Merry Messianic Commemoration Day And Happy Holidays To All!

are creationists, christian?

Some are, but not all creationists are christians and neither are all christians, creationists.

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soon I discovered that this rock thing was true
Jerry Lee Lewis was the devil
Jesus was an architect previous to his career as a prophet
All of a sudden i found myself in love with the world
And so there was only one thing I could do
Was ding a ding dang my dang along ling long - Jesus Built my Hotrod Ministry
Live every week like it's Shark Week! - Tracey Jordan
Just a monkey in a long line of kings. - Matthew Good
If "elitist" just means "not the dumbest motherfucker in the room", I'll be an elitist! - Get Your War On
*not an actual doctor

im sure thats trueI've only been on evc for a short time and it seems to be a place that has some very firm believers in evolution...disbelief in God...disbelief in the bible and especially disbelief in religion as a wholeso you see my curiosity as to why any of them would bother celebrating, or if not celebrating, carrying on the tradition, of a christian religious celebration

Because christmas is no longer just a christian religious celebration, and hasn't been for some time.

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soon I discovered that this rock thing was true
Jerry Lee Lewis was the devil
Jesus was an architect previous to his career as a prophet
All of a sudden i found myself in love with the world
And so there was only one thing I could do
Was ding a ding dang my dang along ling long - Jesus Built my Hotrod Ministry
Live every week like it's Shark Week! - Tracey Jordan
Just a monkey in a long line of kings. - Matthew Good
If "elitist" just means "not the dumbest motherfucker in the room", I'll be an elitist! - Get Your War On
*not an actual doctor

how do you separate the two?

How much thought do you give to the magical denizens of the forest when you put up your christmas tree?

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Don't do that Dave.

It sounds like you don't understand the non-christian i.e. pagan historical roots of the Christmas holiday, Peg. Does one have to a Christian to practice another pagan holiday, Halloween (Samhain, the Celtic celebration of the end of summer and beggining of the Celtic new year) which was hijacked and combined with the early Christian Churches All Saint's or Hallows Day eve (Halloween)?Why is it any different for Christmas? Where in the Bible does it talk about Christmas trees, lights, wreaths, candles, Santa Claus, eleves, reigndeer, fruit cake, etc. Christmas is a basterdization of winter solstice celebrations and is now a commercialized international holiday. The early Christian Church adopted these pagan celebrations and overlayed a celebration of Jesus Christ's birth (which many biblical scholars attribute his birthday to actually be in late spring or early summer rather than in the winter). Christmas has become an culturally transmitted holiday of festivitees regardless of a persons faith in the same way that many non-practicing Jews still observe Hannakuh (like my brother-in-law's family)or some African-Americans practice the non-religious and recently created holiday of Kwanza. Even Easter has its origination in pagan celebration of the begginning of spring (i.e. life revitalizing after the winter thaw).One does not have to be a Christian to practice the holiday of Christmas and not everybody celebrates Christmas the same way. I know many atheists who still celebrate Christmas as a time to spend time with their families and to wish goodwill and peace to humanity. I also know many Christians who do not practice Christmas i.e. the Jehova's Witnesses (my uncle) or birthdays.

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For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
Dr. Carl Sagan

Read the history of the Christmas holiday. It's roots are pagan overlayed by early Christian (Catholic) beliefs. Many non-religious people celebrate it as a culturally transmitted day of celebration not necessarily for its religious message. It is no more "Christian" than Halloween unless you make it so in your own home.Besides my wife is still a Christian and I still respect her own beliefs. Also, my brother-in-law is Jewish and he celebrates Christmas with my family as well as celebrating Hannakuh with his family. It has nothing to do with religion per se but more to do with spending quality time with the family.

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For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
Dr. Carl Sagan

Because it's the holiday of this season that I grew up with.I think the most important part is the sharing of peace and happiness with family, friends and strangers during the holiday season. Christmas, to me, means a time to share with family and friends. A time to focus on the parts of those relationships that really matter.Everything else, to me, is either entertainment at best or a distraction at worst. It's the main focus (peace and the feeling of community) that's important to me. Specifically how everyone goes about promoting that is secondary in my opinion. Some like to focus on the awesome feeling of nature and the solstice. Some find awe in their religion. Others just do what feels right and good. I don't think it really matters how someone gets there as long as the important goal is kept in mind.When we let those secondary aspects take a larger focus is when we start to lose perspective on what's really important. Love and spirit is above all the creations of man. If someone is focused on that love and spirit, I don't see why it matters if they got there through religion or by other means.

Ditto! Well said Stile!

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For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
Dr. Carl Sagan

by ignoring the christian parts.

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soon I discovered that this rock thing was true
Jerry Lee Lewis was the devil
Jesus was an architect previous to his career as a prophet
All of a sudden i found myself in love with the world
And so there was only one thing I could do
Was ding a ding dang my dang along ling long - Jesus Built my Hotrod Ministry
Live every week like it's Shark Week! - Tracey Jordan
Just a monkey in a long line of kings. - Matthew Good
If "elitist" just means "not the dumbest motherfucker in the room", I'll be an elitist! - Get Your War On
*not an actual doctor

Candles, mistletoe, Christmas trees, the very date December the 25th.....These are just some of the things associated with Christmas that have nothing to do with Jesus and which are derived from Pagan origins (Roman, Babylonian and Northern European).It could easily also be argued that feasting and present giving at this time of year are originally derived from these and other similar traditions that existed long before any mention of Christ.Yuletide, the winter solstice, Isis, Mithras, Saturnalia.... Take your pick. Are we celebrating these entities at Christmas too?Or are we all enjoying partaking and continuing one of the cultural celebrations that we have all grown up enjoying with friends and family.Merry Yuletide to you anyway........ Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.

1) Christmas (as it is practiced in the US at least) is no longer a "typically religious tradition." It's a national holiday that happens to coincide in date and name with a religious holiday, which itself was co-opted from pre-existing religions. It's a time to get together with your family, be happy, etc. It involves Santa Claus and Frost the Snowman instead of Jesus and three wise men. It's only a religious celebration to those who happen to be of that particular religion. Many Jews celebrate Christmas (separately from Chanukah, of course)for the same reason. I don't go to a church and participate in teh Christian Christmas. I went to spend time with my family and celebrate the secular version. I had a good time.2) It's not an "atheist\creationist" debate. It's a science\creationist debate. Many (even most) of those who oppose creationism are themselves religious, not atheists.3) It's "moot," not "mute."4) The foolishness of religion is unrelated to whether celebrations themselves are foolish. If you believe spending time with one's family and wishing goodwill for the rest of humanity is somehow foolish, I question your system of ethics.5) Godwin's law - the first person to being up Nazis in a debate automatically loses. Despite the lack of a real debate going on here, you lose.6) No, it's more like denouncing Nazism, and then commenting positively about the original meaning of the swastika symbol from before the Nazis used it and made it represent evil from then forward.7) Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. I don't believe in your deity, and I couldn't care less about your Jesus myth, but I hope you had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family, and that the upcoming new year is a good one for you and yours.

yeah i know that its origin is pagan...hence why i dont celebrate itit doesnt actually bother me that non religious people celebrate it..it kind of reaffirms in my mind that it is a pagan holidayit would be nice if the church's opened their eyes and did the same lol

Hi Rahvin, Just a quick clarification, only in the western world do we see evil as represented by the swastika. In Hindu countries like India, Myanmar, and Nepal, the swastika continues to be used as a good luck motif.Merry Xmas and happy holidays.