'Soldiers' gear up to defend Christmas?

How many people who celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus are not also Christian?

And a lot of people who are not Christian now celebrate Christmas, not as a religious holiday, but as a holiday where you get together with famliy, eat food and give presents. How is the transition from pagan holiday to Christian holiday any different from a transition (for some people) of a Christian holiday to a secular one?

Christianity invented love, fellowship and generosity?? I guess the Romans gave each other gifts out of pure hatred during Saturnalia (the Roman holiday marking the Winter Solstice).

 

A humorous video discussion of the phoney Xmas issue. Air America's Sam Seder thinks the point is that it helps the Christian Right fund raise.
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http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/12/12.html#a6285

 

I guess everyone feels the other side has it better than them

 

Ok, we can always make a law having the federal government call it Winter Solstice from now on. Christians who want to use the time to celebrate Christ's birthday can simply refer to it as Christmas, everyone else can refer to it as Winter Solstice. Christmas would be like Hannukah, not an official holiday but one well known enough. That way everyone wins and noone is offended. The Christians get to keep the Christmas carols and any other Christmas songs or tales with references to God or Christ or manger, etc. (e.g. little drummer boy) The people who celebrate Winter Solstice get to keep Santa Claus, Christmas trees, cards, and any other commercialized elements of this holiday. Sounds like a good compromise?

 

Personally, I don't care if they call it Happy Fun Fun Day. I don't understand how having a secularized Christmas prevents you from having a religious one.

 

I think we should just remove the "T" since we all pronounce it "Chrismas" anyways.

 

I love it when "Christians" defend Christianity/Christmas without knowing anything about the history of either.

Always good to see lazy Protestantism at its finest.

Since we are sharing, I am a non-Christian who celebrates Christmas (I only use "XMas" in shorthand writing). I decorate (including a manger scene) and give gifts and am generally merry. Of course I also have crucifixes (not crosses) hanging on my walls year-round. Ooh...I am baaaad.

 

It's hard to explain. The excellent Boondocks comic strip featured in this thread is a great example of the mixed messages that people get form the secularization of Christmas.