OT: Let's Take the Religion out of Christmas

[Paul Burridge]

Hi all,

I got home a bit the worse for drink last night (as you do) and
switched on the telly, only to find that the usual diet of 3rd rate
'celebrity' quiz shows and adverts for Boxing Day sales had been
replaced by some incongruous images of choirboys and joyful carolling
by thronged multitudes. Then I dimly recalled that Christmas started
out as some sort of religious festival before it evolved into the
stuffing, drinking, gorging and feasting period of the year we know
and love today. So the obvious question is: should we not dispense
with the religious aspects of this ancient holiday altogether and
simply concentrate on the material delights it brings?

Oh, and "Merry Christmas Everyone" :-|
--

"What is now proved was once only imagin'd." - William Blake, 1793.

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 21:10:03 GMT, Tom MacIntyre
<tom__macintyre@hotmail.com> wrote:

On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 12:17:13 +0000, Paul Burridge
pb@notthisbit.osiris1.co.uk> wrote:

Hi all,

I got home a bit the worse for drink last night (as you do) and
switched on the telly, only to find that the usual diet of 3rd rate
'celebrity' quiz shows and adverts for Boxing Day sales had been
replaced by some incongruous images of choirboys and joyful carolling
by thronged multitudes. Then I dimly recalled that Christmas started
out as some sort of religious festival before it evolved into the
stuffing, drinking, gorging and feasting period of the year we know
and love today. So the obvious question is: should we not dispense
with the religious aspects of this ancient holiday altogether and
simply concentrate on the material delights it brings?

Oh, and "Merry Christmas Everyone" :-|

Didn't they already take the religion out of Christmas in Port Richey,
FL, by banning Christmas trees? Hmmm...according to another post, the
Christmas tree does not have a religious origin...

I personally am mildly offended, as I feel that it is a cultural thing
as much as religious. Why haven't they banned nativity scenes?
Oh...that would preclude the airing of Mr. Bean's Christmas episode,
and that wouldn't be a good thing.

Tom

I think we're brewing for a religious fist-fight in this country.

Plain and simply, either EVERYTHING must be allowed or NOTHING.

I'm certainly willing to start the ball rolling by suing any school
district that allows Kwanzaa displays, but not a nativity scene.

And we might as well make Martin Luther King Day politically correct
while we're at it, maybe just call it "equality day".

And honoring Cesar Chavez... just call it "undocumented workers day"
instead ;-)

And how about July 4? Doesn't that offend all of the "visitors" we
have in this country, and the scumbags in the UN? It's got to go ;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote (in <fcnrs09c027q84ejj41lr2skhi5qcr0ebk@
4ax.com&gt about 'OT: Let's Take the Religion out of Christmas', on Sat,
25 Dec 2004:

Oh, geeez! I played Santa at my sons' elementary school around 25 years
ago. I guess the leftists will be coming to arrest me :-(

Didn't you wear red in order to express solidarity with workers and
exploited minorities?
--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only.
The good news is that nothing is compulsory.
The bad news is that everything is prohibited.
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Tom MacIntyre
<tom__macintyre@hotmail.com> wrote (in <e6ors09813d1lb86as7e6bi0ghi6tueu
ts@4ax.com&gt about 'OT: Let's Take the Religion out of Christmas', on
Sat, 25 Dec 2004:

It's culture, and one person's culture is as good as another.

Not if one is L. acidophilus and the other is Y. pestis. (.-)
--
Regards, John Woodgate, OOO - Own Opinions Only.
The good news is that nothing is compulsory.
The bad news is that everything is prohibited.
http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk Also see http://www.isce.org.uk

 

[Rich The Philosophizer]

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 01:04:47 +0000, Scott Stephens wrote:

Paul Burridge wrote:

So the obvious question is: should we not dispense
with the religious aspects of this ancient holiday altogether and
simply concentrate on the material delights it brings?

In spite of all the supidity and foolishness I experienced practicing
Christianity, I must admit it has actually done some good for some
people some times.

Before you throw it away, you better find something damn good to replace
it with.

http://www.godchannel.com

Hairy Mistress!
Rich

 

[Rich The Philosophizer]

On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 23:04:40 +0000, John Woodgate wrote:

I read in sci.electronics.design that Tom MacIntyre
tom__macintyre@hotmail.com> wrote (in <e6ors09813d1lb86as7e6bi0ghi6tueu
ts@4ax.com&gt about 'OT: Let's Take the Religion out of Christmas', on
Sat, 25 Dec 2004:

It's culture, and one person's culture is as good as another.

Not if one is L. acidophilus and the other is Y. pestis. (.-)

Huh? Yogurt vs. Flea Plague?

I'd rather be shot. ;-)

;^j
Rich

 

[Rich The Philosophizer]

On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 14:38:59 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote:

Oh, geeez! I played Santa at my sons' elementary school around 25
years ago. I guess the leftists will be coming to arrest me :-(

...Jim Thompson

Come On, Jim. You know the "leftists" aren't into "arresting" people.
That's authoritarianism, the purview of the "conservatives" and such.

Or maybe antidisestablishmentarianism.

The leftists that _I_ know want everybody to run around naked. Which
is inconvenient in the winter, and really fucks up warmaking. ;-)

Personally, I'm a prodisestablishmentarian, but that's not as long of a
word, so no shock value. Oh, well, everything else that I have that's
measured by length is quite normal, thanks anyway.

;^j
Rich

 

[keith]

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 03:44:49 +0000, Rich The Philosophizer wrote:

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 01:04:47 +0000, Scott Stephens wrote:

Paul Burridge wrote:

So the obvious question is: should we not dispense
with the religious aspects of this ancient holiday altogether and
simply concentrate on the material delights it brings?

In spite of all the supidity and foolishness I experienced practicing
Christianity, I must admit it has actually done some good for some
people some times.

Before you throw it away, you better find something damn good to replace
it with.

http://www.godchannel.com

Hairy Mistress!

What's the matter. Santa skipped you again?! Perhaps if you got out more...


--

Keith

 

[Kevin Aylward]

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:

On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 12:58:22 +0000, Leon Heller wrote:

It takes a
Hell of a lot more Faith to believe in Atheism than it takes to
believe otherwise.

Why?

Kevin Aylward
salesEXTRACT@anasoft.co.uk
http://www.anasoft.co.uk
SuperSpice, a very affordable Mixed-Mode
Windows Simulator with Schematic Capture,
Waveform Display, FFT's and Filter Design.

 

[Clarence_A]

"Rich The Philosophizer" <rtp@example.net> wrote in message > John Woodgate
wrote:

Tom MacIntyre wrote

It's culture, and one person's culture is as good as another.
Not if one is L. acidophilus and the other is Y. pestis. (.-)
Huh? Yogurt vs. Flea Plague?
I'd rather be shot. ;-)
;^j
Rich

Both are bad! But one only tastes that way!

 

[Rich The Philosophizer]

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 09:07:06 +0000, Kevin Aylward wrote:

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:
On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 12:58:22 +0000, Leon Heller wrote:

It takes a
Hell of a lot more Faith to believe in Atheism than it takes to
believe otherwise.

Why?

You'll know as soon as you learn to open your third eye.

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Kevin Aylward]

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 09:07:06 +0000, Kevin Aylward wrote:

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:
On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 12:58:22 +0000, Leon Heller wrote:

It takes a
Hell of a lot more Faith to believe in Atheism than it takes to
believe otherwise.

Why?

You'll know as soon as you learn to open your third eye.

There is no 3rd eye. The universe is pretty much how we see it with just
the two.

Kevin Aylward
salesEXTRACT@anasoft.co.uk
http://www.anasoft.co.uk
SuperSpice, a very affordable Mixed-Mode
Windows Simulator with Schematic Capture,
Waveform Display, FFT's and Filter Design.

 

[Jon Yaeger]

in article M20Ad.64396$ef5.37241@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk, Kevin Aylward at
salesEXTRACT@anasoft.co.uk wrote on 12/27/04 5:31 PM:

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:
On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 09:07:06 +0000, Kevin Aylward wrote:

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:
On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 12:58:22 +0000, Leon Heller wrote:

It takes a
Hell of a lot more Faith to believe in Atheism than it takes to
believe otherwise.

Why?

You'll know as soon as you learn to open your third eye.

There is no 3rd eye. The universe is pretty much how we see it with just
the two.

Philosophy and epistemology not among your EE curriculum?

;-)

 

[Rich The Philosophizer]

On Mon, 27 Dec 2004 22:31:08 +0000, Kevin Aylward wrote:

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:
On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 09:07:06 +0000, Kevin Aylward wrote:

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:
On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 12:58:22 +0000, Leon Heller wrote:

It takes a
Hell of a lot more Faith to believe in Atheism than it takes to
believe otherwise.

Why?

You'll know as soon as you learn to open your third eye.

There is no 3rd eye. The universe is pretty much how we see it with just
the two.

Well, you're free to think that what you see is all there is.
Well, except for atoms, of course. You can't see them, but some
book told you they're there, and that's good enough for you.

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Rich The Philosophizer]

On Tue, 28 Dec 2004 14:26:44 +0000, Nicholas O. Lindan wrote:

"Jon Yaeger" <jono_1@bellsouth.net> wrote
You'll know as soon as you learn to open your third eye.
There is no 3rd eye. The universe is pretty much how we see it with just
the two.

Philosophy and epistemology not among your EE curriculum?

Engineering philosophy and epistemology _are_: "The universe is pretty
much how we see it"

But all the interesting parts are in the part between "pretty much" and
"exactly." ;^j

Cheers!
Rich

 

It takes a Hell of a lot more Faith to believe in Atheism than it
takes to believe otherwise.

Why?

Maybe beause it's easier to believe in a God than just physical
laws created by men. The Atheist believes everything is the
result of physical laws which dictate every action in the universe, and
nothing can be changed.

But the Atheist has no reason to exist since the ultimate outcome
is already determined. So, why doesn't the Atheist just blow his brains
out and get it over with?

-Bill

 

[Bill Sloman]

<wrongaddress@att.net> schreef in bericht
news:1104391253.179499.175980@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

It takes a Hell of a lot more Faith to believe in Atheism than it
takes to believe otherwise.

Why?

Maybe beause it's easier to believe in a God than just physical
laws created by men. The Atheist believes everything is the
result of physical laws which dictate every action in the universe, and
nothing can be changed.

But the Atheist has no reason to exist since the ultimate outcome
is already determined. So, why doesn't the Atheist just blow his brains
out and get it over with?

Because physical laws are essentialy statistical, the ultimate outcome of
the universe is unpredictable - its progress is either random or chaotic -
so the Atheist is perfectly entitled to stay alive as long as possible to
make his or her contribution the ultimate outcome, or at least to enjoy the
continuing spectacle unfolding.

Your problem is that you don't know enough physics.

----------
Bill Sloman, Nijmegen

 

[Rich The Philosophizer]

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 14:28:24 +0000, Kevin Aylward wrote:

Rich The Philosophizer wrote:
Well, since you refuse to even acknowledge the existence of your own
will,

Once you present some physical phenomena that *requires* there to be a
free will in order to explian such phenomena, then you may have case. Do
you have such an example?

Yeah.

Life.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Jon Yaeger]

in article MW22TOBYZE1BFw3R@jmwa.demon.co.uk, John Woodgate at
jmw@jmwa.demon.contraspam.yuk wrote on 12/30/04 1:18 PM:

I read in sci.electronics.design that Jon Yaeger <jono_1@bellsouth.net
wrote (in <BDF9A1B0.12E7C%jono_1@bellsouth.net&gt about 'Let's Take the
Religion out of Christmas', on Thu, 30 Dec 2004:

In my little back water, anyone who draws a conclusion without hearing
the matter first is a fool, in spite of self-aggrandizement. Lo ipse
dixit!

A snare for your own foot!

C'mon Jim, a little hypocrisy never hurt anyone . . . .

 

[Rich Grise]

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 20:55:08 +0000, Kevin Aylward fantasized:

Making a claim of being mentally superior to Rich is not a grandiose
claim.

ROFLMAO!

Thanks!
Rich