Out of interest if you are secular, do you celebrate Xmas rather than Christmas?

[Marmiteandjamislush]

Just for background, our family is modern traditional Christian, that is to say we observe all of the rules as they relate to the individual, so food, dress, personal actions, hygiene etc. but we do not impose our views on others or encourage others to join the faith. God gave people choice and we cannot influence that, we can only show our best selves. We do not believe in creationism, we believe God gave us the capacity to understand and practice science so science and God cannot be mutually exclusive, though we do believe that the process began with God. We are most definitely Not homophobic (really annoys me that a lot of Christians are automatically tarred with this brush) God made all people in his image and that includes people of all orientations. We accept that the Bible was of it's time and the language used expresses views that do not always hold true in our time, because God has revealed information to us that changes our understanding. We use it as a guiding hand rather than a rigid stick.

Anyway, to my point. I've seen quite a few threads on the site generally where people will say they celebrate Christmas, but then follow it up with something along the lines of 'but we don't do any religious nonsense.' I have no problem with people wanting to do the commercial/family aspects, but I do have an issue with people talking about Christmas, but having nothing to do with or even basic respect for Christ or Christians. Especially when a secular term exists. So as I said, out of interest do any of you do Xmas rather than Christmas?

I think people wonder about your denomination because it would help the flow of conversation. People are having to ask you questions to understand your theological standpoint and you feel interrogated but this could be avoided if you just summed up your faith with a label. Bit like using the word Christmas to indicate a celebration. Helps us understand each other.

I think ppl did mean physically dirty and I think that level of cleaning up before prayer is not part of mainstream Xianity.

So, supposing something difficult happened when you were having a period and you wanted to pray? what happens- do you get someone else to pray for you, or do you have to wait?

But what would they understand?

I would seek guidance from a person such as authorities or I may ask another woman to pray for me, yes.

Or read on it.

Beast, Marmite - it's just that until recently the default for many was CofE. You were hatched, matched and dispatched in church, but you might not go outside those occasions.

Even for people who do go to church, there was quite a strong thread of opinion that you could believe all you like, but it was kind of vulgar to make a show of it.

I'd add to whoever upthread talked about being a cultural Christian (or a cultural whatever-else).

Thanks, that is interesting

missed that you would ask another woman. Would it not be allowed to ask a man to pray for you? is there a relevant difference, or would you just not be seeing men during your period anyway?

Has anyone asked yet - why do you have an issue with non-Christians using the word Christmas? I can understand you not understanding it, as it were, but why would it be an actual problem, either for you personally, or for your church at large?

OP, most people have reasonable knowledge of other religions.

If you say 'I belong to the Plymouth Brethren' or Greek Orthodox church, or Methodist church or something, at least they will understand the basics of your beliefs, without all of the unnecessary cloak and dagger stuff.

What is vulgar? I usually keep my beliefs very private and I asked on here because people could have ignored me if they wanted. I've never heard vulgar in this context can you explain?

Has anyone asked yet - why do you have an issue with non-Christians using the word Christmas? I can understand you not understanding it, as it were, but why would it be an actual problem, either for you personally, or for your church at large?

I think OP originally believed that Xmas was a secular version of Christmas. Based on that, she was just asking if we were sufficiently consistent with our own beliefs that we used the secular term.

Actualy, if we had a secular term, I'd use it. I would love to reclaim Yule and Yuletide. They aren't really secular, or course, but it's been so long sinc anyone worshipped that set of gods that for all practical purposes, it is.

I wasn't referring to you, Marmite - I was trying to explain the sort of cultural context around a certain, very prevalent strand of CofE-ism.

some people do though, beast, or a modern version of the pagan beliefs. so you could well end up with some of them unhappy that it was being used as a secular term

There's no is no 'issue' for me in people using it, provided they don't go on and say something about 'religious nonsense' or we don't do the fairy stories about God or similar as I have seen countless times on here. If that's how you feel why not say, we are celebrating family time and ties or similar? We are Orthodox Christians if you need a lable.

True, pet and of course I wouldn't want that. modern paganism has I believe done away with human sacrifice and is no worse than all the other religions deserving of some respect

But it is a lovely reflection of older britain.

I'd be interested in an answer on that from the OP herself, too - she described it as an "issue" not just a confusion.

Beast, we can be around men but modesty dictates menstruation is private so a man would wonder why you were asking but a women would know.

Because the uk is culturally Christian and Christmas is celebrated by people of no faith and other faiths, just not in the same way.

Um, marmite sorry but given we speak English and that's the word in English, we have to be able both to use the English word, and express our profoundly-held spiritual beliefs.

My atheism is every bit as sincere as your faith, and it is very well thought through. I don't think you can ask me to pretend otherwise when speaking English; but I can be myself when speaking Danish.

ok, so the issue is how people talk about religion and you find that disrespectful? that is something worth discussing, but i don't think you're going to stop people using the word "christmas" to describe the time of year and associated celebrations - it's culturally ingrained and now encompasses far more than the celebration of christ's birth

Ahah. thank you, I understand (about asking women)

Sadly, lunch break over now. thank you a good discussion.

Does this win the prize for the earliest Christmas thread on MN? sadly, probably not.

Ah, crosspost!

The answer is: because Christmas has a very particular meaning for people, regardless of of their religion. It isn't just family time and ties. Our current traditions (in the UK) don't even have that long a pedigree (and we can thank Prince Albert for importing a lot of them), but for good or ill they are ours, whatever else they may also be. Christmas belongs to everybody as a cultural thing, whether or not they are Christians.

I'm pretty sure you use the word Thursday without the need to worship Thor.

it is beastie, i like the words yule and yuletide too, and i like the associated traditions that been around since pre-christianity and those that have filtered through from northern europe too

Or Friday without worshipping venus (which is Venus in languages such as Italian, Spanish, french, eg Vendredi, but hilariously is Frigg in English and northen languages hence Friday)

(must....go...and.....do....some....work......)