Forum menu
If you are a non believer (as I am) its hard to get away from, even in this day and age.
I have been married twice, both times avoiding church/god/religion. Easy.
If I have to attend other peoples religious ceremonies, I don't sing/pray/drink blood or eat flesh. Easy.
Avoiding or not celebrating Christmas/Easter. Not so easy (especially with kids)
Avoiding religious schools. Surprisingly hard.
Not christening my kids. Easy, but some of the family were disappointed.
Given that only 10% of the population attend church, and only 20% believe in god why is it so hard to avoid in everyday life?
Did someone steal your Darwinfish ?
Yes.
Jordan Peterson knows the answer.
It exists therefore you are going to come across it.
NEXT!
Are you scared of catching Priest Aids?
For God's sake, another religion thread?
Jordan Peterson knows the answer.
He's just added Nazi apologist to his list of desirable traits....
Avoiding or not celebrating Christmas/Easter. Not so easy (especially with kids)
What is remotely religious about the majority of the UK's population Easter and Christmas celebrations?
why is it so hard to avoid in everyday life?
It's not
It’s not
But it is. How many of you are celebrating Christmas? How many of you have been to watch your kids perform a nativity play this week?
I find it's far harder to avoid people telling everyone else how non-religious they are...
What flashy says.
trailwagger
But it is. How many of you are celebrating Christmas?
You can think of that as a Pagan festival if it makes you feel better!
trailwagger
How many of you are celebrating Christmas? How many of you have been to watch your kids perform a nativity play this week?
None of that was regarded as Christian when I was a lad in the Outer Isles. Heathens/heretics did that.
UK culture has subsumed many religious elements, some Christian, some Pagan and so on. They now exist outwith their original religious intention. You can artake of the culture without having to assign a religious connection.
You can think of that as a Pagan festival if it makes you feel better!
Christmas isn't a pagan festival though. There are many candidates for what preceded Xmas, Saturnalia is probs the best bet, but you'd still have to celebrate something else.
Don't get me wrong, we don't sit around on Christmas morning having a good old think about the baby Jesus. He doesn't cross anyones mind, its all about presents, food and family.
Having said that , its hard to deny/ignore the religious links and/or origins of Christmas.
Yes it is. The clue is in the name.
I don't believe in a god, but that doesn't mean others shouldn't and if they can 100% prove to me that a god exists then I will believe.
My children go to a C of E primary school becusue the only other options locally are a Catholic school or £27k/yr private school and neither of those are ever going to happen!
If they want to believe that's fine. 7yo daughter currently does, 9yo son doesn't any more.
We celebrate Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc. They are so commercial and removed from their origins for the majority of the population that I don't really see them as religious festivals any more. They are more an excuse to get people together and have a good time.
But it is. How many of you are celebrating Christmas?
That's not an everyday event, unless you're Roy Wood.
Even then as you've demonstrated you can ingnore the bolted on religious part.
My children go to a C of E primary school becusue the only other options locally are a Catholic school or £27k/yr private school and neither of those are ever going to happen!
So you agree that its hard to avoid then?
I live a non-religious life by virtue of not being remotely religious. My son’s nativity play (first one) requires him to be dressed as a cowboy. Watching it doesn’t mean I’m being religious, neither does celebrating Christmas.
I’m taking part in what one may deem religious festivities, but any religious meaning has been removed. I’ll take part in anything that involves a good get together, food and fun. Where it originates from is of absolutely no consequence to me.
He’s just added Nazi apologist to his list of desirable traits….
That's some clickbait bullshit.
Christmas isn’t a pagan festival though.
Maybe. But many [most?] people who celebrate Christmas now are not Christians… we have claimed it for ourselves. Unlike some Christians in the past though, we non-Christians are fully behind the songs and traditions… and we help preserve them for all to enjoy.
Even then as you’ve demonstrated you can ingnore the bolted on religious part.
Should that be the other way around? The modern interpretation/celebration of Christmas was bolted onto an originally religious festival/celebration?
nickc
Subscriber
You can think of that as a Pagan festival if it makes you feel better!Christmas isn’t a pagan festival though. There are many candidates for what preceded Xmas, Saturnalia is probs the best bet, but you’d still have to celebrate something else.
I'll bow to others knowledge of the history, quite aware I haven't a scooby. Point was, make it what you want! 😆
A non-religious life? Easy. A life that doesn't come into contact with any religious ideas? Not that easy, but neither is it anywhere in the world, religion having been so important over the centuries.
And that's before you start looking at philosophical history, and asking how much of our current way of thinking and even way of life has been affected by religious ideas. The reformation was a key religious event and that seems to have influenced the Western world hugely even if, ironically, it led to secularisation.
Nothing in my life is religious. You can't count xmas as it has nothing to do with the birth of Christ for non-Christians.
Perfectly possible. I do
"christmas" is actually the pre christian midwinter solstice feast co opted by the christians, Easter is the pre christian spring fertility festival
Look at the symbols. Holly and Ivy - pagan symbols. Easter egg - pagan symbols.
Or as I do simply ignore both.
Look at the symbols. Holly and Ivy – pagan symbols. Easter egg – pagan symbols.
Why does so many people consider Paganism "non-Religious"?
Ignorance perhaps?
Given that only 10% of the population attend church, and only 20% believe in god why is it so hard to avoid in everyday life?
Seems from the rest of your post like you've managed pretty well so far.
The only time that religion features in my life is on STW threads like this where we have to try and keep our pet Woppit on a leash. (-:
Having said that , its hard to deny/ignore the religious links and/or origins of Christmas.
Sure it is. One can pap on all they like about the "true meaning of Christmas," but for the vast majority of people the true meaning of Christmas is spending time with friends and family, buying gifts for each other, and stuffing themselves silly on turkey for a fortnight. If as an atheist you dismiss the notion of some bloke in a shed with a virgin and a couple of sheep as nothing more than a persistent folk story then there's nothing much you need to get away from. You might as well try to avoid Batman.
As for denial, well, plenty of Christians deny the origins of Christmas all the time so that's not a great leap either. (-:
Yep, manage to avoid it completely in day to day life, winter holiday coming up, has as much to do with Christianity as Willow trees do to Salford
The name of Salford derives from the Old English word Sealhford, meaning a ford by the willow trees. It referred to the willows (Latin: salix) or sallows that grew alongside the banks of the River Irwell. The ford was about where Victoria Bridge is today.
The only time that religion features in my life is on STW threads like this
Genuine question. Has there ever been a thread on here that started with the premise that religion is nice and helpful before the fights break out or have they all started out with an OP that it’s all just a bag o’shite?
It just seems odd that the only ones evangelising their cause are the non believers complaining about having religion rammed down their throats all the time...all evidence to the contrary
I’m bored with it now.
Oh the ironing!
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
I'd say yes, pretty easy. I think you're conflating religion with Christianity. Many of my Sikh, moslem and hindu friends manage to navigate around Christmas and Easter ok without getting unnecessarily involved
Genuine question. Has there ever been a thread on here that started with the premise that religion is nice and helpful before the fights break out or have they all started out with an OP that it’s all just a bag o’shite.
Off the top of my head, most start off somewhere between the two extremes I think. We've certainly had some interesting discussions previously before it all goes a bit "your mum." The OP here wasn't particularly inflammatory I didn't think?
Avoiding religious schools. Surprisingly hard.
In Scotland, the only religious schools are for Catholics who specifically want an RC religious education. Most people attend non religious schools. The local minister will often still appear at assemblies, and there may be Christmas and Easter services, but there's no real structured religious presence in school.
I'd say it's pretty easy to avoid religion if you want to. There's no stigma in declaring yourself an atheist, humanist funerals are unremarkable these days. There's nothing religious about Christmas for most people.
I think there are some formal changes that should still be made. The CofE should be officially disestablished, and CofE bishops should not be sitting in the House of Lords.
It just seems odd that the only ones evangelising their cause are the non believers complaining about having religion rammed down their throats all the time…all evidence to the contrary
This. Its bloody boring.
OP - it's remarkably easy if you want to be an arse. I mean, you could refuse to attend funerals, weddings etc. but I really can't believe anyone is so thin skinned and intolerant that they would act in such a way. Well, barring bigots of course. You're not a bigot, are you?
In the last 10 years I have been to half a dozen weddings and funerals - not one of them had a single religious component
I don't believe in god but I celebrate Christmas. Why? Because it's fun, the family get together, we eat, drink, have fun, relax. I don't care about the back story, I just embrace it for what it is - a chance to get away from the drudgery of everyday life. Am I a hypocrite? Probably. Do I care? Merry Christmas!
Nothing to do with the site, this will be down to various client-side god-bothering settings you have neglected to change. Did you tick 'atheist' when you installed Windows?
I don’t believe in god but I celebrate Christmas. Why? Because it’s fun, the family get together, we eat, drink, have fun, relax. I don’t care about the back story, I just embrace it for what it is – a chance to get away from the drudgery of everyday life. Am I a hypocrite? Probably. Do I care? Merry Christmas!
This!!! ^
In the last 10 years I have been to half a dozen weddings and funerals – not one of them had a single religious component
Whereas I have been to at least one of each. What do I win?