You people don't still get Christmas presents do you? I figure now that my mom has declared she's an atheist I can save the drama every year of finding her a decent gift.

Let me know.

2/4/2006 4:36:50 PM

The ones I know do b/c they just view it as a family holiday thing. Doesn't make sense to me but whatever.

2/4/2006 4:43:59 PM

I see Christmas as just another cultural tradition really. A time of giving is always a good thing.

2/4/2006 4:47:23 PM

christmas is also a secular holiday.

2/4/2006 4:50:44 PM

then why the fuck do atheists bitch at christmas?

2/4/2006 4:53:29 PM

I think the Happy Holidays is meant for Jews and Muslims more than atheists

2/4/2006 5:06:05 PM

i'm not talking about that part

2/4/2006 5:08:16 PM

Quote :

"then why the fuck do atheists bitch at christmas?"

Some people just need a reason to bitch. Christmas is as good a reason as any other.

2/4/2006 5:11:48 PM

if you prove that jesus was born on or anywhere kinda close to december 25th - or that christmas even originated from anything having to do with christianity - then you can stop giving gifts - in the meantime - do some research

2/4/2006 5:13:48 PM

What a stupid fucking thread.

2/4/2006 5:14:37 PM

Quote :

"if you prove that jesus was born on or anywhere kinda close to december 25th - or that christmas even originated from anything having to do with christianity - then you can stop giving gifts - in the meantime - do some research"

DINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDING

2/4/2006 5:39:44 PM

^^^ mega pwnt

Quote :

"What a stupid fucking thread."

2/4/2006 6:56:30 PM

i think this was more of a bait than an actual question

2/4/2006 7:00:36 PM

Hmmm, I never get anyone anything for Christmas or any other holiday. Holidays are just an excuse to waste money.

2/4/2006 7:02:29 PM

How socialist of you

2/4/2006 7:06:09 PM

Quote :

"I figure now that my mom has declared she's an atheist I can save the drama every year of finding her a decent gift."

what a douchebag

2/4/2006 7:19:29 PM

i give presents on Christmas for the same reason i don't kill every motherfucker i see

it's a societal norm

2/4/2006 7:25:33 PM

Quote :

"Woodfoot: i think this was more of a bait than an actual question"

why do you hate freedom?

2/4/2006 8:04:55 PM

just celebrate consumeristmas, and you'll be fine

2/4/2006 9:53:06 PM

Sure, I still get Christmas presents. They're as meaningless as birthday presents to me, but it's a social/family thing if nothing else.

Congrats to your mom.

2/4/2006 10:02:19 PM

Quote :

"Atheists: answer a question for me You people don't still get Christmas presents do you? I figure now that my mom has declared she's an atheist I can save the drama every year of finding her a decent gift. Let me know."

OMF "YOU PEOPLE"? WHAT DO YOU MEAN "YOU PEOPLE"??????/

But seriously, isn't the tradition of Christmas gifts a tradition of giving, not one of receiving? As long as you're the one celebrating Christmas, you should be the one giving presents, right?

I suspect that many Atheists choose to celebrate Christmas simply because they feel like it; while others choose not to. Although, the same thing could be said about Christians....

[Edited on February 4, 2006 at 10:51 PM. Reason : ]

2/4/2006 10:50:29 PM

Ask her if she still celebrates Capitalistmas.

2/5/2006 12:04:17 AM

ok, i'll bite. i'm basically an atheist (except when around actual atheists, then i'm a 'militant agnostic'. but never mind all that.)

and i exchange christmas presents with my family, who are largely southern baptist.

because christmas is a secular holiday an excuse to take time off work and spend it with one's family, all the while spending obscene amounts of money on consumer products, and eating enough food to sustain a third world village for a month.

any religious aspect has been been tossed out the door. nevet mind the fact that we all know the whole Christmas story is a big lie anyhow, invented by the Roman Catholics to try and assimilate their pagan countrymen.

to illustrate my point, many churches around the country cancelled their sunday services this past Dec 25 because of Christmas. of course people were just too busy with travelling, visiting, opening presents and eating food, to be bothered with going to some boring old church service.

2/5/2006 12:26:51 AM

i said "to illustrate my point", so here's the illustration:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/149/31.0.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-06-christmas-churches_x.htm
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051218/NEWS01/512180382
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051205/NEWS0104/512050386
http://www.prattvilleprogress.com/NEWS/storyPPchurch24w.htm

you get the point.

2/5/2006 12:34:53 AM

Quote :

"except when around actual atheists, then i'm a 'militant agnostic'."

que?

2/5/2006 12:37:30 AM

Quote :

"que?"

militant agnostic = "I dont know and neither do you. You can't prove motherfuckin shit"



[Edited on February 5, 2006 at 12:42 AM. Reason : ]

2/5/2006 12:41:12 AM

Quote :

"any religious aspect has been been tossed out the door"

No. Maybe some churches are doing that, but don't add all Christians into that assumption. Regardless of how the date came to be Christmas, I observe it as a representation of the birthdate of Jesus. We also don't have proof that it wasn't His real birthdate.

I don't currently go to church because I haven't found one that I've felt to be "real" but I still pray and read the story.

2/5/2006 12:50:08 AM

Moms are easy to shop for - perfume, candles, jewelry, lotion, etc. Dads on the other hand - woosh

2/5/2006 3:56:16 AM

well i'm not atheist, i'm agnostic, but christmas isn't christian anyway, only misguidedly. But the answer is hell yes i get christmas presents, I just don't go to church.

2/5/2006 10:02:34 AM

Hey Christians: answer a question for me

You people don't celebrate Thanksgiving do you? I figure that by now you realize that Thanksgiving is a completely manufactured and arbitrary date and holiday. Since you must know that an "original thanksgiving" never took place on the last thursday of November, I can only figure that you must just view it as a family holiday thing. Doesn't make sense to me, but whatever.



[Edited on February 5, 2006 at 10:19 AM. Reason : s]

2/5/2006 10:11:11 AM

Quote :

" Since you must know that an "original thanksgiving" never took place on the lastthird thursday of November..."

...been finding that Thanksgiving dinner table a little empty for the last few years, have ya?

2/5/2006 11:47:53 AM

and i thought my family had gone atheist

2/5/2006 11:53:07 AM

Quote :

"We also don't have proof that it wasn't His real birthdate. "

hahahahaahahahahahahaahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

2/5/2006 12:05:45 PM

omg its bad enough to capitalise "He" but to try and make a case, however weak, that dec. 25th is jeebuz's actual birthdate....

goddamn. move this thread to chitchat

2/5/2006 12:07:30 PM

Anyone notice that I capitalized Atheist?
I do that just to annoy the kind of people who capitalize He/His/Him......

2/5/2006 12:12:57 PM

Wow, that sure is clever of you.

2/5/2006 12:15:32 PM

Wow, that sure is clever of you.

2/5/2006 12:27:28 PM

Wow, that sure Is clever of You.

2/5/2006 12:32:35 PM

I see what You did There.

2/5/2006 12:35:29 PM

Christmas isn't just a Chistian holiday. Much to the dismay of the fanatical Christians/pundits.

2/5/2006 1:58:20 PM

you are all turrrists...

2/5/2006 2:03:47 PM

good thing you dont have to deal with all that egg shit on easter now.

[Edited on February 5, 2006 at 2:08 PM. Reason : and you wont have to worry about your mom getting drunk on Cinco De Mayo any more.]

2/5/2006 2:07:56 PM

Quote :

"if you prove that jesus was born on or anywhere kinda close to december 25th - or that christmas even originated from anything having to do with christianity - then you can stop giving gifts - in the meantime - do some research"

Right, and we have to celebrate all holidays on exact dates rather than just choosing one...like Presidents Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Mothers Day.

They must be on the exact fucking day of something...

2/5/2006 3:09:38 PM

MLK Day is on his birthday

and President's day is on I believe three president's birthdays

Mother's day is an invented holiday.

2/5/2006 3:19:15 PM

Quote :

"You people don't still get Christmas presents do you? I figure now that my mom has declared she's an atheist I can save the drama every year of finding her a decent gift."

For the same reason you have a pagan christmas tree in your living room, because we've adopted it as a part of the society around us, not necessarily a part of our personal beliefs.

2/5/2006 3:20:31 PM

i put the tree up for religious reasons. it represents the stick that is up everyone's ass when it comes to xmas, especially in the media.

2/5/2006 4:09:56 PM

^^
you left out the pagan wreaths and pagan mistletoe

[Edited on February 5, 2006 at 4:33 PM. Reason : and pagan candy canes]

2/5/2006 4:33:06 PM

this is a dumb thread

2/5/2006 4:44:57 PM

I don't know why people bitch about Christmas, frankly. (I'm an atheist.)

While all the Biblethumping gets annoying, ALOT of religions have festivals of some sort around the winter and/or summer solstices, so whatever. As for the trees, well, that's a European pagan thing. *shrug*

2/5/2006 8:20:17 PM

I swear, before next Christmas I'm dressing in fatigues and heading to the malls with clearly fake toy guns to do my part in the war on Christmas. Hopefully I can assemble a whole platoon and we'll be able to bring those sons of bitches down.

"It's better to give than receive."

I mean seriously. What kind of commie shit is that? We've gotta stop Christmas before it's too late!!!1

[Edited on February 5, 2006 at 11:07 PM. Reason : .............punch and pie]

2/5/2006 11:07:10 PM