'Tis the season for friends and family

[rug]

9:21 AM Sunday Dec 20, 2015
Paul Little
Paul Little is a Herald on Sunday columnist

It seems odd that atheists even bother with Christmas. Surely we should ignore it and sit at home congratulating ourselves on our intellectual superiority. Well, I can't speak for Richard Dawkins - like I could get a word in - but most of us love it.

Christmas, like a lot of Christianity and most other religions, has values and virtues that don't require belief in an imaginary friend in the sky to appreciate. "Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you?" Good one, Jesus. "The mind is everything: what you think you become." Food for thought, Buddha. "When you see a person who has been given more than you in money and beauty, look to those who have been given less." Have you just been in New Zealand, Mohammad?

I don't mind being wished a happy Christmas. And I'd be surprised if many refugees, who were recently offered official protection from that invocation, did. They almost certainly want to accommodate themselves to the ways of their new home. That's only polite.

If I were in India and invited to a Diwali celebration, for example, I'd expect my hosts to be upfront. I'd want them to tell me we would be celebrating the spiritual victory of light over dark commencing on the day supernatural beings formed the goddess Lakshmi out of an ocean of cosmic milk. "Goodness, these laddoos are delicious," I would say politely.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11563893

[AtheistCrusader]

1. 'Christmas' isn't christian.

It's cultural appropriation.

"The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. Tree worship was common among the pagan Europeans and survived their conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree for the birds during Christmastime." -EB

[rug]

2. I daresay the land you're living on is cultutal ppropriation.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. Depends on what cultutal is.

Yes, of course this land was stolen. And many of us work hard to make reparations, and protect the sovereignty of local tribes. We have a city/tribal dispute near the Snoqualmie Falls right now.

I don't sit back and pretend this land always belonged to me.

I saw two major flaws in the article, brushing through it.

"Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you?" Good one, Jesus.

Hardly the first possibly historical person to have stated that. Normally you credit the person who took a chance, first, and started the idea.

I'd feel patronised if they said, "We'd love you to come to, er, our event. Yes, we're having an event and you should definitely attend. There will be eating and merriment. Nothing special. Not an acknowledgement of a millennia-old superstition at all. Just a good opportunity to focus on friends and family."

Except I have experienced more or less, just that, at Diwali. Even joined friends on Skype around the world for it. Not the passive aggressive last three sentences, but the 'come join us, this is fun' side. Same for Day of the Dead.

There's nothing particularly interesting or unique about Christmas, it's more or less a crossroads at which many cultures merged many meanings, some at sword-point. Honestly, I wouldn't bring it up too much, if it were me.

So, if the invite is 'drink up', go for it.

[LeftishBrit]

4. As was recognized and opposed by Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans...

the only people who have REALLY waged wars on Christmas.