Why 'Hipocrites' Celebrate Christmas.

It is at this time of year that you often get the religious decry on faith related forums that atheists/non believers/ anyone not Christian, shouldn’t be celebrating anything about Christmas.

This year I, as a non-believer will go to a church service as part of tradition, meet friends and get into the ‘spirit of Christmas’. Yet I have known ‘Christians’, Protestants and Catholics say they ‘would not be seen dead’ at each other’s services – how ‘Christian’ is that? 

I have attended many denominations, including mosques, without a thought, they are just buildings. I always show the proper respect, dress correctly and remove shoes where required. I have never been made feel uncomfortable even when the person conducting the service has welcomed visitors, and it has been obvious who that visitor is. I do this because I am interested in history and culture and to support my theist friends and their children. 

 

Does this make me a hypocrite? I have never pretended to be something I’m not and I have never taken part in the service where it would be for believers only, such as the sacrament. Unless all my friends of faith are two faced, this has never been a problem for them.

Would I celebrate a Islamic festival like Eid-Ul-Fitr? I would attend if invited by Muslim friends but not usually because it is a cultural thing.

I can appreciated cultural traditions and celebrate them just like everyone else. I also have religious friends and family and wish to support them. I see no difference form religious people doing something special for pagan festivals like Halloween, or Hogmanay.

But perhaps for those that still consider themselves Pagan we should remember that celebrating around the winter soltice was  Christmas started off as a Pagan Festival (I have no axe to grind with Pagans) but Christians stole/adopted the date from The Pagans. Equally they should be asking;  How can Christians celebrate a Pagan Festival? Many do.

 

Well it's when the birth of Jesus is celebrated , even though it is accepted that there is no reason to believe that he was born in late December - and that by scheduling his birthday then, the Church in Rome was overwriting the winter solstice, Jewish Hanukkah and Roman Saturnalia.

The decision to go for DEC 25th was taken by Pope Julius in 350AD, before which time Christmas would not even have celebrated and the New Year was reviled by the church for its paganism.