Atheists - Do you celebrate Christmas?

[USViking]

Any deities.

A deity is a god. Check the dictionaries.

 

[ecofarm]

A deity is a god. Check the dictionaries.

All deities are gods but not all gods are deities. It's funny that modern religion has all but obliterated the concept of God as a non deity. It's to the point where atheist is changing meaning.

Atheist means no deity. It doesn't mean no god.

 

[The Mark]

Atheists, if you celebrate Christmas in any way: put up a tree, exchange gifts, make special food; go ahead and tick that yes box.

Saw a meme/statement that addresses this, in a way:

"Asking why atheists celebrate Christmas is like asking why people who don't want kids have sex."

 

[devildavid]

I've always loved Christmas for the Christmas tree, music, TV specials, and most especially the giving and getting of gifts. I wasn't always an atheist and grew up in a religious house. But the real fun of Christmas for me was always the non religious related aspects of it.

Now my old age has robbed me of that old Christmas excitement and I find it disappointing. But none of it has to do with my atheism, just like my enjoyment of it had little to do with being a believer when I was younger.

 

[USViking]

All deities are gods but not all gods are deities. It's funny that modern religion has all but obliterated the concept of God as a non deity. It's to the point where atheist is changing meaning.

Let's have some examples of gods that are not deities.

Atheist means no deity. It doesn't mean no god.

No, atheist means one who believes in no gods.

 

[The Mark]

Let's have some examples of gods that are not deities.





No, atheist means one who believes in no gods.

Atheists believe gods don't exist.

 

[ecofarm]

Let's have some examples of gods that are not deities.





No, atheist means one who believes in no gods.

Because you cannot conceive of a god that is not a deity, they cannot exist and the meaning of the word theist goes from "belief in a deity" to belief in a god. Are you re-writing the entire language?

 

[ecofarm]

Atheists believe gods don't exist.

Deities.

 

[USViking]

Because you cannot conceive of a god that is not a deity, they cannot exist and the meaning of the word theist goes from "belief in a deity" to belief in a god. Are you re-writing the entire language?

English Lit (and Political Science) major here (Phi Beta Kappa).

The words "deity" and "god" are synonyms. Look it up. Conversation over.

 

[ecofarm]

English Lit (and Political Science) major here (Phi Beta Kappa).

The words "deity" and "god" are synonyms. Look it up. Conversation over.

Theism is deities.

 

[uptower]

Christmas is part of our culture and indeed was only appropriated from old yule festivals in pre-Christian Europe in any case (as was easter, loom up the English name). I'm not religious but have no problem getting into the spirit of Christmas - giving gifts, gathering together and so on. Anyone can do it.

 

[devildavid]

Atheists believe gods don't exist.

Atheists lack belief in god(s). Atheism is not a belief.

 

[The Mark]

Atheists lack belief in god(s). Atheism is not a belief.

A fair distinction.

Perhaps better if I had stated "Atheists do not believe gods exist."

 

[Waddy]

I'm an atheist, just my nature. And yep, I'm a big hypocrite. My wife is a very religious Catholic, so I'll be going to Midnight Mass. I still like to see her naked once in a while. And I won't be the one to tell the grand kids there's no God. Or Santa Claus...... or Easter Bunny....or Tooth fairy..... or justice in the world..... or competent leadership.....

BTW; atheism is a belief. It is a negative belief, but a belief all the same. It is a belief because beliefs cannot be proven. Once something is proven , it is no longer a belief. It is a fact.

 

[Xelor]

The atheists I know exhibit greater degrees of magnanimity on/around Christmas, they decorate their homes with wreaths, lights, and other "typical" Christmastime "regalia," but they don't celebrate Christmas and their decorative "geegaws" aren't those having expressly/singularly Christian symbolism(s).

 

[soylentgreen]

A fair distinction.

Perhaps better if I had stated "Atheists do not believe gods exist."

No, let's try again. Atheism means a lack of belief.

It is theists who whose belief in gods is so lacking in reason that atheists are simply left with no reason to believe in a god. In other words it is not an imaginary god that we disbelieve in, it is the poor reasoning used by theists that we don't believe in.

 

[molten_dragon]

Yep, I celebrate Christmas, I just don't celebrate it religiously.

 

[Xelor]

Atheists lack belief in god(s). Atheism is not a belief.

??? -- How is "I believe God is a fiction/fictitious being" (or something akin to that) not a belief?

Atheism is most certainly a belief system; it just happens to be, well, an atheistic, rather than theistic, belief system. It's on par with the other two main cosmological belief systems:

• Atheism --> Unequivocal belief that supernatural beings (gods) are fictional. I'm not exactly sure how atheists resolve (do atheists even broach a positive answer it?) the cosmological question, but that's another matter...Nonetheless, they are confident that the answer isn't a deity.
• Agnosticism --> Unrelentingly equivocal belief that they don't know what's believable and what's not as go answers to the cosmological question.
• Theism --> Unequivocal belief that a deity is the answer to the cosmological question.

Adherents to each system of belief regarding answers to the cosmological question structure and live their lives in accordance with their system of belief. For example:

• Atheists --> Burial rites are about mourning the loss of a loved one and/or consoling other bereaved individuals.
• Agnostics --> Burial rites may be partly about something having to do with theistic catechism and it may also be simply about mourning their own loss and consoling others.
• Theists --> Burial rites are as much about the afterlife, the soul and other elements of a theology's catechism as they are about mourning the loss of a loved one and consoling others.

Other "pivotal" moments in one's life -- birth, marriage, personal achievements, personal strifes, etc. -- are marked in accordance with one's system of belief.

I think it quite safe to say atheism is exactly what the term indicates: a non-theistic belief system. Sure, it's a system that exogenously, with regard to the existence of an external frame of reference, that frame being theism, professes nonbelief; however, that in a comparative context it seems not a belief system does not make it endogenously a system of belief with its own set of tenets. When one considers atheism in terms of the positive, rather than negative, assertion it makes, it's a lot easier to see that it is indeed a belief.


Aside:

One of the observations I've taken from my tenure on DP is that many folks are given to relativist ways of viewing the world, ideas, policies, people, etc. That relativist "stuff" is, IMO, what allows folks to forbear all sorts of stuff that, when one considers the "stuff" in its own right and not vis-a-vis other similar/related "stuff," it become far clearer whether that "stuff" has merit, value, "probity," etc. After all, the character virtue of princely manhood does not develop and firmly insinuate itself when one practices to see and choose the lesser of two evils.

​

 

[RabidAlpaca]

??? -- How is "I believe God is a fiction/fictitious being" (or something akin to that) not a belief?

Atheism is most certainly a belief system; it just happens to be, well, an atheistic, rather than theistic, belief system. It's on par with the other two main cosmological belief systems:

• Atheism --> Unequivocal belief that supernatural beings (gods) are fictional. I'm not exactly sure how atheists resolve (do atheists even broach a positive answer it?) the cosmological question, but that's another matter...Nonetheless, they are confident that the answer isn't a deity.
• Agnosticism --> Unrelentingly equivocal belief that they don't know what's believable and what's not as go answers to the cosmological question.
• Theism --> Unequivocal belief that a deity is the answer to the cosmological question.

Adherents to each system of belief regarding answers to the cosmological question structure and live their lives in accordance with their system of belief. For example:

• Atheists --> Burial rites are about mourning the loss of a loved one and/or consoling other bereaved individuals.
• Agnostics --> Burial rites may be partly about something having to do with theistic catechism and it may also be simply about mourning their own loss and consoling others.
• Theists --> Burial rites are as much about the afterlife, the soul and other elements of a theology's catechism as they are about mourning the loss of a loved one and consoling others.

Other "pivotal" moments in one's life -- birth, marriage, personal achievements, personal strifes, etc. -- are marked in accordance with one's system of belief.

I think it quite safe to say atheism is exactly what the term indicates: a non-theistic belief system. Sure, it's a system that exogenously, with regard to the existence of an external frame of reference, that frame being theism, professes nonbelief; however, that in a comparative context it seems not a belief system does not make it endogenously a system of belief with its own set of tenets. When one considers atheism in terms of the positive, rather than negative, assertion it makes, it's a lot easier to see that it is indeed a belief.


Aside:

One of the observations I've taken from my tenure on DP is that many folks are given to relativist ways of viewing the world, ideas, policies, people, etc. That relativist "stuff" is, IMO, what allows folks to forbear all sorts of stuff that, when one considers the "stuff" in its own right and not vis-a-vis other similar/related "stuff," it become far clearer whether that "stuff" has merit, value, "probity," etc. After all, the character virtue of princely manhood does not develop and firmly insinuate itself when one practices to see and choose the lesser of two evils.

​

"I believe God is a fiction/fictitious being" is not a requirement for atheism. You're trying to turn it around on its head and make it an active thing. Anyone who does not currently believe in god, for any reason, is an atheist. A baby coming out of the womb has no idea what a god even is, therefore he does not believe in god and is an atheist. Not believing in something is not an action. You don't believe in unicorns on neptune. That doesn't mean that you go around every day denying the existence of unicorns on neptune, you spend no time thinking about it, you simply don't believe in it.

Atheism is a religion like not playing sports is a sport.

A fair distinction.

Perhaps better if I had stated "Atheists do not believe gods exist."

Well stated and quite accurate. Not believing in something is not a belief, it requires no action.

 

[tecoyah]

Atheists, if you celebrate Christmas in any way: put up a tree, exchange gifts, make special food; go ahead and tick that yes box.

I am an Atheist who Celebrates Christmas, because many Family members expect it and we pretend for our Christian members to avoid problems. It is a major pain to do so and I do feel rather hypocritical but feel this is a small price to keep the peace. It is unfortunate to have what should be a pleasant time tainted by religion but, there it is.


Xmas is pretty much a time to get through and look forward to the New Year.

 

[marke]

Yes. It's part of my War On Christmas™ by diluting it with my atheism.

Atheists do not know the joy of having their sins forgiven and being given a new nature which is at peace with God.

 

[Cardinal]

Atheists do not know the joy of having their sins forgiven and being given a new nature which is at peace with God.

That’s okay; there’s always a Christian nearby to pray for me.

 

[nota bene]

I am an Atheist who Celebrates Christmas, because many Family members expect it and we pretend for our Christian members to avoid problems. It is a major pain to do so and I do feel rather hypocritical but feel this is a small price to keep the peace. It is unfortunate to have what should be a pleasant time tainted by religion but, there it is.

Xmas is pretty much a time to get through and look forward to the New Year.

"Tainted"? So your family gatherings are merely prayer gatherings?

 

[What if...?]

Atheists do not know the joy of having their sins forgiven and being given a new nature which is at peace with God.

While I believe that the universe is an "artefact" of some.kind, i can't believe the entity called jahweh had anything to do with it.

The observed universe is wondrous.

Jahweh is a petty deadbeat dad. Went out for smokes a couple thousand years ago and nobody has seen or heard from him since. And sent bears to tear up children for making fun of a bald priest when he WAS around.

 

[Risky Thicket]

My wife is a strong Catholic. She loves Christmas. It is important to her and it is important to me to see her enjoy Christmas. I even endure Christmas songs, which I have never liked. But I am not a Scrooge. If people are having fun what's not to enjoy?

I don't "Oooo" and "Ahhh" well. My joy is contrived but I feckin try. No matter, I truly enjoy seeing my wife have fun. That counts and I look forward to it.

I will admit to enjoying Episcopal High Mass if forced to attend a religious service. It's been a long time since I've been to one during Christmas.