Why do Atheists celebrate Christmas?

[united]

Christians adapted the tradition of the pagan holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We also live here and enjoy the land that we stole from the Indians, we murdered (and the surviving gave slivers of land to). So that we could live in a "free world". Humans do not always to the appropriate things as we have seen in our history and present.

This country was founded in the name of God, only because God allowed. Now we want to remove God from everything and expect no consequence.

Now December 25th is the day that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, for years there have been the same traditions. I as a Christian do not believe in the way Christmas is celebrated (even though I do celebrate the traditional way). The reason we should be celebrating Christmas is for the birth of Christ and what that represents to us. The birth of Christ was the beginning, to show human beings how we should be living our lives, how we should handle situations, how we should treat other people, etc.

Easter is the celebration of the death of Christ and what that represents to us. It represents the gift that God has giving us for everlasting life. He gave up his only begotten Son to die a horrible death on the Cross for our sins. For that death and the belief in the death and the fact that Jesus rose from the dead is what offers us Salvation.

If this country rejects God, as it is doing, then we as a country are going to be taught a lesson. People are trying to remove God from every aspect of this nation (even though the nation was founded on God). The bible does not condone sex before marriage, but yet we allow it, we allow gift certificates for the morning after pill. What are we telling young America? The bible states a man should not lay with another man the way he lays with a women, and our law states that marriage is defined as a union between a man and a women, but yet we want to change both. (just some examples)

Now you can agree with me or not, thats fine. But just because you do not believe in GOD and the traditions that this country was founded, does not mean that they have to change.

 

[JustinB]

Christians adapted the tradition of the pagan holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We also live here and enjoy the land that we stole from the Indians, we murdered (and the surviving gave slivers of land to). So that we could live in a "free world". Humans do not always to the appropriate things as we have seen in our history and present.

This country was founded in the name of God, only because God allowed. Now we want to remove God from everything and expect no consequence.

Now December 25th is the day that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, for years there have been the same traditions. I as a Christian do not believe in the way Christmas is celebrated (even though I do celebrate the traditional way). The reason we should be celebrating Christmas is for the birth of Christ and what that represents to us. The birth of Christ was the beginning, to show human beings how we should be living our lives, how we should handle situations, how we should treat other people, etc.

Easter is the celebration of the death of Christ and what that represents to us. It represents the gift that God has giving us for everlasting life. He gave up his only begotten Son to die a horrible death on the Cross for our sins. For that death and the belief in the death and the fact that Jesus rose from the dead is what offers us Salvation.

If this country rejects God, as it is doing, then we as a country are going to be taught a lesson. People are trying to remove God from every aspect of this nation (even though the nation was founded on God). The bible does not condone sex before marriage, but yet we allow it, we allow gift certificates for the morning after pill. What are we telling young America? The bible states a man should not lay with another man the way he lays with a women, and our law states that marriage is defined as a union between a man and a women, but yet we want to change both. (just some examples)

Now you can agree with me or not, thats fine. But just because you do not believe in GOD and the traditions that this country was founded, does not mean that they have to change.

 

[vraiblonde]

What is it that Atheists celebrate at the end of December? It's certainly not Christmas.

I celebrate Christmas as a family holiday, not the birth of Christ. It's a winter solstice celebration anyway, and I'll celebrate it if I want to and there's nothing you can do to stop me.

 

[This_person]

I celebrate Christmas as a family holiday, not the birth of Christ. It's a winter solstice celebration anyway, and I'll celebrate it if I want to and there's nothing you can do to stop me.

So, you say "Merry Winter Solstice"? You have a solstice tree, and buy solstice presents?




There's a lot of history to suggest that the holiday's date was picked to coincide with other celebrations, but that doesn't stop the meaning of the Christmas holiday as being a ceremonial celebration of the birth of Christ. Since we didn't know the date, we chose one to make others happy and help entice others to look at the religion and learn and become saved. The trappings of the holiday are even borrowed from others to help them feel more comfortable with learning the Truth. So, the tree has nothing to do with Christmas, nor does the date denote the proven birthdate of Christ, but Christian's celebration is of his birth - the holiday is because of Christ's birth.

I think the OP was in regards to actually celebrating the birth of a saviour that atheists do not believe is a saviour, not asking why you take days off of work, get together with family, etc.

Personally, I think atheists shouldn't get the day off (and Jews should get alternate days off to account for their religious days, etc.). After all, atheists have nothing to celebrate, so......

 

[Merlin99]

So, you say "Merry Winter Solstice"? You have a solstice tree, and buy solstice presents?




There's a lot of history to suggest that the holiday's date was picked to coincide with other celebrations, but that doesn't stop the meaning of the Christmas holiday as being a ceremonial celebration of the birth of Christ. Since we didn't know the date, we chose one to make others happy and help entice others to look at the religion and learn and become saved. The trappings of the holiday are even borrowed from others to help them feel more comfortable with learning the Truth. So, the tree has nothing to do with Christmas, nor does the date denote the proven birthdate of Christ, but Christian's celebration is of his birth - the holiday is because of Christ's birth.

I think the OP was in regards to actually celebrating the birth of a saviour that atheists do not believe is a saviour, not asking why you take days off of work, get together with family, etc.

Personally, I think atheists shouldn't get the day off (and Jews should get alternate days off to account for their religious days, etc.). After all, atheists have nothing to celebrate, so......

I call it Christmas because that's what my family called it before I was around. I might not be a christian, but it doesn't hurt to spread a little cheer anyways.

 

[Highlander]

I celebrate Christmas as a family holiday, not the birth of Christ. It's a winter solstice celebration anyway, and I'll celebrate it if I want to and there's nothing you can do to stop me.

I'm certainly not trying to stop you. I was just curious what you are celebrating. The history as to why CHRISTMAS is celebrated when it is, is irrelevant. It is still a celebration of the birth of CHRIST. Somewhere in the word CHRISTmas, this should be obvious.

I guess we chould change it to SOLSTICEmas. This just shows how much our world is changing. Christmas and Easter were not made up a long time ago to give everyone a few days of work to spend time with their families. They were put on the calender to celebrate the birth and death of Christ. I guess this was back in a time when our country was more Christian and not full of a bunch of liberal free thinkers as it is today.

 

[mAlice]

My Solstice Tree...

complete with angels and crosses.

 

[Cowgirl]

So, is it me, or do the christians have a bigger problem with this than the athiests do? I don't see what the big deal is. People want to change the name, they flip out. People don't want to change the name, they still flip out. Go figure.

 

[bcp]

I call it Christmas because that's what my family called it before I was around. I might not be a christian, but it doesn't hurt to spread a little cheer anyways.

you might be more christian than alot of the christians I know from my church.
evildoers the bunch of them I tell you.

got this one old biddy that runs around screaming at the children if they make noise, or do anything unchurchly while in the church.
God help the little tyke that gets caught with is finger up his nose or holding his winky while he runs to the bathroom.

Ive never actually seen her arrive at the church, I suspect she parks in the broom closet.

 

[Highlander]

So, is it me, or do the christians have a bigger problem with this than the athiests do? I don't see what the big deal is. People want to change the name, they flip out. People don't want to change the name, they still flip out. Go figure.

It's you.

 

[This_person]

So, is it me, or do the christians have a bigger problem with this than the athiests do? I don't see what the big deal is. People want to change the name, they flip out. People don't want to change the name, they still flip out. Go figure.

We don't care (as a matter of fact, we'd probably prefer) if you change the name of what you celebrate to whatever it is you're celebrating (Merry Worm-food Day!). We want to know why you'd celebrate Christmas without celebrating Christ. We also don't want you to minimize and devalue our celebration by mocking it in this manner.

 

[This_person]

complete with angels and crosses.

At least your not hypocritical about it......





Oh, wait.........

 

[bcp]

So, is it me, or do the christians have a bigger problem with this than the athiests do? I don't see what the big deal is. People want to change the name, they flip out. People don't want to change the name, they still flip out. Go figure.

as time goes on, and more and more of religion is pushed out of view, you might just see christians getting more and more testy about the little things.

the ultimate goal is to create a society where the religious people are destined to hide in the basements of unmarked buildings way out on the edge of town to worship their God.

keep pushing and sooner or later someone is going to push back. its only natural.

 

[mAlice]

At least your not hypocritical about it......





Oh, wait.........

How does that make me a hypocrit?

 

[mAlice]

the ultimate goal is to create a society where the religious people are destined to hide in the basements of unmarked buildings way out on the edge of town to worship their God.

Kinda' like when the christians ran the pagans outta' town, huh?

 

[Cowgirl]

This is exactly why I will never be a religious person. There is so much hypocrisy.

 

[Highlander]

We don't care (as a matter of fact, we'd probably prefer) if you change the name of what you celebrate to whatever it is you're celebrating (Merry Worm-food Day!). We want to know why you'd celebrate Christmas without celebrating Christ. We also don't want you to minimize and devalue our celebration by mocking it in this manner.

I agree with you. I have yet to see any good arguement as to why atheists celebrate CHRISTmas. If they are really into the Pagan thing, I guess they should celebrate it as the Winter Solsctice on December 21st. They again, there are other pagan holidays that I'm sure most of these people have never heard of. How many also celebrate SAMHAIN, IMBALC, BELTANE, LAMMAS and the other Pagan holidays? If you want to call Christmas a pagan holiday, then celebrate it and all the pagan holidays if that's what you are into.

There's a reason a lot of atheists CELEBRATE CHRISTmas. I'm sure it's something their families have done for generations. The only difference is that their grandparents likely celebrated it as a celebration of the birth of Jesus and somewhere along the way the beliefs didn't carry on and the new generation has lost any belief they may have had.

Merry Christmas everyone

 

[bcp]

This is exactly why I will never be a religious person. There is so much hypocrisy.

hypocrisy on both sides. You just have to decide which form of hypocrisy best fits your lifestyle.

you want to see hypocrits? go to a church on sunday morning and watch the way people act in church, when you KNOW they are playing on their wifes during the week.

or, like the church I walked out of.
they voted the organist out of the congragation because, "he didnt have a strong enough faith in Christ"
excuse me, if the man had an open mind to it, and he was seriously seeking, wouldnt the church be the best place for him to be????

now that was an entire church full of hypocrits.
was also the last time I have stepped foot in that church.

 

[Cowgirl]

I agree with you. I have yet to see any good arguement as to why atheists celebrate CHRISTmas.

Because we celebrate it for different reasons. So it has christ in the name. BFD. :shrug:

 

[mAlice]

Because we celebrate it for different reasons. So it has christ in the name. BFD. :shrug:

I just don't get what's so hard to understand about tradition.