Trick-or-Treating

[xwitchymagicx]

I don't see why an atheist would want to celebrate Christmas unless they're hardline capitalists or something.

Sparkly lights, sparkly tinsel, sparkly trees making cities look awesomely pretty. Awesome hilarious Christmas songs.

[Mahk]

I don't see why an atheist would want to celebrate Christmas unless they're hardline capitalists or something.

In America at least, Christmas is very much a secularized holiday celebrated by many of all faiths.

[xrodolfox]

^ Ditto.

We're athiest. WE celebrate all the cultural holidays we like. Our holidays have little do with faiths, but more about rituals, and fun. Christmas included.

Christmas isn't about gifts, although that does rock. Like Thanksgiving, it's about getting together with family, having a vacation, and all that. Good times.

[leedsveg]

are there any figures for how atheists there are in the UK.

Hard to get exact figures but after googling for some time, I guess that around 15-20% of the population are atheists.

lv

[harpy]

puca, this atheist is a reluctant Christmas-celebrator but I know quite a few people who see it as a celebration of family and general winter cheerer-upper. They also often point out that a lot of cultures have or had a mid-winter festival and some of these predate Christianity - the Roman Saturnalia and all that: http://roman-history.suite101.com/ar...cfm/saturnalia.

[Ms_Derious]

Hard to get exact figures but after googling for some time, I guess that around 15-20% of the population are atheists.

lv

I feel that a lot of people use atheist and agnostic interchangeably, which aids confusion in this matter.

Personally, I'd describe myself as the second, and celibrate christmas purely as one of the few times my family get together as a big group.

[bradders]

on the Richard Dawkins scale of 1-7 where one is a fundamental religous follower who denies any alternative is possible and seven is a hard-line atheist who denies the possibility of anything beyond standard scientific explanation, Richard Dawkins himself is a 6 as am I. I do not believe in anything but do not deny that there is at least the possibility as science cannot prove a negative. There are however sufficient reasons for me not to believe in a God. This position is a little further on, on the scale from agnostic (3-5) where one believes that there may be something more but the lack of evidence leads the person to not be sure either way. 3 on that scale thinks it's likely but is not convinced while 5 thinks it unlikely but is still wary. 2 on that scale is religious, and practices appropriately but for example may believe that god initiated evolution etc rather than being a creationist. They at least acknowledge the possibility that the teachings of religion may be wrong.
I know Richard Dawkins might be a bit annoying at times but he is very useful.

[leedsveg]

I think the same way you do on this Bradders.

lv