So, I know I’ve been off the radar for a while and I apologize. Getting caught up in life I suppose. With Christmas coming I, like most people, have been busy preparing and trying to get things organized before we head off to visit our respective families. One of which, as you know, is Mormon. Seriously Mormon. As in NO booze, NO coffee, NO tea. I am already dreading a Christmas morning without a hot cup of coffee in my hand not to mention the family tradition of having french food without any wine. Any respectable french person would cringe at the thought of raclette, cheeses and fresh bread without a drop of Bordeaux. Despite what many believe, Martenelli’s does not cut it. Ever.
Christmas can be a divisive time of year for the atheist community (if you can even call it that). Some people believe strongly that we should make a point of shunning all things Christ-like, ban the word “Christmas” all together and use the season as an opportunity for religion-bashing. Others see Christmas as they do every other time of year…as an opportunity to deny their true feelings about religion and remain cloaked and quaking in the closet of atheistic anonymity. I like to think I fall somewhere in the middle. I use the word Christmas. I also use the word holidays. Or Xmas when I’m writing informally. I have a tree and I do the gift thing and while I refuse to put up a manger or put an angel on the top of my tree I don’t go out of my way to be a Jesus scrooge. Except for the few opportunities I had to replace baby jesus with a donkey in the nativity scene. Can you really blame me?
It’s always a tough call for me…do you make a point and say something or just let it slide. Always staying quiet makes me complicit in the ridiculousness that is faith. Always saying something makes me the asshole nobody wants to hang out with. Guess you have to pick your battles. So, I will close my mouth but not my eyes at Christmas dinner when we pray and I will refrain from pointing out that “Hey! Those wise men are all black! WTF?!” and I might even capitulate and sit nicely while we read the Christmas story as long it gets called a story and not a Christmas fact. But I’m bringing a go-cup and I’m making instant coffee in the microwave on Christmas morning and at least then the general climate of hypocrisy might be overtaken by the smooth aroma of a dark roast assaulting the virgin nostrils of my in-laws.
Merry Christmas XMas WTF is wrong with you people? A Virgin birth? A star guiding some wise men who are so WISE that they walk around following stars? A manger which “scientists” now claim was actually a cave in a futile and weird attempt to legitimize the story?
Ummm…peace out.
Hi! I’m glad to know I’m not alone in the feeling. I’m a new mom and the whole holiday issue is driving me crazy.
I’m an atheist with no issues celebrating Christmas/christ story. Here’s why: all holidays/occasions have forgotten origins. I mean, think about Valentine’s or St. Patrick’s for just another religious example. Almost no one can tell you a thing about ol’ martyr Valentine, and no one I know forbids their non-Catholic children to bring valentines to school for all their classmates. It goes the other way too: how many people can tell you the noble, pacifist origins of Mother’s Day? Few. There could be a time six hundred years from now where people will say, “Well, originally this holiday had a story about three wise men bringing gifts…” I figure we’re just on the way to that. I celebrate holidays I like: Christmas, Halloween, etc. and I totally avoid the ones I hate, Valentine’s Day chief among them, and I never get bogged down in the so-called religious meaning of them any more than I would get bogged down in thinking about horses when I drive a car. Merry Christmas!
I don’t see anything wrong either with celebrating “Christmas”. What the heck do presents, family dinners and decorating a Christmas tree (which BTW, it’s origins are pagan ones celebrating a frutiful harvest in Germany) have to do with the birth of Christ? Nothing. But I will continue to let my in-laws think otherwise to keep the peace. I like the festivities every year but I also don’t go to church to celebrate the birth of Christ b/c it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. A virgin birth? Are you kidding me? Plus I’m not sure Jesus’ idea of Christianity is quite what is practiced today. You had to convert to Judaism before you could be considered a Chrstian right after Jesus’ death. I don’t think any Christians today know the slightest about the Jewish religion ( nor do I). The whole thing is just completely weird. Christmas for most people I know is just a celebration with family(meal & gifts) and a quick trip (if any) to church to make sure they get their “goin to Heaven” credits in. I concur w/Linda that most holidays today have lost their original intent. Luckily, I get to take a pass on the quick trip to church ( although I know some in my extended family would like me to go just to make nice)..