Why I don't mind celebrating Christmas.

[bertha katzenengel]

I'm an atheist (most of the time), and I grew up a fundamentalist evangelical Christian. Was saved at age six, baptized at age nine, attended church (twice each Sunday), youth group & bible study, etc., all through grade school & high school. Attended a Baptist college. I also sang in the choir every chance I got, from about age 14 on.

At age 23, as part of a very long process of healing & recovery, I began to reject my beliefs angrily. Only since I married a follower of Christ five years ago have I begun to identify myself as a (usual) atheist. Odd....

My mother died on December 10, 1974, to my tremendous immediate grief -- and my older sisters' incredible relief. She was a horrible mother, and the difference in our reactions was probably due in part to our ages. Predictably December 10 has become the day my eldest sister decorates her home for Christmas. :7 I love that tradition, I just love it. But Christmas is a time of intense bitterness for both my sisters.

I love Christmas. I get pretty depressed, but I still love it. I ignore the crass commercialism and consumerism and materialism and "I WANT!"-ism as best I can. I love decorating our home. I love wrapping gifts and sending them home. Most of all I love the music.

I don't mind celebrating Christmas -- I don't mind celebrating the birth of Christ, the son of God -- because it's just a festival to me. Throughout the ages, mankind has celebrated festivals to various deities, and to me this is no different. Of course all deities are mythical -- why not celebrate a fantasy? AFAIC, any good excuse to party is valid. It's fun, it's beautiful, and you can SING! Christmas music is among the most beautiful ever composed.

As for the oppression of the radical Christian right: they do not enter into my celebration of this festival and they can't ruin it for me. Thinking people easily resist proselytization....

[sui generis]

1. it's a little like halloween for me

I understand it has its origins in mythology, both older and newer, but it's still nice to get together with family and have a time of the year set aside to devote some exclusive time to being with the extended family and catching up.

And the house gets to wear the costume instead of me, so that's even better.

And fortunately even though half the family is part time catholic nobody goes to church or says prayers; I think we're all past outward displays of spirituality and more about spending time on the real things that count while you're alive.

[wtbymark]

2. me?

well, I'll start with the OP: "Was saved at age six" -why, in the world of humanity would anybody at age six need saving, saved from what? Maybe Charles Manson needed saving at 6, but somehow I doubt it. rediculous - but anyways.

me? I don't celebrate xmas, thanksgiving, easter, because I'm not christian, but, I do help my girlfriend decorate her apartment and help wrap gifts and make food and such. Because I like helping people and making them feel good about whatever.

I detest the overly religious - I usually throw them off my property, and if they don't like the separation of church and state maybe they should move to france (as the freepers say we should do) or better yet Rome.

[bertha katzenengel]

3. "saved from what?" -- if you really want to know why I was saved at

age six -- that is, why fundies believe salvation is necessary even at that age -- I'll tell you. But it seems it'd piss you off.... I don't blame you. But I'll tell you if you want to know. :hi:

[TNDemo]

4. Because humans are born with original sin.

At least according to the fundies.

[MissB]

5. I've been seeing some statistic that 95-96% of Americans celebrate

Christmas. I wonder how many of them are like me? :shrug: I do the Santa Claus thing. We play secular Christmas music. It isn't a religious holiday for my family, but we celebrate Christmas.

[Democrats_win]

6. Christmas is famously very hard on many people.

If Christmas is such a good thing, then why does it bring out the worst in us? Have you noticed how impatient people are as they drive on your tail? Better RUN across that crosswalk or you´ll get hit by these "christians."

What does the religion say about these things? They tell a symbolic story that if your eye causes you to sin, rip it out. Well, Christmas in its present form causes a lot of damage and it is a candidate to be ripped out.

Fat chance of that ever happening, Christmas is a sacred cow and there are no Martin Luthers to set Christianity on the right course again.

[bertha katzenengel]

7. "there are no Martin Luthers" -- Bishop J.S. Spong is trying . . .

Mel White in his small way is trying, too. I'm sure there are others, but I don't know their names.