surprised to learn people still celebrate Xmas when they understand its origins

[PuppyDogEyes]

I have recently read about the origins of Christmas, and although a muslim, would always participate on a low level (i.e return cards, return merry christmas wishes etc)
But now i know the origins, cannot continue to do this.
However i was having a conversation with a group of friends and old colleagues (a mixture of religions), who all seem to know the origins and still celebrate christmas.
isn't that wrong?

I want to know why there isn't a male version of the hijab, or an injunction on men to dress similarly modestly
are their heads not enticing to women?

at least in Judaism both men and women have to cover their heads.

Well, dab, I'm not sure God envisaged the purpose of life to include covering yourself from head to foot!

But to return to the OP, the origins of Christmas are not of high concern to most of us. It's a blend of mid-winter revelry and spiritual idealism which seems to work pretty well for atheists and Christians alike, providing the consumerism is kept under control.

I could ask you the point of Ramadan? Each to their own, surely?

'I'm not sure God envisaged the purpose of life to include covering yourself from head to foot!'???? where did you get that from

covering open a new thread.

would you like to know the point of ramadan?

Not particularly. Sorry.

I'm just baffled as to why someone would think that the knowing the 'origins' of Christmas would affect whether or not the vast majority of people in the UK celebrate the cultural festival.

It might be of interest to Christians, by why on earth it would even be relevant to most people is beyond me.

I agree, Sue. It's all rather anal.

er dadtob, you are evading the truth of what I said, that the quran does not order women to cover up. I'm not interested in other issues that the quran may have written about. Just this one. And as a MUMSNET site it is a BIG issue, and one you clearly cannot defend. Since you raised your need to understand the hypocrises of christianity I thought I'd just raise one of yours. As an obvious islamic scholar you should give it some decent thought.

lil i did a quick search on the foum and its been answered before! and once again!

"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyed..." (Qur'an 33:59).

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands..." (Qur'an 24:30-31)

im not a scholar at all just an someone who has a desire to learn and make myself a better person.

For a lot of people Christmas just represents the celebration of family, friendship and giving with zip religious connotations

I am a 'christian' (dont like the badge) and don't celebrate christmas,easter or any other holidays.

They are basically a cover all for other holidays mainly from, a need by constantine to blend christianity with the worship of the sun god....Sunday...ring any bells.

Jesus was born in october around the feast of tabernacles.

dadtob,

that is an interesting quote. thank-you. But its interpretation as I said is flimsy and mysoginistic...

"what must ordinarily appear thereof"

I think allowing a persons eyes, ears, mouth and hands, as key senses fits under 'ordinarily appear'

none of which appears under a stifling inhuman burka.

Dadtob, I have just read your quote from the Book.

How does modern Islam extrapolate from that quote that women should be covered from head to foot? It suggests that men should be equally modest, for one thing. In fact, it reads very much like the Bible on that issue. I read that simply as a warning against vanity.

You cannot expect a Westernized woman to understand the burka. You simply can't. I read a powerful newspiece once about women in Afghanistan, who prize their little bits of make-up beyond all else but their own children. When the men-folk aren't around, they take their veils off and put make-up on themselves .. and then hide the evidence for fear of reprisal.

most christians believe in evolution. It is accepted in Catholic and Anglican church but not by some fundamentalist sects, mainly in USA. The point is for evolution to occur, there must be something to evolve from ie something must have been created.

Whether anyone is bothered or not, the general agreement is that birthdays, christmas, easter all have their roots in pagan history. They are man made traditions. The following scriptures show how Jesus regarded stuff like that:

Matthew 15:1-11
Mark 7:13
Colossians 2:8

The Trinity also is not scriptural. It is a man made concept and, it too, has it's roots in paganism.

Each to their own though, whether you choose to follow Jesus' word closely or not, we all have free will and a brain so we can work out from the evidence provided what we believe to be right.

Indeed, SB. Totally disagree about the Trinity, but that's another topic, lol.