you can't have it both ways! Options

[sammi rules you]

haha.
my friend told me today i shouldn't be celebrating christmas because i celebrated hannukah.
she also said that the light up menorah in front of the christmas tree in my window is offensive.
i bet you can guess what i said to that.

no, i don't celebrate either hannukah or christmas for the religious reasons..cause guess what...I'M AGNOSTIC =O i know, bad bad sammi doesn't have a religion! omg, sammi doesn't believe in God! she's a bad kid!

my friend's mother was really close to not letting me talk to her daughter because i didn't believe in God. her family has been friends with ours since i moved here in first grade. i've stayed at her house for 3 weeks one summer, they treat me like family...but as soon as they found out i didn't believe in God, ohhh man. no member of my family has gotten a gift on christmas from them since because i'm a bad influence. you know what's funny though? i have a lot better morals then a lot of the christians i know, and i'm a pretty good kid. never done drugs, never smoked, not gonna drink underage, not gonna have sex for a long while, rarely cuss...amazing, isn't it?

to me, personally, and i'm apologizing beforehand in case this offends anyone..the whole idea of christianity is just like santa. it's something made up to keep people "good and wholesome". good ol' christian values. if you're good all year, you'll get a present from santa! - if you're good your whole life, you'll go to heaven! if you don't believe in santa, you'll get coal for christmas. - if you don't believe in God, you'll go to hell. same thing to me. so, in this case, i do not see a reason for myself to believe in God. when i was little i did and not much good came out of it. yes, it betters people's lives because it gives them something to look forward to, it gives them life worth - but not me.

therefore, i will not celebrate a religous holiday. and i haven't. i celebrated hannukah so my mom's side of the family would be happy. we celebrate hannukah for presents. yes, big deal. and i celebrated christmas to make my family happy. it's a national holiday. i live in the nation, therefore, i will celebrate. i don't pray and i don't go to mass. i'm not offending the christian religon for saying i'm christian when i'm not. i'm not participating in any religous activity whatsoever. i'm purely giving gifts to others and recieving some as well. a lot of the people i know are christian so i'm gonna say merry christmas to them to be polite.



that is my opinion and i will carry through with it. thank you and goodnight.

[relicwcircuits]

those religous fanatics drive me nuts...

[Teesa]

what about a happy and merry christmahannukwanzika? Anyway today's christmas so I don't think it matters how much they argue now

yep, thats what I say=)..but i definitely think that happy holidays is more appropriate, since there are obviously more holidays being celebrated, other than christmas.

[*tweeak*]

no you're wrong. because Christianity is a form of Catholosism. I spent 4 years in Catholic school and I go to a Christian church (totally appropiate). I'm telling u for a fact that christianity is a form of catholosism. sooo i dont need you to explain to me the history.

no im not wrong. catholocism is a form of christianity, not the other way around period. so will explain the history because you still not being submissive.

christianity is the religion based on jesus, son of mary, being the son of God who rose from the dead etc etc. The followers, all followers of jesus are called christians. eventually, problems caused constantine to move the church to constantinople, and formed the eastern orthodox sect, leaving roman catholics in rome. however, they were both still christians, because they all believed in christ, even though the eastern orthodox christians werent catholic. before the great schism, the catholic church was becoming corrupted, and so with a second pope in france, if pushed reformists over the edge, like martin luther, who them broke away from the catholic church to form the lutherin church, and then other forms of protistantism, such as methodist, baptists, etc. while these new prostostant churches are christian, because they believe in jesus as christ, they are not catholic, because they broke away from the catholic chruch.

see, in the diagram, protestantism, catholisism and eastern orthodox churches all fall under christianity, but are not all catholic.

i dont know how to explain it better than that. that should cover everything.

your practically saying that i didnt. read your posts again.

i did reread my post. i didnt say that you didnt. i was explaining.

i never assumed that all christians are protestants. you dont have proof that i did. i know the difference. you are wrong for assuming that i thought of that.

good grief, i wasnt accusing you. i dont need proof. that wasnt my point. it was just the only way that i could figured that youd be thinking that all christians were catholic. i still dont know. see above.

[ApunBindaas]

Nowadays, you got to be careful what you say and everything is so politically correct and so what. It sucks. But I say Happy Holidays just so I don't offend anyone.

[*tweeak*]

but it isnt. ill open it up, if youd like

[TreesTurnMeOn]

thats a good thought. i never thought of that.

I did something right!

[*Weird addiction*]

haha,yeah...i mean i dont really believe in god but i celebrate christmas cos its fun!! MERRY XMAS yall!!

[ApunBindaas]

Good question. I recently talked to my non Christian friends about this. I am Christian. It's not their faults that they want to celebrate Christmas. The media has portrayed this holiday as fun only. They don't even know the true meaning behind Christmas and why we Christians celebrate it.

[Spirited Away]

They don't even know the true meaning behind Christmas and why we Christians celebrate it.

I hope you're not generalizing. MANY non-Christians know the meaning of Christmas. However, we choose not to celebrate it for the reason that Christians do.

It's not the media's fault, nor is there any "fault" to begin with. There is no fault in celebrating Dec. 25th as we see fit.

[*not_your_average*]

I am personally very torn on this issue. Yes, I believe in God, but I am not a Christian. I am actually a Hindu.

On the very last day of my 1st semester, I told a kid that I don't celebrate Christmas religiously, and he started yelling this exact same arguement at me. I was actually very hurt and offended, but it made me think. Christmas should be for Christians, not the entire country. I mean, you don't see every other person light up menorahs and play with driedls during Chanukah. Same with Kwaanza.

However, Christianity is the major religion in this country, and if other non-Christian children, particularly younger ones, saw their Christian friends getting presents and knowing that they get out because of Christmas, they would feel extremely left out. So school officials try to "secularize" Christmas to prevent bullying from other kids and feel included with everyone else.

As you grow older, you start to grow out of the commercialism of Christmas, and start to celebrate it for religious purposes, or want to ignore it.

But, my family gives presents and sets up a tree. I'm starting to think though, is it really worth all the time, effort and money?

[Spirited Away]

The religious aspects of Christmas has always been a Christian tradition. We do not argue that because we would lose the argument before we even started. However, it is because Christmas was chosen to be celebrated on the same day as Pagan's holidays that it would NOT be fair for non-Christians to not participate. We call it Christmas, not for its religious meaning, but for its commercialized meaning and for the name of Pagan holidays that it now replaced.

It's not a crime, nor is it harming any Christians.

[sadolakced acid]

Christmas is a cultural holiday now...

really. almost every christmas tradition has NOTHING to do with christ, and came from other things

the only really christian thing to do on christmas is attend mass...

everything else is dishonoring christ.

[starfaerie06]

I am a non-Christian who celebrates Christmas (but not Easter). I don't ridicule Christians or anyone else because of their reliegion because I believe it's your right to chose whatever religion best fits your beliefs. I celebrate Christmas because most of my family are Christians. I don't celebrate just for presents (although I love all the things I got this year) I celebrate so I can see my family and friends and have fun just being together and talking.

But now I have a question for you... Because I'm not a Christian I shouldn't celebrate Christmas and Easter... So because I am also not a Catholic does that mean I shouldn't celebrate SAINT Valentine's Day or SAINT Patrick's Day?

[Yemmerz]

If America is based on Christianity, then why are debating over if we can say "One Nation, Under God"? If we can't say that in the Pledge of Allegiance, then we shouldn't have Christmas for a national holiday.

Dear me, I am getting worked up...*sigh*

Okay. Then Hanukkah can't be a national holiday, and Easter, and Rosh Hashana, and everything else. You can't just take out one.

Now with the gifts...the 3 Wise Men gave baby Jesus 3 gifts, and that's why we exchange gifts. Now it's just to the extreme. I think that you should also have to attend service..cause clearly everyone forgot what Christmas is about.

[sadolakced acid]

Okay. Then Hanukkah can't be a national holiday, and Easter, and Rosh Hashana, and everything else. You can't just take out one.

Now with the gifts...the 3 Wise Men gave baby Jesus 3 gifts, and that's why we exchange gifts. Now it's just to the extreme. I think that you should also have to attend service..cause clearly everyone forgot what Christmas is about.

first off...

Hanukkah ISN"T a national holiday. nor is easter... Rosh hashana, etc.

now with gifts...

that's a PAGAN tradition, ADDED to christianity to MAKE IT APPEAL to more PAGANS.

[demolished]

christmas no longer has it own real meaning. christmas means alot to people for happiness, friendship, thankful, and etc. christmas is suppose to be for christians but christians were the one that influence others people. thats what i think.

[Teesa]

yeah i know we can't have it both ways, but our family just does it for the "commercial" aspect of it..yeah, i'm an atheist, but i just like the whole giving and receiving and spending time with family sort of thing. I think that's okay.

[nevernothere]

Well generally, ppl who say "Happy Holidays" include Christmas in their "Holidays"... and ppl who say "Merry Christmas" include the other holidays in "Christmas".. no biggie.

[miss barnes]

i usually say merry christmas because i dont know anybody who celebrates the other ones but ppl are like stores in the mall say happy holidays...its doesnt really matter to me

[topsyturvy]

and yes you're exactly right. christmas to most people is just a day to relax and have fun and receive presents. it's like a reunion day that comes once a year when families get together and celebrate anything.

CHRISTMAS = HOLIDAY AND FUN.
CHRISTMAS ≠CHRISTIAN-ONLY HOLIDAY.

[JlIaTMK]

If America is based on Christianity, then why are debating over if we can say "One Nation, Under God"? If we can't say that in the Pledge of Allegiance, then we shouldn't have Christmas for a national holiday.

Dear me, I am getting worked up...*sigh*

.... Okay? That was exactly my point. I guess you interpreted it wrongly.

[*salcha*]

need i remind you all that christmas was the day christ was born? im not saying you shouldnt celebrate it, but at least give it a thought.

[Spirited Away]

need i remind you all that christmas was the day christ was born?

Is that what you learned in Sunday School?

[topsyturvy]

as fae has said before in another topic, Christ WAS NOT born on December 5th. jesus was actually born in September.

now i wonder how Christians got the idea of celebrating the birth of Christ on December 5th.

unless they stole the idea. from the pagans.