Whether celebrating, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza—or maybe “Chrismukkah”— ’tis the season.
Even for many atheists.
Absence of faith in God does not mean cultural holiday celebration is necessarily lost.
“My lack of belief has little impact on my observance of holiday traditions,” says 31-year-old Temecula resident Adrian Flores. “While I do not mark the birth of a religious figurehead or revel in the pagan rites that served as the figurative headwaters for modern-day Christmas, I do treasure the familial sentiments and warm traditions this season brings.”
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center and released in October, more than 13 million, or 6 percent, of Americans describe themselves as atheists or agnostics, and an additional 33 million people, or 14 percent, say they have no particular religious affiliation.
That 20 percent of America is a large slice of the shopping-season pie, and that could be a reason why so many retailers replace “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Chanukah” with the politically correct “Happy Holidays.” Nowadays, references to Christmas seem to have more to do with the bottom line — “Save 50% through Christmas Eve” or “2-Day Shipping: Get It There By Christmas” — than wishing good cheer.
The shift in retail marketing strategies over the last 20 years suggests corporations aren’t counting non-believers out of the biggest sales month of the year, and for good reason.
“Exchanging holiday gifts and merriment is just as important to me … as it surely is to someone doing the same out of religious faith,” Flores confirms.
Fountain Valley resident Jeffrey Isbell, 59, agrees the holiday season is a special time of year. Raised a Protestant Christian but now an atheist, he still celebrates many of the traditions of Christmas. Afterall, exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees and waiting for Santa Claus to arrive aren't bound in religion.
“It is a whimsical time. (As a child) I thought ‘The First Noel’ was a pretty song, and I think it’s pretty now,” Isbell said. “However, (Christmas) is more of a cultural experience for me, rather than a religious one.”
Isbell says that while holidays like Christmas and Chanukah are based on religious faith, the true meaning is not always as clear on a societal level.
For Flores, the meaning of the holidays is based in what some may consider very Christian ideology: “Togetherness, rather than divisiveness," he said, "is the truest testament to the strength of family and a powerful statement of the meaning of the holiday season."
But you get the Patch award for the most lame insults that have no staying power. Btw, is that pagan tree you have in your home artificial or real? If you don't have little plastic angels and cherubs hanging from it what do you decorate it with? Little Obama's and Joe Biden's? What christmas song's do you listen to, if not religious? The 3 Chipmunks, starring Alvin??
"I think there are many, many athiests(sic) in high political office who put on a nice show..." You're confusing atheists with hypocrites. They are not the same thing at all.
There's also a difference between being dogmatic and being a parrot. Justus is the latter. After all it does take some intelligence to be dogmatic, but to simply mimic...none at all...
I really have never seen an atheist try to take God away from anyone. Rich or poor, needy or otherwise. I have, however, seen "God Fearin' Christians" claim that atheists are trying to take away God or whatever. That's called a persecution complex and it would seem to me, objectively, that only those of the Jewish faith come by persecution honestly. But, hey, since it's a Lutheran God I don't believe in does that make me a Lutheran?
Oh, and the POTUS is a huge liar and hypocrite who has shown little evidence of being a Christian man in the last 4 years. Look at all the human lives he has taken overseas by promoting war? hah. Oh, I forgot. King Obama is the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, isn't he? And ObamaCare wasn't a tax, was it? hah. Oh, and extending the Patriot Act indefinitely and signing NDAA were acts to provide the US Citizens with more rights and transparency, weren't they? hah. And paying off the Wall Street criminals with taxpayer money and refusing to prosecute even one of the big Wall Street fish was a way to help the little guy on 'Main Street', wasn't it - and to enhance the 'equality under the law' mantra, wasn't it, dear??? hah. Mary, when are you folks going to wake up?
you celebrate it the way you want to..others will celebrate ig the way they want to.. and politics has NO place in this argument.. doug
for confirming what i thought.. there IS no place you people won't go to get in an attack on barack obama.. thought so.. doug
'Tis the season to be charitable...or so they say...carry on then. :)
Don't forget the part about buying $300 sweaters for family members, who we really don't like, while our fellow human beings sleep on subway grates...that's part of the meaning as well.
It's not the guy on the white horse you have to worry about. It's the guy on the pale horse who is gunning for you.
Merry Christmas.
your interpretations and mine are widely at variance..but then, i take my information from all kinds of sources..i suspect yours are much more heavily oriented toward what we in the journalism profession refer to as the rightwingnut "press"..starting with fox and moving steadily to the right from there.. given that, it's unlikely we'll everr find common ground.. and as i said, this thread is NOT the place to interject partisan political views.. that said, merry christmas.. doug
Merry Christmas. You deserve all the comfort you can get.
With that said, I will be attending Church this Christmas morning. I love to see the show with all the pretty garbs and listen to all wonderful hymns sung by the choir. It's cheap entertainment and I like entertainment as much as the next guy. In fact, one of the primary clergyman was investigated for child molestation. I guess they didn't believe the child since it didn't stick. But he will be there too. I especially like to watch him. It's good for a laugh or two. Merry Christmas, everyone. Let's try to be kind to each other in 2013. And everyone practice enhancing your sense of humor (even if you don't think you have one). It's down there. It might be covered over and rusted out with self-pity, self-loathing or feeling helpless. But you can resurrect it just like Jesus resurrected his existence by walking from that tomb. But you have to want it. Laughter sooths the soul, my friends. God bless. Best wishes.
Perhaps you'll use this season to celebrate his life. Merry Christmas to you and yours.