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AIBU?

To wonder why people who appear to dislike religion enjoy Christian celebrations

508 replies

Cupcake1985 · 03/11/2013 11:08

I know that most people enjoy Christmas, Easter etc with no regard for the actual Christian basis and meaning of the celebration, but aibu to think that those people should then not get all offended by the religious aspects and sometimes be downright rude about it?? The nativity play, spreading the word of god through carol singing etc..... Dare I mention operation Christmas child?! If you enjoy Christmas then at least try to accept it is actually about the birth of Christ or at least respect that others will celebrate this fact and may try to share that with those around them with the best intentions.

Basically cheer up, be accepting, be kind.

OP posts:
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isitsnowingyet · 03/11/2013 11:10

Right then - will do

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gordyslovesheep · 03/11/2013 11:10

oh a thread about a thread - how nice

you totally failed to grasp that people objecting to OCC where not actually objecting to Christianity though

so YABU :)

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Sirzy · 03/11/2013 11:11

I am Christian but I don't agree with the tactics used by operation Christmas child.

But beyond that I hear a lot in newspapers about Christmas offending people but actually don't know anyone who is offended by it. Some people may choose to withdraw their child from activities focusing on the religious aspects but that doesn't mean they are offended just that they don't want to partake - massive difference.

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DropYourSword · 03/11/2013 11:11

I think there's sometimes a difference between sharing and forcing!

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gordyslovesheep · 03/11/2013 11:12

Basically cheer up, be accepting, be kind unless you are gay or Muslim then OCC and those behind it will condemn you

I enjoy Christmas, I go to church - I wont support OCC

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Onesleeptillwembley · 03/11/2013 11:14

The Christians based their festivities on pre existing ones.

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solveproblem · 03/11/2013 11:14

The origin of Christmas is not Christian.

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curlew · 03/11/2013 11:14

Happy to be.

When the organization behind Operation Christmas Child start accepting others, in particular non Christians and homosexuals. Deal?

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Cupcake1985 · 03/11/2013 11:14

I understand people feel occ might not shout about the religious part, fair enough, but Christmas is a Christian celebration so surely they go hand in hand? It shouldn't be a shock. It's only commercialism that makes us feel otherwise. Just my opinion - but this thread was meant to be more general than occ.

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MuffCakes · 03/11/2013 11:15

What Christian traditions are there? Christmas and Easter are not Christian really they have been around forever and not as Christian holidays.

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curlew · 03/11/2013 11:15

And all Operation Christmas Child has to do is be upfront about it evangelical mission so that people know what they are getting involved with without having to do major research.........

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Beccagain · 03/11/2013 11:15

I have never ever ever ever come across non-religious people celebrating Christmas who have objected to the inclusion of the Nativity. On the whole they seem pretty damn sanguine and accepting that it goes with the territory.

You have slipped in a reference to OCC...as far as I recall the OP who brought that up was not objecting to the Christmas bit so much as the stealth evangelising that s/he perceived to go along with it which is a slightly different issue as I see it.

By the way, the Christmas celebration was originally a pagan festival hijacked by Christians, so somewhat disingenuous, you might even say inaccurate, to say it is 'actually about the birth of Christ'.

51 shopping days to go Grin

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Sirzy · 03/11/2013 11:16

Christmas is what it is to each person. Who are you (or anyone else) to dictate how someone else should celebrate?

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Beccagain · 03/11/2013 11:18

Don't you just hate it when you make startlingly original, eloquent and perceptive points, press 'post' and find dozens of people have got in ahead of you! Grin

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notthefirstagainstthewall · 03/11/2013 11:19

Mostly complaints appear to be from the religious complaining about non believers or other religions festivals actually. Everyone else just has a good time.

The fact that Christians nicked festivals that were well established in Britain and supplanted their own means non Christians are perfectly entitled to celebrate the 25th as they see fit.

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gordyslovesheep · 03/11/2013 11:19

Yes the Romans trying to convert people tied Christian celebrations into existing festival and borrowed many of the traditions (Eggs and Lights etc) That is a fact

but Christ mas IS about the birth of Christ - the clue is in the name Grin

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curlew · 03/11/2013 11:20

Cupcake- show me where people are "downright rude" about the Christian elements of Christmas?

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YouTheCat · 03/11/2013 11:21

I'll celebrate Christmas how I damn well please.

As far as I'm concerned everyone else can get on with it how they like too.

I have no gripe with all the religious stuff (though I celebrate in a non-religious way - my own way). OCC is a crock of shite - not because of the Christian aspect but because of the omitting of facts and the way they spread the word.

I have yet to see anyone of any religion (or no religion) getting offended by the Christian aspects of celebration - you're being goady.

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TheCatThatSmiled · 03/11/2013 11:22

I call it Mithrasday. Just to wind some of my family up. Being a good old 'lapsed' catholic and all. :)

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LtEveDallas · 03/11/2013 11:31

I'm afraid Christmas to me is simply about being with family, giving presents, eating too much food and a liberal sprinkling of Father Christmas. It's not a religious festival for me.

Easter is about the Easter bunny bringing chocolate eggs to DD and the rest of us gorging on a lovely spring lamb. It's not a religious festival for me.

I don't have an issue with anyone who treats it as a religious festival, as long as I know about it beforehand, so I don't insult or annoy them.

That's my problem with OCC (well amongst the racist and homophobic views of its founder), that they aren't up front about it.

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HettiePetal · 03/11/2013 11:32

Oh, so you didn't actually bother going back to read the responses from your mini-rant on that thread?

Typical.

Well, here's what I said:

This attitude drives me fecking crackers.

There was a Pagan festival celebrating Saturn & Mithras on this date long before anyone called Jesus was supposedly born (which wouldn't have been in December anyway). They decorated their homes with greenery, gave gifts & shared feasts. Sound familiar?

That powerful Christians took over the festival and renamed it does NOT give Christians the right to claim it as their own.

It is a mid-winter festival accessible to everyone. If you personally want to play up the mythical bits, go for it, but don't behave like you're doing the rest of us an almighty favour by sharing it.

Read up on a bit of basic history before you start telling the rest of us off, eh?

And the argument that "Well it's called Christmas, innit - so it must be Christian" is daft. That does nothing whatsoever to change the origins of the festival, which is actually what makes it "Christian" or not.

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80sMum · 03/11/2013 11:34

Sorry OP but Christmas as it is currently celebrated in the UK is largely a secular festival.
Most of the celebratory traditions are pagan in origin, such as the concept of a a midwinter feast, a family gathering, a time to decorate the house with holly, yule logs, mistletoe etc.
The early Christians knew it would be impossible for new converts to give up their traditional feast days and celebrations, so they amalgamated them, choosing Yule as the time to celebrate Christ's birth and Easter toremember his crucifixion. Yule was renamed Christmas, but Easter still retains its pagan name (after the goddess of fertility) . Anyone who buys Easter eggs is participating in the pagan fertility celebrations, not the Christian festival, for example.
So you see, it's impossible to separate the Christian aspect from the non-christian. Both are equally valid (but the non-christians were there first!)

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gordyslovesheep · 03/11/2013 11:37

but Pagans celebrate Solstice , Mythras etc etc

I am not sure why you would celebrate the birth of Christ

The point is Christmas is Christian - it doesn't change that fact that anyone can celebrate it anyway they want to - it's not up to the OP or anyone else to dictate to others

I do think Christians have the right to claim Christmas as theirs though Grin

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HettiePetal · 03/11/2013 11:42

I am not sure why you would celebrate the birth of Christ

I don't.

I take part in a very traditional mid-winter festival whose origins are pagan.

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ringaringarosy · 03/11/2013 11:42

because all of the "christian" festivals are basically festivals which everyone celebrated anyway and then the christians just decided to take over and make up that someone was born/died on that day,theres always been celebrations at winter and spring.

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