I'm going to rant a little here. I'm sure you've heard some of it before. But Lisbet, much as I love you, you're being awfully judgemental, and I've a low tolerance for that lately.
There's a pretty big difference, I think, between lying and telling stories. Children often believe in a lot of things from fairy and folk tales, and many parents don't discourage this. They grow to discover the truth, or what they want to believe, for themselves: this is part of becoming an adult, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It seems to me that people are constantly horrified, second-guessing themselves, lest they traumatise their children. Children are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for. There are going to be changes in belief as one grows up; that's just part of it.
My brother believed in Santa more intensely than anyone I've ever heard of. Wrote him long letters every year. And yet, it didn't hurt him when he discovered it was my parents all along. In fact, he immediately wanted to start sending Santa presents back: everyone would know,of course, but it would still be fun. We both enjoyed the story when we believed it, and still do now that we don't. Of course, your mileage may vary, but there's a righteousness in those icons that really bothers me.
And as for Christmas, well. The Christian holiday, as we all know, absorbed into itself pagan festivals, and more and more I think that it's only appropriate that the larger culture has adapted it in turn into something that many of us can share regardless of religion. Spirituality is something that people connect with in many ways, through family, nature, and tradition/ceremony; God isn't the only way, and I think they're all equally appropriate and valid. I believe in pluralism just about as strongly as I believe in anything (which is very). And while I agree that people go overboard with the commercialization and forget to connect with each other (God, nature, whatever), I don't think there's anything wrong with the gifting tradition when people take a more moderate approach to it.
In Christianity class the other day, Vera was talking about a Syriac Christian who wrote a lot of poetry glorifying God, and also who talked about how it's good that we have festivals that are grounded in the material. As another part of this world (or God's Creation, however you see it), things of this life are also to be celebrated with joy. It's also a good time of year to make warmth and noise in order to protect ourselves from the cold dark of winter (a pretty pagan way of looking at things, but fairly universal nonetheless). That's not just for Christians. I suppose we could change the name, but that's not how culture has adapted itself, and we non-Christians and Christians are so mixed in that we might as well stop arguing semantics and celebrate in our own ways.
I'd as soon call my own holiday Yule or Solstice, but I don't have issues with other atheists or agnostics who call it Christmas.
I figure some of our difference comes from your much dimmer view of the value of ceremony, but I have to say, it puzzles me. Ceremony is a means by which people create meaning. Creating meaning is important and spiritually enriching.
the defense, er, doesn't rest
There's a pretty big difference, I think, between lying and telling stories. Children often believe in a lot of things from fairy and folk tales, and many parents don't discourage this. They grow to discover the truth, or what they want to believe, for themselves: this is part of becoming an adult, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It seems to me that people are constantly horrified, second-guessing themselves, lest they traumatise their children. Children are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for. There are going to be changes in belief as one grows up; that's just part of it.
My brother believed in Santa more intensely than anyone I've ever heard of. Wrote him long letters every year. And yet, it didn't hurt him when he discovered it was my parents all along. In fact, he immediately wanted to start sending Santa presents back: everyone would know,of course, but it would still be fun. We both enjoyed the story when we believed it, and still do now that we don't. Of course, your mileage may vary, but there's a righteousness in those icons that really bothers me.
And as for Christmas, well. The Christian holiday, as we all know, absorbed into itself pagan festivals, and more and more I think that it's only appropriate that the larger culture has adapted it in turn into something that many of us can share regardless of religion. Spirituality is something that people connect with in many ways, through family, nature, and tradition/ceremony; God isn't the only way, and I think they're all equally appropriate and valid. I believe in pluralism just about as strongly as I believe in anything (which is very). And while I agree that people go overboard with the commercialization and forget to connect with each other (God, nature, whatever), I don't think there's anything wrong with the gifting tradition when people take a more moderate approach to it.
In Christianity class the other day, Vera was talking about a Syriac Christian who wrote a lot of poetry glorifying God, and also who talked about how it's good that we have festivals that are grounded in the material. As another part of this world (or God's Creation, however you see it), things of this life are also to be celebrated with joy. It's also a good time of year to make warmth and noise in order to protect ourselves from the cold dark of winter (a pretty pagan way of looking at things, but fairly universal nonetheless). That's not just for Christians. I suppose we could change the name, but that's not how culture has adapted itself, and we non-Christians and Christians are so mixed in that we might as well stop arguing semantics and celebrate in our own ways.
I'd as soon call my own holiday Yule or Solstice, but I don't have issues with other atheists or agnostics who call it Christmas.
I figure some of our difference comes from your much dimmer view of the value of ceremony, but I have to say, it puzzles me. Ceremony is a means by which people create meaning. Creating meaning is important and spiritually enriching.