Is there too much religion involved in Christmas?

[Lucifer 10]

Christmas is here once again, seems like an annual thing. Do people really celebrate Christmas for what it is intended to be or like me as an Athiest use it as a holiday to indulge in everything I enjoy doing that which might be frowned on outside christmas.

[Alien 10]

Christmas is here once again, seems like an annual thing. Do people really celebrate Christmas for what it is intended to be or like me as an Athiest use it as a holiday to indulge in everything I enjoy doing that which might be frowned on outside christmas.

 

Are you saying you do everything at Christmas just so you can stick two fingers up to the religious establishment?

 

"Seems like an annual thing":huh:

[Berberis 10]

Without religion there would be no Christmas in fact a lot of our holidays would not exist.

[fox20thc 10]

The holidays would be the old celebrations and festivals from pagan times.

[spooky3 10]

The holidays would be the old celebrations and festivals from pagan times.

 

Beat me to it!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule

[Isabelle 10]

I think that was meant to be a joke.

I am not religious, nor am I really that interested in Christmas, I've not even put a tree or decorations up yet. I think Christmas is over-commercialised, for me it doesn't start until very close to or even on the day itself.

Like some people say, Christmas is for young children really, I'm sure when I have children I will get into it more.

[Alcoblog 10]

So far as I'm aware (without Googling), our perception of Chrismas has been shaped by Coca cola ... certainly Santa! Can't see it'll be too long before the Americans introduce 'santa's little helper' from the Simpsons into the scheme of things!

[epiphany 10]

Without religion there would be no Christmas in fact a lot of our holidays would not exist.

 

Yet these holidays seem to strangely coincide with key astronomical events... spring equinox, full moons, winter solstice, "high" holidays, passover...

 

The modern Judao-Christian religion is nothing more than a symbolic interpretation of the ancient solar/celestial cults. Christmas is, in fact, about the rebirth of the sun - the true "light of the world".

Edited December 16, 2010 by epiphany

[Boblet 10]

I couldn't care less about the religious issues or the "over commercialisation" - for me it is simply an opportunity to spend more time with friends and family, give and receive a few presents and eat and drink even more than usual - I find that, if I ignore the aspects I don't want to be involved in, they don't bother me and I don't bother them

[ladydrake25 10]

The holidays would be the old celebrations and festivals from pagan times.

 

This is why I think Atheists are hypocrites. Why celebrate Christmas when there is meaning behind it?!

 

Would we celebrate Diwali..I think not.

[ladydrake25 10]

I couldn't care less about the religious issues or the "over commercialisation" - for me it is simply an opportunity to spend more time with friends and family, give and receive a few presents and eat and drink even more than usual - I find that, if I ignore the aspects I don't want to be involved in, they don't bother me and I don't bother them

 

I do agree with you, however what about the Christmas tree...Do you know the meaning behind it?

[spooky3 10]

This is why I think Atheists are hypocrites. Why celebrate Christmas when there is meaning behind it?!

...

 

What's the meaning?

 

Was it from when Christians started building crosses and churches next to pagan ritual sites and started converting the natives. Or was it from when Catholicism started worrying people into paying to save dead souls, you know, when it got so bad that Martin Luther translated the Bible (so the common man could read it) and branched off (Protestantism) because he was so insulted about the commercialisation of the religion?

 

But as demonstrated, Christmas isn't really a Christian festival!