How many Non-Christians Celebrate Xmas?

I have been known to say Happy Hannukha and Happy Kwaanza, when appropriate. It's about the gift of love and sharing, regardless of the commercialism.

Yes, but you need to brush your fullers every day. Let me show you the samples I have with me ...
 

I'm a frisbeetyrian. When we die, our soul goes up on the roof and you can't get it down.
 

I suppose I just annoy too easily.  I don't like being a captive audience in the swimming pool and having these folks try to convert me.....and it's an above ground so swimming away means they just walk in circles to catch me when I surface....although I DO make sure I kick hard and really splash.  When I ask someone to leave, I shouldn't have to get rude for them to actually LEAVE.  I've tried NICE notes on the doors, and even "Pagan rituals in progress...DO NOT DISTURB", but it doesn't deter these folks....

You know Glenda,
when I was growing up in the UP every easter or thanksgiving we would have people knocking on our door. My father got sick of it one thanksgiving after 3 or so seperate knocks and being bothered. (we were trying to chow down on the turkey!) So...(this is wrong but so funny) As he opened the door he yelled, "Jayce get it!!!" which meant to the dog, squirel in the yard and she went nuts barking. I swear they broke the sound barrier as they flew out of the porch and down the driveway.
The holidays are to commercial now!
On the topic, my family was never religious, my parents were catholic, but after my real "father" left my mom with two toddler boys, and the church told her that she had to give 10% of her income to the church or we couldn't be baptized. (she could barely put food in our mouths) she pretty much told them in finer words to stick it. But we still had christmas, and all of the holidays. It shouldn't really be about religion or this religion isn't good and mine is better,(to me that sounds like the my d!(k is bigger than yours, which is one of the major problems with the world today)  I haven't had a holiday home with my family for 12 years! 11 because of the USN, and tomorrow will be my one year in Hong Kong with my wife.)
it should be about family, friends, and helping others. Sh!t im 31 and I still belive in Santa, the Easter bunny, the Closet monster, you never know...
 
And a quick fun fact, I promise I will stop after this.
In Japan, Christmas Eve is like Valentines day, if you have a girlfriend, wife or other, you BETTER do something romantic or you will never hear the end of it!

I'll be the Link Fairy again. There's a fantastic how on NPR called This American Life  that I listen to every week. Anyway, an episode from last year was about a Pentacostal (that is, as fundamentlist evangelical as you can get, pretty much) minister who had a very very succesful ministry (mega-church) until he had a revelation from God that there's no such thing as hell, which he calls the Gospel of Inclusion.
 
What made me think of this episode is the prosylatizing thing. He said that after his revelation, he no longer felt like he had to save every single person he met. Because if there's no such thing as hell, everyone goes to heaven and no one needs to be saved. He can just leave folks alone and accept them as they are instead of trying to change them. He talked about how he used to feel compelled to witness all the time, even when he was exhausted, even when he didn't feel like it, even when he knew that he'd just get hostility in return, and once he didn't feel like he had to do that anymore it was such a relief.
 
Anyway, its an incredibly moving story, even if you're not a Christian, and you can stream it from [linkhttp://www.thislife.org/pages/descriptions/05/304.html]this link[/link]. It's an hour long and well worth it.

I know a christian who doesn't believe in hell. We get in to these incredible debates until he starts calling my questions 'foolish' and some of my friends get offended, (I don't offend easily) and the thread gets closed.
 I don't really believe in the 'become a christian or you will go to hell' method of witnessing, although I do believe in hell. But I won't get into my theology here.

ORIGINAL: houndlove

I'll be the Link Fairy again. There's a fantastic how on NPR called This American Life that I listen to every week. Anyway, an episode from last year was about a Pentacostal (that is, as fundamentlist evangelical as you can get, pretty much) minister who had a very very succesful ministry (mega-church) until he had a revelation from God that there's no such thing as hell, which he calls the Gospel of Inclusion.

What made me think of this episode is the prosylatizing thing. He said that after his revelation, he no longer felt like he had to save every single person he met. Because if there's no such thing as hell, everyone goes to heaven and no one needs to be saved. He can just leave folks alone and accept them as they are instead of trying to change them. He talked about how he used to feel compelled to witness all the time, even when he was exhausted, even when he didn't feel like it, even when he knew that he'd just get hostility in return, and once he didn't feel like he had to do that anymore it was such a relief.

Anyway, its an incredibly moving story, even if you're not a Christian, and you can stream it from [linkhttp://www.thislife.org/pages/descriptions/05/304.html]this link[/link]. It's an hour long and well worth it.

Yes, I caught most of that show and was impressed and surprised at how other "Christians" ostracized him. It was quite an intriguing story. I didn't feel sorry for the guy, but I did feel uplifted that he stuck to his guns and didn't back down!

ORIGINAL: sharismom
If you can't be nice to me on December 26th, then just leave me alone.

i can be a mean-a$$ ba$tard any day of the year... christmas, thanksgiving, etc. if that makes you feel any better. []

ORIGINAL: glenmar

I don't like being preached at and I really resent the folks who feel that they have a right to disturb me at home to show me the error of my ways. I live in the boonies for a reason folks...I don't want to be bothered. And while I understand that these people really believe that they are doing God's work, I don't want them pushing THEIR religion on me like some Fuller Brush salesman.....

when i was a kid, we lived out in the boonies. usually jehovah's witness would come by just about every saturday. usually between 10 am and noon. if my mom saw them pull up (you could usually spot them because they drove the same van each time), she would make us turn off the tv and we would hide in a back room until they left. it was quite the game because they would hang around for 20-30 minutes sometimes. finally they must have gotten the hint and quite coming.

I guess I believe in hell, but not really the fire and Satan sort of hell (actually Satan does not reside in hell anyway, he resides around us) but more the complete death of the soul.
 
Also, not all missonaries are necessarily the convert or go to hell types.  Many just go preform good acts and use those acts to minister by example.
 
While Christmas does have some traditions that are throwbacks to Paganism, that does not mean that it is not a Christian holiday.  Christianity did not develope in a vacume, and many different cultures adopted Christianity so it shouldn't really come as a surprise that some of these traditions found their way into religious holidays.  Although Christ may not have actually been born on December 25 that is really not the point.  Much of Christianity is about symbols (the cross, the lamb, the bread, the wine, etc) and it is the symbolism of Christmas that is spiritually significant to me at least. 

the bread, the wine

 
"Eat this bread, as if it were my body. Drink this wine, as if it were my blood..."
 
 

 

I don't flip out if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas because we do celebrate a secular Christmas,and I understand that people say it just out of habit, but it does tell me that the person has made an assumption about my religious practices and that bothers me.

I would say Merry Christmas to you without assuming anything about your religious practice...so please don't take offense to that.   I would say Merry Christmas to anyone during the Christmas Season without thinking twice about it. In fact I get taken a back when I hear that people do take offense to it.  I would not take offense to anyone greeting me with their religous greeting during a holiday season...and I am Christian.  I respect everyones religion while I don't believe what they believe,,,I guess you can say I respect their  non-religion also. It is their right!  I do take offense in people trying to take Christmas away from us Christians though.  I absolutely HATE the fact that many laces are taking the name of Christmas OUT of the holiday greeting.  I do sign all of my Christmas cards that I send out with the Happy Holiday greeting,,, but mainly because it includes both holidays of Christmas AND NewYears. I also look for printed cards that DO say Merry Christmas and won't purchase ones that don't make mention of Christmas.
It has been a wonderful world of our Christian holidays,,,Easter is the most special. I would hate to live in a world without them.

I do take offense in people trying to take Christmas away from us Christians though. I absolutely HATE the fact that many places are taking the name of Christmas OUT of the holiday greeting.

My sentiments exactly Dyan []

I'm with Cathy and Dyan.  And I can't imagine being offended by being wished a Happy or Merry anything, whether I celebrate that particular thing or not. How about just smiling and saying "Thank you.  Same to you."
 
Joyce