View Poll Results: Do you attend Church at Christmas?

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  • Yes, I go to Church every Christmas

    10 37.04%
  • No, I don't go to Church at Christmas for my own reasons

    16 59.26%
  • No, I don't usually go but would like to start

    1 3.70%
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Thread: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

  1. #21
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Caro View Post
    {snip down'n'dirty revelations about her girlhood}
    I know. I was at a public school and the girls I met were either a) at one or other of the girls schools (including - shock! Roedean) with whom we had heavily (but unsuccessfully) chaperoned joint events, or b) sisters of my schoolfriends who were also at girls schools.

    Young, fresh, innocent boys like me were hopelessly helpless...

  2. #22
    Registered User Almost an Angel's Avatar
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul F
    Now Im no committed religious person but I was wondering, in this day and age, who actually goes to church at Christmas time.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post
    Me
    Me too Ghost

    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost
    Personally I don't go to church on Christmas because I have to. I tend to go to the kid's mass because of the joy and enthusiasm (and the chaos) and the beautiful sense of peace that runs through it regardless
    Me too I love Christmas and the whole build up through the Advent season, I start getting excited when the Advent Carols start appearing not so much sold on the whole commercialised side though - can really get annoying after a while. It's more the sense of preparation and anticipation for the celebration that gets to me.

    I go to the Childrens services as well as the adult ones - and I have for years - I get different things from both Services. I'm normally 'conned' into narrating the Nativity Play for the little ones and helping out with the Christingle Service but it's so great to see all the children there and partcipating not just the regular ones from the Church but lots of the kids from the Church School attend with their parents.

    I'll be there for Midnight Mass as well, for me it's a real celebration time within the Church. My Christmas Eve has always been around based around attending church and services but being a Christian what else would you expect. The only time I attend Church more often in a week is the Easter season including Holy Week.

  3. #23
    Registered User Jennifer's Avatar
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    These days, if you exclude weddings and funerals, Christmas is about the only time I am in a church. It's just part of my Christmas Eve routine. I start off visiting my friend, we eat something unhealthy from the chip shop, swap Christmas gifts and help her daughter lay out stuff for Santa and Rudolph. Then when said child is in bed I have to help build toys, fit batteries, stick on stickers and then wrap them up. Then we leave Daddy babysitting and go round to visit her parents and their visitors who will be feeling very festive as a result of a few wee tots of brandy and whisky and (wearing a dodgy assortment of Santa hats, furry antlers etc) assist them to church to sing carols out of tune, give and receive loads of hugs and kisses and get some home made soup after the service with a chance to catch up with people I may not have seen since last year. It's not really about a belief in God for me, it's more that, because of the people I am with, my whole evening feels cloaked in love and that is what makes it special.

  4. #24
    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    indeed - i also find it odd that some immigrants don't celebrate it once they've moved here - being non-christian is not relevant to the celebration of UK national holidays
    Actually some do, hence the options on my Christmas cards thread about sending/not sending cards when you're of a different faith.

    I still remember being very when my flatmate in halls in the first year of college who was Hindu presented each of us with Christmas cards... seemed even stranger as she'd celebrated Diwali and had fed us all then too, so she was clearly a practising Hindu.

    And my boss (name of Mohammed) appears to celebrate too, along with his family. Again practising - have to note when Ramadan is in my diary next year and remember to avoid him for the first couple of weeks till he gets used to being hungry, as he was like a bear with a sore head this year!

  5. #25
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    Actually some do, hence the options on my Christmas cards thread about sending/not sending cards when you're of a different faith.
    but adding faith related questions suggested it may matter when sending christmas cards, when you already know it doesn't !

  6. #26
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    also...wheres the option for "i dont go to church for other peoples reasons" ? it really should be there

  7. #27
    Registered User Twirly's Avatar
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    but adding faith related questions suggested it may matter when sending christmas cards, when you already know it doesn't !
    I know it doesn't to some people... but that doesn't mean it applies to everyone. Was just curious to see if it did matter to anyone on here... the Forum being such a representative cross-section of British society

  8. #28
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post
    I know it doesn't to some people... but that doesn't mean it applies to everyone. Was just curious to see if it did matter to anyone on here... the Forum being such a representative cross-section of British society
    indeed, the forum is as representative as any group of people e.g. the inmates at an asylum

    anyway - i was only suggesting that it was odd to have 2 things at once in the poll - do you send cards - do you have faith

  9. #29
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    I see no reason why atheists or humanists should skulk in their own homes, depriving themselves and their family of fun and enjoyment just because there is no god.
    Resounding

    My dad is a religious atheist - I believe he continues not to sing the hymns during school assemblies, despite repeated requests from the Headmistress to do so, because he refuses to be a hypocrite. But we've always celebrated Christmas as a time when we are together as a family and with other members of our close or extended family, for demonstrating some gratitude to each other for being there for each other all year round.

    I see no problem with this, and have no guilt either for celebrating the season or for the lack of church-going during it (the only time I ever set foot in a church is to listen to or make music).

  10. #30
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    also...wheres the option for "i dont go to church for other peoples reasons" ? it really should be there
    Boo!

    I thought about posting that but it was just too easy.

    You gotta raise your sights, DS!

  11. #31
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tessalicious View Post
    Resounding

    My dad is a religious atheist - I believe he continues not to sing the hymns during school assemblies, despite repeated requests from the Headmistress to do so, because he refuses to be a hypocrite. But we've always celebrated Christmas as a time when we are together as a family and with other members of our close or extended family, for demonstrating some gratitude to each other for being there for each other all year round.

    I see no problem with this, and have no guilt either for celebrating the season or for the lack of church-going during it (the only time I ever set foot in a church is to listen to or make music).
    Oh blimey!

    I think I may have mentioned that I'm an atheist?

    But if I do find myself in church - at a wedding, or something - I just love the opportunity to roar out the hymns. People edge away from me, although I have a fine tenor voice. (I can do counter-tenor too, but not as well as I could before my tracheostomy.)

    Nothing hypocritical about atheists singing hymns, just don't think about the words!!

  12. #32
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    Nothing hypocritical about atheists singing hymns, just don't think about the words!!
    So true!!

  13. #33
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    Nothing hypocritical about atheists singing hymns, just don't think about the words!!
    Hymms are musical prayers, aren't they? So you reckon it's OK to pray, as long as it's done to music?

  14. #34
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Hymms are musical prayers, aren't they? So you reckon it's OK to pray, as long as it's done to music?
    Surely prayer is necessarily contingent on the intention of the person making the statement (wish, whatever)?

  15. #35
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    Surely prayer is necessarily contingent on the intention of the person making the statement (wish, whatever)?
    Errr, is it?

    The Wikipedia definition says prayer is:
    the act of attempting to communicate, commonly with a sequence of words, with a deity or spirit for the purpose of worshiping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express one's thoughts and emotions. The words of the prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person's words.
    (emphasis mine)

    So would it be hypoctical of an atheist to - for example - join in the Lord's Prayer? Or not?

    I'm not bothered either way, it just seems that you're quite adamant on some areas (e.g. the godparent thing) and quite flexible on others (e.g. hymns), and I just want to understand your reasoning?

  16. #36
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Errr, is it?

    The Wikipedia definition says prayer is:

    (emphasis mine)

    So would it be hypoctical of an atheist to - for example - join in the Lord's Prayer? Or not?

    I'm not bothered either way, it just seems that you're quite adamant on some areas (e.g. the godparent thing) and quite flexible on others (e.g. hymns), and I just want to understand your reasoning?


    I'd rep you if I could DJ...

  17. #37
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Errr, is it?

    The Wikipedia definition says prayer is:

    (emphasis mine)

    So would it be hypoctical of an atheist to - for example - join in the Lord's Prayer? Or not?

    I'm not bothered either way, it just seems that you're quite adamant on some areas (e.g. the godparent thing) and quite flexible on others (e.g. hymns), and I just want to understand your reasoning?
    Well, my emphasis would be on a different bit of the Wikepedia definition:

    "...the act of attempting to communicate..."

    Since I know there is no god, I'm not attempting to communicate, am I?

    But you're right. There's an inconsistency in my approach. What can I say?

  18. #38
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Shnikov View Post
    But you're right. There's an inconsistency in my approach. What can I say?
    Well, you could say "There is no God but DJ"

  19. #39
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Well, you could say "There is no God but DJ"


    You wish

  20. #40
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    Re: For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidJames View Post
    Well, you could say "There is no God but DJ"
    I think the phrase you're looking for is "God is a DJ".

    Ranks way up there with "Rhythm is a Dancer" as one of the greatest philosophical insights into music and dancing to have appeared in the music charts.
    Let your mind go and your body will follow. – Steve Martin, LA Story

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