November 25, 2007
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Atheist, Agnostic and Christmas
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This is part of a message I received from LarsThunder:
“If you are an agnostic, atheist or do not believe in Christianity, does that mean you don’t take off the 25th of December? It would seem to me that if you don’t believe in Christianity, you shouldn’t participate in the “holidays” that they are known for. I am not talking about the Christmas/holiday season, but rather the one specific day, December 25th. If you are an agnostic, atheist or have a belief other than Christianity and take the 25th as a day off or holiday, then you are hypocritical of your beliefs.”
Do you think it is hypocritical for an agnostic or atheist to take December 25th off?
Comments (173)
Nope.
No, Christmas is hardly about Christ now anyway
Shit, I’d take Hitler day off it it meant I didn’t have to work.
Even though I’m agnostic, some of my family is Christian. In their eyes it’s not that it would be hypocritical of me to celebrate, it would be rude of me not to spend time with them on that day.
“No, Christmas is hardly about Christ now anyway”
That comment pissed me off. It’s not because of the greedy non-Christians. I’m not allowed to say Merry Christmas to a stranger, because he/she can sue me (I have been threatened with that once.) But at the same time, any old non-Christian can celebrate? I don’t think so. Atheists and Agnostics need to get together and make a set of rules and follow them.
Christmas is about giving. You can celebrate the holiday and take the “Christ” factor out, that’s what I do. I’m atheist.
No, not at all.
Taking the day off? Yes.
Recieving presens? No.
No. It’s an opportunity to take off work. We don’t have to take it off just to celebrate Christmas. And for Agnostics, what beliefs?
no. christmas isn’t just a christian holiday. it’s not even christian in origin, it was just taken over by the christians later on. christmas is celebrated in many countries where christianity is nowhere near the main religion (like Turkey). Just because the Christians tacked on their version of what Christmas is, doesn’t mean it’s a religious holiday and only christians can or should celebrate it.
Again, take the facebook ad off!….. And the video too!
No. Christmas is a public holiday in many countries and it has lost much of the original religious meaning. It’s become a universal holiday like New Year and therefore there is no hypocrisy for a non-Christian to take the day off.
no..christmas stopped being a strictly religious holiday a long time ago. it’s not just for christians who believe in christ..it’s also for atheists and agnostics who teach their kids about santa claus.
Single4eternally, you seriously acting like you own Dan’s site? Wow.
I think that most people don’t think very much about Christ on Christmas. For some, it’s more about being together with family and giving to others. And if those people are happier and more generous then maybe it’s not such a bad thing.
But to answer the question: Yes, it’s hypocritical to celebrate the holiday of a religion to which you don’t belong.
Spacey1
I’m not saying you can’t celebrate Christmas however you want. The question was whether they can take the day off, and I’m saying that the day off is focused more around family and gift giving than it is a religious holiday.
december 25th doesn’t really have anything to do with Christ anyways, so what does it really matter? who cares if an agnostic, atheist or non-christian get that day off? if you’re really christian, it won’t matter to you. I bet these christians who are upset about this weren’t upset when they got yom kippur off.
Nope. Materialistic, Hallmark card holidays arent even about Christ anyway. Shtupid.
How stupid would you look if you showed up to work and no one was there because they weren’t complete idiots and did take Christmas off.
Short of someone claiming it would be hypocrisy and then not following through, it isn’t hypocritical.
Even the whole “I’m not Christian” part doesn’t really make sense. There’s enough about Christmas that so far from the religious, that it hardly matters in a lot of cases.
Not anymore. The non-Christians have commandeered a holiday that had great meaning for Christians and Christians allowed it to happen. There is nothing religious about the day anymore. There should be but there isn’t. Christmas is no more a religious holiday than Martin Luther King Day.
Psh.
If all the Christians get a day off, I’m sure as hell taking one too.
Like cholo4u said, I’d take Hitler day off if it meant I didn’t have to go to work.
What! That’s crap.
God, I don’t think there is anything worse than someone stating that Christmas is materialistic. Wait, worse: bringing it up into debate matters.
If I ever meet anyone who acts like Christmas is about Christ instead of about presents in my life-span who’s not one of them psycho Jesus-freaktards who thinks taking a shit is about Christ, then maybe I won’t take the day off.
…nah, I still would. I deserve it for all the stupid music they shove in my ears. Hebrew representin’.
Absolutely not. If your employer says you must take Christmas off, then as an atheist, you take it off to stay home and watch movies.
I see some talk of people saying non-Christians have “stolen” this day… can I not remind you that part of the reason the church made the holiday this time of the year during their normal celebrations was to encourage pagans to convert? If that’s not holiday high-jacking what is?
I was thinking about saying that the name of the holiday should be changed because the majority of the world doesn’t use that time to celebrate the birth of Christ anyway. But that wouldn’t be right either because Christ is the traditional meaning of the day (even though it was a pagan holiday first), and that’s how Christians see it.
So I guess non-Christians can start calling it Glorified Snow Day or Non-Religious Late December Observance or Santa Claus Day or something.
No because there is a such a thing as celebrating holidays for their traditional purposes- for example, i personally do not believe in any higher or omniscient being, however I celebrate the holidays my ancestors celebrated, like Chanukah (on my dads side hes jewish), Christmas, and any and all Russian holidays. I do almost all of the traditional aspects of them as well, minus the going to church/temple part. Thats how I describe myself– a spiritual person attached to tradition rather than religious.
No, Christmas is a national holiday, and last I checked there is no national religion. Sure, you can choose to celebrate Christ on Christmas, but it can be about family and attempting to remember what’s important (in between opening presents) in life and being with family.
christmas really isnt about religion anymore, its just giving and getting gifts.
I wouldn’t say that..
And Christmas IS about Christ. You can’t just change it to something you like better because you want to..
Yeah right, just because they don’t believe in God doesn’t mean that aren’t gonna take advantage of having a day off and not have to work…I mean thats the AMERICAN way….don’t work whenever possible!
I think something that really IS hypicritical of atheist’s…well at least the one who wrote this new movie “The Golden Compass”, the fact that in the movie they say there is a little girl who KILLS God. I thought they didn’t believe in God. Make up your mind Atheist peoples! I won’t be going to see this movie, it is only what I’ve heard, so you may know something different. I guess this had NOTHING to do with your question, just threw in in free of charge!
If you were christian it would be kinda weird to take a PAGAN holiday off, don’t you think. Jesus was born in the Spring, not on the 25th of December, which is awfully close to Saturnalia and the Solstice.
And, it’s a fucking federal holiday ANYWAY so you really have no choice but to take it off.
There was a reason that Massachusetts BANNED celebrating this PAGAN holiday that has VERY little do with Christ, take a fucking history class…morons.
Fuck no. I’m not Jewish either, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna go to school on Yom Kippur when the whole damn building is shut down.
That said, if I’m being offered time and a half, I’d gladly go into work or whatever on Christmas.
The point is Christmas isn’t even a wholly Christmas holiday – it’s a default, Hallmark one, too. You might as well call it winter break. Atheists aren’t hypocrites for taking time off when Christians do.
Christmas can still be about the religious event, or it can be completely secular. How much of the normal, American cultural Christmas festivities have anything to do with Christianity? Santa Claus? Gifts? Christmas tress? None of these things have anything to do with Jesus Christ being born, and if anything come from pagan roots more than anything.
Chritsmas has become an American holiday, not exclusively a Christian one. It’s like marriage and a wedding ceremony– yes, it can be religious if you want, or you can go to the courthouse and get the whole thing done with no mention of God whatsoever. People make Christmas to be what they want it to be.
I don’t have the option of going to school over the winter holidays. But if I had a job I’d work on Christmas whether I believed in jesus or not. You get paid extra for working holidays, you know.
Besides, wasn’t Jesus born in the spring? Christmas is just a fucked up Yule/Saturnalia, isn’t it?
Man, I am so sick of the word “religion”..
I freakin’ HATE “religion”!
Christmas is a federal holiday. Atheists who don’t work that day aren’t hypocritical since they’re not suddenly changing their religious beliefs for just one occasion. Rather, they’re taking advantage of a federal holiday as all citizens have a right to do. It sounds like this person is implying that non-Christians shouldn’t have the same rights and privileges under our government.
Many Christians don’t “believe” in evolution, even of bacteria, but does that mean they shouldn’t be allowed to experience the benefits of medical science for fear of being called hypocritical?
hah, and yeah as some others have pointed out., December 25th is actually not at all a christian date, Christmas was moved to it to try to convert pagans and link it to the winter solstice holiday. So if you’re gonna argue this point, it’d be more hypocritical for a christian to be using this date since it’s originally a pagan tradition.
No, because they’re not bound to honoringa certain God like Christians are, it’s not the same system. And hey, it’s a day off ,why not? My mom works at a JCC and takes Jewish holidays off.
I think something that really IS hypicritical of atheist’s…well at least the one who wrote this new movie “The Golden Compass”, the fact that in the movie they say there is a little girl who KILLS God. I thought they didn’t believe in God. Make up your mind Atheist peoples! I won’t be going to see this movie, it is only what I’ve heard, so you may know something different. I guess this had NOTHING to do with your question, just threw in in free of charge!
UnworthyofHisgrace
I thought the same thing.. I’m not going to see it either..
The whole reason it’s coming out in early december is because it’s supposed to be an “Anti-Narnia” movie. The guy who wrote the book said he hates Narnia because it is pushing Christian beliefs on children.. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HE’S DOING!
Gah! Humans..
no not at all. because it is a national day off it is no longer solely about christ because this nation operates under a secular government. therefore the day was given as a national holiday due to the lack of workers who would do their job on that day. it has to do with labor unions and struggles for workers rights. that is why the 25th of december is an industry free day (generally there are of course businesses that do not take this day off) and there are hardly any jobs that will allow workers to work. so it is not hypocritical in any way. for me my family doesn’t follow the western calendar and so we do not celebrate the western date for christmas. i have never celebrated christmas on the 25th of december and i never will. there are those who are not agnostic or athiest who do not celebrate western traditions.
Nah, it’s a national holiday. I’m agnostic and I celebrate christmas because whether religion is involved or not, the holiday is about giving and spending time with the ones you love.
nope. i don’t believe in god, you’re right. but to me christmas is still a day for giving gifts and enjoying others company. it’s still a day that you should be thankful for what you do have and be kind and giving to others. and thats what i do. my kids will be taught of god, my kids will be given presents. its up to them to choose what they believe. i really don’t care what others think of me. it’s my life, and im sure that you have one that you shouldn’t be concerned in the busniess of others.
If it makes you think you are a hypocrite, don’t take the day off – as for me a holiday is a holiday and a day off of work is always welcome, it doesn’t mean that I’m celebrating the holiday! Will you pay full price if the Christmas Sale offers 50% off?
Christmas hasn’t been about Christ for who knows how long now. It’s even recognized by the government. Yes it is Christ’s day to shine and all, but that’s really for you hardcore Christians out there. The rest of us like the idea of giving and receiving gifts to and from loved ones. Is that really a bad thing?
No, that’s dumb.
I’m not a pagan, and I still take Earth Day off.
I think because the United State of America was founded on Christian principles, that people who are living in our country observe it. I don’t think it matters you religion beliefs or background.
yes the real reason we have Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth i odnt understand why we make such a big deal out of it since easter is when your salvation came
but none the less Christmas is a Christian holiday to me and i couldnt get one present and i would still celebrate it
and an Athiest shouldnt be celebrating it
Perhaps their families celebrate Christmas.
Yes, I think it is hypocritical. I would not take of a Jewish or a Buddhist holiday. So, if I wasn’t a Christian I would not take of Christmas.
off*
Wait, wait, let me get this straight. Christians are complaining other people are ripping off and using their holidays?
Maybe in theory it would be hypocritical, but I don’t think it should stop agnostics or atheist people from taking a winter break. The holidays are for relaxing & being with family/friends.
Umm… sorta.
What the hell are they going to do, sit in an empty office and write angry anti-God blogs?
I don’t know.
Depends on if an athiest or an agnostic can put in an insurance claim for damage caused by an “Act of God.”
I think I will let them decide on this one.
I can’t deny the commercial aspect–I mean, for a lot of people, Christmas is about Santa Claus, not Christ. It’s kind of two holidays on the same day. But it bugs the heck out of me that atheists and agnostics celebrate Christmas.
No at all. I see more in Christmas than just a Christian holiday.
nobody’s going to work that day anyways, so why should I? Plus, it’s a federal holiday, I get paid for not showing up at work. Again, why should I?
it’s more like Labor Day now than it is like any sort of celebration of Christianity.
No, because not all people celebrate Christmas as if it is about Christ. Some people see it as a time to get together with their families and just celebrate life and give presents to show they care about people.
There are two parts of Christmas – the Christian part and the commercial part. They’re pretty separate, really; no need for hardcore Christians to make a big deal out of it.
Anyways if people only took days off for the holidays they believed in, no one would have holidays. Who cares about George Washington’s birthday other than the fact that it’s a day off?
All should enjoy the benefits of Jesus.
I think Christmas celebration would have to be far more religious and far less capitalistic before agnostics and atheists who celebrate it could be accused of hypocrisy.
I mean the shopping starts way before the religious aspect tends to be played. Day after Thanksgiving fpr the shopping. . .who knows when for the message of Jesus’s birth.
No, because the country itself virtually shuts down on Christmas. There are few companies out there that aren’t fully closed down on Christmas, so most people couldn’t work, even if they wanted to.
I never went to school during Jewish holidays, am I Jewish? nope, but days off are nice
if you don’t support our military, is it hypocritical to take veterans day off? or if you’re christian, is it hypocritical to not go to school on the Yom Kippor teacher workday? Or if you’re an Asian-American, is it hypocritical to take thanksgiving off? i think if they offer you a day off-take it! as long as you don’t celebrate the holiday (witht he lights, and the prayers, and the gifts), you aren’t celebrating a holiday by taking a day off.
Christmas is mostly a capitalistic holiday that has nothing to do with Christ.
I say, only if they are anti-Christian in belief system.
No. Christmas is not just a religious holiday, but part of our culture. That is why you don’t see atheists skipping work or school for Ramadan or Hanukkah.
In a way , it makes sense. But the argument doesn’t really work because its efined as a national holiday rather than a religous holiday.
its a day off given to you. take it while you can.
besides. jewish people aren’t given hanukkah off, so they might as well take the christian holiday off where they won’t get yelled at for it.
I think the easiest way to solve this would that Christains would have Christmas and everyone else would have X-mas.
How lame…. I don’t care if they get the day off or not. I’m a Christian but it’s not for me to get in a snit on whether or not a non-believer gets a day off or not…. I didn’t fight in a war or serve my country in the military but you can bet your bippy I’m taking Memorial Day off and having a big fat barbecue in the backyard!
Wow…I…uh…hmm. I’ve no words because I believe Drakonskyr summed up my sentiments exactly. Well done, sir. Also, I thought this country was based on freedom of religion, but I’ve been proven wrong time and time again. The reason I say that is if I stated my beliefs here, and given the profession that I am in…well, let’s just say I enjoy my career. So, if someone likes to push their little materialistic holiday in my face and call it “Winter break,” aren’t I entitled to taking the damned holiday off? That is all.
Christmas is just a Christian adaptation of pagan traditions… you take away the story about Jesus and Mary and the angel and American consumerism and you still have a nice time of year where you put others before yourself and see your family.
I’m an atheist, but I still celebrate the holiday season and plan to continue to take December 25th off. Its just a time to get together with my entire family, have a nice meal, sit around the fire, have a good conversation… I don’t run around praising Jesus so I don’t see it as hypocrisy. All these Christians just need to get over it.
Also…does anyone bloody realize that the holiday surrounding Christmas was a pagan holiday? It was adopted by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 A.D.
So, put that in your pipe and smoke it.
no, because although one may not practice a religion that is associated with the “holidays” does not mean we dont have the right to take time off to be share time with loved ones. that mentality of saying others should feel guilty for taking time off seems very unchristian to me.
no
I’m agnostic and I still celebrate Christmas. o__O
I’m not Christian and I’m not celebrating the birth of Christ, but if I wanna swap presents and be merry, who’s gonna stop me?
Just because they may not believe, doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t love them, so enjoy the day!
Hypocrite? Probably. But luckily hypocrisy isn’t a sin or anything. I don’t think an atheist or agnostic who is proven wrong would be so guilty as to kill themselves over their beliefs.
ok, put it this way. what if non Jews took yom kippur off?
I don’t know any businesses that are open on Christmas anyway.
Slightly. Also, the Jehovah’s Witnesses who supposedly dont celebrate the holidays but are ok with not working on them. My daughter’s daycare is run by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Do you know they were closed Thursday AND Friday, dispite how they dont celebrate holidays? Also, we have some extended family who are supposedly Jehovah’s Witnesses. But, we still see them @ every family holiday dinner. Faithfully holding a plate. That just bothers me that you can just use your religion to your advantage whenever you want to but disregard it @ other times.
I mentioned this in the blog about whether xmas was offensive.
As for: “No, Christmas is hardly about Christ now anyway”
It is the “non-Christians” like herself that make it that way.
Well, December 25th sure as shit wasn’t when Jesus was born.
“No, Christmas is hardly about Christ now anyway”
Well, not in this house…and not in MANY homes in this world. Maybe Christ has been taken out of Christmas in the media and retail industry, but I think it’s horrible to say that He is no longer in this day.
No. It’s not wrong for them to take the day off. You don’t have to be Christian to value family time.
I’m still stunned people are tieing the birth of Christ to Christmas…they aren’t the same day.
No it is not hypocritical.
My employer already makes that decision for me.
Nope. Christmas is still a holiday for athiests, they just celebrate it for different reasons.
Dan could you please point this out to people? So many people don’t seem to understand this. Jesus was not born in December. -.-
Since it’s technically a federal holiday, and almost every business is closed, you might as well take the day off
It is a national holiday that is very difficult to avoid. Everything closes. I couldn’t get into my building if I wanted to.
I do think it is possible to avoid the immersing of yourself in all the other trappings, by not running up an outlandish debt in the name of Jesus. By wishing people Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. That sort of thing. Of course there are those who would, in the name of Jesus, cram that religious greeting down non-Christian throats just to be mean spirited.
There are holidays of other religions that also fall around this time of year. As much as they hate to admit it, Christians really don’t own the season. According to my daughter, who researched the subject for an article, there are more than 50 different religious holidays in the winter months alone.
Does the fact one is not Mexican mean that you cannot lift a margarita with your friends on Cinco de Mayo?
Does the fact one is not Irish mean that you cannot celebrate St. Pattys, or have cornned beef, cabbage, and green beer?
I have a friend who has chosen to make Christmas a celebration of children. Each child is a symbol of hope and faith in the future. Just as Christians chose to give pagan holidays Christian interpretations, she has chosen to take Christian holidays and give them meanings and symbolism of her own. I guess that’s the “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach.
As an Atheist, I take Christmas off as I would any other holidy. I observe Verterans day even as I’ve never served in the military or know anyone who has. As a kid I celebrated Halloween even when I weren’t a pagan. A lot of my observance of Christmas as a holiday is going with the flow (when no one else works, why should I?) and as a cultural phenomenon (happy gift giving, having egg nog lattes).
What I don’t is celebrate Christmas as religious event. I don’t attend church. I don’t praise any lord’s birth.
LarsThunder was imprudent in his point.
I wouldn’t mind working on Christmas, but I’d expect to be paid overtime, because help is short on that day, not because I would rather be celebrating.
Spacey1: why can’t SOME atheists celebrate Christmas as a cultural holiday, but others think differently? Some Christians believe that women shouldn’t be in the clergy, some believe that they should. Atheists are even more different as a group- in philosophy, culture, and outlook on life. Why should there be a “set of rules”??? That’s stupid.
Unfortunately it isn’t all that Christian anymore. I wish that it was.
Besides, if would be hard to go to work if the office was closed, now wouldn’t it?
And there are holidays that everyone gets off that might not mean that much to them . . . . Though, some of them are ones we probably should care more about than we do!
Do you think it’s wrong for Theists to mock Jesus’s birth by telling their kids about Santa and selfishly buying gifts they could have used the money to by a cross with?
the funny thing in this whole process is I hate how commercialized this season gets and how exploited it becomes. Atheists, agnostics and the like are always saying that religion is shoved down their throat, yet when asked about a religious holiday (that came from a pagan holiday that became a federal holiday that got eaten up by Hallmark, which doesn’t really honor the birthday of the person it is suppose to celebrate in the first place.), it’s okay to take it because it isn’t about religion.
I don’t care if it started as a pagan holiday, that it was founded by witchdoctors or is all about presents, the day would never have become as celebrated as it is if it had remained a pagan holiday. The federal government would have never declared it a holiday if it would have remained a pagan ritual. Since Christmas has the religious affiliation that it has, we all (most of we all, I know at least five Christians who will be working on that day because the world can’t live without gas stations for even 24 hours.) get a day to celebrate.
Oh, and for the record, I know plenty of Jewish people who take both the Jewish holidays off as well as the Christian ones.
Funny, because there’s only two/three people who have specifically mentioned the holiday that Christmas was originally.
Saturnalia.
You know, a pagan holiday.
That being said, there are also obvious benefits to celebrating Christmas: the presents.
As well as that, well, we’re sorta forced into the holiday tradition, if, not by our friends, peers, and coworkers, then by the TV and the government.
So, no, it would not be hypocritical.
No, because Christmas is also about Santa and presents and fun.
I’d like to say this: to the Christians out there who claim non-Christians have hijacked the holiday…Christmas is what you make it. If you celebrate it as the birth of Christ, then you do. That’s what it is to you. It’s just that commercial Christmas is more…commercialized. Don’t place the blame on others.
Yes. But just like “turkey day” they can call christmas a snow day, winter vacation or something. But then again, we are all hypocritical in some way. We’re not perfect.
Wow. I really want to punch that asshole commenter in the face. What a douche bag.
Shit, even if I was an atheist, I would take the day off just to have the day off. The holiday is too exploited anyway. man, there is no escaping it. So many people have their beliefs twisted anyway.
No. Honestly, who even celebrates it as a religious holiday anymore?
LarsThunder
Atheists, agnostics and the like are always saying that religion is shoved down their throat, yet when asked about a religious holiday …it’s okay to take it because it isn’t about religion.
Several points:
1.) Not every Atheist/agnostic claims that “religion is shoved down their throat.” So your claim of being hypocritical, as argued, would only apply to some atheists/angostics and not to others.
2.) Religious holidays like Christmas or Easter are multifaceted. The atheist or agnostic could be indifferent about the religious aspects, but enjoy the fun of their secularizations. It’s not as if every atheist is morally obligated to stay far far away from all thoughts and mention of religion.
In the same sense, I’m sure you and other Christians have treak-or-treated before. I don’t think anyone would seriously consider you and others like you hypocritical in your faith.
3.) There is a difference between seperation between church and state (the idea that there ought not be an involuntary exposure to religion in the public square) and voluntary observance of a day with only a religious tinge. Because of this important and obvious difference, there is no clash in ideas and no hypocriticalness.
I’m not a vetran and I take Vetran’s day off…….
It’s a day off. Don’t people have something more important to complain about?
no. a day off is a day off
I take any holiday I can get. I don’t think atheists (or others) are hypocritical for taking Christmas off. I take Labor Day off, and I have no interest in any association that it has with labor unions.
Not really.
But…why should that make agnostics hypocritical? I can understand atheists, but…hmmm
Yes I do!!
Hmm, if it weren’t called christmas, what would we call it? “Let’s send MAHZ presents” or “Let’s have another bowl of honey nut cheerios to honor the MAHZ”. I’m good with either really. Now bow before me.
Haha I’m glad my parents don’t feel that way. I’d be stuck in my room while the rest of my family celebrated. Sucks!
Oh, come on. Some people who aren’t Christians probably still want to hang out with their families. And even if they don’t, I’m sure they’re up for a day off. I mean, even people who don’t like Columbus would take Columbus day off, if it was offered to them, right?
I wish I could work on christmas! I’d get double-time and a half.
but my site is closed. -shrug-
I get really confused by this, cause as a christian, I always have to work the holidays. Not because it is a law at work, but because everyone else is gone and that is when my shift falls.
Last year my Jewish co worker took Christmas off. Hmm, Is religion only practiced when it is suitable.
Absolutely. And I plan on calling the ACLU (Anti-Christian Liberties Union) on Christmas Day, just to make sure they are all present (no pun intended) and accounted for.
No, absolutely not. I’m an atheist, and I celebrate Christmas…it’s not about religious beliefs in my family, it’s more of a social and cultural tradition…we have a tree, have a big dinner (2 actually, Christmas Eve at my grandparents’, and Christmas at my house), give gifts, play in the snow (if there is some), watch movies, spend time together, etc. I agree with the person who said it’s not really about Christ now. It’s so normal in the American culture to celebrate it, and hardly anyone I know celebrates it for religious reasons, and I know some pretty hardcore fundamentalist Christians.
I disagree.
Reason being, we take off for other holidays…well some people try to at least. Take Veterans’ Day. Were we all vets? I think not…
Not really hypocrisy if you’re work is closed on that day…you don’t have a choice…agnostic, atheist, or anything else.
*yawn*
i get credits even when i yawn on your site, dan … yippee!
Well, you also have to think about where you work. Almost all major businesses are closed on Christmas, so it might not neccessarily be your fault for taking off. You’re of course not going to go into work if your whole office is shut down, so in that sense it’s not hypocritical.
Most people take 12/25 off because their job gives it to them plain and simple. They aren’t given a choice. Who’s going to look a gift horse in the mouth? Give me a break. Of course atheists and agnostics will take 12/25 off! Should they go to their bosses and complain that they want to work more because they aren’t religious? That’s absurd.
Also, even if you aren’t religious, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to interact with/support those who you know who are religious and who do celebrate 12/25. Why not give everyone the same day off so that they can be with their family? Separating and letting everyone pick their day off would be harder for businesses to manage AND would result in less happy workers. So treating 12/25 as a universal holiday and a religious holiday at the same time is a win/win situation.
Well, the atheist doctrine spells out that there is no power greater than #1. Thus, the highest goal is to make #1 happy, wealthy, etc., and if taking a day off from work does that — and is sanctioned by the government — then it’s not hypocritical.
i’m actually a little nervous about christmas this year because it will be my first atheist christmas, and i haven’t told my parents about my change in religious beliefs yet.
but no, i don’t think that it is hypocritical because the whole holiday has become extremely secular and it’s a federal holiday.
I have a feeling that many companies are not set up to have some employees work and some not. If they say it is a vacation day, then it IS a vacation day. Enjoy the free time. I celeberate many holidays all year round. Because of my job, I do not always get THEE day off. I have adjusted and celebrate when I can and how I can. I happen to think St. Paddy’s Day, Hanukah and Cinco de Mayo, oh yes, and Earth Day, all ought to be celebrated by having a day off, but no one is listening to me.
I think the important thing for Christians is to remember WHY we celebrate and it shouldn’t be just a one day thing. We can celebrate any day and give thanks to God for sending His Son to live among us. That is an easy thing to do. We don’t need to be doormats, but we do need to realize that we carry Christ at all times – so LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!
Eh, yes and no.
Yes, because if you don’t believe in God and the birth of Jesus, you shouldn’t get a day off to celebrate it.
No, because I’d find it really super unfair if one of my friends got a day off from school to celebrate something I didn’t even believe in.
There’s gotta be some reciprocation here.
some people celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and some don’t
some people celebrate the synthetic materialistic world
some people celebrate the coming together of people
some people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world
It’s all about love……..
It is not hypocritical at all to take the day off. You probably don’t want to be at work in the first place. I am a Christian, I have not always been………..I believe it would be hypocritical for me to tell someone who does not believe in Christ that they had to work. And I do realize that Christmas was not originally a Christian holiday…….to me it is not even the most important, I know that may tick some folks off, but the whole basis of the Christian faith is the fact that Christ died for our sins…..which is what we celebrate at Easter, that kind of overshadows Christmas…..though I know he first had to be born.
I think that everyone can celebrate christmas these days… to me christmas is for kids, for me anymore, it is just another day………
Not really. Most agnostic atheists have no choice as the boss forces them to take the day off.
Nope.
I wouldn’t go to work on Arbor Day if my company observed it as a holiday. I wouldn’t plant a tree either.
It’s not hypocritical. It’s boring for atheists, and agnostics, as well as other non-Christians. You CAN’T go to work because it’s closed. You can’t go shopping because the stores are closed. You can’t go to the bank because it’s closed. And on and on.
“Atheists and Agnostics need to get together and make a set of rules and follow them.”
What if they became Atheists and Agnostics because they didn’t want to follow a standard set of rules?
I think it’s okay for atheists and agnostics to take the day off on Christmas. They may not see it as celebrating Christ’s birth, but I think a lot of people who celebrate don’t necessarily do it with the Christian meaning. Even without the Christian meaning, it’s seen as a day to spend with family. I see it as meaning different things to different people. If Christians want to celebrate Jesus’ birth, there’s nothing wrong with that. If other people see it as a time to celebrate other things, it doesn’t take away the Christian meaning for the Christians. Or at least it shouldn’t.
I’m Christian but I don’t think it’s wrong. I mean, it’s nice for everyone to celebrate and have time to meet family and friends.
Yeah… kind of hard to not ‘take the day off’ when your place of employment is closed.
I guess whoever wrote that wants atheists and agnostics to make a public stink and sue everyone and for not ‘allowing’ them to work on a day they don’t need off for religious reasons. In fact, fuck atheists, they can work Sundays too. They don’t need a ‘day of rest,’ since they don’t have a God that told them to take one.
…Yeah.
“Christmas is about giving. You can celebrate the holiday and take the “Christ” factor out”
Except that the original “gift” was Christ himself, given by God. Whether you acknowledge that or not, it’s still the reason we celebrate.
in singapore we take days off for other race’s holidays. i’m chinese but i get holidays for indian and malay occasions.
Non-Christians have turned Christmas into a commercial holiday to justify their celebration of that day. To them, Christmas has become a celebration of colored lights, fiction characters, trees, and presents.
i just think it adds to the fact that christmas is less focused on Christ nowadays.
No, that’s ridiculous.
I guess no white person should take off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day either huh?
DUH. It’s a Federal Holiday. If your work let’s you off for it…too bad to those who don’t like it. Want to get mad about something? Get mad about all the people WHO DO have to work on this day instead of being home with their family.
No, Christmas is a cultural celebration and a commercial event in this capitalistic society. I don’t see that it has anything to do with religion.
I do think given the circumstances surrounding Christmas – the undeniable fact that it was a pagan festival labeled with Christianity to make it popular during a sweep of conversion of the atheists and that the Jesus myth hypothesis such that the figure of Christ is seen as an ahistorical construct of
various forms of ancient mythology, and that there was no historical
Christ, and thus no birth suggests that even Christians shouldn’t celebrate Christmas.
In fact, under this guise, only the agnostic or atheist should celebrate it.
Absolutely not, that is the beauty of holidays. It doesn’t matter if it is only a religious holiday to some people, everyone can have the day off. My husband, who is agnostic, takes the day off because he understands that it is important to spend time with his Christian family on a day that is special to them even if he in particular is not religious.
Unless you’re self-employed, most (if not all) companies and business are closed December 25th. And hell, any extra day I’m off work is a good day for me!
And adding on to my above post – if all eight days of Chanukah were mandatory vacation time, we wouldn’t see any of you complaining about it.
Is everyone who celebrates Halloween a Pagan? Didn’t think so.
Christmas is no longer a celebration of Christ, but a celebration of giving – in all cultures regardless of whether or not you are Christian. So, celebrate away and have the day off!
No, that is the stupidest point of veiw I have ever heard. If I called into work ssaying I wasn’t going to come in that day, and the date happened to be May 5th, does that make me Mexican, and mean the I MUST be celebrating Cinco de Mayo? Of course not! What an idiot….
no
Christmas is now a commercial holiday. The aspect of Christmas that atheists/agnostics(like myself) or non-Christians celebrate, is buying presents. That’s it. If anything it’s a corporate thing. And Jesus wasn’t even born on the 25th Dec. That’s already recognized by most biblical scholars and theologians. Fucking Christians ::shakes head::
Yes although most places are closed on Christmas Day and I don’t know who would actually need to call off for the day. But that would be like a Catholic calling off of work for a Jewish holiday, just wouldn’t make sense.
Ugh, there you see, if you’re religious, you must be justified in announcing what others can or can’t do. If I take my day off, I am doing so because I don’t care whether or not I get paid for working that day. If I decide to work it’s because I need the money or don’t want to risk losing my job. It has absolutely nothing to do with some holiday loosely affiliated with a character in a book.
I think we all deserve to LIVE the wonderful life we have been given; PLEASE enjoy with all your heart. I mean….I am a Christian, but God loves you…and you can enjoy that other people are celebrating that they feel goodness came into the world and we should emulate Him in the ways of peace. WOW. That is WORTH celebrating! love in this season……you are loved
nope, seeing as december 25th started out as Yule, an entirely pagan holiday, and it was simply christian-ized, much like Easter. plus, to many people (like me) christmas is simply a day of good will, good food, and family, not just about Jesus (although, i do go to church with relatives, so i can share the tradition and take away some things about morality and charity, if nothing spiritual).
haha, no. Because even if you aren’t Christian, what if your family is? So is it like saying, you can’t take off time to spend it with your family because you are not the same religion as them? no.
that’s how it is with my family.
I am not a Christian, however I get the day off because the majority of people around here are Christian….they’re not going to exclude me out because I am not Christian, it’s a day for everyone to take off and enjoy the company of family.
many non Jews take the Sabbath off from work… somehow i don’t see the point in worrying about it… let the atheists do what they’re going to do anyways
The true heroes of America are not the sport stars or the overpaid movie stars. They are not the jocks or the geeks or any of those people. No, the true heroes of America are the emo kids sitting in your own classrooms. Don’t believe me? It’s true, as I will prove. First of all, it’s no secret that not anyone can be emo. Nonconformity is difficult to achieve and most kids just don’t have the knack for it. I mean, it’s nearly impossible to dress in emo clothes and not be harrassed. And everyone knows the difficult lives emo kids lead. A lot of my emo friends have parents that just don’t understand them and are often overlooked by the other kids at school because of how they dress. But us emo kids put up with it all. What we do takes a lot of emotional strength and our originality can make some people angry. Emo kids, particularly emo guys, are often called faggots because we aren’t into sports. We’re considered weaker than the jocks. Ha! That’s a laugh! Those jocks couldn’t last a day in the lives of an emo kid. If you’re parents didn’t understand you, if you weren’t good at sports, and if you were a little moody you’d probably understand the effort it takes not to conform. I’m often told that if I just stopped wearing all the black and got a decent haircut I could actually pass for normal. But I don’t want to be normal. Me and my emo friends aren’t just like any other kids. I’m trying to spread the emo kid message around in hopes of enlightening the anti-emokid people of this world. I like to think of us emo kids as like the slaves of hundreds of years ago, beaten, starved, and oppressed, but with an undying hope and willingness to survive whatever life throws at us. Our MyChemicalRomance music is, in a way, similar to the songs the slaves used to sing to eachother. You see, those slaves were heroes just like today’s emo kids are heroes. And I really hope that people will come to understand that emo kids are incredible people, really. We’re mentally strong and our originality raises us above the other teenagers. We are the true heroes of America!
I think Christmas has really lost its meaning. It’s such a good time of the year anywhere, Christian or not.
I consider myself a Secular Humanist/Pastafarian/Atheist, have you. I still love Christmas. I submerse myself in the spirit of Christmas, not the meaning.
Just because Christ-mas seems to have lost it’s spiritual significance due to the secularization of the holiday by non believers does not mean it’s lost it’s true meaning…the 25th day of December will forever point back to the birth of Christ no matter how much they try & cover it up & turn into just another holi-day…for atheists & agnostics & non believers to participate by taking the time off does show their hypocrisy.
Show your employers your true dedication by showing up to work & doing your duty on Christ-mas day.
To Christians the day is far more than just gifts, family & movies…it’s about remembrance of Christ who came & died for mankind.
It’s really a no brainer…Jesus is the reason for the season fools.
A “true” agnostic and atheist would want to take it away from the rest of us too
.
I say a day off is a day off. If they ever make a holiday for Richard Dawkins, I’ll gladly celebrate by sitting at home and reading G. K. Chesterton.
My immediate family members are agnostic and atheist, respectively. We celebrate Christmas as a family holiday and a celebration of giving. We have a tree and open presents, but we also try to give and remind ourselves that we are very, very lucky.
No, it isn’t.
Great question…..Naaaaaah. I’d take off any day if they’d let me.
HA! that’s an awesome way of thinking!
Of course, this is coming from the person who has instituted “fresh air breaks” at work because I’m one of the very few people there who doesn’t smoke… and so for every smoking break the smokers get, I take a fresh air break too. I think that these holidays are no longer recognized as religious holidays… which is sad.
seems a little bit of a silly question since the 25th of december is significant in more than one religion. the christmas tree itself stems from a pagan belief.
i was raised christian,i’m not, i still see it as a time of giving. that is all. who are you to tell me which holidays i should or should not celebrate?
Our MyChemicalRomance music is, in a way, similar to the songs the slaves used to sing to eachother.
you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. you’re comparing your “plight” to that of the slaves???????????
i have no words.
No silly because it is Mithra’s birthday. Just because Paul needed to sucker the pagans into Christianity and the early church council decided to make Jesus birthday the same as Mithra’s does not make December 25th reserved for “Jesus”. I am agnostic and could care less if it is sweaty monkey balls day as long as I get a paid holiday. Maybe you should focus on the christmas tree because I am sure that is needed to celebrate “Jesus”
Jeremiah 10:2-4
2Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.