first Atheist Christmas
Posted on: December 14, 2009 - 12:25pm
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first Atheist Christmas
This will be me and my wifes first atheist christmas. I was just curious as to how you guys celebrate it, if you do at all. And is this anyone else's first X mas as an atheist. I know it sounds trivial but it is a big deal to me.
"Take all the heads of the people
and hang them up before the Lord
against the sun.” -- Numbers 25:4
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"Christmas" or the holiday at this time of the year has been celebrated for over 4000 years. Are you questioning b/c you relate it to being a christian holiday? Because it's origins are not.
Christians stole/borrowed it from the Pagans(non-christians) anyway, they were worried as their faith spread of the popularity over this celebration. Christ wasn't born in December, so celebrating the Christmas holiday doesn't necessarily mean you are celebrating christ's birth. And the tree, the tree is to celebrate the winter solstice. I mean really, it's just about enjoying your family and the joy of giving. Just because one is atheist doesn't mean they have no compassion or love. To us(my husband and I) that is what we celebrate(family and giving). And who doesn't like to eat Christmas treats and open presents?
Info on December 25: http://www.ucg.org/booklets/HH/jcnotborndec25.asp
http://www.holidays.net/christmas/story.htm
"I can resist anything, except temptation..."
~Wilde
I don't celebrate Christmas.
I do celebrate the time of year, though. I like egg nog, certain peppermint candies that are only readily available this time of year, the cheap turkeys (I mean the ones you cook, not the ones haggling over sale prices at the store), and the opportunity to play with lights.
Planetary axial tilt is the reason for the season!
I think atheists should celebrate the winter solstice on the 21 of December, just do what every you like. On the 25th, just go skiing or some other recreational activity(no crowds).
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
You can celebrate it the same way you always do, just without the religion.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, | As I foretold you, were all spirits, and | Are melted into air, into thin air; | And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, | The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, | The solemn temples, the great globe itself, - Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, | And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, | Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff | As dreams are made on, and our little life | Is rounded with a sleep. - Shakespeare
Most of the traditions around Christmas have nothing to do with Christianity.
Xmas trees are definitely pagan.
Giving presents was part of the Soltice/Saturnalia festivals of the Romans, lasting from the 17-23 of December.
I think a sceptic who looked into it once concluded that the only definitely Christian tradition attached to Christmas was the Midnight Mass.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
The path to Truth lies via careful study of reality, not the dreams of our fallible minds - me
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
The only christian thing about christmas is having to go to church and listen to the droning preacher trying to make something of it.
Even the day is unrelated to christ. Dec 25 was originally the birthday of the unconquered sun and it was introduced as a holiday throughout the roman empire early in the third century. When instigated, it celebrated the sun gods Mithras and Sol.
I think there are some other sun gods in there, too. Same as everything else, the christian church stole December 25 from the original deities to which it related. It's deeply stupid to celebrate the earthly 'birthday' of an eternal deity who exists outside a
universe the extent of which we can't even conceive. The early church had no idea when 'Jesus was born' - and this was as late as the third century. They just made it up as they went along.
The tree thing relates to a germany custom that didn't reach britain till the early 1800s. There are other german things in there, relating to stockings and santa and so on. All the other stuff is just good old human empathy and community.
There are plenty of non christian carols relating to snow and so forth.
The core of christmas is time with family. Lots of presents, lots to eat and lots of hugs.
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck
Why do you hate baby Jesus? Just because it makes no sense that a god, somehow without a physical penis or sperm, and no second set of DNA got a 9-14 year old girl(which would have been the norm for those ancient societies) pregnant via "poof" logic. Is no reason not to celebrate his birth. Forget about all the prior deities who had fans who celebrated their birthdays on December 25th.
Why do you hate baby Jesus?
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
Easy.. I hate the baby jesus because I hate all babies. True story!
Marshall, I had a tradition of ordering Chinese food and going to Blockbuster video. Now Blockbuster is no longer needed, and for the last few years I put on a holiday show for the RRS. But you can still do Chinese! They're all open! Have a Chinese feast and support them for being open on "just another day."
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We already own Christmas. Spoils of a war that's over that we won. Knock yourselves out and do what you want, or not, with it.
WHAT? You mean to tell me there are businesses open Christmas day? I think now would be a good time to quote the South Park Christmas song, "Get off your fucking heathen ass and fucking celebrate!"
We live in Jesus Land and Merka celebrates the birth of their zombie god. Now do the right thing, screw the Chinese food and go to church and repent!
ON AN UNRELATED NOTE, even my former Evangelical boss thought closing businesses on Christmas was stupid.
He had a friend say, "I think all businesses should be closed Christmas day"
He responded, "And what would you do?"
"We'd open our gifts, then go out for breakfast, then maybe to a movie".
My boss laughed, and HE BELIEVES!
But I thought at the point he relayed that story, "YOU FUCKING DUMBASS! WHO WOULD WORK AT THE BREAKFAST PLACE OR MOVIE THEATER!"
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
You should try them marinaded in teriyaki sauce. I think you'd start to like them more.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
It's my first atheist Xmas too. I still bought gifts and put up a tree, though. It's a nice holiday without the whole Jesus part.
Sorry, I didn't know you were a baby. I'm sure you're very loud and powdery.
It's official! I'll be hosting a ChristMyAss day party in the webcam room with Shaunphilly.
http://www.rationalresponders.com/rrs_webcam_room
We plan to be on from about 3-6pm est. It'll go something like this...
1pm-3pm atheist friendly holiday music and general chat
3pm-6pm holiday chat with Shaun and I. Turn your webcam on and party with us.
Somewhere between 5 est and 6 est we'll order Chinese food and Sushi, and we'd love it if you had your holiday meal with us!
After 6 pm we'll wind down, open a few beers and hang out a little longer.
From 3-6 pm est in the general chat portion of the broadcast we'll cover the origins of Christmas, the purpose of Christmas, the tree of knowledge, and offer you an outlet for anything you want to get off your chest on Christmas day as a non-believer. Of course Christians are welcome to show up and we'll offer a friendly public service announcement reminding them that their God doesn't exist.
Merry ChristMyAss because Christmas is just two letters away!
EDIT IN: WE MIGHT HAVE TO PUSH THE GENERAL CONVO PORTION BACK A FEW HOURS, OFFICIAL POST COMING SOON!
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Sweet! I've been floundering about what I want to do with my day off. Modern Warfare 2 and masturbation (not at the same time) is all I came up with. Hanging out with you soon-to-burn-in-hell heathens sounds like more fun.
OP: I think it's a great question. I find myself with those types of questions every now and again.
I think it comes down to how important it is that I protest vs how important it is that I have a good time. There are some things that erk me and I just can't let go of it... those instances call for protest and not so much on the good time scale. Things like Xmas, fuck it. It's a folk tradition based on an image created by an add agency, a Rudolf story created by an add agency, and some Christian traditions created way before there were Christians.
I suggest giving it some time. You may find out that some of the traditions just "feel" wrong to you. If that's the case, leave those off of the list and work with the others... or create your own for fun.
We are in the fortunate position of being able to decide these things for ourselves. So exercise your ability to use your mind and come up with something that works for you. Let us know what you decide!
I never really had a theist christmas myself. Most of the last decade I even worked on christmas. I joined this forum while at work on christmas. I'm probably one of the most blasphemous people here.
I think you missed the opening in the title, which referred to baby snakes, which are possibly tastier than human babies, but possibly not.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Delicious baby snakes?
Theism is why we can't have nice things.
Even theists I know dont celebrate this as a religious holiday.... it's all about the jolly old fat guy in the tacky red suit... personally we love buying gifts and entertaining in our home... if we ate and drank like this all year long I would look like Michael Moore...
www.RichWoodsBlog.com
Every year of my life, except when I was deployed to some shithole, we would go to the candlelight service on christmas eve. Well this year I went stoned. It was a lot more fun.
"Take all the heads of the people
and hang them up before the Lord
against the sun.” -- Numbers 25:4
Good to hear you had fun on the day. I had a fight with my mum about god but did not make her cry this year. I must be losing my touch.
Maybe I'll get off my face next year...
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck