Christian complaints about secularists "taking Christ out of Christmas" has become a popular rallying cry for Christian Nationalists and their phony "War on Christmas." Religious conservatives frequently lament that liberals are taking Christianity out of Christmas, but should Christianity even be in Christmas in the first place? Some Christians say that it shouldn't and their position used to be much more common than it is now. Maybe it's a sign of the influence of modern culture that things have changed so much.
Read Article: Keep Christ Out of X-Mas: Christ Doesn't Belong in Christmas, Make Christmas a Chris-tless X-Mas
Yeah, Austin…here we go…again…
with all the BS regarding Christmas/Xmas/Santa…or…does it all derive from a very long trail of “Sun god” mythological origins; ending with today’s insane wrangling; in our ‘mixed bag’ materialist/religious…delusional…fanaticism?
Here’s one YouTube take by “Acharya S” on the whole matter; which I think is worth a serious look…albeit…again?
“The Reason for the Season…”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRcCEZflIP4
Well they are just flat-out lying. It’s the Christians who have taken Christ out of Christmas when they started the hog-wild shopping sprees to spoil their kids rotten and turn it into a worship of Mammon which is a false idol. If you look at the history of Christmas, you will find that it was the MERCHANTS who first started with the idea and ran with it. They found that they could make money with it! It’s those same pious idiots who claim godliness and then act like heathens and turn their backs on the things of GOD. And it was back in those days that their ‘slavish’ workers would be starting to get discontented around that time in the season, that they proclaimed a holiday and allowed them so much alcohol to drink and allowed them to celebrate. It’s bogus alright.
What would this holiday be like if the three wise men had just come to worship the baby Jesus rather than bringing gifts? Utterly amazing how one snippet of a verse in the Bible can influence human history.
Even most Christian scholars now admit that the date of the celebration of the Nativity was taken from a Pagan observance. As for where is the Mass in X-Mass, the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox churches do celebrate a “Midnight Mass” late on Christmas Eve. These services usually begin sometime between 10 and 11 p.m. and end after midnight, so they distribute their first Christmas communion of Christmas on Christmas morning. I use to be Episcopalian, and generally went to Midnight Mass. Anyway, it is is a really big deal in these liturgical churches, but all myth and much pagentry.
What is “X-mas”, anyway? I just call it “Yule”.
Okay first thing is first…Christians are the ones that want to keep Christ in Christmas and honestly it doesn’t matter what atheists think or any other religion. Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. If you don’t like our Christmas get your own holiday and celebrate it…leave our CHRISTmas alone.
First, how are you going to kick a man out of HIS own birth celebration. Second how is Christmas not Christ oriented. Look at the name CHRISTmas! Thats like saying, “Hey lets take BURGER out of BurgerKing because it doesn’t belong! That’s stupid why was BurgerKing made, to sell burgers. Why was CHRISTmas made, to celebrate CHRIST coming into earth. Plus if you do your research CHRIST of course means Jesus the Christ and mas comes from the Greek Word MASS or in other words church. So Christmas means “Christ’s Church, meaning it no other religion’s holiday, including Atheist. So find your own, if you want to be in our (Christians) party, then abide by our rules. Justin Out! Oh Yeah and Merry CHRISTmas!!!!
If Jesus shows up, I’ll give him cake.
Because there is little if any Christ or even Christianity in how Christmas is celebrated today.
Do you go to Mass on Christmas? It is, after all, ChristMAS. If you can take the Mass out of it — and most Christians have — then it’s easy to drop Christ as well.
No, it’s the mass celebration — the celebration of the eucharist.
It cracks me up to watch Xians spin about defending pagan holidays.
If Christians want to “put the Christ back in Christmas”, they can start by keeping their Christ out of Yule/Saturnalia/Dies Natalis Solis Invicti celebrations. That means no decorated fir trees, no gift giving from that “jolly old elf”, no holiday parties, and no more houses decorated with lights to herald the birth of the sun (not a typo). Put up a nativity scene to celebrate the illegitimate birth of a Jewish kid 2000 years ago and leave the rest of us alone to have a good time.
Gecko Roamin.
You have gone too far. Jesus was not illegitimate. Joseph and Mary were married. He may well have been born of an extra marital relationship, at this distance, hard to prove. I believe it has been estimated that the instance of this is as high as twenty percent of births. But the marital situation still determines the legitimacy in spite of any marital infidelity.
Claiming a sexual liaison with a ghost resulting in a pregnancy really does stretch credulity. Joseph accepting it means he is either incredibly stupid, or extremely forgiving. I can’t imagine for a moment Joe and Mary hadn’t bedded after they’d wedded.
Jesus was not illegitimate. Joseph and Mary were married. — Tom Edgar on December 18, 2009 at 10:05 pm
To me, arguing about the legitimacy of Jesus is almost like arguing about whether a lawn fairy would beat a leprechaun in a bar fight.
However, I think that the Bible says Joseph and Mary were “betrothed” when Jesus was conceived, which according to my dictionary means they were engaged rather than married.
Terminological exactitude Zack? I daresay that in two thousand years the meaning has changed. Just look at the difference in a generation. “Gay”. When I was a youngster most of the girls were gay young things. In America a “Hooker” is certainly different to the smallest guy in a Rugby scrum who hooks the ball out. a “Dame” in the U S has an entirely different position in society to the very elevated one in the U K.
Now if you can imagine a young unmarried man with an unmarried pregnant woman travelling alone in a modern, let alone a medieval, society in the Middle East, then your imagination is different to mine. Certainly matches the gullibility of Joseph accepting the ghostly sexual liaison, which you ignored.
This obsession of Americans with religiosity. is somewhat amusing.
Who really gives a damn? Happy Christmas is usually said with about as much sincerity as the Checkout operators “How are you.” as if they cared, or “Have a good day when leaving.” Accept the inane greeting with alacrity, smile and get out of their way. You can be rude and object or be well mannered and imagine they actually do hope you are happy. I certainly hope you are all happy, vain hope, whatever your season or reason, or even if you have no reason at all. ‘Ave a good one, or two.
I daresay that in two thousand years the meaning has changed. Just look at the difference in a generation. — Tom Edgar on December 19, 2009 at 9:43 pm
How much has the meaning changed in all the generations since 2008? Please see the relevant translations:
http://bible.cc/matthew/1-18.htm
Now if you can imagine a young unmarried man with an unmarried pregnant woman travelling alone in a modern, let alone a medieval, society in the Middle East, then your imagination is different to mine. — Tom Edgar on December 19, 2009 at 9:43 pm
If I open a book and it says Alice went to a tea party and chatted with a rabbit, I don’t fret too much about whether rabbits actually converse or sip tea. As far as I can see, the Biblical text supports Gecko Roamin’s reading.
Certainly matches the gullibility of Joseph accepting the ghostly sexual liaison, which you ignored. — Tom Edgar on December 19, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I also ignore it when Lois Lane never seems to realize that Clark Kent would look just like Superman if he took off his glasses.
This obsession of Americans with religiosity. is somewhat amusing. — Tom Edgar on December 19, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Way more amusing is our obsession with girl-on-girl porn.
I certainly hope you are all happy, vain hope, whatever your season or reason, or even if you have no reason at all. ‘Ave a good one, or two. — Tom Edgar on December 19, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Now you’re talking — the same right back to you, and happy holidays!
The part you’re forgetting is that Jesus most likely never existed. There were at least seven other people who came BEFORE Jesus who were born of a virgin, were the son of God, had a star in the sky over where the birth took place, were betrayed by a member of their inner circle, died and were resurrected, turned water into wine etc.. It would appear that since all his “holy” attributes seem to be borrowed from other sons of gods, that he was simply a figurehead created by the “writers” of the bible. Have a SUPER SOLSTICE!
If I grant you that Joe and Mary weren’t married, didn’t get their nether regions synchronised, in spite of being alone in the desert for a lengthy period, unlikely in my book. This only leaves one outcome. Mary committed adultery, and produced a bastard child.
I really can’t get my head around a ghost/spirit producing human semen. Then I don’t believe in spirits, ghosts or Gods either.
I think that you all are stupid and selfish. I will never quit saying Merry Christmas because Christmas is all about tradition. It isn’t all about gifts that is only a portion, it is about being with the people you care about and celebrating baby jesus’s birth. I don’t care if it is against the law some day, my kids and my family will always say ” Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!”
That’s a pretty strong personal attack. Can you back it up, or is this sort of personal attack just how you get into the right mood for your personal holiday season?
Is anyone trying to force you to?
…and there is no such thing as a tradition that should be replaced, because by definition all traditions are right and good. Correct?
Yet, there isn’t anything in the popular aspects of Christmas that has anything to do with Jesus. Most people can go through most of Christmas without having Jesus brought into the holiday at all.
Now you’re just being absurd. If you sincerely think it plausible, or even possible, that the greeting would be made illegal then you are so paranoid that you probably need the help of a mental help professional. And possibly medication.
I hope y’all had a Happy Santaday. Now on to a Happy New
Calendar Day.
Then in 11 months time we can start all over again, with the same old idiotic pontifications from Popes, Royals, and Renegades.
Whilst the the only thing that really matters is, from Corporations to Kids.”What’s in it for me?”
I hope I’m still around then. Somebody has to help Austin with a reason for the season, albeit some think we commit treason.
Trust those one or two drinks were not alcoholic.
No Booze. No “Broads”(sorry girls) No Betting. Sometimes I think I’ll turn into a Baptist. (Kidding)
Well there has to be one puritanical atheist.
Which are you? A crook. A sucker. A lazy coward.
John Hanks.
Please clarify.
Tom Edgar,
I think what GeckoRoamin and Zack are saying is that Mary was pregnant before she and Joseph were married but that they were married before they made the trek to Bethlehem. So even though Jesus was born to married parents, he was conceived our of wedlock which I believe makes him illegitimate. ‘Course the whole virgin birth in Bethlehem thing is all made up so it doesn’t really make any difference, but I’m just saying.
why is it that it is alright for everyone to criticize Christianity, but it seems that no other false religion gets criticized. Christianity is not a religion, it is a belief. why is it so hard for some people to believe in the immaculate conception of Jesus or in the virgin birth of Jesus. Why is it so hard for some people to believe in the Holy Spirit, or God the Father, or God the Son as all being one GOD, but yet it is so easy for them to believe in the 1 in 10,000,000,000 chance of the big bang and evolution. there is a 1 in 2 chance that GOD made the Heavens and the earth and created man, but yet it seems easier for some people to believe in the big bang and evolution.
What makes you think that no other religions get criticized?
Please demonstrate how Christianity fails to fulfill any of the basic definitions of religion.
The absence of good reasons to believe them.
One involves a contradiction while the other is simply long odds — and given the right circumstances, even the longest odds will come through eventually.
Only 1 in 2? Since you provide such exact numbers, prove it.
I am a “born again ” Christian saved by grace through faith. I agree that Jesus Christ of the bible has nothing to do with christmas, or today’s christianity. You have more knowledge than most so-called christians.
Going to Mass does not make someone a follower of Jesus. Especially if they only recognize the Savior of the world once a year.
What Christianity does in a person is a radical changed life. Sin entered the world through man in the garden. There is an enormous chasm between us and God because of Sin. The one thing God gave and had, has been given to us…..his Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ stands between you and God. IF we repent, (radically change and move in an opposite direction) and live a life moving in the direction of Jesus Christ, we are saved. Read the Word of God, Pray and be fruitful throughout your life, and Heaven will be your eternal home. Reject the gift God is giving, and live how YOU desire to live all of your
life, over time, produces anguish, fear and self delusions. Jesus Christ, born to die on a cruel cross, for you and I as a ransom. As a Christian, a Christ follower, God sees me as righteous through Jesus Christ. You and I are separated from God eternally, if we reject him.
I still Sin, because All of us are Sinners, however I sin less now, I love more now, I understand more now, I am more patient now. I forgive…..Now. I pray more, I Read more, I seek good.
Merry Christmas. John 3:16
Nor does going once a year prevent a person from being a Christian.
But you don’t show any interest in the wishes or perspectives of others.