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Will there be a SCRAP of religion in YOUR Christmas? |
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#76 |
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Southern East Anglia
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I was just thinking about how people confuse Christmas as baby Jesus's birthday or some such thing but will there be any religion involved in your Christmas or will it just be fun, food and family?
![]() I will, however, be spending an hour or so on Christmas Day morning, with the old lady next door but one, who lost her husband earlier this year, and has no other family. This is before my girl friend and her Mum and Dad, arrive about midday. We both asked if she'd like to have Christmas dinner with us, but she politely declined that, although she did say she very much welcomed some company at some part of the day. Just as a footnote, I never visit my parents on Christmas Day. The last two times ended with my Father and I arguing about politics, and it got quite heated on both occasions, with him slinging a coaster at me and calling me a fascist bastard last time. |
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#77 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
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If you celebrate Christmas and do not acknowledge the religious aspect of it in some form, especially in this country, you are a hypocrite.
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#78 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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If you celebrate Christmas and do not acknowledge the religious aspect of it in some form, especially in this country, you are hypocrites.
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#79 |
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And Paganism is a religion therefore those trying to be clever are indulging in more than scraps of religious traditions.
I take part in quite a few celebrations, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist, because I have friends who believe in or at least follow those religions. It's usually a good celebration (funerals aside), but it doesn't mean I believe any of it |
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#80 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
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Or you see it as the ancient midwinter festival which existed thousands of years before it was given a Christian meaning.
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#81 |
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Oh don't give me that crap, nobody was brought up in this country and taught that Christmas was a midwinter festival, it is pretentious drivel that people spout to think they have got an upper hand and to get one over on you.
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#82 |
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Join Date: Feb 2013
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No, next question.
I will, however, be spending an hour or so on Christmas Day morning, with the old lady next door but one, who lost her husband earlier this year, and has no other family. This is before my girl friend and her Mum and Dad, arrive about midday. We both asked if she'd like to have Christmas dinner with us, but she politely declined that, although she did say she very much welcomed some company at some part of the day. Just as a footnote, I never visit my parents on Christmas Day. The last two times ended with my Father and I arguing about politics, and it got quite heated on both occasions, with him slinging a coaster at me and calling me a fascist bastard last time.
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#83 |
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Join Date: Feb 2013
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So many things we do at Xmas can be traced back to religious traditions, be they Christian or pagan.
I don't go to church anymore but I love the story of the nativity, some of the carols etc. I like the message behind it, I like Jesus and what he said. Regardless of the truth of it or not. |
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#84 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: The Mysterious East
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It's God that ruins religion ........
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#85 |
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Join Date: Aug 2009
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The whole winter festival thing is just about keeping spirits up while chilly. It was also originally about wishing God-speed to the warm weather to come back, before we understood that happens anyway.
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#86 |
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Join Date: Jul 2014
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Posts: 3,476
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Quote:
Oh don't give me that crap, nobody was brought up in this country and taught that Christmas was a midwinter festival, it is pretentious drivel that people spout to think they have got an upper hand and to get one over on you.
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#87 |
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Join Date: Oct 2013
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Celebrating Christmas in Britain is cultural as well as religious. You can take part in and enjoy religious aspects of Christmas, like attending a carol service, without believing any of it.
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#88 |
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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Quote:
Oh don't give me that crap, nobody was brought up in this country and taught that Christmas was a midwinter festival, it is pretentious drivel that people spout to think they have got an upper hand and to get one over on you.
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#89 |
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Join Date: Sep 2015
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I can't really see anyone 'trying to be clever' as you put it. It only counts as religious if you believe any of it.
I take part in quite a few celebrations, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist, because I have friends who believe in or at least follow those religions. It's usually a good celebration (funerals aside), but it doesn't mean I believe any of it |
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#90 |
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Brackley, UK
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If you celebrate Christmas and do not acknowledge the religious aspect of it in some form, especially in this country, you are a hypocrite.
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#91 |
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That's a sweeping statement. It depends what kind of celebration. I celebrate the fact that I get two days off work and that it's usually starting to become obvious that the days are getting longer. At least one of those things has been celebrated in the northern hemisphere for thousands of years and has nothing to do with Christianity.
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#92 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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Apart from the odd carol on the radio , nope, xmas has very little to do with any religion these days, it is a mish mash of our ancient religions and a middle eastern one, but over the last century has morphed yet again into something that can be celebrated whether you are an atheist or believe in one of those gods.
It is lovely to see the birth of the new born sun though on roughly the 25th, after the solstice on the 21st, and we can finally look forward to lighter days, thats all that xmas is, an ancient celebration to note the change in the sun. Our ancestors were always up for a knees up at these times and we all carry that on.
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#93 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Yes. I will be taking the kids to morning mass on christmas day. They would prefer to stay home and play with their toys though.
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#94 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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If you celebrate Christmas and do not acknowledge the religious aspect of it in some form, especially in this country, you are a hypocrite.
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#95 |
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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No, next question.
I will, however, be spending an hour or so on Christmas Day morning, with the old lady next door but one, who lost her husband earlier this year, and has no other family. This is before my girl friend and her Mum and Dad, arrive about midday. We both asked if she'd like to have Christmas dinner with us, but she politely declined that, although she did say she very much welcomed some company at some part of the day. Just as a footnote, I never visit my parents on Christmas Day. The last two times ended with my Father and I arguing about politics, and it got quite heated on both occasions, with him slinging a coaster at me and calling me a fascist bastard last time. |
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#96 |
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Join Date: Feb 2004
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Ah, at last. The true meaning of Xmas. Family barneys.
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Earlier this week I popped to a couple of elderly ladies in my building to ask if they were alone on Christmas day or would they like some company. They both declined, had family they were going to, but I'm glad I asked.
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#97 |
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: London
Posts: 3,855
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Whether you believe it or not the original question was whether there'll be a scrap of religion in Christmas. Whether the tradition be Christian or Pagan in origin they're both religions and so yes anyone who partakes in any of those things has religion in their Christmas whether they believe in it or not.
If you don't believe it, then you are not celebrating or including any religion in Christmas. You may well be including aspects that are taken from other peoples religions, but there is no actual religious aspect in your celebration, if you don't believe in it in the first place. Religions evolve and invent new ideas; trees and lights c.1500 onwards in Germany for example, which other people then take up and use themselves. Doing so does not involve any religious thought or belief. However, we are arguing semantics
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#98 |
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Join Date: Apr 2010
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As this shows, some people hate the fact that what we now call Christmas existed well before Christianity itself, but it doesn't make it any less true. Cultures all over the world marked the Winter solstice in their own way, so if people with non-Christian (or no) beliefs wish to celebrate 'Christmas' without the Christian story that was imposed on it, that's fine by me.
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#99 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 5,714
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If you celebrate Christmas and do not acknowledge the religious aspect of it in some form, especially in this country, you are a hypocrite.
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#100 |
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Black Country lad in Yorkshire
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I was just thinking about how people confuse Christmas as baby Jesus's birthday or some such thing but will there be any religion involved in your Christmas or will it just be fun, food and family?
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I dont think Carols are religious?
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Yes, a day off work with a chance for all the family to get together around a table and celebrate their love for each other.
"Christian" doesn't necessarily mean "follower of Christ". For many it means simply being decent, humane and respectful. Quote:
WE?????? speak for yourself love, on Christmas day I will be helping provide Christmas Lunch for the homeless, lonely old people, people with no money in fact anyone who wants to join in.
I will be wearing my Mrs Santa outfit and my 2 little pugs will be wearing their reindeer costumes and we will all have a jolly good time. Now we are a Christian charity and as a Christian I shall be attending the service before hand, but the people I am going to help feed (think I am on the rota for sprouts) wont have to, I couldn't give a monkeys chuff if they are believers or not, I don't care what colour, creed, or religion they are (or even if they have no religion at all) all I am going to care about is making sure they have a lovely Christmas Lunch and take advantage of any other help we can give them Also as a Christian I am very much aware of the cult of Deus Sol Invictus Mithras. and the part Dionysius Exiguus played in incorporating the pagan festivities into the Christian ones. In fact I probably know more about the origins of Christmas than many people who just witter on about the sky fairy and pagan ritual, thinking they are so clever that they have figured it all out, It gets a little boring to be honest. So yeah Religion will play an enormous part in my Christmas Celebrations, however on Boxing day I am going to spend the day on the sofa watching cheesy Christmas films and getting through at least one box of Newberry Fruits |
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