Atheists & Agnostics Only Please.

Principessa

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This question is for atheists and agnostics only.

What if anything does Christmas mean to you? I have known only a few atheists in my life. While the all agree they don't believe in God or any higher power, there doesn't seem to be a consensus on Christmas. :confused: Do you put up a tree? Do you do lights and decorations? Do you give gifts? Will you accept gifts? Do you just do Christmas because your family expects it?

I'm not condemning, I'm just curious and confused. :confused:
 
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B_bi_mmf

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In my view there is nothing religious about a tree. It's pagan if anything. Gifts on Christmas is a family tradition.

I see no conflict between these things and the fact that I am an atheist.
 

trentster

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I'm not agnostic or atheist, but I am Jewish, so Christmas doesn't mean much to me (besides the start of persecution for my people) but since not everyone in my family is Jewish, we still celebrate it, kind of. We put up a cardboard tree and have a celebration on Christmas with the family, but it's more about the get together than anything else.
 

nudeyorker

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Can I answer as a non practicing jew dating a Serbian Orthodox? I love the tree and the music and the food, friends and the spirit of the season.
 

D_Fiona_Farvel

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I do not put up a tree or decoration, nor does my family.
We give a (1) gift to each other.
My mother and aunt still attend mass, everyone else does not.
Although I will occasionally go and take communion if she asks.

I see Christmas as an opportunity to spend time with loved ones.
 

AquaEyes11010

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I was raised without religion, though I am probably the only one to be outspoken enough to say there isn't a god. Christmas has always been for me a seasonal holiday, like Halloween or Thanksgiving, 4th of July or Easter. I perform the non-religious holiday rituals for each. From what I understand, the tree-decorating, gift giving, feasting, and other non-Jesus stuff were being done in Europe before Christianity spread there, and the merriments simply engulfed the celebration of the birth of Jesus. I personally love the music, and traditionally play it whenever the television is off from dessert time at Thanksgiving on until Christmas is over. For me, Christmas represents the signal that the year is just about over, and the gift-giving is an acknowledgment for all those who were important in my life in that year. Decorations, music and food are simply the seasonal accompaniments. One of my three roommates loves his Catholicism, and that is the basis of his love for Christmas. The other two are one barely-religious Jew and one barely-religious non-Catholic Christian. I personally have no issue with the holiday used to celebrate the birth of a profound person in our history, but I do not believe that he was either born on that day nor that he was anything other than an influential human being.
 

CUBE

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I believe it is the day to celebrate Santa....and to a degree I am dead serious.

Well, don't know what I call myself. I do keep a tree up all year. I love it!

In context to the idea...Jesus to me was a teacher and human. To think otherwise (FOR ME) would remove any relevance of his work on the planet. A person with (perhaps) divine insight. He reminds me that all people have a type of divine insight. Sadly, in how he is now portrayed...as a god...is no a belief I can fathom and believe he wouldn't either. So if I compare myself to "Christians" I have nothing in common with them....and they would call me an athiest...as well as a fag. I enjoy the season and think of it as a time of mixed pagan things in so many ways but all add up to valueing my time on the planet and all those that came before me. I find it a time to celebrate family. Why I say I am not a big believer...I sometimes wonder if this is actually what a true believer was suppose to believe.
 

TomSchmo

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I'm the only atheist in my family.
I was never much for christmas spirit or any holiday for that matter.
So for christmas i just dont participate in the religious aspect of it, which for my family isnt much to begin with, pretty much just not going to church.
 

kalipygian

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It never had much connection with christianity for me, a nordic seasonal winter celebration. I used to really enjoy doing everything, and to go to considerable effort to make it nice for my family. I have saved family ornaments that are @ 80 years old. I usually cut a tree from on my own place.

I haven't put one up for three years, there isn't anyone else around to see it.
 

Scrufuss

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By definition I am a Apathetic agnostic. Hope that counts. (theres gotta be something to it all..)
Its all about the food, fun, feeling of giving and fun of recieving. Seeing those you rarely see. And its a sign that the closing of another cycle is near. I sometimes do the tree, I did this year. I do not put up any religous symbolism like Santa or angels or that Jesus dude. But instead put up images of The Grinch and often say BahHumbug everyone with a smile. Most traditional christmas carols suck the big one. Most new ones do to. I like all the lights, ahhh purty colors...



Do you call it a Hanukkah Bush?

Oh you did not just say that. Cool pic though, that about sums it up for all religions across the board.
 

D_Dick_Dock_Doe

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I'm an atheist. Christmas for me is about giving to others and sharing time with family. These sentiments, to me, have nothing to do with the religious dogma attached to the holiday.
 

AlteredEgo

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What if anything does Christmas mean to you? ...Do you put up a tree? Do you do lights and decorations? Do you give gifts? Will you accept gifts? Do you just do Christmas because your family expects it?

...

I only became agnostic in the past few years. I love Christmas. Then again, I still like going to church. I enjoy rituals and traditions. I like an excuse to feed people. I love to decorate a tree, and I hate to undecorate when the holiday ends. I love giving and receiving gifts. I look forward to making truffles, aging them two weeks, and leaving them as a holiday calling card as I visit people I don't see enough. I like singing carols and hymns, and holiday songs! It's just plain fun. I celebrate Easter too, though I can't be bothered with eggs and baskets anymore.

...I am Jewish, so Christmas doesn't mean much to me (besides the start of persecution for my people)...
If you see Christmas as the start of the persecution of Jews then you are less connected to your people than you think. You do not know their history. Get yourself a Torah, Homie. Time to read. Start with Exodus. It's book two.

Do you call it a Hanukkah Bush?
LOL I have been laughingly calling our tree a Hanukkah bush. It's blue, white, and silver. I sang Shalom Chaverim while we were loading the decorations into the car, mostly because it annoys my fiance every time I mention that it looks like Hanukkah colors.
 

Dominicanboy

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I love Christmas and I'm an atheist. I love the holiday season spirit and all the gifts. Not too big on the jesus thing though. I like it for all the materialistic reasons and cause it brings families together.
 

D_Cyprius Slapwilly

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Christmas is my favorite holiday for all the right reasons. I love the nostalgia of seeing decorations at the mall and thinking of when I got so excited when I was a kid. That, and getting with friends and family and watching silly Christmas movies. It's just a good feeling overall, and Jesus isn't even a part of it.
 

curious n str8

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I do not put up a tree or decoration, nor does my family.
We give a (1) gift to each other.
My mother and aunt still attend mass, everyone else does not.
Although I will occasionally go and take communion if she asks.

I see Christmas as an opportunity to spend time with loved ones.
Were you raised Catholic? Don't take this the wrong way. If so you probably know taking Communion without having confessed your sins to a priest has no meaning and is wrong in the Catholic faith. I was raised Catholic but I don't agree with a lot about their faith and have changed my beliefs to a non-denominal christian faith. I love Christmas but I think it has lost a lot of it's spiritual meaning and has become to commercialized. Nor do I agree with how we have become "politically correct" with Christmas and not offending non Christians. This is the USA and our founding Fathers built this country with Christian beliefs in mind. Sorry for the ranting :rant: