To get pissed off at nativity sets?

[Cundtbake]

This is my second Christmas thread in a week sorry to everyone who isn't quite ready for it.

DS has decided he'd like us to have a nativity set after admiring one in a shop recently. I'm not particularly religious but his dads family is, and besides I have a fondness for nice little nativity sets.

But as I search online I'm getting increasingly pissed off at these white skinned blond haired sets. Do people really believe that this whole group of middle eastern people were ivory skinned with rosy cheeks and fair hair? Oh apart from perhaps a token black wise man.

Does it bother anybody else?

I've decided to just make my own.

I'm going to answer the OP and talk about nativity sets.

I bought an unglazed one from one of those cheap book shops and painted it myself.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph are middle eastern and the three wise men are African, Viking and Mongolian.

The donkey and ox are grey and brown. I had great fun doing it!

Ok well despite my pleas this seems to have turned into a bun fight anyway.

I wish people would be more respectful. Perhaps you have felt victimised by Christians before in your life but I don't believe that any of the Christians on this thread have treated you that way so sweeping generalisations are unnecessary. Individual Christians do not = Christianity.

I have close friends and family who have gotten through the worst of times and found peace through their religion. Regardless of my beliefs I think that is a beautiful thing.

None of the religious people on this thread have slated atheist beliefs. They have just asked that their beliefs be respected. I think that's fair.

we have the Playmobile one - it's fab. I bought the 3 Kings with camel separately.

"atheist beliefs." what would those be?

Bigblue the apparent Atheist belief (manifested on this thread) that you can be utterly rude and unpleasant to Christians without a thought for their feelings?

Is that a belief though?

...the belief that there is no God. That's a belief. Are you just looking for an argument today?

That is not a belief though. You can't have a belief about a non thing.

bigblue after years of empirical research, I am under the impression that discourtesy, insults and lack of respect for people of (any) faith are tenets of the Atheist catechism. As for being unable to have a belief in a non-thing, what do you think belief in Anarchy is?

Surely a Jesus-free Christmas is Saturnalia, just focusing on celebrating winter and giving presents?

People can believe or not believe or have different beliefs. A little bit of respect for peoples beliefs although different to yours is all thats being asked. Its not that hard. I don't agree with lots of religions or customs but I am a decent enough person not to try and belittle someones beliefs or customs when engaging with them about it. Its fine to say that you are atheist,no one is going to try to convert you or try and belittle you for it,so be decent and show the same respect back.

I am not a Christian, but sweeping, provocative statements designed to incite hatred are offensive to hear. Ignorance always is. The "magic men in the sky" made me smile, though I accept that may have more to do with my own (lack of) beliefs.

We do both, just to confuse things, Discopanda. We celebrate Winter Solstice, with home made gifts and a nice simple meal, shortly before Christmas, which we also celebrate.

Well I did suggest another thread and went back to talking about nativity, but since someone said the old 'you wouldn't say that about Muslims' I have to say that's just not true. What happens is that Christians only notice anything said about Christianity and Muslims only notice things said about Islam.

I have had a lot to say about both on here. Indoctrination, abuse of children and women, mutilation of boys and girls and the fact that they are both false.

Christians should be aware of their churches history of killing Atheists. All we do is talk and you can ignore that.

Oh and no speaking for myself I don't believe there is no god. That would be silly. I'm just aware that there's no reason to suppose there is one.

In regards to traditional European art depicting the Nativity (which many modern Nativity scenes will be copying), the artists who painted or sculpted them will have known what Jewish people looked like. European Jews can certainly be blond haired and blue eyed, so these depictions weren't exactly wrong even if they might not have been exactly accurate either.

The nativity set I put up every year includes dragons and at least one moose, along with several other non-traditional elements. Think of it as a cultural interpretation.

Little Princess we've got the rubber duck Nativity set as well. It looked very nice with the addition of stable (made from Amazon box it arrived in), toilet-roll-middle palm trees and egg box manger. Baby Jesus had an interesting mixture of visitors, including a Viking and an astronaut; DD collects rubber ducks.
I'd love a wooden set, but the good ones are very expensive.
I don't believe in God, btw. We also have a menorah, and statuettes of Lakshmi and Ganesh.