Post by simonmcg on Dec 25, 2004 8:27:04 GMT -5
Just doing a search today (Christmas day of all days) and found this.
There is a very organised Humanist movement here in the UK and Scotland which I really must get around to joining sometime.
I've never been a great fan of organised religion or any belief system but have never knocked anyone for having a belief in some kind of spiritual entity. Whatever gets you through life.
Whenever people question me as to whether or not an atheist can celebrate Christmas I always reply with, "Technically yes!" Christmas didn't start out as a Christian celebration, but as a way of celebrating the passing of the winter solstice. Over thousands of years it has since been adapted, hi-jacked and commercialised by all sorts of different groups. Lets face it where does Santa come into it? If you say Saint Nicholas, weren't his colours originally green and white, the red and white coming through commercialisation by a global soft drinks company!
Anyway, I have other views and thought that I'll probably add to the various threads as I browse through them. Particularly the one on the bible, never believe anything that wasn't written first hand by an eye witness I always say.
There is a very organised Humanist movement here in the UK and Scotland which I really must get around to joining sometime.
I've never been a great fan of organised religion or any belief system but have never knocked anyone for having a belief in some kind of spiritual entity. Whatever gets you through life.
Whenever people question me as to whether or not an atheist can celebrate Christmas I always reply with, "Technically yes!" Christmas didn't start out as a Christian celebration, but as a way of celebrating the passing of the winter solstice. Over thousands of years it has since been adapted, hi-jacked and commercialised by all sorts of different groups. Lets face it where does Santa come into it? If you say Saint Nicholas, weren't his colours originally green and white, the red and white coming through commercialisation by a global soft drinks company!
Anyway, I have other views and thought that I'll probably add to the various threads as I browse through them. Particularly the one on the bible, never believe anything that wasn't written first hand by an eye witness I always say.
