Will YOU be going to church this Christmas?

[Crimson Dynamo]

if you are, what will you be going for?

[NettoSuperstar!]

Is this a serious debate?...prob for my sons Xmas assembly thing otherwise no

[Crimson Dynamo]

Is this a serious debate?...prob for my sons Xmas assembly thing otherwise no

yes it is serious. Christmas is serious and people love it and Jesus.

I naturally am waiting for the "the Church stole Christmas form the Pagans" post. :hugesmile:

but still it is interesting how many atheists love the celebration etc and how many folks go to church at that time

[NettoSuperstar!]

lol you are a card

[Shaun]

nah.

[Crimson Dynamo]

lol you are a card

A charity one :hugesmile:

[Fom]

I don't really celebrate Xmas, and what of it I do celebrate is nothing to do with religion. I am not religious but never pass on the opportunity to have a meal with the family and give out some presents.

[Captain.Remy]

Yes.
Family tradition. Not with my dad tho because he's orthodox.

[Princess]

No,I havn't gone in a while,cos I don't see the point. Christmas has long stopped being about religion for me or my family.

[InOne]

Mass lasts about 9 hours at xmas, so **** that.

[Beastie]

I might go to the midnight mass.

[InOne]

I might go to the midnight mass.

Get drunk instead Beast woooooohooooooooo

[Beastie]

Get drunk instead Beast woooooohooooooooo


lol I was at the pub last year or year before and I got too drunk and then I forgot all about going.....

[Tom]

yes, but only to go to the graveyard

[Beastie]

I dont get drunk that often, once every few months if that. I didnt really like getting drunk on xmas eve because I felt rough on christmas morning so was not as excited for the presents and that!

Dont think I will get drunk, I prefer getting tipsy.. on alcopops or woo woo cocktails or whatever tastes nice :D

[Deirdre]

Yeah, Christmas Day or Eve and New Year's Day or Eve are the only times I go to mass. Although my Mam goes most Sundays.

[bronaaaa]

Yep always do..kinda because I have to but I actually don't mind church at christmas

[Arneldo]

nope.

[Twilight]

Nah

[ILoveTRW]

whats the church got to do with christmas

[Sticks]

I am going to surprise you and say a categoric NO!

I will only attend a church service on a Christmas day, if that day falls on a Sunday.

Show me in the Bible where Christians are instructed to celebrate the birth of Jesus?

All I can see in the Bible is that we are instructed the break bread every week, (See Acts 20:7 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2020:7&version=NIV)) and remember Jesus Death (See 1Corinthians 11:23-26 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2011:23-26&version=NIV))

[Patrick]

Who still goes to Church on Christmas these days?

I wont be going, its boring and Christmas is a time for fun not sitting in a Church listening to a Preist chat.

[Beastie]

I think the least people can do is show respect though by celebrating a CHRISTIAN holiday.

[Ramsay]

id rather be gettin high

[Scarlett.]

I might go, its tradition, though I missed going last year

[Sticks]

I think the least people can do is show respect though by celebrating a CHRISTIAN holiday.

I contend that it isn't because I can see no scriptural justification for it

[Stu]

I wont be going. And for the record I celebrate and love Christmas and im not religious. TV, relatives, money, TV, drunk people, TV, parties. It kicks ass. I hate when people say not to celebrate Xmas if your not religious. Screw that. If I don't believe in it in the FIRST place whats the big deal? I can celebrate any day I want. Xmas is a fun time.

Just spreading the xmas love here. It's November tomorrow, and that's a good enough time for me to play xmas songs.

[Stacey.]

no, i dont think so!? :/

[Patrick]

Omg!
November tomarrow ALREADY!

Not long now to Christmas, 2009 Flew by!

Hope all the Christmas songs start soon!

[Chri$]

Ew. Church makes me think of dead people. I wanna be happy Christmas day so I won't go to church.

[Prole]

I naturally am waiting for the "the Church stole Christmas form the Pagans" post. :hugesmile:


Wouldn't want to disappoint you. And actually, this is more of a correction of what you posted.

The church didn't "steal" Christmas from Pagans, they simply placed their festival at Yuletide so as to detract from one of the important Pagan feasts. Likewise Easter, even the word is Pagan. It's named after Oestra, a fertility goddess (it's where we get the name for the female hormone oestragen). One of Oestra's symbols is the hare... hence the Easter bunny. Another of her symbols, being a fertility goddess, is the egg. In fact, the Church strategically placed its festivals and saints days on all the Sabats.

No, I won't be going into a Christian church this Christmas for a few reasons. One is that it will be full of people who say they're Christians, most of whom will have been complete hypocrites the whole year. Another reason is that I am not a Christian and don't celebrate your festivals. But I wouldn't want to stop you, or any Christian going.

[InOne]

Jesus would want us to get drunk.

[MrGaryy]

No, I haven't for 2 years. I used to feel guilty but it would be a tad hypocritical of me what with me being atheist and what not.

[Prole]

Jesus would want us to get drunk.


Well if the scriptures are to be believed, he did like a party. He's supposed to have changed water to wine after all.

[InOne]

Well if the scriptures are to be believed, he did like a party. He's supposed to have changed water to wine after all.

Exactly, he would not want us whining about his birth. He'd be like, fack this, let's get this water into wine!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sticks]

Well if the scriptures are to be believed, he did like a party. He's supposed to have changed water to wine after all.

But the Greek word used in John 2, oinos can also mean unfermented grape juice, which was still a perfectly acceptable drink. To hold that Jesus turned the water into alcoholic wine is blasphemy as it implies he endorsed the sin condemned in the Bible as drunkenness, when the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was without sin.

So I was told by an evangelist some years ago

[arista]

But the Greek word used in John 2, oinos can also mean unfermented grape juice, which was still a perfectly acceptable drink. To hold that Jesus turned the water into alcoholic wine is blasphemy as it implies he endorsed the sin condemned in the Bible as drunkenness, when the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was without sin.

So I was told by an evangelist some years ago


Sin!

One Eyed Scottish Brown has Sin
letting our troops down by cutting funding
Blood on his hands and Deaths carry on over this Illegal Invasion.
Fact.

[Prole]

But the Greek word used in John 2, oinos can also mean unfermented grape juice, which was still a perfectly acceptable drink. To hold that Jesus turned the water into alcoholic wine is blasphemy as it implies he endorsed the sin condemned in the Bible as drunkenness, when the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was without sin.

So I was told by an evangelist some years ago

Like most of the bible, this is open to interpretation, translation and suffers from generations of being passed on by word-of-mouth. Similarly the phrase that killed so many women "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" is in some places believed to have been a mistranslation of "thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live".

I'm a little confused about your line about wine being blasphemy, and endorsing the sin of drunkenness. Doesn't the Eucharist involve taking wine, believing that is the blood of Christ? Does that mean that most Christian churches that involve wine in their Eucharist are actually blasphemers?

Whatever Jesus is supposed to have turned water into, I think it's clear he did it to try to make people happy, whereas many Christian churches I believe try their best to make people believe that anything that is pleasurable or joyful is a sin.

A question, because I'm interested... you say that the church believes that Jesus was without sin. But whoever his father was, he was born of a mortal woman, so surely Christians would believe that original sin counts?

[Braden]

i am just going to stay in with the family

[Sticks]

I'm a little confused about your line about wine being blasphemy, and endorsing the sin of drunkenness. Doesn't the Eucharist involve taking wine, believing that is the blood of Christ? Does that mean that most Christian churches that involve wine in their Eucharist are actually blasphemers?

As we get phrases, "Fruit of the Vine" some churches, including mine use Red Grape Juice for the Lord's Supper.


A question, because I'm interested... you say that the church believes that Jesus was without sin. But whoever his father was, he was born of a mortal woman, so surely Christians would believe that original sin counts?

Original Sin is a false doctrine not taught in the Bible. In fact Ezekiel 18 condemns this doctrine. Babies do not inherit the sin of Adam

[Prole]

Thank you Sticks. That's very interesting.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Sin is really the lack of something rather than being something in itself.

[pinkmichk]

i will prob go to midnight mass on christmas eve

[Prole]

Sin is really the lack of something rather than being something in itself.

So it stupidity.

[Crimson Dynamo]

So it stupidity.

how so?

[Sticks]

The word used for sin in the Greek means missing the mark, as in archery.

There are certain standards we have to meet, and by doing things or not doing things we fail to meet those standards and miss the mark.

[\PJ/]

No

[Crimson Dynamo]

Will the folks who do not go to church be sending Christmas cards?

[Sticks]

Will the folks who do not go to church be sending Christmas cards?

With the postal dispute I doubt anyone will be sending any cards

[Chantel]

Will the folks who do not go to church be sending Christmas cards?

No

[CiaraD]

Yep have to go every year. It's only for an hour though so it's not too bad :p

[Spike]

No. I'm an atheist :D

[Crimson Dynamo]

No. I'm an atheist :D

so no Christmas presents then?

[LemonJam]

My family are strict Christians, so I will to keep them happy. :)

[Dom:)]

Yes,I am a catholic so I go every sunday aswell,also going to mass on Christmas eve is a family tradition

[Spike]

so no Christmas presents then?

Probably not seeing as I don't celebrate it

[Crimson Dynamo]

Probably not seeing as I don't celebrate it


crikey. are you a Jehovah's Witness?

[setanta]

I'm not a huge church goer but I always love it at Christmas in a church or cathedral with good acoustics and a choir singing. It's really beautiful if you go to a recital or something like that.

[Fom]

crikey. are you a Jehovah's Witness?

I am sure he just said he is an atheist...

[Crimson Dynamo]

I am sure he just said he is an atheist...

he may have converted

[Stu]

What on earth has being Atheist got to do with not getting presents? The present giving side of Christmas and the spiritual are two completely different things that bear absolutely no relevance to one another other than the fact that one came from the other.That is, unless you are suggesting Jesus in his infinite wisdom had a keen eye for marketing his own death as a means to sell Blu-Ray's in the years to come.

Hey, it worked for Mel Gibson.

[Dr.Gonzo]

What on earth has being Atheist got to do with not getting presents? The present giving side of Christmas and the spiritual are two completely different things that bear absolutely no relevance to one another other than the fact that one came from the other.That is, unless you are suggesting Jesus in his infinite wisdom had a keen eye for marketing his own death as a means to sell Blu-Ray's in the years to come.

Hey, it worked for Mel Gibson.

Yeh, but Mel's cAraZy. Wait-

[supernoodles!]

Who still goes to Church on Christmas these days?

I wont be going, its boring and Christmas is a time for fun not sitting in a Church listening to a Preist chat.

lol,listening to a Priest chat..hahaha.
:joker:

In answer to the question,no I won`t be.I`ve only ever been to church for Christenings and to sing with the school choir when I was like 10 lol.

[Sticks]

Christenings are also unscriptural, but that's another subject

[Niamh.]

What on earth has being Atheist got to do with not getting presents? The present giving side of Christmas and the spiritual are two completely different things that bear absolutely no relevance to one another other than the fact that one came from the other.That is, unless you are suggesting Jesus in his infinite wisdom had a keen eye for marketing his own death as a means to sell Blu-Ray's in the years to come.

Hey, it worked for Mel Gibson.


:joker:

[Crimson Dynamo]

Christenings are also unscriptural, but that's another subject

but they are lovely

[Lewis.]

I'm going to go to midnight mass. LOL. It's so boring but gets me in the spirit XD

51 days XD

[Twilight]

No

[supernoodles!]

Christenings are also unscriptural, but that's another subject

lol I was just saying,I am however going to church next week,for a funeral

[teabag.]

i used to because it was tradition and mega christmassy but then the church stopped the half 7 mass wierdly so we dont go anymore
i dont go to church though, im catholic but i consider myself atheist
although in school when we hae a mass i still eat the bread which is probably quite bad but its nice

[AfroMullet]

Every Sunday? Yes.
Christmas Day? No.
Maybe Christmas Eve though, it depends if they rope me into doing the live sound mixing or not.

[Jackie]

No never go to church.

[arista]

No never go to church.


You Are Most Wise
jackie.

[Stu]

The force is strong in this one.