course, we could get into the argument about christmas day being the wroing day anyway, but, y'know :P

 

[shookie]

To me, it's less of a religious holiday and more of a family-oriented holiday. Same with Easter.

I've never known Christmas to be a strictly religious holiday, and my dad's side of the family is a very strict Christian family. I grew up just knowing it as a time when families got together and exchanged gifts.

 

[Reginaldvonburger]

Why do christians celebrate christmas? Jesus was born in summer. Christmas is originally a pagan festival.

A better question would be why do I, a LeVayan Satanist celebrate christmas? But, it is in the Satanic Bible to celebrate it, and well, who doesn't love presents, food, and being with the people closest to you.

 

[Captain Fabio]

I can see this topic being closed in the near future.

Simple. It is the most expensive holiday of the year, where people believe in Santa who gives out presents. So meh.

 

[piece of something]

meh more often than not i celebrate holidays first and ask questions later, don't even know why half the holidays are holidays but if it means i get to stay home it's all that matters~

as for atheists, maybe it's possible not to believe in religion, yet still believe in holidays? :P

 

[Yusshin]

Jesus was born in the summertime... Religiously, it's the celebrate his birth, but it's come to be known as a festival to celebrate family, good food, and appreciating charity more than reception.

Anyone is valid to celebrate Christmas :] Even Muslims do, and it's not an official holiday for us.

 

[Kauai]

Well first of all, December 25th was actually stolen by early Christians from numerous Egyptian and Pagan gods so the religion would be more palatable to them. Much of Christianity today is based off of their practices and tradition, combined and all. So your the ones that actually stole it in the first place. ;)

 

[NarutoActor]

I think that christmas has positive values beyond the religious aspect. Nowadays, it's very much a kind of holiday for celebrating your family and all that. I don't mean to be disrespectful towards christians, but Christmas isn't really just their holiday anymore.

Of course, we could get into the argument about christmas day being the wrong day anyway, but, y'know :P

That was done on purpose. When pagans where converting they where still falling into there bad habits, and celebrating pagan holidays. So they replaced a pagan holiday with Christmas. But Jesus birth was more so in the warmer months.

This shows the best way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good one.

 

[Kauai]

That was done on purpose. When pagans where converting they where still falling into there bad habits, and celebrating pagan holidays. So they replaced a pagan holiday with Christmas. But Jesus birth was more so in the warmer months.

This shows the best way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good one.

Define 'bad habits' and the context in which you are using it.

I'm Agnostic myself, but certainly the 'bad habits' part is only from a Christian perspective.

 

[Jordan]

Jesus was born in the summertime... Religiously, it's the celebrate his birth, but it's come to be known as a festival to celebrate family, good food, and appreciating charity more than reception.

Anyone is valid to celebrate Christmas :] Even Muslims do, and it's not an official holiday for us.

Summer time for whom?

I think the reason why atheists and other non-Christians celebrate Christmas is as plain and simple as it gets: because they can. It's a federal holiday, which means (for most countries that have it), it's a secular holiday.

 

[Åzurε]

It's mainly a secular holiday these days, anyhow. It started as a winter festival when [fuzzy memories] the Holy Roman Empire began converting the natives of what is now the UK, and they took it and made into a memorial day for Christ's birth.[/Fuzzy memories]

I'm okay with this, we do it our way. It's useless for atheists to try and participate in the religious aspect of it, isn't it?

EDIT: ninja'd by Jordan up there. >=/

 

[donavannj-]

If memory serves, Christmas's and Easter's traditional dates were actually placed on pagan celebration days to attract more pagan Europeans to Christianity back in the medieval era (there were very few true Christians at that time). So, technically, Christians were the ones who stole the holiday by placing them on the same day as pagan celebrations.

 

[Renege]

Because they want to be with their family?

Free stuff, would you not want free gifts? :D

 

[Throat]

For the same reason everyone does: eat, drink and gather the family (surely not everyone does so).

 

[Porygon-Z]

For the presents...they don't even have to go to midnight mass!!
>_>

 

[Neil Peart]

Here's another religious person trying to classify atheists.


I celebrate the day, not the meaning. There's a difference.

And what do you mean by sucking the fun and meaning out of everything by disrespecting your religion? Why must you assume atheists are all disrespectful towards your religion? I respect religion, but it doesn't mean I partake in it.

People seriously assume too much for their own good here.

 

[FaithInMe]

That was done on purpose. When pagans where converting they where still falling into there bad habits, and celebrating pagan holidays. So they replaced a pagan holiday with Christmas. But Jesus birth was more so in the warmer months.

This shows the best way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good one.

OT:
Their "bad habits" served them well for a long time before christianity even came about.
I didnt know taking away personal choice and someone elses culture would be considered a "good habit" either.

Also the pagans didnt convert, they were forced into it or killed.
Similar to that of the witch hunts... oh how sexist of religion, we cant have any freethinking women around :/


In other news, I dont really celebrate xmas that much anyway, I just get a few days off work around that time of year. So the whole thing means pretty much nothing to me.

 

[Rogue planet]

I don't know. It's no more of a Christian holiday than it is a capitalist holiday. I am an atheist and I don't celebrate Christmas.
Although it's more of a social thing now, if everyone around you is sharing gifts, decorating, etc. then you're going to join in regardless of your beliefs.