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Do you attend a religious service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Do you attend a religious service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

  • Total voters
    38
Rumpel said:
For you every Christmas ritual is pagan then?
Christmas is pagan?
Easter is pagan?
Birthday Parties are pagan?
Nearly everything is pagan?

Only the Watchtower people are not pagan, I presume.
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That's about it
 
Rumpel said:
For you every Christmas ritual is pagan then?
Christmas is pagan?
Easter is pagan?
Birthday Parties are pagan?
Nearly everything is pagan?

Only the Watchtower people are not pagan, I presume.
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Yes...
Yes...
Yes...
Yes, a lot of traditions and rituals have pagan roots...
No, anyone who implicitly follows the Bible's teachings, leaving out all pagan influences, are not pagan...
 
Josie said:
Just curious how many of us attend services.
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C&E Catholics used to annoy me back in the day before I quit the church so I vowed never to become one. So no, never for over a decade. I would love to find a Winter's Solstice celebration to see what it's like. If it involved drinking and standing around a campfire I'd go every year.
 
Elvira said:
anyone who implicitly follows the Bible's teachings, leaving out all pagan influences, are not pagan...
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The Black Forest Cherry Cake is not mentioned in the Bible either.
Nor are Blackberry muffins.
So if you enjoy these, you are as pagan as hell! :mrgreen:
 
Winchester said:
I would love to find a Winter's Solstice celebration to see what it's like. If it involved drinking and standing around a campfire I'd go every year.
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Been there - done that!
I am quite liberal if it comes to religion.
I have taken part in Jewish celebrations, as a guest.
I have taken part in a wonderfully colourful procession in a Hindu temple.
etc etc
 
Josie said:
Just curious how many of us attend services.
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I am an atheist, I don't believe in christ, just in a happy holiday season with friends/family/good food and nice decorations (tree and christmas village).
 
Winchester said:
C&E Catholics used to annoy me back in the day before I quit the church so I vowed never to become one.
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What do you mean by "C&E"?

"Church of England" - perhaps?
 
Well, C & E looks very much like C of E - the usual short form for Church of England.
I wonder if there is some connection? :cool:
 
Josie said:
Just curious how many of us attend services.
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Sadly, not so much anymore. I have serious issues with anxiety (diagnosed), so the crowds kind of rob me of the enjoyment of it, and the focus I like to apply. I miss it very much.

I have a seven year old son, who goes to church with my wife most Sundays, but on Christmas Eve our tradition is to discuss the story, and watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special - the original. (Again, he's seven. :) )
 
Elvira said:
Yes...
Yes...
Yes...
Yes, a lot of traditions and rituals have pagan roots...
No, anyone who implicitly follows the Bible's teachings, leaving out all pagan influences, are not pagan...
Click to expand...

Sorry, if I celebrate Christmas in December, I'm pagan?
 
OlNate said:
Sorry, if I celebrate Christmas in December, I'm pagan?
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Jesus was not born in December, that we know, nor did he ever command us to remember his birth...he did command us to remember his death, though, so don't you think if he wanted us to remember his birth, he would have, 1st, given us the date, and 2nd, commanded us to do so?
 
Elvira said:
Jesus was not born in December, that we know, nor did he ever command us to remember his birth...he did command us to remember his death, though, so don't you think if he wanted us to remember his birth, he would have, 1st, given us the date, and 2nd, commanded us to do so?
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Not debating, simply asking, as your friend, if you're calling me a pagan.
 
OlNate said:
Not debating, simply asking, as your friend, if you're calling me a pagan.
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I'm saying anyone who celebrates pagan rituals are taking part in pagan rituals, yes...you did not answer my question, though...don't you think, if Christ's birth was important for Christians, Christ would have told us to remember it, just like he did with his death?
 
Elvira said:
I'm saying anyone who celebrates pagan rituals are taking part in pagan rituals, yes...you did not answer my question, though...don't you think, if Christ's birth was important for Christians, Christ would have told us to remember it, just like he did with his death?
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Sorry, just one sec, Elvira. I need to be perfectly clear here. If I celebrate the birth of Christ, irrespective of whether or not it was commanded, in December, 2000 years after the date was appropriated out of convenience and branding, I'm a pagan?

Please, answer with "Nate, my friend, you are a pagan" or "Nate, my friend, you are not a pagan".
 
OlNate said:
Sorry, just one sec, Elvira. I need to be perfectly clear here. If I celebrate the birth of Christ, irrespective of whether or not it was commanded, in December, 2000 years after the date was appropriated out of convenience and branding, I'm a pagan?

Please, answer with "Nate, my friend, you are a pagan" or "Nate, my friend, you are not a pagan".
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You 1st...
 
OlNate said:
I'm sorry, no. I asked you first. Though I feel like perhaps you have.
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And yet, you avoid answering my question...
 
Elvira said:
And yet, you avoid answering my question...
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Because you've hurt me, Elvira. It wasn't so long ago that you taught me an important lesson around not invalidating the faith of others, about how individual, denominational dogmas shouldn't be weaponized to dismiss the true faith of folks who believe a little different than me - we were discussing the Trinity, if you recall. This is disappointing. I wasn't aware that JW's considered the rest of us pagans. Since you do, I suppose my answer doesn't matter all that much.
 
OlNate said:
Because you've hurt me, Elvira. It wasn't so long ago that you taught me an important lesson around not invalidating the faith of others, about how individual, denominational dogmas shouldn't be weaponized to dismiss the true faith of folks who believe a little different than me - we were discussing the Trinity, if you recall. This is disappointing. I wasn't aware that JW's considered the rest of us pagans. Since you do, I suppose my answer doesn't matter all that much.
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I am sorry you are hurt but honestly, considering you've told me in the past I'm not a Christian, I don't know why you care what I think...I asked you the question about Jesus, hopefully, in getting you to think about what pleases him and what doesn't...I see it didn't work...instead you wanted to make this personal, when it is not...I do care what pleases Jesus and what makes him unhappy and I believe the pagan celebration of his birth is one of those things that makes him unhappy...that is what matters to me and if others don't like it, so be it...
 
Elvira said:
I am sorry you are hurt but honestly, considering you've told me in the past I'm not a Christian, I don't know why you care what I think...I asked you the question about Jesus, hopefully, in getting you to think about what pleases him and what doesn't...I see it didn't work...instead you wanted to make this personal, when it is not...I do care what pleases Jesus and what makes him unhappy and I believe the pagan celebration of his birth is one of those things that makes him unhappy...that is what matters to me and if others don't like it, so be it...
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Yes, that is the lesson you taught me that I was referring to. One that I have honored since, and been thankful for. Yes, I did say you were not a Christian. It really seemed to bother you. Now here you are, telling me the same thing.

And yes, it was personal - I told you that at the start, I told you I wasn't debating, I was asking as a friend. I'm not angry...at the end of the day, my relationship with God is between him and me. But the sadness I felt at the realization of what my past divisive comments did to you has deepened. While it appears I can make room for your understanding, at least to the point where I can call you "family", religiously speaking, apparently you cannot extend that same love and acceptance to me.

It's not earth shattering, or faith shattering for that matter. Rather, it's simply regrettable. Perhaps more, but I'm not motivated to fight with you over it.
 
OlNate said:
Yes, that is the lesson you taught me that I was referring to. One that I have honored since, and been thankful for. Yes, I did say you were not a Christian. It really seemed to bother you. Now here you are, telling me the same thing.

And yes, it was personal - I told you that at the start, I told you I wasn't debating, I was asking as a friend. I'm not angry...at the end of the day, my relationship with God is between him and me. But the sadness I felt at the realization of what my past divisive comments did to you has deepened. While it appears I can make room for your understanding, at least to the point where I can call you "family", religiously speaking, apparently you cannot extend that same love and acceptance to me.

It's not earth shattering, or faith shattering for that matter. Rather, it's simply regrettable. Perhaps more, but I'm not motivated to fight with you over it.
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Well, that is not true...I try really hard not to take things personal here...if I did take things personal, I would not be here...again, I am sorry you are hurt, but I am not gonna lie to you, either...through my study of the Bible, I have come to the conclusion there are a lot of things people do to displease God, me included, but I also try to eliminate the things I can when I become aware, and for me, one of those things is holidays, after studying where most traditions and rituals come from...if you choose to celebrate them, that is your choice but don't ask me to say they're ok when I believe in my heart of hearts, they are not...
 
Elvira said:
Well, that is not true...I try really hard not to take things personal here...if I did take things personal, I would not be here...again, I am sorry you are hurt, but I am not gonna lie to you, either...through my study of the Bible, I have come to the conclusion there are a lot of things people do to displease God, me included, but I also try to eliminate the things I can when I become aware, and for me, one of those things is holidays, after studying where most traditions and rituals come from...if you choose to celebrate them, that is your choice but don't ask me to say they're ok when I believe in my heart of hearts, they are not...
Click to expand...

Yeah...but there's a world of difference between saying "I disagree with you" and "You're not a Christian". That's the lesson you taught me, anyway.

And I didn't "take" anything personally. I was talking to you, personally.
 
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