bluewizard Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 This will be my first Christmas not believeing. What as your first one like? Mine will be good, I will still love the hooliday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trashy Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 wow - this is our first too! Well, last Christmas we were pretty doubtful, but hadn't clarified things yet. This year I just want to laugh at all the manger scenes. It just seems so silly. That's one reason we're gonna spend the week before Christmas in Vegas! Woo-hoo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 Mine too. Well, having come out of the "closet" to my parents anyway. I haven't believed it was literally true for quite some time though, although I thought that perhaps parts of the myth were true. I was a cherry picker for many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asdf99 Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 This is the first christmas my heart has not been in the christmas spirit. i started my deconversion in the summer of 2002. it was a process obviously as it doesn't happen overnight. each christmas gets worse and worse for me. i used to be big time into christmas music and it was almost a spritual experience for me. I've got almost 20 gig of christmas music. but this chrismas i'm really numb to everything. i don't enjoy christmas like i did when I was a christian. to tell you the truth it really saddens my heart when i think about it. thats one thing i do miss about christianity is the spiritual high i often felt. sometimes i wonder if being a christian is so bad really. if i wasn't such a thinker i'd still be sucked in it but so what? Its more of a cultural thing than anything. now my family is disapointed in me and i lost christian friends in the process. its like the book "Charlie" if any of you have ever read that. He was a mentally incompetent child that was happy with life because he didn't know any better. when he got smarter his life became more complicated and he seperated himself from the world. Similar to the movie "The lawnmower man". If we stay simple and don't question things or worry about stuff we're probably better off. ANyway. sorry if this is such a downer post but i really hate this time of year sometimes because christmas is just not the same for me as it used to be. its weird. its not that i'm sad or hate life. i am happy in life. i just miss those special feelings that i used to have is all. it was nice thinking we had it all figured out as christians. i was glad to know jesus was god. oh well. i know i'd rather live truth than a lie so don't get me wrong here. I'm just thinkin outloud i guess. ok i'll stop now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 Christmas is just a paid day off from work. I don't celebrate anything because, 1. I'm not a christian. 2. I'm not part of an agricultural society. 3. I'm not a pagan. 4. I've always hated holiday music... except for Carol of the Bells done by actual bells. Ver' nice. 5. I don't wanna, so there. Also, my family can suck it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trashy Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 One thing that may help is to replace the old music with some new stuff - more of the secular side. I especially love jazz instrumentals and old swing tunes and Brave Combo xmas music. It's all about toys and family without the religious trappings. Example: Louis Armstrong's "Iz dat you Santa Claus?" Good stuff other recommendations: Boney James Louis Prima any of the old rat pack guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asdf99 Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 One thing that may help is to replace the old music with some new stuff - more of the secular side. I especially love jazz instrumentals and old swing tunes and Brave Combo xmas music. It's all about toys and family without the religious trappings. Example: Louis Armstrong's "Iz dat you Santa Claus?" Good stuff other recommendations: Boney James Louis Prima any of the old rat pack guys Good point! I should just go through my entire collection and remove all the Jesus songs and enjoy the season for what its worth. Ever listen to Trans Siberian Orchestra? Thats some of my favorite christmas music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non conformist Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 This time of the year for me has always been my favorite. It's more of the culmination of the year, of celebrating my family, and an excuse to shop til I'm broker than my ass crack. To think of christmas as Jesus' b-day was very easy for me since, IF he ever existed, he wasn't born on the date it's celebrated. I love the season, the music, the food, the decorations....everything. I don't have any religious sentiments attached to it, but I still enjoy and celebrate the year that was and have big hopes for the year ahead. And that is all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 This isn't my first Christmas without the Christ part. I figure I worship no gods, and any oher time of the year I do what I want, so, to quote Cartman. "I do wha I wan I do wha I wan." I have a tree and decorate cuz I think its pretty. I buy gifts and do Santa cuz I like it, its fun to me. I bake because, well I think I do that cuz the kids like it, but I love them so yeah. The thing is what does xmas trees, gifts, Santa or cookies have to do with Jebus anyway??? Oh oh and mangers, I have this old one, but a couple years ago the baby Jesus went missing, seriously I didn't do anything it just did. So my oldest puts something else where Jesus should be, we have had Hello Kitty, a Kelly doll, and this old small baby doll, that accidentily went through the washing machine, all its paint came off and it is this purpleish black color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest singlecoil Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 Mine too. I'm actually enjoying this year more than before. No god to worry about just enjoying this season without the "god sent his son into the world" BS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandora Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 Definitely not my first Christmas not believing in Jesus (or for my husband either), but it is the first Christmas where the inlaws are aware of our deconversion. It has definitely taken away the Christmas spirit... being told we're going to hell on a regular basis and threatening to shun us during the holidays don't make it easy to deal with. I personally don't care, but my husband is really distressed about it. I wish the MIL would just chill out and worship the way she wants to without letting us take away from her experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asdf99 Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 I wish the music hadn't been such a big deal for me. I think it would be easier if that had not been the case. Do you just ignore songs like "Oh Holy Night" when they are on the radio? Thats kinda what sucks about the whole thing. Those songs used to mean something to me. Now I really am repulsed to hear them. Same with the song "Silent Night". Or even Amy Grant's "Emanuel". Those were powerful songs. You see what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianka Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 This is my first ex-Christmas. I am hoping it will be a XXX Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuroikaze Posted December 10, 2005 Share Posted December 10, 2005 this isn't my first christmas not believing...but it is the first one since I told my parents. It may be a little akward. A bunch of relitives are comming too. No idea how it will turn out, but I'll let you know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted December 10, 2005 Share Posted December 10, 2005 This will be my first Christmas not believeing. What as your first one like? Mine will be good, I will still love the hooliday. If memory serves, immediately after deconverting I celebrated the original thing... Yuletide instead of jebusmas It was fun, in a circle of three (me, my wife, and the "free shaman" who led the ceremony) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Posted December 10, 2005 Share Posted December 10, 2005 I wish the music hadn't been such a big deal for me. I think it would be easier if that had not been the case. Do you just ignore songs like "Oh Holy Night" when they are on the radio? Thats kinda what sucks about the whole thing. Those songs used to mean something to me. Now I really am repulsed to hear them. Same with the song "Silent Night". Or even Amy Grant's "Emanuel". Those were powerful songs. You see what I mean? Before people moved and such my husband and I used to do xmas eve with this group of friends. This predated he or I becoming xians. He and the guys, every year went out in the back and belted out Silent Night, loud, screming, off pitch, um the song just never really meant anything to me religiously. LOL Now the fact no one ever complained or called the police may have been a miricle. hehe There are some truly beautiful songs that are traditional and not nessicarily religious, like Deck the Halls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted December 10, 2005 Share Posted December 10, 2005 If memory serves, immediately after deconverting I celebrated the original thing... Yuletide instead of jebusmas It was fun, in a circle of three (me, my wife, and the "free shaman" who led the ceremony) Alright!!!! Your curiosity approach worked with me!!! What exactly did that celebration/ceremony consist of, Thurisaz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluewizard Posted December 10, 2005 Author Share Posted December 10, 2005 I'll be just as happy as before because I still get Christmas gifts on Christmas morning. My parents and me dont discuss my disbelief anymore so things have gotten cooler. I'm glad they found out I'm an atheist though I wouldnt go around school saying I was because of the 99 % Christian population. lol I still enoy Christmas for the Pagan myth, the Pagan myth songs are good and enjoyable, I've sang Christmas songs in my vocal music class so that adds to it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizard Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 My first Christmas as an ex was awkward. My kids knew nothing of it..my daughter gave me this framed picture of Jesus with something about the resurrection..it still hangs on my wall because, well..my daughter gave it to me. The "spiritual" songs don't really get to me..actually, they never did. There are a few that do bring tears..or chills/goosebumps/lump in the throat kind of thing. Among them are John Lennon's "Happy Christmas", Randy Carroll's "A San Antonio Christmas"and that song about Maria and the little bird with the broken wing..thinking of the little girl with nothing, yet she cares for a broken bird..(yeah..I'm a bit sentimental) Its always been a time of reflection for me..looking back on the old year, looking forward to the new..always thinking the new will be better than the old.. Tradition and continuity are important to me too. Doing the same things we did growing up..especially since my family is all but gone. It never works out though. Always goes to pot..same as it did as a believer.. Ok..I'm rambling now. Sitting in the dark with the tree on and Christmas music on the radio..smell of cookies just having been baked. Please..someone slap me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 "This will be my first Christmas not believeing." Me too. It'll be hard trying to get out of all the Christian crap with my parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnosis of Disbelief Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 Alright!!!! Your curiosity approach worked with me!!! What exactly did that celebration/ceremony consist of, Thurisaz? My guess? Drinking mead. Lots and lots and lots of mead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 Alright!!!! Your curiosity approach worked with me!!! What exactly did that celebration/ceremony consist of, Thurisaz? Oh well, it was kind of a "generic heathen ritual". A ritualistic thanksgiving to the horned god et al, then some rounds of giving a toast with some good wine (on whatever occured to us at that moment, including the immortal line from the shaman when he went out of ideas "On... errrr... on fucking, dammit!"), and after that, having a good time Please..someone slap me! *SLAP* Feel better now? My guess? Drinking mead. Lots and lots and lots of mead. You got close, but remember, it was not an exclusively Asatruar rite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 Sounds cool to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tehuti Nefer Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 This is the first christmas my heart has not been in the christmas spirit. i started my deconversion in the summer of 2002. it was a process obviously as it doesn't happen overnight. each christmas gets worse and worse for me. i used to be big time into christmas music and it was almost a spritual experience for me. I've got almost 20 gig of christmas music. but this chrismas i'm really numb to everything. i don't enjoy christmas like i did when I was a christian. to tell you the truth it really saddens my heart when i think about it. thats one thing i do miss about christianity is the spiritual high i often felt. sometimes i wonder if being a christian is so bad really. if i wasn't such a thinker i'd still be sucked in it but so what? Its more of a cultural thing than anything. now my family is disapointed in me and i lost christian friends in the process. its like the book "Charlie" if any of you have ever read that. He was a mentally incompetent child that was happy with life because he didn't know any better. when he got smarter his life became more complicated and he seperated himself from the world. Similar to the movie "The lawnmower man". If we stay simple and don't question things or worry about stuff we're probably better off. ANyway. sorry if this is such a downer post but i really hate this time of year sometimes because christmas is just not the same for me as it used to be. its weird. its not that i'm sad or hate life. i am happy in life. i just miss those special feelings that i used to have is all. it was nice thinking we had it all figured out as christians. i was glad to know jesus was god. oh well. i know i'd rather live truth than a lie so don't get me wrong here. I'm just thinkin outloud i guess. ok i'll stop now! Christmas is a hard and depressing time of year for a lot of people, Christian or not, not because of what it is but because of what it is supposed to be. One thing for sure if you find yourself in the fire the thing to do is not to jump back into the frying pan. Branch out and condition your mind to take pleasure in things that are real instead of trying to recapture the joy we had in things that we know are not real., Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onyx Posted December 11, 2005 Share Posted December 11, 2005 This is my second Christmas as an atheist. Nothing really happened on the last one so I must be thankful nothing will go wrong on this one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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