Sunday, 26 December 2010
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Atheists Celebrating Christmas: Worse Than Christians Believing Jesus Was Born on December 25th?
How many of you are atheists or know atheists that celebrate Christmas? Chances are you'll be able to name off at least one person. Yeah, that's right. Richard Dawkins sings Christmas carols and celebrates Christmas itself, which he says is a religious festival people of religion- and no religion, can share. That's very kind-hearted of him, but why is Christmas an exception when other Christian holidays such as Good Friday are ignored by atheists? If you want to argue that Christmas was founded on paganism thus making it a faux-Christian holiday and acceptable to atheism, where is the logic in practicing paganism which is as illogical to them as believing in God? It's clear that receiving presents and singing simple melodies takes precedence over logic.Any blind Christian or half-wit atheist can see that Christmas has become a highly commercialized holiday with a focus on selling products to the consumer, and filling impressionable minds with thoughts of imaginary figures. It has become a tradition and a part of American culture to participate, unless you want to look like an outsider, a Scrooge, a bad parent to your children, a heathen or a killjoy. How do you tell your children or your family that you can't celebrate Christmas when everyone else is doing it? This is the likely reason why atheists celebrate Christmas: The need to fit in, keep harmony in the family, and a desire to receive totally-cool-awesome-rad presents of biblical proportions, without the Jesus.
Is that reason enough for an atheist to celebrate Christmas and perpetuate a Christian holiday? I don't believe so, and it's definitely contradictory. However, if the idea of atheists celebrating Christmas helps to further remove it from Christian tradition, it may not be such a bad idea. I'm not a Christian or an atheist, but I do have my beliefs about this holiday. These beliefs are as follows:
-Christmas follows pagan traditions such as gift-giving, gluttony and decorative symbols.
-Historians agree that Jesus was born around September, not specifically on December 25th.
-Christmas has very little, if anything, to do with Christianity and it shows with how little mention the religious aspect of Christmas gets.
-Atheists usually make invalid or contradictory excuses to celebrate this holiday, whether it's pagan or Christian.
-Atheists are also perpetuating the idea that imaginary figures do imaginary things to kids in celebrating Christmas, which goes against their beliefs.
-The unity and joy that Christmas brings each year to families is a nice change of pace.
-I wouldn't trick my own kids into believing in Santa Claus.
-We shouldn't wait on specific holidays to give gifts or love to others.
-The "Christmas spirit" is a separate entity, and the positivity of the holiday rolled up into one without the complications or bullshit of its history.
-This spirit should be alive for more than the end of a month, although I realize that this isn't a realistic expectation.
-Christmas should be stripped of its identity and renamed to something more appropriate like: Giftmas or Happy Walmart Day.As you can see, I'm not bitter about the holiday; I think it's great in a lot of respects. But that's true for me because I don't fall into the category of a Christian or an atheist, so there's nothing that would contradict my own belief system. However, for atheists and Christians, a lot of problems are posed and yet another battle rages on. Is it proper for a Christian or an atheist to celebrate Christmas? Do specific reasons outweigh others, therefore making it okay to celebrate?
Obviously I can't judge other people for what they believe in, but I know there are those who blindly follow religions or arrogantly cherry-pick what they want to do, complete with bullshit reasoning. In the end, it's down to the individual to decide but when it comes to organized religion, there isn't much wiggle room. Jehovah's Witnesses for example, don't celebrate Christmas because of the pagan traditions and are very strict about it. While people like to poke fun at the idea, they actually have a very valid reason to skip out on Christmas, and are being stricter Christians as a result.
I'm not going to pretend I dislike gifts or giving gifts to make someone else smile. Christmas is great in that respect, although as I previously mentioned, it shouldn't be restricted to secular holidays.
Are atheists who celebrate Christmas worse than Christians who believe Jesus was born on the 25th of December?
If you ask me, they're both highly questionable but it comes down to the individual and their intentions. If I had to choose though, I'd say atheists are because they look far worse partaking in a holiday with a Christian moniker (that's a bit of humor for you). It must be re-stated though, that in celebrating Christmas, atheists are helping to further remove the holiday's identity from Christian religions. It's an interesting thought.::Edit::
I'm not stating that there should be restrictions on who can or can't celebrate Christmas. On the contrary, I think everyone has their own specific reason and that's fine; the major reason being family and friends, or following tradition. Another fairly large reason would be the commercial aspect of the holiday. It's obvious that many participate because they're highly materialistic or simply like partying and getting drunk. I agree that one should spend time with family whenever possible, even if it means you're partaking in a celebration that historically means nothing to you. However, there are people whose beliefs take precedence over (sometimes) manufactured family time based on tradition.
What it comes down to is this: I'm simply asking questions to get opinions. I want to know if a person's belief system comes second to tradition or fun even if it contradicts what they believe in. People of opposing religions celebrate Christmas as well, so it's interesting to me. It has become such a large, commercialized day that the identity it falsely had with Christianity has been diminishing over time.
Sometimes it's necessary to rile people up a bit in order to get interesting debate going. My pieces are often humorous and sarcastic, so I understand that it will sometimes make me come off as judgmental. That's fine, I have to make compromises. But when it comes to atheism and religion, I feel that it's necessary for me as a writer with an audience, to make it clear that I'm respectful of what others choose to believe in. Although I may disagree with organized religions, I don't seriously go out of my way to trash them.
This may sound like a bit of damage control, but I'm making the effort to state this as a writer with respect for his audience and their beliefs. I don't only write for my own personal enjoyment; I also do it to get people thinking, questioning and debating. I do it to bring up interesting topics and to hopefully do it in a fun and humorous fashion, making it easier and more enjoyable for the reader. It's Christmas and I don't want to incite anger or hatred. I do, however, want interesting opinions and discussion.
As always, thanks for reading and I appreciate every comment I receive.
::/Edit::
What do you think?
Have you ever questioned Christmas or whether or not you should be celebrating it?
Does the Christmas spirit supersede your belief system? Have you ever had to change your ways due to a significant other or their family?
Would you enjoy singing Christmas carols with Richard Dawkins?
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About the Author
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- From: AsylumBlue
- About Me: The musician in me is constantly dueling with my inner writer, trying to take its place. What I'm attempting to do is allow them to live harmoniously, but it seems that I'm a terrible peacemaker, because they haven't stopped bickering or flinging spit-balls at one another. I write political satire, short stories, poems and... actually, I can pretty much write about anything; I'm flexible (not physically, unfortunately). If I had to choose, it would be writing softcore romance novels full of seduction, extramarital affairs and incredibly specific details. I'm kidding about that last part, I think.
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Comments (119)
I'm a Unitarian Universalist, and I celebrate the Festival of Lights. =) All religions welcome!
why cant one make Christmas they want it to be about? If someone wants to say happy birthday jesus and another make it just a fun, happy, romantic etc way to celebrate a day in December, so be it. I think of it as a personal day to be with family and loved ones.
So what are we supposed to do, sit at home in the dark for two days and refuse to see our families until Christmas is over? It's the only time during the year that I get see the majority of my extended family. So I look terrible because I like to see my family and don't feel the need to start a fight over God during that time.
Christmas is about food and family and presents as far as a lot of people are concerned. I'm not a Christian, but it's important to my very Christian mother that I participate, so I do for her.
I'll probably have my own Solstice celebrations when I have my own family, but I'll still probably do Christmas with the family and the kids (if I'm welcome around then :) ).
What does this have to do with dating?
Anyway, I'm a Christian and I've never liked the "Jesus is the reason for the season!" or "Keep Christ in Christmas!" (though, of course, "Christmas" comes from "Christ's mass"). I think it's rather silly because of its pagan origins. Maybe "Christmas is how the early church tried to convert pagans by putting a Christian stamp on it so they could think they were just celebrating their holiday and not the pagans own long held traditions!"... but I don't think that would look good on a billboard. Regardless, I like Christmas. I don't like the consumerism of the holiday, but hey, if modest gift giving and quality time with family and friends makes most people happy, where's the wrong in that?
I can't say whether or not I think it's right for atheists to celebrate the holiday. I'm not going to celebrate an Islamic or Buddhist or Jewish holiday just because my kids want me to or I want to fit in. I feel like it would be disrespectful to those said religions (or any others, of course) because I'm taking away the holiness of their special day. But Christmas has long been disregarded as a religious holiday. That's why Puritans outlawed it back in the day (way, way, way back). I guess the long and the short of it is that I have mixed feelings. I'd like to see Christmas as more of a religious holiday, but if it's not, I'm not too upset. I went to Catholic school for most of my educational career and my teachers and priests put more emphasis on Easter (even though, once again, it has its fair share of pagan origins) because the true miracle of Christianity is Jesus's resurrection. The Gospels talked little about his birth and a whole heck of a lot about his being raised from the dead, so that draws me to my opinion. Easter has been commercialized as well, but nowhere NEAR as much as Christmas has. I like that about the holiday.
I'm rambling.
Again, why is this on Datingish?
For me, as a non-believer in religion, it's more about the traditions we carry in our family that is substantial in keeping that bond. I do love the atmosphere of Christmas and that's about all when I think about why I like Christmas time. It's a feeling of affability and a mutual calmness all around. Well, obviously not all around but for the majority in this country.
I wouldn't ever lie to my kids (if I have them and I REALLY hope I do) about my beliefs around the holiday time and I wouldn't try to push them into my ideals. I have questioned whether or not I would celebrate Christmas and I think I would because of the reasons I described above. It would be up to my children, as they are their own voices/individuals, to generate their own convictions and I'd be happy to give them details of all the possibilities they need for finding themselves.
I think I went a little off topic..
@macphoto@xanga - That's a good way to look at it. This is why I think it may be a good thing for atheists to participate, because it helps to distance the holiday from its Christian identity and this "exclusivity" business would disappear.
@SeeBeeWrite@xanga - This is definitely the case for a lot of people, and it's one reason why the holiday can be wonderful. It brings people together, although I do think it's a little sad that we have to rely on a major corporate holiday to see those we love. On the bright side, it means more vacation time usually. :]
@organic_idiot@xanga - I'm more or less on the same boat as you are in regards to this. As for why it's on Datingish, I think it's a broad enough topic which can cross over into discussion about boyfriends/girlfriends, their families and traditions. Once in a while there will be topics on Datingish which aren't directly related, but I posted this because it's relevant to the holiday and I feel as if it can lead to relevant discussions. I try not to stray too far usually, but this is something I felt like I wanted to post in multiple places.
@diverged@xanga - I really like the way you worded that. :]
That's a great way to look at it.
@common_destruction@xanga - Indeed it was. I made mention of that.
uhhh you do know christmas was based off the PAGAN winter solstice right?
Christmas should be about whatever you want it to be about. Religion should not have anything to do with it, especially because Jesus was not born in December.
@AsylumBlue@mancouch - what I like best about this holiday is people become a little less self centered. They think of others. Peace and goodwill does happen this time of year. Although, I think these are qualities that should be carried in our hearts all year, I'll take what I can get. If this means calling it Christmas and buying gifts, so be it. Its good for the soul and mankind no matter what someone's personal belief system is.
Um, why is this on Datingish?
As an atheist/agnostic, I celebrate Christmas because it is what my family believes. I wouldn't care if I didn't get presents, but they get them for me anyways. Christmas is a big tradition, it's kind of hard to drop the childhood joy of waking up in the morning to presents Santa dropped down the chimney. But eventually, we learn Santa isn't real, and I went one step further and now believe that god isn't real. I don't care one way or the other if people believe Jesus was born December 25th, so my question is why should anyone care whether or not I celebrate Christmas?
lol, my family is Buddhist and they celebrate Christmas.
I'm an atheist and I go right along with it. Why?
Because it is an opportunity to gather family at a time when everybody is off. It's just a tradition of giving gifts and showing appreciation for family.
We and I don't consider the religious aspect at all. We just do it because that is the time everybody has off for extended periods of time, and gift giving is a way of bonding that strengthens our family.
You're right though that's totally destructive and juvenile of us non-religious folk
My family is not Christian or Atheist but they've been celebrating the holiday ever since they learned of it when they came to America. To them, it's entirely a day of gift-giving and I don't think it's contradictory to celebrate it or justify why they do it. I'm an Atheist though and I get very aggravated when people are shocked that I do celebrate it. I highly doubt that the majority of Christians care about honoring the birth of Jesus, but rather to receive presents..
To me, it's a happy holiday where we cherish the ones we love. It's never been about religion to me, not even when I was religious. So I don't see any reason to not celebrate it.
@The_Aftershock_3650@xanga - I agree, which is why I stated that Christmas brings joy and unity and I'm glad for that.
@Sweet_Heroine@xanga - They shouldn't, and Christmas is a great way to share time and love with family members. The problem is there's a divide amongst atheists, and some argue against celebrating Christmas due to the sheer hypocrisy. I'm interested in hearing opinions on it.
As for why it's on Datingish: Once in a while there will be topics on
Datingish which aren't directly related, but I posted this because it's
relevant to the holiday and I feel as if it can lead to relevant
discussions. I try not to stray too far usually, but this is something I
felt like I wanted to post in multiple places.
@x__mh@xanga - Yep, that's basically the view most people have on Christmas. Like I mentioned, atheists celebrating Christmas could be a great way to further neutralize the holiday.
I get a paid holiday between the 24th and the 1st of January so I could care less what we are celebrating. I also like receiving presents. IT'S THE AMERICAN WAY GODDAMNIT
"...but why is Christmas an exception when other Christian holidays such as Good Friday are ignored by atheists?"
Because Good Friday is specifically about an event of Christian faith. Christmas was an attempt by the Church to subsume the various Winter Solstice celebrations that were already going on. The Solstice has plenty of non-Christian and even secular reasons for celebrating. It's a clear event, the turning of the shortest day of the year and, for the originating cultures, a point to mark during the cold and dreary days of Winter. Good for boosting morale and all that.
"But that's true for me because I don't fall into the category of a
Christian or an atheist, so there's nothing that would contradict my own
belief system. However, for atheists and Christians, a lot of problems
are posed and yet another battle rages on."
And you presume this conflicts with the beliefs of atheists why? Spending a lot of time designing bigoted caricatures of atheists (and probably Christians) in your head? You have the idea that because atheists don't believe in gods that we should avoid any celebration that's traced back to some degree or other to some religion or another because this would somehow conflict with our lack of belief in gods?
"Obviously I can't judge other people for what they believe in..."
But you're going to try your damnedest anyway? Such as the gem below?
"If you ask me, they're both highly questionable but it comes down to the
individual and their intentions. If I had to choose though, I'd say
atheists are because they look far worse partaking in a holiday with a
Christian moniker."
Look worse...how? Based on this bigoted caricature in your head?
Who did ask you, anyway, to go tossing around insulting judgments about people celebrating a variety of holidays and events mashed in to a couple weeks of the year?
"As for why it's on Datingish, I think it's a
broad enough topic which can cross over into discussion about
boyfriends/girlfriends, their families and traditions. Once in a while
there will be topics on Datingish which aren't directly related, but I
posted this because it's relevant to the holiday and I feel as if it can
lead to relevant discussions. I try not to stray too far usually, but
this is something I felt like I wanted to post in multiple places."
But you decided not to actually bring up points related to dating and instead just posted about some ignorant and judgmental caricatures in your head...because any flimsy excuse will do?
If your goal was to start discussion about relationships related to the holiday, you did a horrible job of it.
To say atheists celebrating Christmas for different reasons is somehow wrong, is in itself a statement of massive idiocy. Everyone does things for different reasons, and the reasons of any given group certainly don't have to be the same. Since atheism is something that you generally come to after a great deal of thought, atheists are a wide and diverse group who only really share a belief in reason's superiority. Of course they are going to have different reasons to celebrate Christmas- and Tradition is a very valid reason. Family traditions bring us all closer together, and most family traditions revolve around Christmas.
And yes, I'm an atheist.
Well, I believe that Christmas is all about Jesus. Sure, there are presents and whatnot, but the main focus is Jesus. BUT.. I can see why athiests would celebrate it... they just want a little more Jesus. Just kidding. I know a lot of people who are Jewish, etc who celebrate Christmas. I don't know. I think it's a little odd but they are probably celebrating it to be with family and stuff.
I feel like you make a lot of erroneous assumptions. I mean, most Christians don't argue that Dec 25th is Christ's actual birthday, it is just when they set aside time to acknowledge what to them is a critically important event. So saying Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Christ is plain silly, it DOES for the people who attach that significance to it.
I am not Christian or an Atheist, yet I celebrate Christmas as a cultural holiday and as part of my cultural heritage. I don't pretend that it's about the birth of a god, nor do I feel I am stealing, borrowing or bastardizing any one else's faith.
Maybe I am WORSE than an Atheist doing Christmas because I actually do have another religion! But I don't think it is hypocritical of an Atheist to sing carols any more than it is for me to sing along to a song on the radio that espouses a sentiment or perspective I don't agree with. It's part of my culture, and while I don't participate whole hog with every aspect of it, there are parts that do speak to me and that I enjoy, so I choose to participate in those.
That is true, as I pointed out, in many areas of my life. We all pick and choose what works for us and build a satisfying life. I don't think that it needs to be any different when it comes to holidays, especially those that have swelled beyond the bounds of a specific faith, as Christmas clearly has.
All culture builds on what went before. The origin of social ritual is of little concern to us outside of being an interesting historical factoid, what matters is the meaning we apply to those things today in our own lives. Just as words change spelling and meaning over time, so do other aspects of culture. I think it's cool.
"Have you ever questioned Christmas or whether or not you should be celebrating it?"
People can celebrate whatever they want. I don't see what the big deal is.
I think celebrating Jesus' birthday on Dec. 25 is the same as celebrating your own birthday on a different day- sometimes you have to work on the Wednesday your birthday is on, and that weekend isn't free, so you have a party next weekend. Most people probably don't believe Jesus was really born in December, but it is a day designated to celebrate the birth that happened earlier.
I feel like most people would probably think it was weird if Christians in masses began celebrating Ramadan or Hanukkah the way everyone else celebrates Christmas and Easter. It kind of destroys the meaning if everyone gets involved instead of the people for whom it means (or should mean) something special.
@organic_idiot@xanga - I'm not disagreeing with anything you said, just offering a perspective. I am not Christian. My religion does have holy days, and I meet people who celebrate them secularly, and I don't feel at all that them putting their own spin on it is disrespectful to me or takes any of the holy out of it.
What someone else does cannot take the holy out of something I find sacred. It is up to me to keep it meaningful for myself.
that is one reason why I do get tired of some of the harping that goes on concerning Christmas, and how people ruined it for Christians. If a particular person or family doesn't want to get involved in certain parts of it that they feel detract from the importance they assign to the day, then it's up to them, not everyone else, to keep that day meaningful. It's not MY job to make Christmas about Christ for them.
there's so many "Christians" and "Catholics" who celebrate Christmas. How many of them go to church and focus on the religious aspect of it all? Christmas, for many, is more about the commercial aspects, the gifts, the food, etc.. Anyone can celebrate Christmas (and I did this year with my boyfriends family and I'm "Jewish" and he's athiest).