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If you don't believe in God, then why do you celebrate Christmas? After all, it's to do with belief and religion.
Do you think it's right that people celebrate it, yet they never go to church and follow beliefs?
Closed by invincible (Forum Super Moderator): Due to bump!
Of course it's right, it's a holiday, as well as a tradition. The main reason is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but it also has a deep meaning of bringing people, friends, and family together.Quote:
Originally Posted by iDenning
So yes, I think it's right they should celebrate it.
I'm an Atheist, but I celebrate Christmas and think anybody should be able to. After all, the story behind it is fiction anyway.
But of course, that's just an opinion, and not a fact. It might be "fiction" to you, but not to someone else.Quote:
Originally Posted by Misawa
If it does no harm and it makes people happy then why not
Simple, Christians should and are taught to open up religious events to non-Christians - anyone is welcome. So yes, anyone can celebrate Christmas because it brings people together AND to Christians, non-Christians are celebrating an event alongside them. It's basic ideology for Christians :P
Quite alot of Muslims enjoy Christmas, because it teaches values not taught in the Qur'an :)
I don't really think it matters nowadays since Christmas has totally been taken out on what it really is. Now it's all about who can get the best presents for their kids and make their children and other people happy, and it does make other people happy. Therefore I don't think it should be just for christians as God said himself that everyone should be happy together and celebrate christmas together. It would be an unjust world if it turned into some kind of divided area where only christians can celebrate christmas and easter.
But yeah now christmas and easter is all about giving presents to eachother, not actually thinking about what it really is (birth/death of Jesus). Having said that, it still does what it was intended to do, make everyone come together and be happy for just one day.
Good points, but where did Christmas come from? I didn't think it was in the Bible :SQuote:
Originally Posted by Lost
Christmas is terrible now, it's too commericialised and makes the actual day boring and seemingly uneventful. Just food and presents... Big whoop. The socialising bit isn't as good as it was, but I come from a family that used to go to Church on Christmas Day - I go to Church every Sunday, Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day as part of a small job I do, so I don't find Christmas bad but I find the whole over-commercialised rubbish (as I find it, over-exaggerated) to be the biggest let down. Let the hype start closer in mid-November, and not many months before. Yeah, buy presents but don't chuck it in our face :/
I don't want to hear a single Christmas song until after black friday (day after thanksgiving)
Completely agreed! Speaking of Christmas songs. The day Christmas #1 is actually a Christmas holiday related song is the day either X-Factor has stopped or Simon Cowell is dead. I hate the Christmas #1 :@
Christmas, its not even no were near Jesus's birthday anyway is it?
+ Christmas tree's were brought into the UK to celebrate by Prince Albert in the victorian times so its a pretty new thing really. And I kinda think yes and no, some of my friends are Bengali etc and they celebrate there religion and laugh at christianity, then celebrate Christmas at the same time too.
It is in the bible I think, the whole point of Christmas is to Celebrate the birth of Jesus, and I totally agree with you, it's too commericialised! It's all about the money now (for the companies). Like I was so shocked when I saw Christmas cards and advent crap on the stalls 2 weeks after Halloween? lol? It's the same with Easter and Halloween and Valentines Day, it's all about the money and really amazing presents. I really do like Christmas Day though because my whole family come (like even family from England that I hardly know :S) and we spend the day together, it's really fun. I think now no one (and by no one i mean people that used to go to church but some of them now don't) don't go to church on Christmas Day because they just can't be bothered and they want to open their presents, try them out, have the dinner, you know that kind of stuff. It's all down to the shops that sell this stuff, they're milking it for what it's worth and it's really put a massive downfall upon Christmas. I myself, never went to Church on Christmas because we're not Christians (not saying that only Christians should go to Church on Christmas it's just that they usually do), but even though I never went, I sense a lot of people not going anymore, they think it's a waste of time, when they can be home warm and opening their presents and what have you, which I think is a real down fall, beacuse it was quite nice to know that people went to church to actually celebrate what it was meant to be celebrated for, the birth of Jesus. I think it shows real independence and belief towards their religion (going to church on christmas day), and it's a real shame you don't see that many people like that anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by GommeInc
I like Christmas songs :(
*non christians
and yeah nowadays its got nothing to do with religion its more orientated around families getting together and having some fun
Meh, something to wait till Christmas to find out :P Whether or not Christmas is mentioned in any shape or form as a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus by coming together. I think I remember hearing something about the presents side coming from giving gifts to the church, which then got changed to both the church and presents for each other. Might be wrong though.
I love going to church on Christmas Day (granted, someone has to do the projector and computer work on the day). It sort of fills you up with Christmas joy to last the whole day :D Loads of non-believers seem to turn up, which could be considered a good thing. Usually Christmas Day celebrations are only "pick a carol and sing it" days. There's no point for a service as that is covered by the Carol Service and/or the Sunday service before.
Isn't it primarily about making money nowadays? The family side seems more like a secondary result :/ It's hardly advertised as a time to get together...Quote:
Originally Posted by swearwolf
But they're better enjoyed in small doses :(Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyingJesus
Isnt the present thing all about father chirstmas and the idea of father christmas has been around for centurys, iv herd loads of different stories of his origin and as it is not from the bible would it be fair to say that to celebrate christmas properly then u shouldnt give presents? i mean, its apparently to celebrate jesus birthday and you dont get presents on other peoples birthdays do you?Quote:
Originally Posted by GommeInc
christmas has been cormercialised for so many years its no longer just about remembering jesus, its a day when millions of people take the day off work and celebrate with the ones they love, does it matter what there celebrating really?
plus, jesus wasnt even actually born in december apparently :)
Well, Christmas goes back a few 1000 years before Christianity. It was originally the midwinter festival to celebrate the solace (shortest day) as after that days would get longer again and the weather better :)Quote:
Originally Posted by iDenning
Christianity moved the birth of Christ over a few weeks to fit with the pre-exist celebration so as to encourage the "pagan" mass's of the time to convert.
Since present exchange and getting together as a family are both the parts i celebrate and the parts that were taken from the original celebration, i'm not really doing anything religious at all, just calling it by its most commonly known name :)
The Christian part ends with the mass in church, other than that its all pagan.
That's like asking should Non-Muslims celebrate Eid or Non-jews celebrate Hanukkah?
That's why I'm wondering where the events happened. Like when did religion(s) get a present idea and how that tallies up with the story of Father Christmas (who was Austrian or Turkish, I think?). The Bible mentions nothing, and that's the only source a Christian can follow so it's very unlikely present giving, dates when it happened and other things non-existent were planned for those days, and if it was just piggy-backing :P Like the oh so reliable TV show QI mentioned, Christmas sounds very similar to the events surrounding a Roman god and Roman gods, were around way before the Jesus stories came about.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bef
It just seems to be over-glorified and giving out no messages. The only one it gives out is "Meet up with your friends and families" and exchange gifts, which should be done all the time (minus the gift stuff :P No-ones that thoughtful each time they meet their friends :P). I'm fine with the whole commercialisation and gift giving, but pleeeease, force it down our throats a bit closer to Christmas rather than hype it up months before :/ When it comes to the big day, it just feels like a Sunday Roast with a twist. I'm not expecting magic, but it's like when information on a film is given out through adverts in a way that makes it look amazing, but when it comes to watching it or doing it, it's not. If that makes sense?Quote:
christmas has been cormercialised for so many years its no longer just about remembering jesus, its a day when millions of people take the day off work and celebrate with the ones they love, does it matter what there celebrating really?
Is there actually proof when he was born? I heard he was born around now or in Autumn, but how they'll prove that is beyond me.Quote:
plus, jesus wasnt even actually born in december apparently :)
Is there actually proof jesus was born at all?
Norr they aren't national holidays thoughQuote:
Originally Posted by Technologic
Fair point. Although I believe there may of been someone with over-exaggerated abilities in both mental and social forms that wowed people, and over time got exagerrated - but that might be Family Guy having an effect on me :P
it encourages good will and kindness, drunkeness to boot so i dont see whats so bad if non believers participate in whats a national public holiday already.
Christmas didn't even start out as a Christian tradition, is was initially Pagan, but adopted to Christian beliefs. If it was still as traditional as it once was (not saying it should be Pagan, but not commercialised) I would say that certain people and certain believes wouldn't follow it, but considering it is not simply a commecial holiday that even young children nowadays don't even know whats it really about, I would say that anyone is free to take part in it. Many Christian holidays are commecial nowadays so it doesn't hold such a strong religious impact as it once did.
The quran and bible say he was conceived in the sixth month of Mary's cousin's pregnancy which is supposedly anywhere between october-december, so Autumn sounds about right. They replaced a pagan holiday with Christmas.Quote:
Originally Posted by GommeInc
Im atheist and I LOVE christmas. The rest of my family is Chrisitian and (although my family is messed up, eg I havent seen my mum in years) I still love meeting the better members of the family, having a good ol' aussie bbq, having a cold drink, exchanging gifts and soo on. I dont like to force my views on people (though I like viocing them) so when my family does religious stuff I go along with it, I just enjoy my families company :) I think it's not about religion anymore, it's about having a good time with those you love!
To me, Christmas has never really been about God. It's just a time to enjoy with your family, which a lot of households only get to do once a year, on christmas. Everyone is off school, college, university, work or whatever else they might be doing. It's a holiday. It's also usually the highlight of my year. Not celebrating it must be pretty damn boring, and everyone would turn into stroppy gits if they didn't celebrate it and have nothing else to look forward to.
The reason Christmas is a nation holiday is because this is England and the ENGLISH religion is Christianity.
If the muslims and the hindus want to come into this country then they'll just have to adjust to ENGLISH ways,
they cant just change they way we live.
alright calm down. noone is forced to celebrate christmas nor would it be right to, but I know people who do celebrate christmas who follow other religions because it's an important date in this country's cultural calendar.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacktard
i don't care as long as santa comes
Didn't anyone tell you?.. He doesn't?Quote:
Originally Posted by mwah
oh ye because england is the only country in britain you gitQuote:
Originally Posted by Jacktard
he doesQuote:
Originally Posted by iDenning
i'm not christian. i will always celebrate christmas, evidently not for the religious side. it's all about spending time with your family, giving and receiving prezzies, huge meal and just generally having a splendid time. as far as i'm aware, you don't have to be religious to have fun.
I like on the simpsons episode when Kent brokmen goes:
"Everybody loves Christmas, From Christians to musilms and just non Jews..." I cracked up.
well done mate you ruined my lifeQuote:
Originally Posted by iDenning
the lights in dundee are know as 'the winter lights' this year. as the council is trying to have the event with no reference to christianity. i think there trying to attract more people from different religions.
Edited by invincible (Forum Super Moderator): Please do not bump old threads.