Atheism and Christmas

[QuantumJG]

Atheism and Christmas: Should Atheists Ignore Christmas or Celebrate It?


Christmas is coming up and the whole dilemma of whether I should still celebrate it or not since as an atheist it does seem like hypocrisy. Having said that its the time of the year that I get to see family and don't want to stop that.

I am the first of my family to become an atheist as everyone else is catholic. My grandparents are strong Catholics and my parents are weaker catholics. So I'm the odd one out.

I personally believe Jesus existed, having said that, just as a normal human being. With regards to the star seen at his birth, scientists predict the gigantic star was actually the light from a supanova that had reached earth long after it actually went supernova.

With regards to the above website, it discusses christmas is becoming a secularized event. So I may not be a hypocrite.

Anyway I would love people's views.

[Kotza]

I used to go to a catholic school and was probably the biggest christian out.
However upon doing something the church condemns (THINKING FOR ONESELF) i realised how much bullshit it is, and my family as followed suit.

However its what christmas is about rather than the tradition and event behind it that matters. I love seeing my family as you have mentioned, so i dont give a shit if i dont believe in it, (i actually hate religion) but i am not going to hate something that brings people together.

and also... PRESENTS!



in regards to your paragraph on Jesus' existence. I think thats crap IMO.

One of my favourite quotes ever is;
"What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof."

The fact that the gospels were written 300 years after Jesus' existence and there is no real proof of him living somewhat erodes the credibility about the whole story of him living lmao

[Mr Edwards]

I think a true atheist would not celebrate Christmas. Though, being surrounded in a family that is highly religious and celebrating the event heavily would make it a little hard I guess. To anyone who disagrees I tell them to think back to that episode of The Simpsons where Lisa becomes a buddhist while her family celebrates Christmas. It caused her much hardship and I bet it would to anyone else in her shoes.

[Kotza]

i dont think it would "cause much hardship."

Do people really take it that seriously?
A religious individual taking part in an atheistic festival would instill a great sense of hardship within themselves. However me, being an atheist could not give two shits if i was surrounded by catholic festivities. It makes people happy etc, and the only thing i would feel is annoyance and boredom, not hardship.

[Russ]

If the holiday doesn't hold any particular significance to you, don't treat it as a religious holiday. It's also a public event/public holiday, so I don't see any hypocrisy in not working, celebrating etc. You're still entitled to enjoy it, even if you don't believe in whatever the underlying theme is.

The fact that the gospels were written 300 years after Jesus' existence and there is no real proof of him living somewhat erodes the credibility about the whole story of him living lmao

Can we not do this, because it always ends badly.

[binders]

like russ said, you can enjoy it without religion. if your family gets together and celebrates, then celebrate spending time with them - they won't be around forever.  if they go to mass, doesn't mean you have to.
if you can't face the hassle of confronting your family with your mass abstinence, you could volunteer at the city mission or something that night. religion doesn't have a monopoly on charity, and they can't blame you for actually doing what the bible says but from different motives

[Russ]

I don't mind going to church, even thought I have no particular affiliation with the catholic church. Unless it's one of the long services with an excessive amount of reading etc, I find the atmosphere enjoyable and relaxing.

So yeah, you don't have to be a devout Christian to find the Christmas worthwhile

[MuggedByReality]

   I'm a Jewish atheist and I love hymns and carols (except the corny ones)

[Cianyx]

Already said but I like reiterating stuff. The term Christmas has deviated quite significantly from what it was originally considered. That being, for a lot of people, Christians and others alike, bears little spiritual significance to them. If Atheists do not believe in the religion, that's okay. The religious elements of it has been quite secularised anyway. Plus, why should they care about the religious significance of Christmas if they don't believe in it anyway? If you're Anti-Theist, on the other hand, I can see where the problem might occur but this usually only applies to idiots and teenage 'Atheists' anyway (and no one cares about them).

[Chavi]

I think a true atheist would not celebrate Christmas. Though, being surrounded in a family that is highly religious and celebrating the event heavily would make it a little hard I guess. To anyone who disagrees I tell them to think back to that episode of The Simpsons where Lisa becomes a buddhist while her family celebrates Christmas. It caused her much hardship and I bet it would to anyone else in her shoes.

Ah yes. Not even idealists can free themselves from the burden of conformity

Already said but I like reiterating stuff. The term Christmas has deviated quite significantly from what it was originally considered. That being, for a lot of people, Christians and others alike, bears little spiritual significance to them. If Atheists do not believe in the religion, that's okay. The religious elements of it has been quite secularised anyway. Plus, why should they care about the religious significance of Christmas if they don't believe in it anyway? If you're Anti-Theist, on the other hand, I can see where the problem might occur but this usually only applies to idiots and teenage 'Atheists' anyway (and no one cares about them).

Not so much secularized - more like marketed, commercialized, over-advertised and reduced down to a profit margin, denuding religious significance with every transaction. By being watered down to an annual media moment, replete with 50% off sales, and magical memories of presents under trees that children vicariously experience in the latest Santa flick - Christmas becomes nothing more than an excuse splurge on another unnecessary waste of furniture and crappy plastic toys.

Full disclaimer: Hanukkah FTW

[vexx]

didn't read the entire thread but i lul'd slightly

"to become an atheist" being an atheist just means you've discovered you can actually think about the world logically, realising how rubbish religion is (to put it bluntly ) so you're not converting to be one, you are still the same person. it's a change in thought not a conversion... to me, christmas has no religion attached to it, it's just a family celebration type event whereby it is a time of giving and such.
so celebrate what you choose, let it be religious only if you decide it to be, otherwise it is not religious at all.
(agreeing to what Russ/binders said)
;P

[Chavi]

being an atheist just means you've discovered you can actually think about the world logically,

You have just eliminated 3000 years of religious thought

[/0]

I don't have a problem with celebrating christmas lol
To me christmas is simply a festive time where people can exchange good wishes and gifts. I don't care much for the birth of jesus but I don't mind it as a traditional story either.

Then again, some atheists might not want to celebrate christmas, and that's totally up to them. It's not like 'atheism' has a set of rules you have to follow, and I don't think you can generalise atheistic attitudes. There is no 'true' atheist in the same sense as a 'true' christian. Every atheist is as atheistic as every other atheist. All it requires is lack of belief in god. (see my next post)

[ninwa]

I think Christmas, like Easter, has lost most of its religious meaning since it became so... commercialised.

The only way I'm "celebrating" it is by not working, and that's not even by choice (the office closes over Xmas break hmph). I'm not sure that's got anything to do with being a "good" atheist (I'm agnostic, anyway), but rather just coming from a family which doesn't really celebrate this stuff

[Chavi]

I don't have a problem with celebrating christmas lol
To me christmas is simply a festive time where people can exchange good wishes and gifts. I don't care much for the birth of jesus but I don't mind it as a traditional story either.

Then again, some atheists might not want to celebrate christmas, and that's totally up to them. It's not like 'atheism' has a set of rules you have to follow, and I don't think you can generalise atheistic attitudes. There is no 'true' atheist in the same sense as a 'true' christian. Every atheist is as atheistic as every other atheist. All it requires is lack of belief in god.

Isn't atheism de facto an organized religion?
Agnosticism or Irreligion is the blanket to describe those who don't know and don't care.