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

[Cupcake1985]

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.

The WI is a secular organisation. People mistakenly think it has some allegiance to the CofE because of the association with singing 'Jerusalem'. But Jerusalem was the hymn of the suffragette movement, and some of the founders of the WI in this country were suffragettes (I believe Parry left the rights to the music to the WI, as the suffragettes had disbanded).

Mythras isn't a celebration

Mythras predates Christianity. Mythras was a son of a god whose mother was a virgin, he had 12 followers and died for others.

I did not know this, will go and look it up.
The one good thing that comes out of these threads is the education of it all.

Op I've tried to find out the birthdate of Christ but can't seem to find it anywhere.

bebanjo

Try Mishram as well - same person different spelling/translation

Osiris is another god with startling similarities to Jesus.

I've often wondered whether God knows if I'm 'hedging my bets' by going along to the Christmas carol service (well, it's what you do at Christmas, and the music is lovely and it feels good etc). Will St Peter stop me at the Pearly Gates and tell me I was cheating? It's all too vexing for words really...

People can enjoy the festive elements without necessarily wanting to listen to others droning on about the religious significance, much of which is dubious anyway as they were obviously syncretised with former pagan festivals/worship eg Ishtar . That said, I do think you can be polite about not wanting to participate in religious activities.

Look up Kalki in the Hindu tradition for similarities with the returning Messiah depiction of Jesus in Revelations. It's quite interesting.

Well thank you everyone for your opinions there was certainly a lot! I left the computer last night but I have read some replies this morning.

I think a lot of people deviated from my meaning originally. With this aibu thread I meant that to me Christmas IS about the birth of Christ and it is really important to me to celebrate that there is such a great god who loves me. Therefore I think its mean when people goad me (or others like me) with 'its a stupid story' etc. if you enjoy the celebration why not just respect it and just not say anything at all? I would never say things like this to those celebrating festivals in other faiths.

I see from this thread that some people feel Christmas is something different and so are celebrating something different. I agree other things may have been around the same time of year, I don't believe they were 'Christmas' though but everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Thank you again for replying I am now off to work! I hope you all have a lovely Christmas.

Cupcake my darling, it isn't a case of 'some people think' and 'may have been around the same time', it is historical fact that the early Christians used preexisting festivals as part if their conversion campaign. It may not be entirely palatable to you but this is history, not opinion! The end result is a rather beautiful mish-mash, why not just enjoy it without trying to lay the law down about what it is that is being celebrated?

Hope you have a lovely Christmas too!
Though its a bit early yet for that surely :-)

Cupcake, you carry on being delusional, and brainwashed by a book.

You are unable to see fact, not fiction. Its not an opinion its reality.

So, really, Cupcake - this isn't so much about Christmas as "My beliefs matter to me and it's mean when people aren't as deeply respectful about them as I think they should be, 'cos that's just mean. The haterz".

Oh well. That's life, eh?

But at least you came back. I didn't think you would to be honest.

I think the birth of Christ is quite a lovely story.

Problem is that you then have to bring up the death of Christ which is a massive death glorifying/do what you like and then say sorry/don't be responsible for yourselves' shit fest.

Monkeymama is right, OP - the fact that Xmas was tacked onto an earlier festival, and its traditions used is a well-documented, indisputable fact. If you really do believe in Jesus, I don't see how knowing this fact can change celebrating his birth; after all, surely if you think he existed (which can't actually be proven, but that's a whooooole other thread), then celebrating his birth should be good enough, regardless of other factors?

The Bible we have now is not the same Bible as the original parts. It is radically altered. Bits were taken out, bits were added, such as the Virgin Birth, which only came about a few centuries ago, and the language and meaning in the English version was radically altered when it was finally translated from Latin in English.

PS Your above comment makes Christians look bad yet again! You want your totally inprovable belief in religion to betotslly respected and you see it as a fact, yet you call genuine facts opinions! Bit weird to accept supernatural nonsense over proven things!

Agree with any but would just add pedantic point that even the Latin version was several translations (and centuries) away from the original texts.... The bible was written in Hebrew and Greek.

I feel a bit sorry for cupcake, tbh.

She tried to hijack one thread, then when that didn't work, she started her own, and still the haters won't be swayed!

Sorry, iPad obviously didn't like "haterz".

I think my iPad must be Christian

"I don't believe they were 'Christmas' though but everyone is entitled to an opinion. "

If it's ok with you, some of us will stick to facts.

Cupcake - I read the other thread and this one and I have to say I did not see any goading about Christmas being a stupid story. What I did see were people objecting to Christians who use poverty and despair as a method to evangelise others - especially the kind of Christians (and I use that term loosely) that back OCC.

I say this as a long time practising Christian: if you feel so threatened and so upset about the fine print, if you do not like others critically examining history and scripture and respectfully pointing out these things, if you are so willing to be to wilfully ignorant of the facts because you feel threatened and you feel your faith is threatened then you have no faith at all....because no matter what anyone says, no matter what is actually documented in history the MESSAGE of Christ remains the same: love and tolerance. Whether he actually did exist or not, that message doesn't change...so to get upset about the particulars of a belief is pointless. How does it change the message?

It's funny how Christians have no problem with evangelising their fairy story to anyone within reach, without the slightest concern as to whether people are interested, offended or whatever, but have the thinnest of skins when their fairy story is called a fairy story.

Christianity as it really is.

Not all Christians, Friday...please don't lump us all in with the Holier than Thous..

Also, the article you posted...it's a despicable story, those people were completely wrong with the discriminatory policy, but they do not represent the whole of Christianity - not by a long shot. There are a lot of Christians out there who look on with horror at what some Christian factions are doing.

frustrated, I agree that not all Christians are the same and it must be very - well, frustrating! - for you to be lumped in with those who have extreme and offensive views.

But spare a thought for non-believers, who have to put up with being lumped together under the offensive term "militant atheists" and have that term repeated by such luminaries as David Cameron, just because we dare to, for example, question why Christian prayers should be said at local council meetings.

Interesting article, friday.

I like the way they say "Now the Bulls are asking the Supreme Court for a more balanced application of rights rather than sexual orientation trumping religion "(my emphasis).

Surely it's more a case of adherence to the law of the land trumping religious prejudice.