Another thought: Christmas PRESENTS
Offline How many of you atheist give/receive Christmas presents? Or-- do you do some sort of Festivus for the Rest of Us thing? I'm not asking if you BELIEVE in the claimed events that prescribe what Christmas is to be-- only if you're into the gift-giving thing.
For what it's worth, I don't know many Christians that ACTUALLY have a full understanding of the Christian holiday besides "Jesus' Birth." And even then it's an afterthough. Corporate America, supreme marketing and a PC wolrd have done very well at removing most ties to the religiousness of the holiday. I, personally, find all the "over the top" gifts (both given and received) to be consumer-gluttony and I try not to participate. I give and receive gifts-- but I don't go crazy. And I try my best not to spoil my kids-- but, lets face it, when my daughter gives me those eyes, she's hard to resist.
So, yeah-- any of you all exchanging gifts during the gift giving season and simply not tying it the fairytale (your words)?
Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual character
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You said "Christmas'. The politically correct term is "Holiday". I am extremely offended and will now file a law suit against you for shoving your religious believes down my throat. I hope you're happy that you have crushed and young man's mind.
The only thing I do is something small for my father and his roommate in the senior care facility.
This year they got a laundry basket full of snacks which I would have taken to them anyway.
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I take Christmas (which I sometimes refer to as "Winter Friendship Holiday" to annoy some of my co-workers) to be a time to see the family and I generally give small gifts to immediate family. Unless I find the perfect gift, I keep them small.
I had some bad experiences growing up in which my expectations at Christmas (and my expectations of my parents) got lower and lower until I got to my current status of being basically apathetic about gifts. So, when I do recieve one it's a pleasant surprise.
-Triften
tee hee
Thanks for the smile, Cpt_pineapple!
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Yeah, I mean that was kinda my point. You don't necessarily cut out the fun stuff just because it has religion at it's base/core. Heck, I'm sure this board is full of patriots (the Penn and Teller patriots-- great Bullshit last night by the way) and they love America and our Constitution regardless, I'm sure, of how many times God is called upon in that document.
Who wants to give up pretzels and Chimay beer? That'd be nuckin' futs-- those Trapestine monks know how to brew some good stuff.
Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual character
We do presents in our house but it is a completely secular, no angels, no baby jesus and no god worship. More than anything it is a solstice celbration.
Awww, pineapple, there was so little to crush. LOL.
(You know I am kidding you, I am glad you are here.)
I don't like the corporate or religious side of Christmas but I do like getting together with family, giving and receiving gifts and being merry. I'm thinking of celebrating Yule instead, it's three days earlier, so three days extra with presents, but then again my birthday is only 10 days before Christmas so I probably shouldn't spoil myself.
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My family has never been very religious.
We do presents and a big dinner with extended family.
No praying or anything, just a time for everyone to catch up and visit.
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We do have an angel/fairy on our tree and a few little nativity scene based artifacts as decoration, I don't think it means that we are religious. My parents aren't particularly religious, but I think they see it as something fairly nice and benign.
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Yup, that's us too.
I don't have a hang up with it being Christams - after all, it is a Christian holiday (no, really it is: it's not Saturnalia or the Feast of Mithra as these are two seperate festivals that fall on roughly the same dates) but one whose meaning has changed over the centuries to become nothing more than a family celebration for most non-Christian people.
Freedom of religious belief is an inalienable right. Stuffing that belief down other people's throats is not.