Reply to A Sincere Question about Secular Christmas

Forum Index » Religion

Reply to "A Sincere Question about Secular Christmas"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Christmas is not secular no matter how you spin it.  I’ve never celebrated Christmas nor my kids.   [/quote]

98% of Christmas is secular. Many just ignore the 2%. 
[/quote]

Christmas isn't secular.  Its a Christian practice and holiday.  I don't understand how you say its secular.[/quote]

DP-

Because in addition to its secular roots and history, many people celebrate it in a non-religious way.  Certainly you get that, right?  For example, there are dozens of popular holiday specials and only one of them mentions Jesus, and thousands of commercials and advertisements, none of which mention Jesus, and many family gatherings which (joyously) occur without mention of Jesus, either tacitly or explicitly.  Tons of non-denominal decorations everywhere...

You definitely understand this, I am certain of it.  Just because you might celebrate it differently, PPs point is that for many people (ok, possibly not 99% but likely the majority, I guess) celebrate it without a religious meaning.[/quote]

What "secular roots and history" are you talking about? The traditions that Christianity co-opted from other sources? Decorating trees would probably not still be a thing (certainly not as widespread as it is) if Christianity hadn't adopted it into Christmas celebrations and spread it as part of the religious holiday. If anything, the roots and history of Christmas are solidly Christian, and have only grown apart from Christianity as people have dropped their religiosity (the growth of the "nones").

I'll grant you that many people who celebrate Christmas today do it without mention of Jesus or any religious aspect and think of their observance as totally secular. But you have to see how people who don't celebrate it at all (as many Jewish posters have noted) can't divorce its history and roots in Christianity from the "secular" aspects of it, right? It's not about people who celebrate it religiously vs. those who celebrate it secularly; it's about people who just don't celebrate it at all.[/quote]

Dude you admit in your own post that certain holiday traditions have pagan roots that Christianity co-opted.

People who don’t believe in Jesus celebrate Christmas.  End period. Not debatable.

Christmas in July![/quote]

The fact that some Christmas traditions have pagan roots doesn't mean that Christmas has secular roots, which is what PP I responded to was claiming. It just means that a religious holiday added/took/borrowed some non-Christian traditions.

I'm not debating that people who don't believe in Jesus celebrate Christmas. Obviously they do, or this whole thread wouldn't exist. But people who don't believe in Jesus celebrating Christmas doesn't make it a secular holiday. It just means that those people are ok with writing off the religious history, but others aren't.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics