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Anonymous wrote:I'm an atheist who was raised Catholic. My entire family is Catholic. My DH was raised Catholic. My DH's family is Catholic.

Our families celebrate Christmas. We celebrate it, too. It's within our cultural heritage. We are secular Catholics, the way some people are secular Jews.

I don't see what's weird about it.

It contradicts your commitment to atheism? That's what's weird. Atheists shouldn't celebrate the birth of a deity.

DH and I are atheists. Our children are not. They are being raised in a religion that they can decide to reject when they are older. I think religion gives a moral frame work to life. Atheism's philosophical frame work is harder to pass on to children. You have to want to be a nice person because there is no external factor like heaven or hell. So we do Christmas and take our kids to mass on Christmas Eve. We participate in a cultural ritual that we don't believe in because we, and more specifically our kids, are a part of society.

I agree that kids need a moral framework. What you do is fascinating. Do you take them to church every Sunday or only on Christmas Eve?

We try to go once or twice a month. Why is this fascinating? I assumed most people do this.

That's your problem right there. Why do you think others are like you? No, this is really peculiar.

I think atheism is too much for little kids. Do other atheist just tell their kids there is nothing?

Yes. That is exactly what we told our kids. We are a fluke of the universe. We are as ephmeral as butterflies, and just as beautiful. There is nothing after death. There is no meaning to this life except what we make it, so you should work hard to make your life mean something beautiful or great or kind. They had an existential crisis getting their heads around it when they were very small, but they were over it by age 6 or 7.

BTW, we celebrate Christmas. My very Catholic parents insist on it. When DS#1 was two months old, my mother bought a tree and ornaments and a creche and descended on my house with it. She was leaving until we put it all up.

(She also DIY baptized the babies in the bathtub. She thinks I don't know, but she told my little brother. Whatever. It made her feel better.)

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I'm an atheist who was raised Catholic. My entire family is Catholic. My DH was raised Catholic. My DH's family is Catholic.

Our families celebrate Christmas. We celebrate it, too. It's within our cultural heritage. We are secular Catholics, the way some people are secular Jews.

I don't see what's weird about it.

It contradicts your commitment to atheism? That's what's weird. Atheists shouldn't celebrate the birth of a deity.

DH and I are atheists. Our children are not. They are being raised in a religion that they can decide to reject when they are older. I think religion gives a moral frame work to life. Atheism's philosophical frame work is harder to pass on to children. You have to want to be a nice person because there is no external factor like heaven or hell. So we do Christmas and take our kids to mass on Christmas Eve. We participate in a cultural ritual that we don't believe in because we, and more specifically our kids, are a part of society.

I agree that kids need a moral framework. What you do is fascinating. Do you take them to church every Sunday or only on Christmas Eve?

We try to go once or twice a month. Why is this fascinating? I assumed most people do this.

That's your problem right there. Why do you think others are like you? No, this is really peculiar.

I think atheism is too much for little kids. Do other atheist just tell their kids there is nothing?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's see, non-Catholics celebrate St. Valentines day and St. Patrick's Day; non-Mexicans celebrate Cinco do Mayo (which isn't really a big day in Mexico) non-Veterans get Veterans Day off, and thanksgiving and Columbus Day are totally based on historical inaccuracies. So, I really don't give a fuck if non Christians celebrate Christmas. OP and the rest are just trying to feel superior and exclusive, like most on DCUM do on a daily basis.

What do you think you're celebrating on Christmas, if it's not the birth of Christ?

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Anonymous wrote:Let's see, non-Catholics celebrate St. Valentines day and St. Patrick's Day; non-Mexicans celebrate Cinco do Mayo (which isn't really a big day in Mexico) non-Veterans get Veterans Day off, and thanksgiving and Columbus Day are totally based on historical inaccuracies. So, I really don't give a fuck if non Christians celebrate Christmas. OP and the rest are just trying to feel superior and exclusive, like most on DCUM do on a daily basis.

What do you think you're celebrating on Christmas, if it's not the birth of Christ?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Not feeling superior. Just confused. But please don't use f*!# and Jesus or Christmas in the same sentence.its offensive

Anonymous wrote:Let's see, non-Catholics celebrate St. Valentines day and St. Patrick's Day; non-Mexicans celebrate Cinco do Mayo (which isn't really a big day in Mexico) non-Veterans get Veterans Day off, and thanksgiving and Columbus Day are totally based on historical inaccuracies. So, I really don't give a fuck if non Christians celebrate Christmas. OP and the rest are just trying to feel superior and exclusive, like most on DCUM do on a daily basis.

Anonymous wrote:Every year we go through the same thing. Christmas is a syncretic holiday tradition.

syn·cre·tism [sing-kri-tiz-uhm, sin-] Show IPA
noun
1.
the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.

The date for Christmas was chosen to land on the Winter Solstice in the 4th Century. The reason is that when you want a bunch of pagans to convert to your religion, you throw a competing party at the same time. Apparently we liked the gift giving tradition from the pagans enough to keep it.

Later as christianity snowballed, it rolled over the Germanic people, where as snowballs do it picked up what was there - the Yule, i.e. that big green tree in our houses, the term "Yuletide". We do a mashup of Odin and St. Nicholas and we get Santa. In case anyone doubts, ask yourself why the man wears fur when Jesus was born in Bethlehem and the Pope lives in Rome. Also read about how Odin flew threw the sky from his frosty home in the North to deliver presents to children on a horse which, until the poem "Night before Christmas" Santa also rode. If this happened today, Odin would be hauling Santa into copyright court. If you think this is pure coincidence, try to name the first religion that had a spring holiday with painted eggs and bunny rabbits. Guess what, it wasn't Christianity.

Christians should not be afraid to recognize the evolution of our religious traditions. This is how we grew to become one of the biggest religions on the planet. We compromised and absorbed cultural elements to which people had great historic and emotional attachment. We should not turn our backs on the process that got us here. It's all part of the history. Now enjoy that tree and all the greening around your house, and do your best to get that pile of presents from Odin put away before daddy or mommy steps on a sharp piece of plastic and has to get stitches.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Not feeling superior. Just confused. But please don't use f*!# and Jesus or Christmas in the same sentence.its offensive

Anonymous wrote:

This is completely fucking weird. You are bringing your kids to church twice a month to hear a bunch of crap you don't even believe in? Because you can't work out how to have them develop a moral framework otherwise?
This is the craziest thing I have read on dcum in 2013, and that is saying something.

I agree with this. If you can't teach your kids right from wrong, and to be good people, without reference to God - parenting fail.

I agree. It's all the sulking and whining that baffle me. So don't do it. Who cares if it's "family tradition" or whatnot. We certainly don't care that you're making youself a "martyr". We are sick of listening to you bitch and moan. If you hate it, simply stop doing it and grow up!