'Jesus not Santa'

caitlin1214

caitlin1214

tPF Bish
O.G.
Jul 7, 2006
29,110
780
#1
I got off the subway and left the station. As I crossed the road to catch a cab, I saw a guy on that corner holding a sign that said:

Jesus
not
Santa


The first thing I thought of was, "Couldn't Christmas be two things?"

Yes, Christmas can be very materialistic not that that's a BAD thing, but we're celebrating Jesus's birth, and I think we do that by going to Christmas Mass, and giving to charity.

I'd be lying if I said there's not ONE part of me that can't wait to see what's under the tree for me, but we're also celebrating the season of giving by picking out and wrapping things we know our family members will love.
 
#3
people seem to forget all about Jesus on Christmas, to be truthful, I guess I do too! Ive never been religious so i NEVER go to church, but I dont recall stopping and thinking about Jesus on christmas.. Im so badd!!
 
#4
What I like about Christmas is that it can be adopted by those of that are not Christian. Even though to a certain extent it is about gifts, it is also about giving and being with those you love.
 
#5
Well, I do go to church and I do recognize Christmas as the birth of Jesus and I teach that to my kids too. But the truth is that Christmas has become so much more than that. And I am totally okay with that because I think all the other things that Christmas has become can be positive too.

Christian or not, Christmas is a time of reflection and peace, and time to spend with people you love. It's also a time to shower friends and family with presents.. and that stimulates our economy. It's a time to go to parties and spend time with people you might not see all the time.

Christmas is a lot more than CHRISTmas, and that's what makes it INCLUSIONARY. I wish everyone I meet Merry Christmas, regardless of what their religious background might be, because it IS Christmastime, and I hope theirs is Merry!

So yes, I think it can be both - if YOU want it to be. And if not, I say - don't take Jesus or Santa out of my Christmas, and I won't take them out of yours.
 
#6
i think it's unfortunate that some people are unwilling to accept that christmas has become cultural, as well as religious. for those that believe, it's the celebration of the savior's birth. for those that don't, it's a time to appreciate your friends and loved ones, show them how much you care, give to charity, and spend money on people other than yourself. to me, BOTH of those things are culturally valuable, and people that try to discourage that also misunderstand the original meaning of christmas, i think.
 
#7
I guess it depends on how one views it, but I think that man's attitude was one of exclusion and division instead of one of peace and love. Historically, it is unlikely that December was the time of Jesus' (the historical man's) birth, but it was celebrated then to include the pagans who celebrated the solstice around the same time. One could not eliminate the merry-making times of year and have a new faith catch on!

So it seems that the idea of Christmas was intended to be cultural as well as religious. I am entirely non-religious, yet we have a tree and give gifts. It is a time for family, reflection, peace in one's heart and giving. I think that all of those things can be valuable without including religion at all.
 
#8
having grown up with xmas although I no longer celebrate it as a religious Jew. I always saw it as a fetive holiday. NOt a truly genuine religious experience. Perhaps because i experienced the tree and presents thing and not the religious aspect of it.
 
#9
omg when i read this title i started laughing right away. One of my flatmate's parents are very religious Catholics and part of Opus Dei. So they told him when he was young that santa claus doesnt exist and that jesus is the one who gives out presents. just brought back a fond memory =)
 
#10
That is exactly what I love about Christmas. You can make it a religious holiday, or you can make it a day to spend time with friends and family. And even though some people don't treat it as a religious holiday, doesn't mean that's a bad thing. As long as the love and friendship is there, it's all good.

(We used to go to Mass, but the past several years I couldn't because of work. We try, but sometimes it doesn't work out. We still enjoy spending Christmas Eve / Day together.)
 
#11
fire_eyed_freak said:
What I like about Christmas is that it can be adopted by those of that are not Christian. Even though to a certain extent it is about gifts, it is also about giving and being with those you love.
Click to expand...

I agree. I'm not Christian, but we do celebrate Christmas, it's very much a cultural, social event. It's a time to be with family and friends, giving, peace, and love.
 
#13
I would say we celebrate the Birth of Jesus...
by being with family and friends, going to church,
prayers for everyone and giving more to those in need...
We celebrate the Spirit of Santa...
by all the trimmings, gift giving to loved ones and all the wonderful FUN
that the Christmas Spirit brings!!!
The man should have written... "JESUS AND SANTA":heart:
 
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