I've taken the secular aspect of christmas and run with it. Like Jim stated, it was a pagan holiday to begin with so it feels like I'm taking it back anyway. I enjoy the heck out of the holiday. I like the themes of peace on earth, goodwill toward man and when you take religion out of it, I think those themes just might have a chance.
As for the government holiday argument.....well, I don't care about the reason for a holiday.. .I just enjoy being able to spend time with the family on those days. Heck, I wouldn't mind if there were more religious holidays.....When's Kwanzaa? :) On 12/6/06, G Money <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > You know, for all the shitty parts about Christmas, it still can be fun to > give and receive presents, to decorate a tree, make your house look festive > and inviting, etc etc. > > As I read Jim's post below, I'm glad that I'm at a point with my > "spirituality" (nod to Gruss), that I can easily reconcile my faith > questions with the simply joys of sharing in a "holiday" with everybody > else. > > Jim, I guess I'd suggest trying not to worry too much about the weighty > implications of just sitting back and enjoying the traditions of the holiday > that appeal to you. Put another way, don't let religion ruin the fun for > you or your family :) > > On 12/6/06, Jim Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Well... I think it's definitely more the norm now. Over 14% percent of > > Americans claim to be "non-religious" (atheist, agnostic, secular or > > non-religious). > > > > I have a similar situation, but shifted farther down the spectrum: > > > > I'm an "out" atheist and my wife is a non-religious agnostic (so we do > > generally get along). I'm not a jerk about things. I don't try to > > "convert" people or get in anybody's face... at least not first. At the > > same time I'm honest and open about it when asked and don't shy when asked > > (as we often are) "What church do you go to?" > > > > (Since we've moved from Boston to NE PA I think I've been asked that more > > in > > the past six months than in the previous 30 years.) > > > > My wife on the other hand is less open and more accommodating. Although > > we've never attended church she'll answer "well, we're new here" or (tough > > for her) "we're not very religious". She'll then get mad at me (in > > private) > > if I (good-naturedly) add "...because I'm an atheist and she doesn't > > believe > > in God". > > > > Although our kids (our son especially, he's older) get's asked the > > question > > she insists that we don't "tell him what to say". "Let him decide for > > himself" is all well and good but when he asks ME I answer honestly and > > that > > tends to tick her off. Of course she doesn't really have a better idea so > > I > > sorta, kinda win that one. > > > > We've having the "Christmas Talk" (again) this year. My kids don't > > believe > > in Santa (despite my mother's best effort) and my wife is slightly upset > > by > > that. > > > > Personally I have very mixed feeling about Christmas... although it's > > become > > incredibly secularized it's still fundamentally a religious holiday (and > > still the only religious holiday that's also a federal holiday). You can > > add all the crap that you like but in this country it's still a Christian > > holiday (stolen, as most Christian holidays, from the Pagans but Christian > > nonetheless). > > > > Part of me really wants to vocally denounce it. Another part of me wants > > to > > watch the kids when they open their presents. It's a dilemma for an > > advocate atheist: celebrate just the commercial Christmas? Denounce the > > commercialism and embrace the secular values present in the celebration > > (goodwill toward men, charity to those in need, etc)? Just boycott the > > whole thing on principle? > > > > She wants to decorate the house (it's our first Christmas in our first > > house > > so this is the first time this came up). I don't - or at least I don't > > want > > to decorate it with "Christmas decorations"... but even then I'd like to > > find some non-offensive way to make my true feelings known amongst all the > > manger scenes in the neighborhood. > > > > In the end we'll probably do whatever she wants on that score... no matter > > how strongly you feel on a topic, no matter how determined you are there's > > no escaping the plain simple facts about wives: they control access to the > > boobies. > > > > Jim Davis > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Create robust enterprise, web RIAs. Upgrade & integrate Adobe Coldfusion MX7 with Flex 2 http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;56760587;14748456;a?http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=LVNU Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:221791 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
