# Christmas



## Terminal Idiot (Feb 8, 2014)

I just posted a fairly long winded response in another topic here in AAA. I used Santa as an analogy to help make a point. In my response I say that I celebrate Christmas. What's that? An atheist that celebrates Christmas? Say it ain't so.

So that got me to wondering. Who else on here celebrates Christmas?

We do the whole thing. Trees, gifts, music and so on. I can't help myself. It is a great time of year. I love the decorations. People seem to be nicer. Your kids are more apt to be good. And I don't believe in god. It is just a super fun tradition and it gives me a reason to wrap up killer gifts to put under the tree so I can torture my kids with anticipation (and I get super nice gifts at Christmas too  - love that new AR my wife spoiled my with this year). It is absolutely a time of gluttony, joy, peace and love. But I don't believe in god. I do believe that as humans, we need to break up the monotony and drudgery of life with a good celebration or special event every now and then. It helps keep us from going crazy. 

To go along with this. I feel it necessary to explain to my children why there is even a Christmas in the first place. Every year I explain Jesus and god. The death and the re-birth/raising from the dead, etc. I am sure I don't tell it as convincingly as a believer would. But I think it is at least fair to let them know why it all started. I have explained to them that I don't believe the story but they should explore the world and come to their own conclusions. They have both been to church a few times (with Girl Scouts and other functions) and neither enjoyed their experiences. At this exact moment, my daughter is indifferent and my son doesn't believe, but we still celebrate Christmas.

And Easter too.  gotta love watching your kids hunt for plastic eggs in the yard.


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## Dr. Strangelove (Feb 8, 2014)

Same here, just without the wife and kids part.


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## JB0704 (Feb 8, 2014)

My Hindu boss celebrates Christmas, she's from India, and best I can figure its a 'when in Rome' sorta thing.


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## 1gr8bldr (Feb 8, 2014)

Terminal Idiot said:


> I just posted a fairly long winded response in another topic here in AAA. I used Santa as an analogy to help make a point. In my response I say that I celebrate Christmas. What's that? An atheist that celebrates Christmas? Say it ain't so.
> 
> So that got me to wondering. Who else on here celebrates Christmas?
> 
> ...


I have alot of respect for this view. Good job. I am Christian, LOL by my deffinition, and I tell my kids that they should come to their own conclusions. LOL, they no longer ask me about aspects of the faith because they can't get a simple answer, they tried it a couple times. They say it's like breaching a dam and it will not quit coming. I guess I'm overzealous that they begin to determine what it is that they believe. Excited that they asked. They consider themselves Christian, being baptized. Yet, they know only the elementry aspects of Christianity.


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## Cullen Bohannon (Feb 8, 2014)

I do.  Why?  Because people do.  It's a "people" holiday.  Always has been, and likely always will be.


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## bullethead (Feb 9, 2014)

We all tend to keep the traditions we were brought up into but we change them to suit over time, pass them along, and then have those traditions tweaked as the next generation takes over. No different from religion really.....in a LOT of ways.


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## 660griz (Feb 10, 2014)

I celebrate Christmas and Easter, too. Any excuse to get the entire family together can't be a bad thing.


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## Denton (Feb 20, 2014)

How can you ever pass up a tradition of celebrating love, family, good food, and good times?  Regardless of the original reasons behind the tradition? If the superstition gets dropped along the way, then you're left with the solid core of love being the real reason to gather.


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## ddd-shooter (Mar 3, 2014)

A yearn for familial relationships, 'Love', and 'good times' are only a product of shallow-minded, unenlightened individuals coping with their existence. Time to throw away all your beliefs that have no foundation in science, along with your ancient herd mentality. 

See how that sounds? lol


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## Denton (Mar 3, 2014)

ddd-shooter said:


> A yearn for familial relationships, 'Love', and 'good times' are only a product of shallow-minded, unenlightened individuals coping with their existence. Time to throw away all your beliefs that have no foundation in science, along with your ancient herd mentality.
> 
> See how that sounds? lol



clarify please?


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## mtnwoman (Mar 4, 2014)

660griz said:


> I celebrate Christmas and Easter, too. Any excuse to get the entire family together can't be a bad thing.



Amen!!


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## mtnwoman (Mar 4, 2014)

Denton said:


> How can you ever pass up a tradition of celebrating love, family, good food, and good times?  Regardless of the original reasons behind the tradition? If the superstition gets dropped along the way, then you're left with the solid core of love being the real reason to gather.



Amen!!


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## mtnwoman (Mar 4, 2014)

JB0704 said:


> My Hindu boss celebrates Christmas, she's from India, and best I can figure its a 'when in Rome' sorta thing.



I agree!


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## Terminal Idiot (Mar 4, 2014)

ddd-shooter said:


> A yearn for familial relationships, 'Love', and 'good times' are only a product of shallow-minded, unenlightened individuals coping with their existence. Time to throw away all your beliefs that have no foundation in science, along with your ancient herd mentality.
> 
> See how that sounds? lol



Excellent retort. I guess you showed us.


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## stringmusic (Mar 4, 2014)

ddd-shooter said:


> A yearn for familial relationships, 'Love', and 'good times' are only a product of shallow-minded, unenlightened individuals coping with their existence. Time to throw away all your beliefs that have no foundation in science, along with your ancient herd mentality.
> 
> See how that sounds? lol



Lol


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## 660griz (Mar 12, 2014)

Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello! 

Everyone been converted or just gave up?


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## bullethead (Mar 12, 2014)

Like a shadowy figure in the night....we are here mostly undetected until the need arises.


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## JB0704 (Mar 12, 2014)

I've been wondering what happened to the AAA, no posts in a week.  Must not be much happening in the skeptic circles.


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## 660griz (Mar 12, 2014)

bullethead said:


> Like a shadowy figure in the night....we are here mostly undetected until the need arises.



To the Bat Cave!


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## bullethead (Mar 12, 2014)

JB0704 said:


> I've been wondering what happened to the AAA, no posts in a week.  Must not be much happening in the skeptic circles.



The tv show COSMOS aired Sunday night. Very informative.


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## JB0704 (Mar 12, 2014)

bullethead said:


> The tv show COSMOS aired Sunday night. Very informative.



Is that like "through the wormhole?"  That's an interesting show too.  I think you guys told me about it.


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## centerpin fan (Mar 12, 2014)

bullethead said:


> The tv show COSMOS aired Sunday night. Very informative.



Is it a remake of Carl Sagan's _Cosmos_, or is it something new entirely?


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## bullethead (Mar 12, 2014)

centerpin fan said:


> Is it a remake of Carl Sagan's _Cosmos_, or is it something new entirely?



Remake/Updated version of the older show.


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## Denton (Mar 12, 2014)

bullethead said:


> Remake/Updated version of the older show.



I thought this first episode was really good.  It did a great job at pointing out our location in the universe as well as our location in time.  It really highlighted how wondrous our universe is.  

It was not very kind to the dogmatic catholic church of the 1600's but everyone, including the current pope, doesn't care for the church at that time either. Nor did it argue about god at all but rather championed the ideas of another believer who professed a more infinite god.  I think this episode was very well done.


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## TripleXBullies (Mar 14, 2014)

JB0704 said:


> I've been wondering what happened to the AAA, no posts in a week.  Must not be much happening in the skeptic circles.



The last As haven't been doing much either... Maybe god doesn't have much happening... wait, it's been a couple thousand years hasn't it...


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## TripleXBullies (Mar 14, 2014)

bullethead said:


> The tv show COSMOS aired Sunday night. Very informative.



what channel


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## centerpin fan (Mar 14, 2014)

TripleXBullies said:


> The last As haven't been doing much either...



I've been very busy keeping the homosexuals down and selling my miracle healing cloths on my website.


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## TripleXBullies (Mar 14, 2014)

centerpin fan said:


> I've been very busy keeping the homosexuals down and selling my miracle healing cloths on my website.



Very nice


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## bullethead (Mar 14, 2014)

TripleXBullies said:


> what channel



National Geographic Sundays at 9pm

I look for the re-runs, Sundays at 9pm belong to the zombies. lolololol.


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## bullethead (Mar 14, 2014)

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140309-neil-tyson-cosmos-question-space-sagan/


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## JB0704 (Mar 14, 2014)

TripleXBullies said:


> ... wait, it's been a couple thousand years hasn't it...



There have been some posts a few floors up.  General interesting discussion on revelation.  I just don't know much on the topic so I read, but stay out of it.


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## bullethead (Mar 15, 2014)

TripleXBullies said:


> what channel



Just saw a commercial that said COSMOS will be on it's regular night...Mondays at 10pm


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## TripleXBullies (Mar 18, 2014)

I don't have nat geo...


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## rmp (Mar 18, 2014)

I watched an eposide Sunday night. It wasn't on Nat Geo but on one of my network channels. Interesting show.


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## ted_BSR (Mar 18, 2014)

I lurk by once in awhile. You all are discussing TV shows again, so I am not qualified to contribute, but howdy anyway!


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## WaltL1 (Mar 19, 2014)

ted_BSR said:


> I lurk by once in awhile. You all are discussing TV shows again, so I am not qualified to contribute, but howdy anyway!


Howdy Ted, hope all is well with you.


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## ted_BSR (Mar 20, 2014)

WaltL1 said:


> Howdy Ted, hope all is well with you.



Yes Sir, and I hope you are also well!


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