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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Spin-off from a deleted part of another thread where it was off-topic...

I completely understand the appeal of secular Christmas for cultural Christians (for lack of a better phrase). It's fun and the decorations are pretty and there is a lot of family tradition that can still be passed down without all the religious components for those who have left Christianity. Truly, I'm happy for everyone who finds meaning in this iteration of Christmas.

What I don't understand is the insistence that the rest of us should celebrate it too. I understand that it's secular for you. I understand that you don't understand why the rest of us still call it a Christian holiday when you've divorced so much of the religion from it. But still, why do you insist that we all understand it the way you do and push and push people to celebrate secular Christmas (and I don't mean inviting us to your Christmas party, but really pushing us to teach our kids about Santa and decorate our own houses, because it will be fun and, really, it's not about Jesus)? I don't care that it's fun or that it's not about Jesus; it's just not my holiday, and I have plenty of my own holidays. You can just have Christmas to yourself. I'll wish you a Merry Christmas on December 25 and everything.[/quote]

No one cares what you do. Everyone makes their own choices for their family.[/quote]

Not really -- lots of times people come on here specifically looking for advice on how to handle a situation.[/quote]
There are people who are baffled that I don't celebrate Christmas, even after I tell them I'm Jewish. Like they don't see the incompatibility of the two things. And then they'll try to go on to convince me that I can celebrate it in a secular way, like it's some great loss for me and my family that we don't do Christmas, like we've just been looking for a way to do it and this person is going to make it ok.[/quote]

A lot of Jews do celebrate Christmas in their own way. It's cultural - not religious - for many Cristians  too.  I suggest that you ease up about it.
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WTF? Stop shoving your crap down other people's throats.

Christmas should go away - it's over-commercialized and played out.

[/quote]

[b]Could be that pp doesn't see it as crap[/b].  As they said, it's cultural and not religious for many Christians too.  To me, it's getting back to its pagan roots -- all about celebrating in the darkest days of winter. [/quote]

That is the issue. People making assumptions about what other people want to experience.

Just because [u]you[/u] enjoy something doesn't mean it should be forced on everyone else. 
[/quote]

I strongly suggest that you give it up.  Celebrate whatever holidays you want to and realize that you're living in a country with majority Christian roots, which often celebrates holidays without religious overtones.
[/quote]

+1. As an atheist, I don't care that Christmas and Easter (albeit they were appropriated from older pagan traditions) have Christian roots.

Separately, [b]the idea that we should[/b] teach or [b]be respectful of all religions[/b] and their holidays is ridiculous. If we gave all religions equal consideration, there would be no time to learn.

The fact of the matter is that this country was created by people who were Christian which are embedded in our culture. Go with it and enjoy the spirit of sharing and of rebirth. [/quote]

You don't think we should be [u]respectful[/u] to all religions? WTAF?

Stop trying to shove your ChRisTiaN holidays down other people's throats. Not everyone wants that commercialized crap based on anachronistic fables.

[/quote]

Poster didn't say we should not be respectful to all religions. Poster said, "and their holidays". Context is whether public schools should engage with every religion and every religious observance.

Nice try to twist their words, but its clearly there in black and white. [/quote]

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