http://www.ucg.org/holidays-and-holy-days/top-10-reasons-why-i-dont-celebrate-christmas/

Given that, why do you celebrate Christmas?

12/23/2011 10:00:05 AM

the presents

12/23/2011 10:03:02 AM

tldr *goes shopping*

12/23/2011 10:03:53 AM

Thats exactly what I think about this.

And following the theme of christmas specials, here's why i celebrate christmas...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA

12/23/2011 10:12:21 AM

the presents

12/23/2011 10:38:03 AM

because celebrating is much more fun and rewarding than being a sanctimonious douchebag.

12/23/2011 10:47:39 AM

Fodder to troll my mother with when she gets her panties in a wad over someone saying "Happy Holidays."

12/23/2011 10:49:43 AM

being anti-christmas because of the consumerism is the trendy thing to do these days

12/23/2011 10:51:21 AM

The guy in the article actually implied that there is no reasoning for the Christmas Holiday and that we should all celebrate Jewish Holidays, contrary to what the epistles say. Also, Hanukkah is barely mentioned in the mishna and the torah because it was so common that there was no need to explain it and the events that inspired Hanukkah happened less than 200 years before Christ's birth.

12/23/2011 10:56:23 AM

I'll tell you what I think. I think there are people in this world that cannot exist without being miserable, intolerant, misanthropic, antisocial fucks.

Scott Ashley is apparently one of them and much of his religious "facts" are completely inaccurate or based off of unproven theory .


[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 11:17 AM. Reason : Some people just can't help being insufferable trolls]

[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 11:17 AM. Reason : .]

12/23/2011 11:13:14 AM

I feel like the guy is being kind of a bitch, one of those types who claims that anything not specifically mentioned by the Bible is anti-Christian.

But I'm not really into Christmas and sort of agree that the birth of Jesus is not nearly as relevant, theologically speaking, as the death/resurrection bit. I'd be in favor of a small celebration, but at this point the holiday has moved beyond any religious conception to being one of the primary movers of the global economy. Black Friday and the subsequent shopping season are the make-it-or-break-it time for a lot of the U.S. economy. If it takes a dive, we do; if we take a dive, the world does.

Now, I got no qualms with consumerism and capitalism and all that, but pegging the whole thing on a holiday seems kind of silly and, frankly, stressful. Shopping for Christmas blows. Working retail during the run up to Christmas blows dong of nigh-inconceivable proportions.

Also, by far the best reason to oppose Christmas is the shitty popular culture that surrounds it. Let's face reality here, 98% of music, television, and film associated with Christmas is unbearably awful

12/23/2011 11:23:17 AM

^dont be so grumpy, grumpy

12/23/2011 11:26:53 AM

Quote :

"because celebrating is much more fun and rewarding than being a sanctimonious douchebag."

Uhh is it really? Seems to me like everyone complains about the holidays being stressful. Why celebrate at all? Why not just be with your family when it's convenient for everyone?

Personally, the best Christmas I ever had was when my brother and I said fuck it and went to Costa Rica for the holidays. We visited with family before all the Christmas stress kicked in and then peaced out.

[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 11:37 AM. Reason : .]

12/23/2011 11:35:46 AM

maybe you're just surrounded by miserable people. You seem like one yourself.

I can't think of anything stressful about not going to work, spending time with my family, eating, drinking, and relaxing for a week.

12/23/2011 11:38:19 AM

My idea of a perfect christmas is thanksgiving

12/23/2011 11:41:36 AM

Quote :

"maybe you're just surrounded by miserable people. You seem like one yourself. I can't think of anything stressful about not going to work, spending time with my family, eating, drinking, and relaxing for a week."

Haha you sure are angry at the fact that people have different preferences

12/23/2011 11:42:08 AM

I don't particularly care for spending time with my family, but it beats the alternative

12/23/2011 11:42:26 AM

Agree with the things he said about Passover. I've heard people speak on that subject before. But too say Christmas inspires paganized worship of God is a bit of a stretch. It's more of a societal holiday than anything else. And I don't see the big deal with giving thanks to God for Christ's birth on the date of Dec 25th, even though he wasn't born then. The manifestation of the Word of God in the flesh was still a big deal. Even if the completion of the work of salvation at his death and resurrection was the completion of God's plan for salvation.

12/23/2011 11:44:49 AM

^^^

er, you realize this whole thread you started is exactly that. hypocrite much?

12/23/2011 11:46:39 AM

Christmas is only stressful for women

and that's only because bitches crave stress

12/23/2011 11:46:53 AM

Quote :

"er, you realize this whole thread you started is exactly that. hypocrite much?"

No, this thread was about asking why Christians celebrate Christmas. I'm not berating anyone for their personal choices.

Only a miserable person would do that.

12/23/2011 11:48:17 AM

12/23/2011 11:49:52 AM

12/23/2011 11:50:42 AM

Quote :

"BITCHES CRAVE STRESS"

winnar

12/23/2011 11:54:27 AM

get rid of holidays completely. give me an extra week or two of vacation. i'll take off when i want to.

12/23/2011 11:55:01 AM

^
yes. this dude gets it.

12/23/2011 11:59:25 AM

12/23/2011 11:59:59 AM

I often forget that LeonPro is a bible banger

12/23/2011 12:05:34 PM

Quote :

"98% of music, television, and film associated with Christmas is unbearably awful"

12/23/2011 12:33:00 PM

I don't even celebrate xmas, because it is ridiculous

12/23/2011 12:47:56 PM

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.

12/23/2011 12:56:00 PM

despite the modern commercial crap and awful music associated with it, it is the feast of the incarnation--God becoming man.

12/23/2011 1:00:14 PM

Hadjuk, it's in Shabbat 21 in the Gemara.

12/23/2011 1:44:15 PM

Christmas is a reason to see/spend time with family that I don't normally see, that's it. Our family doesn't get into the buying hundreds of dollars worth of presents for each other. We set a ~50 dollar limit, spend the day together, eat, etc.

12/23/2011 2:50:16 PM

I was about to say if God condemns using pagan customs to worship Him then we should get rid of quite a few catholic ways of worship like the Rosary, the hail mary's, praying to many saints on our behalf, etc...

That was kind of a painful article to read and get through. I was cringing all over the place.

12/23/2011 3:42:30 PM

^^^

Quote :

"barely mentioned"

12/23/2011 3:45:42 PM

Religion is regarded by the common people believers as true, by the wise skeptics as false, and by the rulers politicians as useful.

To separate wisdom from religion is to separate the leave from the vine, as for thousands of years, christian-judeo, middle-eastern, eastern, and pagan beliefs have been the significant source of wisdom for the entire world.

To disregard it as the opiate of the masses is to ignore the obvious contributions it has brought to every art, science, and legal/political system since mankind began.

12/23/2011 4:00:11 PM

The commercialism/consumerism did kind of ruin Christmas for me this year.

But you can replenish your Christmas spirit with booze.

[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 4:12 PM. Reason : Not a Christian.]

12/23/2011 4:10:52 PM

Quote :

"I was about to say if God condemns using pagan customs to worship Him then we should get rid of quite a few catholic ways of worship like the Rosary, the hail mary's, praying to many saints on our behalf, etc..."

12/23/2011 4:46:15 PM

Quote :

"But you can replenish your Christmas spirit with booze."

that's the spirit

[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 5:42 PM. Reason : .]

12/23/2011 5:42:00 PM

Quote :

"10. I'd rather celebrate the Holy Days Jesus Christ and the apostles observed."

so Hanukkah?

12/23/2011 6:05:54 PM

Posting crappy editorials isn't mentioned in the bible, but Scott Ashley doesn't seem to have a problem with that.

Even taking the religious connotations away I would still celebrate Christmas. It's a day that almost everyone in my family is off work and people make the effort to be together. I see family that I wouldn't otherwise see without running all over the state. We get together, we have an awesome meal, swap stories, and talk about how we need to get together more often. We could do that without Christmas, but Christmas is surely the catalyst that facilitates it. I feel bad for anyone who opts out of such a positive event regardless of their religion. I feel especially bad for people who feel obligated to opt out of such a positive event because of their religion.

I see no shame in enjoying both the secular and the non-secular aspects of the holiday as they apply to your own beliefs or lack thereof.

[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 6:18 PM. Reason : l]

12/23/2011 6:07:21 PM

[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 6:21 PM. Reason : too big]

12/23/2011 6:20:27 PM

As for consumerism and commercialism I would say this...

Commercialism is easy to ignore. Turn off the TV, lol at the radio ads, and wrap your thoughtful gifts in the flyers that fill your mailbox. It really is that simple.

Consumerism is something you can opt in and out of. Yes, there are people who allow consumerism to drive their Christmas experience, but I doubt that is the case with the vast majority of adults despite what the commercials might want you to believe. Every gift I have purchased this year has been thoughtful. I see nothing wrong with being a consumer when it means purchasing something that I know the recipient needs, wants, or will be excited to receive. I have never in my life heard a bad word spoken when a person who was going through difficult financial times made their own gifts. Your family and friends would much rather receive a tupperware of home baked cookies or some help painting their porch than to receive a bunch of gifts they know you can't afford and probably put on your credit card just to please them.

12/23/2011 6:31:42 PM

The consumerism in isolation isn't what bothers me. Our society is based on some degree of consumerism.

What bothers me is consumerism wrapped in pretentious, pseudo-sacred bullshittery. Need an excuse to ramp up retail sales every year? That's fine. Don't act like it's about Jesus, though, and don't get mad if someone doesn't want to plaster Christianity-referencing signs/icons/decorations in their store or start decrying the "war on religion".

12/23/2011 6:58:32 PM

Some douchebag in Trader Joe's today was bitching about the war on Christmas because the TJ employees were saying Happy Holidays. I turned around in line and said, "Well today is the 3rd day of Hanukkah, would you prefer they say Happy Hanukkah instead?" That shut him up for the rest of the time we were in line but I'm sure he was all RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE in his car

12/23/2011 7:08:48 PM

Did you really say that or did you just think it in your head like 10 minutes after you left the store. Be honest.

[Edited on December 23, 2011 at 10:30 PM. Reason : l]

12/23/2011 10:29:56 PM

12/23/2011 11:09:35 PM

Quote :

"Skack: Commercialism is easy to ignore. Turn off the TV, lol at the radio ads, and wrap your thoughtful gifts in the flyers that fill your mailbox. It really is that simple."

You crazy!

They start in with some of this crap before Halloween. There is no way to avoid the onslaught when it takes up like 15 percent of the year, and it affects way more than TV/radio--regardless, I'm not turning the TV off when I can actually afford cable/basketball is on. Anyway, I think I remarked on some nice store decor, listened to Charles Brown, and got Christmas drunk on November 16 or something. So...it's December 23, and I'm glad to spend time with my family...but I'm completely fatigued by "Christmas" at this point.

12/23/2011 11:55:14 PM

Hey now...I never said you could avoid it.
Just said you can choose to ignore it.
Better than getting your pantaloons in a bunched up state over it.

12/24/2011 12:03:16 AM