Christ in Christmas

[tmfr15]

Not religious, but I like to celebrate the holidays with my family, put up a tree and decorations, give gifts, have a holiday meal and all that jazz. It's a good time, but I hear from a lot of people how we need to put the Christ into Christmas and that's the only reason for the season. Even my nine-year-old came home from school... public school, the other day and corrected me that the next holiday up is CHRISTmas.... not Christmas.

 

In looking at all the holiday displays and going to many holiday gatherings and all that, faith and symbols of faith are rarely ever seen or discussed. It's my thought that most of it is secular. And that if we just had the faith stuff, no santa or presents or that kind of stuff, it would be celebrated a whole lot less. I don't share this thought with a lot of people because I am quite happy allowing people to celebrate how they want, when they want and for the reasons they want.

 

There was some news recently that got me going though, at least enough to post something.

 

So some atheists have put up a sign in Times Square in New York that says.. http://www.alan.com/2013/12/06/atheist-times-square-billboard-who-needs-christ-during-christmas/

 

This sign got a chuckle out of me and I thought it had at least some truth. It has been lambasted by Christians however, who are saying that it is an attack on their faith.

 

Someone disagrees with the Christians. Oh no!

 

So I get to have people tell me that I need to put the Christ back in Christmas... which is pretty much a nationwide phenomenon as far as I can tell, but one sign is an attack on an entire group of people.

 

Not seeing it.

[zoogs]

Kinda a provocative move and I'm not sure that's within any 'secular' spirit of Christmas either.

[tmfr15]

Agreed Zoogies. I think it's probably an over reaction to what that group sees as negative feedback from those who push the Christ in Christmas thing.

[Landlord]

I think the atheist sign is actually beneficial towards faithful Christians, because it's accurate. Christmas, as defined by our culture and media, is about many other things before it's about Jesus. The people doing the most damage to Christmas (as defined by Christians) are the ones that actually claim to be protecting Christmas. Christmas does not belong to Christians nor does it belong to anyone else. It can be claimed for whatever purpose whoever is claiming it wants it to be for.

 

It's my unscientific opinion that less than 5% of the entirety of Americans really genuinely make Christ the priority of Christmas.

[knapplc]

We can have a long discussion about how Jesus was born in the Spring, not December, and about how Christians through the centuries have co-opted other faiths' religious practices into what we call Christmas today, but I think most people know about all that anyway, right?

 

Bottom line is, if you don't want Christ in your Christmas, don't have him. If you want him there, put him there.

 

This salesmanship either way (the "war on Christmas" tomfoolery or this Atheist sign in Times Square) is stupid. Just let people celebrate the holiday how they want.

[StPaulHusker]

I have zero problem with someone wanting to celebrate Christmas for reasons other than recognizing the birth of Christ. I just don't understand why they feel the need to do this toward Christmas. There are 364 other days in the year. Why can't the Atheists find a day to "celebrate" and give to the poor, donate, etc.....? I guarantee that Christians wouldn't put up signs to insult their day.

[GSG]

 

Heh.

[knapplc]

No way am I letting my household slaves run the show for a day. Not happening.

[Landlord]

I have zero problem with someone wanting to celebrate Christmas for reasons other than recognizing the birth of Christ. I just don't understand why they feel the need to do this toward Christmas. There are 364 other days in the year. Why can't the Atheists find a day to "celebrate" and give to the poor, donate, etc.....? I guarantee that Christians wouldn't put up signs to insult their day.

 

 

Does it really matter? They want to do it on Christmas. They don't need to, but they don't need to do it on any other day either.

 

Christmas or the idea behind it is originally pagan. Christians were actually the first to 'hijack' the holiday for themselves. Anyone has any right to celebrate the holiday the way they want, and it's not like the Christian "version" is the most popular or the majority.

 

The prevailing sentiment about Christmas, just by quantity, is consumerism; not Christ. It would be just as appropriate, maybe even more so, for people to ask why Christians feel the need to celebrate their savior's birth on the same day that everyone else celebrates consumerism.

[sd'sker]

the sign seems pretty obnoxious and not beneficial to any cause.

 

but, i really had to post to say that landlord is making some excellent points that most americans should hear.

[Excel]

I've slowly lost my Christianity over the years but have no problem celebrating and enjoying Christmas considering it's not really Christian to begin with. Think about it, you have a big feast on a day close to the Solstice usually with what...a ham? It centers around a big coniferous tree and the arrival of Odin...I mean Santa... who flies across the sky bringing gifts. Now imagine a 1st century Jew and a 3rd or 4th century German travel to our time and view this holiday...to whom is it more familiar?

 

At it's core it's an ancient German winter festival/holiday that the early Church co-opted in an effort to sell the religion to Northern Europe. It worked extemely well.

[StPaulHusker]

I have zero problem with someone wanting to celebrate Christmas for reasons other than recognizing the birth of Christ. I just don't understand why they feel the need to do this toward Christmas. There are 364 other days in the year. Why can't the Atheists find a day to "celebrate" and give to the poor, donate, etc.....? I guarantee that Christians wouldn't put up signs to insult their day.

 

 

Does it really matter? They want to do it on Christmas. They don't need to, but they don't need to do it on any other day either.

 

Christmas or the idea behind it is originally pagan. Christians were actually the first to 'hijack' the holiday for themselves. Anyone has any right to celebrate the holiday the way they want, and it's not like the Christian "version" is the most popular or the majority.

 

The prevailing sentiment about Christmas, just by quantity, is consumerism; not Christ. It would be just as appropriate, maybe even more so, for people to ask why Christians feel the need to celebrate their savior's birth on the same day that everyone else celebrates consumerism.

You're right. They don't HAVE to pick a different day. but to me it seems that that they did it to poke people in the eye. If they want to do good during the Christmas holiday, why is it necessary to take shots Christ at the same time?

[strigori]

I have zero problem with someone wanting to celebrate Christmas for reasons other than recognizing the birth of Christ. I just don't understand why they feel the need to do this toward Christmas. There are 364 other days in the year. Why can't the Atheists find a day to "celebrate" and give to the poor, donate, etc.....? I guarantee that Christians wouldn't put up signs to insult their day.

 

 

Does it really matter? They want to do it on Christmas. They don't need to, but they don't need to do it on any other day either.

 

Christmas or the idea behind it is originally pagan. Christians were actually the first to 'hijack' the holiday for themselves. Anyone has any right to celebrate the holiday the way they want, and it's not like the Christian "version" is the most popular or the majority.

 

The prevailing sentiment about Christmas, just by quantity, is consumerism; not Christ. It would be just as appropriate, maybe even more so, for people to ask why Christians feel the need to celebrate their savior's birth on the same day that everyone else celebrates consumerism.

You're right. They don't HAVE to pick a different day. but to me it seems that that they did it to poke people in the eye. If they want to do good during the Christmas holiday, why is it necessary to take shots Christ at the same time?

Other side of the coin. Atheists get bludgeoned over the head with the self righteous Christians ramming their religion down their throats. Yes, they have the name of the holiday after their beliefs, but the time of year, and damned near every activity most of them are going to partake in is non-Christian in origin. If the asshat 'war on Christmas' people would shut up, the other side would do so as well.

[Landlord]

Other side of the coin. Atheists get bludgeoned over the head with the self righteous Christians ramming their religion down their throats. Yes, they have the name of the holiday after their beliefs, but the time of year, and damned near every activity most of them are going to partake in is non-Christian in origin. If the asshat 'war on Christmas' people would shut up, the other side would do so as well.

 

 

Same point I've been making, and I agree with you, but I would just add that I personally, and a whole lot of other Christians, don't claim the "War on Christmas" asshats for our team. I realize there is no official membership policy to Team Jesus and it's improper to judge unrighteously, but that's my stance.

[strigori]

Other side of the coin. Atheists get bludgeoned over the head with the self righteous Christians ramming their religion down their throats. Yes, they have the name of the holiday after their beliefs, but the time of year, and damned near every activity most of them are going to partake in is non-Christian in origin. If the asshat 'war on Christmas' people would shut up, the other side would do so as well.

 

 

Same point I've been making, and I agree with you, but I would just add that I personally, and a whole lot of other Christians, don't claim the "War on Christmas" asshats for our team. I realize there is no official membership policy to Team Jesus and it's improper to judge unrighteously, but that's my stance.

Yeah, those' War on Christmas' clowns are just so damned loud, and have a whole TV network as their mouthpiece right now. How much less drama would we have if foxnews, and the likes of Rush, were to cease to exist tomorrow? I'm guessing a lot.