I have shown this adaptation of a scene from the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas before but it is timeless.
Mano Singham
Just another Freethought Blogs site
I have shown this adaptation of a scene from the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas before but it is timeless.
The second image from today’s Stderr is what reveling in the innocence and wonder that is still the state of AI can lead to:
https://proxy.freethought.online/stderr/2023/12/25/merry-whatever/
Doesn’t the adaptability of Christianity contribute to its success?
Ah, the exception that proves the rule.
Presumably, when it’s not Xmas, there is no wonderful opportunity to share our love with friends and family and commit acts of goodwill for those that are less fortunate and no time for children to revel in their innocence and wonder about the world, and adults to find their inner child.
Bah.
Matt G @2: Any successful religion (or ideology) needs hooks to reel in the supporters. Celebrations of the equinoxes and solstices have almost certainly been ‘repurposed’ by multiple religions since forever. Nothing special about Christianity in that regard.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exception_that_proves_the_rule
which one?
John @#2,
Linus’s statement that it is “a wonderful opportunity” does not imply that it is the only opportunity.
Mano, true, but then it’s real meaning is… well, nothing special, is it? Definitely not unique.
In real life: https://www.psychologicalhealthcare.com.au/blog/christmas-stress/
chigau, which one what?
But, presuming you mean the rule, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/season-of-goodwill
(If it’s the season of goodwill, then other seasons aren’t seasons of goodwill)
John Morales
Bless your heart.
Did anyone say it was unique?
No.
How true is this, though? I’ve seen numerous history sites debunking the popular belief that many Christmas traditions, or the date of Christmas itself, are inherited from paganism; here is one for a start.
No worries, Holms. Not unique. Not special.
One could equally say “is a wonderful opportunity to share our love with friends and family and commit acts of goodwill for those that are less fortunate. It is a time for children to revel in their innocence and wonder about the world, and adults to find their inner child.” about any day at all.
—
FWIW:
Steve @11, there’s a lot of mixing of local cultural stuff with a religion (just like McDonalds in France is not the same as in the USA). Christendom has historically been pretty good at incorporating local vagaries into its permitted public practice, in particular where the religion was forcibly imposed.
Different places, different festivities. Fact.
cf.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_syncretism#Christianity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observance_of_Christmas_by_country
And the converse happens, of course.
Thus, for example, Asian countries “celebrating” Xmas too, in their own way.
(PZ had a post about one such instance)
[OT]
I’ve discovered many people imagine Christianity has always been an European thing.
Thing is, only eventually, after much fighting.
cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Crusades
(Gruesome reading if one gets into detail, but then, not as bad as what the Christians did in the Americas)
Linus is completely wrong!
Steve Morrison@11,
Here’s another. Stresses how fragmentary and hard to interpret the relevant sources are.
I figured out that december 25th was a way to celebrate the light side of the year and avoid the solstice half day when I was a child. That said , I always liked the season as my dysfunctional family seemed to be less dysfunctional around this time of year . They didn’t want the coal that being bad would have gotten them from Santa . It amused me and of course, I didn’t miss the toxic behavior. They never figured it out!