As an atheist I actually love Christmas. Peace, goodwill towards men (and hell why not women too), closeness with family, giving gifts, receiving gifts, Christmas trees, Scrooge, Santa...all good stuff. I just don't care so much about the JC and still won't go to church during the holiday.

I actually like the ritual of the church services because it's comforting and allows singing and companionship. I just don't like being told I'm wretched scum and a sinner for not wanting to believe in a zombie.

Kyro: They may not find much meaning in the birth of Jesus Christ, but many atheists embrace religious traditions such as churchgoing for the sake of the children, a new study finds.

I don't speak for the bunch, but this is off mark with me. I celebrate it for the same reason 99% of Christians celebrate it: it gives me an excuse to put up crazy lights, gain 10lbs off baked goods and exchange gifts with people I like.

And I could think of worse activities to make up justification for.


Done in one (regardless of the butthurt that follows it by xtians - this IS the reason, people).

I don't believe in atheists!

Where's letrole to remind us that he thinks Atheism is a religion?

It's true, I like singing pretty music, giving people presents, and doing some good in the community in the wintertime.

Happy Yuletide!

It's an old pagan holiday, going back well before the birth of Jesus, that was cunningly hijacked by the Christians.

Non-christians have celebrated a huge feast right around the winter solstice long before the carpenter's cult came along.

The words "Gattaca" comes to mind for some reason.

tardigrade: It's an old pagan holiday, going back well before the birth of Jesus, that was cunningly hijacked by the Christians.

And by cunningly, you mean through natural processes of cultural diffusion. Granted it was intentional, but what's the point in reading in malicious intention to an example of the rather dickish church actually accommodating people's cultural practices?

Hell, for a long time celebrating Christmas was illegal in parts of the US (officially or otherwise). Christmas was a pagan holiday and the birth of Jesus wasn't a huge deal--the rebirth (resurrection) was what Christians were supposed to celebrate.

Christmas is a secular holiday where some Christians take out an hour to go to church.

Ennuipoet 2011-12-04 11:35:33 AM Because we get farking presents, the same reason Christian celebrate.
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Exactly.

/Christmas has very little to do with christmas anymore.
//It's a celebration of capitalism and overspending.
///...And family gettogethers, but certainly I can do that even as an atheist. Even if most of the family is a bunch of evangelical twats.

Last I checked, July 4th has no relation to religion, yet we atheists celebrate that.

PonceAlyosha: tardigrade: It's an old pagan holiday, going back well before the birth of Jesus, that was cunningly hijacked by the Christians.

And by cunningly, you mean through natural processes of cultural diffusion. Granted it was intentional, but what's the point in reading in malicious intention to an example of the rather dickish church actually accommodating people's cultural practices?

The part where certain farktard xtains are now pissing and moaning about it.

For those of us who were brought up in Christian church, but have since become atheist, the Unitarian Universalists are a fantastic home -- you get the community, the signing, the food, etc. all without any Jesus. You also get the common-sense social progressivism that always was the best part of groups like the Quakers.

Helios1182: Hell, for a long time celebrating Christmas was illegal in parts of the US (officially or otherwise). Christmas was a pagan holiday and the birth of Jesus wasn't a huge deal--the rebirth (resurrection) was what Christians were supposed to celebrate.

Christmas is a secular holiday where some Christians take out an hour to go to church.

I listened to some AM radio old-timey gospel hour last week, and the preacher was promoting exactly that. Tell your friends who send you Christmas cards that they've been perverted by Satan, children of greed, demons, etc. etc.

I immediately decorated a second tree.

I wonder.

Why has that time of year been the time of celebrating well back in pagan times? Is it really just to acknowledge the equinox? Or is it that we like to party and will take any excuse? Or is there something about that time of year evolutionary speaking?

I'm agnostic, I too enjoy the parties and the etc. I just don't look on it as a celebration of Christianity.

Am I supposed to just ignore all the Christmas crap going on for the 5 months prior to the day.

I'm sure that if Hanukkah was as big as Christmas I'd be celebrating that.

When I still believed in God, Christmas was only about Jesus for the hour of mass on Christmas Eve.

This!

We come as close as possible to not celebrating christmas. We don't have a tree or lights or other decorations, we don't play christmas music (except for the 25th itself when my husband plays some manheim steamroller on his computer) and we don't go to church. However since our families send us gifts, I feel we need to send something back, so we do exchange gifts. If people invite us to parties, we go because we like parties. If work is closed, I'll take the day off. I just wish I didn't lose my favorite radio station for 6 weeks prior to the holiday (All Christmas music ALL the time!).

Also, from the article, imagine how stunning it is! Scientists using religion to teach their children critical thinking!

I don't get the big deal about an atheist celebrating a modern Christmas. These days Christmas has become so little about the religious aspect that it has evolved into a secular family celebration. (Christmas is just as huge in non-Christian countries as it is in Christian ones. See Japan for example.)

Now wake up when atheists start celebrating the Feast of the Ascension. That right there would be weird news worthy.

The_Philosopher_King: I wonder.

Why has that time of year been the time of celebrating well back in pagan times? Is it really just to acknowledge the equinox? Or is it that we like to party and will take any excuse? Or is there something about that time of year evolutionary speaking?

I'm agnostic, I too enjoy the parties and the etc. I just don't look on it as a celebration of Christianity.

My theory is that the Pagans running the Catholic church wanted to celebrate their preferred holiday under the guise of christianity.

Sorry, change equinox to solstice

Myria: Last I checked, July 4th has no relation to religion, yet we atheists celebrate that.

Wrong again liebral scum.

/hot!!

Yeah, considering I participated in some Christmas rituals with a Jewish family yesterday, I'm pretty sure there are two Christmases, and I'm involved only with the secular one.

Santa, lights on the house, a decorated tree and a turkey dinner would likely have confused anyone born 2000 years ago. Even if you explained electricity first.

I thought the gift giving thing was Roman tradition anyway?

mekki: I don't get the big deal about an atheist celebrating a modern Christmas. These days Christmas has become so little about the religious aspect that it has evolved into a secular family celebration. (Christmas is just as huge in non-Christian countries as it is in Christian ones. See Japan for example.)

Now wake up when atheists start celebrating the Feast of the Ascension. That right there would be weird news worthy.

What if I happen to go to Bonanza that day?

Kar98: PonceAlyosha: tardigrade: It's an old pagan holiday, going back well before the birth of Jesus, that was cunningly hijacked by the Christians.

And by cunningly, you mean through natural processes of cultural diffusion. Granted it was intentional, but what's the point in reading in malicious intention to an example of the rather dickish church actually accommodating people's cultural practices?

The part where certain farktard xtains are now pissing and moaning about it.

Yes, exactly. This wasn't passive diffusion, it was a cynical battle of doctrines. Notice that the various names and attributes of the Devil and his minions are drawn directly from deities of non-Christian peoples. That wasn't diffusion: it was defamation, propaganda, rebranding.

I'm an atheist who has always celebrated christmas. Most americans are about as religious regarding x-mas as I am.

Why has that time of year been the time of celebrating well back in pagan times? Is it really just to acknowledge the equinox? Or is it that we like to party and will take any excuse? Or is there something about that time of year evolutionary speaking?

It was a way to keep busy during the cold dark days when everyone was stuck inside together. If you have a goal, and jobs for everyone, then it is easier not to go crazy and kill each other. The demons of ice and snow resulted in confinement and cabin fever. Evergreens were brought in to protect the residents from the demons of ice and cold, since obviously the trees were immune to the demonic power... and it all grew from there.

About the atheist-Christmas thing... maybe it's because some atheists don't give a second thought to hanging out with friends and family who have beliefs differing from their own? Kinda like how many religious people hang out with atheists while not at some religious service.

/shrug

The world always gets weird when some group doesn't care what some other group is doing. It's unnatural.

s2s2s2: The_Philosopher_King: I wonder.

Why has that time of year been the time of celebrating well back in pagan times? Is it really just to acknowledge the equinox? Or is it that we like to party and will take any excuse? Or is there something about that time of year evolutionary speaking?
I'm agnostic, I too enjoy the parties and the etc. I just don't look on it as a celebration of Christianity.
My theory is that the Pagans running the Catholic church wanted to celebrate their preferred holiday under the guise of christianity.

I though it was more that they picked that time to celebrate "the birth" because competing pagan religions were winning more converts. So they needed a reason to party at that time too. A marketing gimmick we would call it.

I don't care about religious holidays.
Get off my lawn.

Atheists celebrate Christmas for the same reason every Jew, Muslim, Buddhist and Crazed Self-Worshipping-Lunatic I know celebrates Christmas. Free shiat.

Only the Christians seem to be able to tolerate the annual Christmas Music onslaught that drives me to cease all nonessential retail purchases in Mid-November, though.

I am an atheist.

My birthday is Christmas day.

I look like Jesus Christ.

For one holiday a year, I get to do whatever I want.

tardigrade: Kar98: PonceAlyosha: tardigrade: It's an old pagan holiday, going back well before the birth of Jesus, that was cunningly hijacked by the Christians.

And by cunningly, you mean through natural processes of cultural diffusion. Granted it was intentional, but what's the point in reading in malicious intention to an example of the rather dickish church actually accommodating people's cultural practices?

The part where certain farktard xtains are now pissing and moaning about it.

Yes, exactly. This wasn't passive diffusion, it was a cynical battle of doctrines. Notice that the various names and attributes of the Devil and his minions are drawn directly from deities of non-Christian peoples. That wasn't diffusion: it was defamation, propaganda, rebranding.

That also started in the Old Testament with the identification of of Astarte and other deities as malevolent spirits. However, this practice isn't unique to Christianity/Judaisim, the ancient Romans viewed the egyptians gods as malevolent beings of wickedness but granted in a very different accompanying worldview and while still accepting their divinity. Also sometimes it happens accidentaly, an example being how the Asuras are the good guys in Zoroastrianism but randomly wicked spirits in Hinduism.

CtrlAltDelete: I am an atheist.

My birthday is Christmas day.

I look like Jesus Christ.

For one holiday a year, I get to do whatever I want.

You can do whatever you want right now, but someday you're gonna get nailed.