Question for religious Christians

[sbk1234]

I'm not a Christian, so I think my perspective on this subject is lacking. My feeling is Christmas is a very religious holiday. For those who follow Christian religion, this would be marking the birth of the son of God, and the foundation of their faith. To me, that sounds like a very sacred time.
Here's my question: I always felt that it would be somewhat insulting to ignore the religous aspects of Christmas, and only look at the secular side.
Well, is it? I'd like to hear from your perspective.

Oh, and, sincerely, have a happy holiday.

 

[Trekker4747]

Christmas is how you want to celebrate it.

If you're religous you invite a lot of the Jesus and God aspects of it on Christmas, as it was intended. If you're secular you don't but still exchange gifts, put up the tree, etc.

There's little reason why the two should be tied together.

It's "spirit" and intent should be love, family, warmth and giving as well as celebrting the Winter Solstice.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I would be lying if I said I was totally unconcerned that some people don't celebrate the birth of Christ. I admit it does bother me. I wish it wasn't like that. The news that He died for our sins is so awesome that I'd hope everyone would want to hear it. But I can't force people to change, nor would I want to. Everyone should celebrate what they want to. Forcing people to celebrate a holiday in a certain way, never works.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I am glad if others get into the spirit of giving, sharing time with family, etc.

But to me, it is very much a religious holiday and I know that whenever I have children, I want that aspect to come first. That's not to say I won't have a tree, do gifts, and so on...but I want my kids to understand what it means.

The thing where kids think Santa brings their gifts...that part's the one I'm not so sure of, if I could really do that in good conscience.

 

[drychlick]

nere forget what christmas about the birth of the son of god never forget this! the rest is noting what out it merry xmas

 

[Mr. B]

I'm not insulted per se, rather I find atheists who participate in Christmas rather amusing.

 

[RoJoHen]

Christmas is as much a secular holiday as it is a religious holiday, regardless of its origins, so atheists are fully allowed to participate.

Christmas doesn't have to be about Jesus. It can, in fact, simply be about friends and family and goodwill towards your fellow man.

 

[Kestra]

I always wondered if Christians would be offended by the way I celebrate Christmas, as a Hindu. But I figure it's better than feeling excluded.

 

[Captain Intrepid]

Eh, as a Christian I figure anything that brings more joy and happiness into the world is a good thing. It's the commercialized Christmas, the greed and money worship that gets on my nerves!

 

[Star Wolf]

I'm not a Christian, so I think my perspective on this subject is lacking. My feeling is Christmas is a very religious holiday. For those who follow Christian religion, this would be marking the birth of the son of God, and the foundation of their faith. To me, that sounds like a very sacred time.
Here's my question: I always felt that it would be somewhat insulting to ignore the religous aspects of Christmas, and only look at the secular side.
Well, is it? I'd like to hear from your perspective.

Oh, and, sincerely, have a happy holiday.

It depends upon the Christian making the interpretation of scripture, thus what he believes God wants from us. For many since Christmas is not mentioned in the Bible it is just a party day with no extra special religious significance. Consider most Protestant denominations don't meet on Christmas and many will cancel their weekly meeting should Christmas day fall on their normal meeting day.

For others it is the extra special day when the Christ Mass is not to be missed even if 50 other masses during the year were missed or he did not honor 52 other sabbaths if he believes keeping the sabbath as stated in the Bible was not resolved by the sacrifice of Jesus.

While only one was born of a virgin mother everybody was born. It is the sinless life, dying in place of humanity and being ressurected into eternal life at God's side which makes the real religious celebration throughout Christiandom Ressurrection Sunday/Easter.

 

[LaxScrutiny]

This was never originally a Christian holiday. The common folk wouldn't stop celebrating Solstice/Saturnalia, so the Church declared this to be Jesus' birthday even though it wasn't.

It was never a major holy day, the major holy day celebrating Jesus was Easter. The type of Christians who get all fired up about how "secular" Christmas is, are fundamentalists whose religions have only been in existance for a century or so and the members have no idea where their religion actually came from or what these holy days actually mean. Their religions make it up as they go along, and they get their members suitably outraged on a regular basis to encourage their "faith" or something.

 

[Triskelion]

In Shanghai they celebrate Santa and shopping, but there is nary a cross to be found.

Christmas here is a symbol of prosperity, a leisure holiday not to be taken seriously.

To hear the locals tell it, Spring Festival is a REAL holiday - when you must visit family because Chinese families love each other, contrasted to foreigners.

In Spring Festival, you can go to a temple and pray to a pantheon of gods for money and good luck in the coming year.

Religions, on the other hand, are amusing superstitions here.

Except for the Christians here, who either have services that are segregated from "foreigner" services, or are kept under wraps in private houses, old school Christian style.

After all, the last thing you want to do in China is become a popular social leader. Let alone a leader that espouses an authority higher than the mafia - sorry, the Communist Party.

My offense at the trivialization of my beliefs is minor compared to the offense of denying one's own people religious freedom - but convincing them they are freer than the USA.

 

[RJDiogenes]

As mentioned above, this holiday predates Christianity by many centuries (in fact, it may be the oldest surviving holiday); so, ironically, it has nothing to do with Jesus. Emperor Constantine assigned the date of Jesus' birth to the Solstice celebration to facilitate the indoctrination of Pagans. That's why about 95% of Christmas traditions are Pagan in origin.

In fact, there are some extremist Christian groups who campaign to remove most of the elements that people think of as defining Christmas because of their Pagan origins.

 

[Michael Chris]

Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays around. No matter what other holidays preceded it, it is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of God in the flesh.

 

[bluedana]

Christmas is a Christian holiday, regardless of the date on which it is celebrated.

To me, it's like going to birthday party, eating and drinking one's fill, getting nice party favours, and never acknowledging (or even believing in) the birthday boy. Not so much insulting as . . . rude.

 

[kitkat]

I'm Christian, I don't go to church often at all (I don't feel that's necessary, but that's a whole other thread). In my family it's always been about decorating, cooking, being with family, opening presents, etc. Even though I was raised Christian, we've never done the big Christian things to do at Christmas like going to church, etc.

Ultimately though, it's what you want it to be. I don't think there's a right or wrong way....unless it involves drunken livestock of some sort.

 

[Pingfah]

Christmas is a Christian holiday, regardless of the date on which it is celebrated.

To me, it's like going to birthday party, eating and drinking one's fill, getting nice party favours, and never acknowledging (or even believing in) the birthday boy. Not so much insulting as . . . rude.

I fond this sort of attitude just divisive more than anything.

Should I sit at home and have nothing to do with the Christians in my family today because I don't believe the same things they do? They want me here, i'm not gonna let people guilt trip me about enjoying the celebration with them

 

[Nobody]

I'm a little miffed at the mass commercialization of Christmas more than anything else. If Christians and non-Christians alike are spending time with people they care about and enjoying the spirit of giving, I'm okay. To me, it's much more than just those two things, but I believe those 2 things are the most important tenets to take from Christianity. So, since it's gonna be co-opted, at least the important stuff can be co-opted.

That said, I've met a few people who get mad at me for celebrating the birth of the good ol' JC on Christmas. I don't get that, if you ask me what Christmas means to me, and you get a Christian response, don't be totally offended or shocked. It's like asking someone what Hanukkah means to them and getting pissed when they turn out to be jewish.



-nobody

 

[LaxScrutiny]

Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays around. No matter what other holidays preceded it, it is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of God in the flesh.

But you see, this is BS. The most important is Easter. This has been true for almost 2000 years. Christmas was tacked on to the existing pagan holiday because they couldn't stop people from wanting to celebrate it anyway.

Christ's birth wasn't important enough to be made a Christian holy day until the church realized they couldn't stop the folk festivals from happening at solstice so they had to make up a new holy day.

Fundamentalist Protestants made up their own religions a century or so ago, don't have a clue where their holy days come from, just obey what their preachers tell them, and complain because Christmas is commercialized.

 

[Neroon]

Christmas is one of the most important Christian holidays around. No matter what other holidays preceded it, it is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of God in the flesh.

But you see, this is BS. The most important is Easter. This has been true for almost 2000 years. Christmas was tacked on to the existing pagan holiday because they couldn't stop people from wanting to celebrate it anyway.

He wasn't saying that Christmas IS the most important holiday, just that it is one of the most important. Granted, it wasn't one celebrated at all by the early church. However it came into being it's celebrated now with great significance, in part as the beginning of the liturgical year in some denominations (Catholicism, Methodism, Lutheran (I think).

Christ's birth wasn't important enough to be made a Christian holy day until the church realized they couldn't stop the folk festivals from happening at solstice so they had to make up a new holy day.

All true, in so much as I know.

Fundamentalist Protestants made up their own religions a century or so ago, don't have a clue where their holy days come from, just obey what their preachers tell them, and complain because Christmas is commercialized.

That's rather off the mark, though, to say they were "made up". Much of what was created was inspired and formed by teachings in Catholicism. I guess on that level you can say they were "made up".

It's true that there is a sort of ignorance on the part of some as to the origins of some holidays, but to say that they just "obey their preachers and complain because Christmas is commercialized" betrays a certain lack of information about these Protestant denominations. I hope it isn't a prejudice against them. Since I am no authority on the Reformation, I can't really speak in any great detail. I can only speak as one of those Protestants from all my life. Speaking of what I have witnessed being done.