Atheists loves Santa and

[christalee4]

What a kind, loving heart you have.

Thanks! Backatcha!

 

[SallyNow]

I think I may have worshipped Santa for a bit when I was a kid. But I gew out of it. I mean, for heaven's sake, Santa is for children! He's not evil, like Martin Luther, or Pope Pius IX. And he's made up! Oops, sorry I said that. Does the anti-Santa crowd prefer that we go back to the Puritan times, when Santa was pushed away, and instead children got to witness witch-hanging for a holiday treat? Goodness.

But Santa isn't made up. He's based on historical figures, like Saint Nicholas, who were very charitable and giving and gave out of a Christian heart and tradition. The stories behind the people who became the tradition of Santa are facinating.

Perhaps more people just have to remember the charitable and kind motives behind Santa and Christmas giving, rather than the "Stand in line for a video game console for six hours and fight when the store runs out" tradition that has developed over the past 20 years.

 

[christalee4]

But Santa isn't made up. He's based on historical figures, like Saint Nicholas, who were very charitable and giving and gave out of a Christian heart and tradition. The stories behind the people who became the tradition of Santa are facinating.

Perhaps more people just have to remember the charitable and kind motives behind Santa and Christmas giving, rather than the "Stand in line for a video game console for six hours and fight when the store runs out" tradition that has developed over the past 20 years.

Yes, the commercial insanity of Christmas giving has reached new heights (I mean lows) these days. And here are the stark economies of it: retailers generally depend on Christmas sales to get them through their year. If they have a bad Christmas, they have a bad year. Retailers place orders through the manufacturers and wholesalers for Christmas in hopes of maximizing the profits. It seems the spirit of Christmas giving gets lost in the dutiful frenzy to buy, buy, buy.

I have to say, from a political standpoint, that those who yelled the loudest at the alleged robbery of "Merry Christmas" from the ultra conservative viewpoint, don't really seem to call for a shopping boycott to counteract rampant materialism that nullifies Christmas spirit,do they? Fancy megachurches whose pastors sell tons of dvd's and cd's about how to get blessedly rich? Walmart? I think you're right, in that materialism has permeated even the house of God.

 

[AV1611VET]

Santa is a western European tradition associated with St. Nicholas. And there are certainly options to teach children about the history of St. Nicholas as well, that focus on a more spiritual presentation of his legend.

While I'm somewhat impressed with the stories behind this St. Nicholas, I am much more impressed with the stories behind the saints in the Bible. You know, the ones who gave their lives for the furtherance of the Gospel.

Don't get me wrong. We certainly need more St. Nicholas' out there, and he was probably more of a giving man than I'll ever be, but when St. Nicholas overshadows Jesus Christ - (especially on His birthday) - I draw the line.

 

[christalee4]

While I'm somewhat impressed with the stories behind this St. Nicholas, I am much more impressed with the stories behind the saints in the Bible. You know, the ones who gave their lives for the furtherance of the Gospel.

Don't get me wrong. We certainly need more St. Nicholas' out there, and he was probably more of a giving man than I'll ever be, but when St. Nicholas overshadows Jesus Christ - (especially on His birthday) - I draw the line.

While I certainly agree that the materialism in the Christmas spirit has reached a point of bile overflow, I will have to disagree that focusing on Christian martyrdom is a good tradition to inundate children with on Christmas. I would rather my child sit on Santa's lap (which the little ones love), then say, hurl stones at an effigy of St. Stephen in rembrance of his stoning (I made that up).

 

[AV1611VET]

While I certainly agree that the materialism in the Christmas spirit has reached a point of bile overflow, I will have to disagree that focusing on Christian martyrdom is a good tradition to inundate children with on Christmas. I would rather my child sit on Santa's lap (which the little ones love), then say, hurl stones at an effigy of St. Stephen in rembrance of his stoning (I made that up).

Well, I'm thankful we have an even better choice than those two, aren't you?

 

[Morcova]

I'm working from the premise that Santa was conjured up by a mindset of an entity that wanted to usurp God at one time, failed in his attempt, and now goes around either outright blaspheming Him, or supplanting Him in the minds of little children.

They say "anti-" meaans either "against" or "in place of".

The one antichrist (beast) is going to be against God.
The other (false prophet) is going to be like God.

......

What type of crack headed christmas stories were you told as a child?

Christians created Santa.

Sheesh.

 

[Morcova]

On that same note, why not take back CHRISTmas by being more CHRISTlike.

Instead of making Christmas about gifts (I'm sorry, but it is), why not make it about giving to those that are actually in need? Why not de-commercialize it? Why not take a Christmas where your familly says, "Christmas has become about "what did you get for Christmas" and materialism, and generally giving each other things we want, rather than things that we need.

It's easier to talk about being christlike than actually being christlike.

 

[Morcova]

So what does everyone think about Santana?

That man can play a mean guitar.

 

[Vylo]

Santa claus literally comes from a legend about a Bishop.

Christmas is not purely a christian holiday. It is more of a holiday mesh with strong Christian overtones.

But for the best description of the history of christmas, I present The Cybernitic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future™:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xTZx8GiHP4

 

[Sunrunner]

Passive (Pure) Atheism is a lack of concrete belief. Strong/Active/Militant Atheism is a belief that there is no God.

Passive Atheism: I don't have a solid belief in a God.

Active Atheism: God doesn't exist.

It sounds a little confusing, but just recognize that Passive Atheism makes no claims, while Active Atheism does.

 

[rowena]

While I'm somewhat impressed with the stories behind this St. Nicholas, I am much more impressed with the stories behind the saints in the Bible. You know, the ones who gave their lives for the furtherance of the Gospel.

Don't get me wrong. We certainly need more St. Nicholas' out there, and he was probably more of a giving man than I'll ever be, but when St. Nicholas overshadows Jesus Christ - (especially on His birthday) - I draw the line.

Except December 25th isn't the day Christ was born, as has been mentioned repeatedly. The fact that the Bible mentions that that shepards were out with their sheep when he was born should be enough of a clue in on that as no shepard (even those located in the middle east) would be out with their sheep in the winter. No one knows the exact date, but Christ was born sometime in the spring.

More importantly though and what you seem to be missing, is that not every one in America is a Christian. There are atheists (but since they usually celebrate Christmas on purly secular level, they aren't the point), Jews, Moslems, Pagans of all kinds, and all sorts of other faiths. Most of these faiths have some sort of holiday in December, usually falling around Christmas time. So its not an attack against Christians for stores to ask their employees to say "Happy Holiday's" instead of "Merry Christmas", it is however an attempt to act like they have some sense in their heads and acknowledge the fact that Christians don't have a stranglehold on December holidays. And I don't see why so many Christians are up in arms about the supposed stealing of a holiday that we stole in the first place.

My proposition to all the Christians that are upset about the current state of this holiday is this, pull the candy cane out of your hind quarters, stop acting like someone peed in your eggnog, and focus on the important things that really are ruining Christmas. Example of these things would be the rampant consumerism, the homeless and poor that don't have the money to have a Christmas, and the anger that so many people seem to possess this time of year.

 

[AV1611VET]

My proposition to all the Christians that are upset about the current state of this holiday is this...

Wow --- do you write childrens' books for a living?

 

[Morcova]

Wow --- do you write childrens' books for a living?

Why? Is that your current reading level?

 

[Gizoux]

Rowena, I love that last paragraph. A real social justice kind of person, and it says a lot.

I suppose it's never too early to polish up that persecution complex for some people. It would say so much more for Christians if they would simply shrug and continue wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas" even if someone wishes them "Happy Holidays."

 

[Morcova]

I suppose it's never too early to polish up that persecution complex for some people. It would say so much more for Christians if they would simply shrug and continue wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas" even if someone wishes them "Happy Holidays."

Some people never lose a persecution complex.

At another forum I posted at you would have thought the da vinci code was the first sign of the apocalypse. That as they typed non-christians were out there forming armies getting ready to pull them out of their houses and throw them into concentration camps.

It was very pathetic.

 

[The Nihilist]

This is some sort of attempt at an ironic joke, right?

You prefer Stalin to Santa, I gather.

I don't understand this at all. Except that my suggestion is at least half serious.

 

[Morcova]

I don't understand this at all.

I know what you mean, when I read it I put it down to somebodies drug habit.

 

[Horab]

Some people never lose a persecution complex.

At another forum I posted at you would have thought the da vinci code was the first sign of the apocalypse. That as they typed non-christians were out there forming armies getting ready to pull them out of their houses and throw them into concentration camps.

It was very pathetic.

i dunno about that seems as though any religion even athiests have this persecution complex going on.

none of that garbage is true but i know some think the end is near but that's been said throughout time.

all i ever heard about was the burning times. yeah yeah yeah that was a long time ago and we used to feed them to the lions in pagan Rome. Sorry.

 

[nvxplorer]

"Santa" is much more than just an anagram of "Satan".

Santa lives at the North Pole.
Santa goes --- HO HO HO!

• [bible]Zechariah 2:6[/bible]

Santa gives gifts.
Santa knows who's naughty and who's nice.
Santa is semi-omnipresent.

• 6,000,000,000 / 24 hours / 60 minutes / 60 seconds = 69,444 persons per second.

Santa is ageless.
Santa has coal for those who've been bad.

• [bible]Psalm 11:6[/bible]

I submit that Santa Claus is more than just a cultural icon --- he's a divine wannabe that takes the place of Christ at Christmas time.

Is this what evangelism has become in the computer age? Some guy with a digital Bible who uses the keyword search function?