What did everyone get for Christmas?

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Darrell71
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Darrell71 »

Rob Houghton wrote:Even though most Western countries don't follow them!
Well... no country really does, though.
Daisy wrote:It is who the baby grew up to be that matters to millions of people, Sunskriti.
Fair enough.
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Darrell71 wrote:
Rob Houghton wrote:Even though most Western countries don't follow them!
Well... no country really does, though.
I agree - no one does - which makes Religion (with a capital 'R') pointless and meaningless. The countries who supposedly are big on religion are usually also big on power and big on wars.

I'm all for people having beliefs and observing them quietly, but as soon as a country declares itself 'Christian' etc and then threatens to bomb another country, Religion is deemed a farce.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Wolfgang »

Rob Houghton wrote:
I agree - no one does - which makes Religion (with a capital 'R') pointless and meaningless. The countries who supposedly are big on religion are usually also big on power and big on wars.
It's a bit hard arguing with people who claim that their God has told them to do this or that...
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Rob Houghton »

And yet if someone said a little blue man sits on their shoulder telling them what to do, people would think they were mad!!

Sorry to talk about religion, folks. Maybe it should be a no-no on here.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Darrell71 »

It definitely should be a no no. I think there are quite a few religious folks here, and I, for one, tend to speak my mind. And that in turn tends to offend religious people usually. :lol:

But I think I was the one who started that conversation anyway, so sorry about that guys. Peace out. :P
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Daisy wrote:It is who the baby grew up to be that matters to millions of people, Sunskriti.
Exactly Daisy..
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Rob Houghton wrote:Even though most Western countries don't follow them!
This is the most unfortunate thing I should say. If we all followed what our religion really told us, I believe the world would be quite different. But sadly many times we forget what God teaches us. (This includes all other religions too)
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Rob Houghton »

I agree 100% Maria Esther!
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Rob Houghton wrote:
Darrell71 wrote:
Rob Houghton wrote:Even though most Western countries don't follow them!
Well... no country really does, though.
I agree - no one does - which makes Religion (with a capital 'R') pointless and meaningless. The countries who supposedly are big on religion are usually also big on power and big on wars.

I'm all for people having beliefs and observing them quietly, but as soon as a country declares itself 'Christian' etc and then threatens to bomb another country, Religion is deemed a farce.
Exactly! I wish people could stop using the name of their religion to do the things that are not moral. But if we analyse individually and the religion itself, religion is not meaningless but something very powerful. (Although for example, I think that if Jesus came to live again, he would be very much disappointed, and I guess so would be the founders of other religions)
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Darrell71 wrote:It definitely should be a no no. I think there are quite a few religious folks here, and I, for one, tend to speak my mind. And that in turn tends to offend religious people usually. :lol:

But I think I was the one who started that conversation anyway, so sorry about that guys. Peace out. :P
Yes totally agree. :D

(But then, isn't Christmas a religious festival? ) :?:
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Rob Houghton »

Machupicchu14 wrote:(But then, isn't Christmas a religious festival? ) :?:
Its complicated. I guess the short answer is 'yes' - but lets not forget that pagans were celebrating Saturnalia - based around the god of fertility and harvest - long before Christians took over the date. Saturnalia lasted from 17 Dec till 23 Dec - but Christmas was planted at the end of that period in order to encourage pagans to switch over to being Christian. Most Christmas traditions grew out of the pagan festivities.

And of course, these days many religions celebrate in some way at Christmas, even if to them it has no religious significance. :-D

To me its a bit of a mixture of both - but mostly a time to remember loved ones, give gifts, and show appreciation of others. These are the most important aspects of Christmas to me, whether religiously observed or not. :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Darrell71 »

Rob Houghton wrote: [...] but mostly a time to remember loved ones, give gifts, and show appreciation of others. These are the most important aspects of Christmas to me, whether religiously observed or not. :-)
Absolutely. I've never had a religion, except for a very short period in my life when I had no idea what to think and just went with the flow. But Christmas, and a few other festivals, have been very important to me because they (at least for the most part), spread a lot of goodwill around, and anything that does that deserves to be celebrated, in my opinion.
Machupicchu14 wrote: (Although for example, I think that if Jesus came to live again, he would be very much disappointed, and I guess so would be the founders of other religions)
Hinduism doesn't really have a founder of sorts, but I'd say this is true for Hindus as well. Just a few days ago there was communal violence and caste based rioting in my city. That too on the death anniversary of an important, highly respectable person. Absolute disgrace to the city and the people.
Machupicchu14 wrote: If we all followed what our religion really told us, I believe the world would be quite different.
When I read things like this I realize just how unsuited I am to belong to any one religion, and thank my stars repeatedly that I was born into an environment where I could choose to be an atheist. While what you say is absolutely true, the mere thought of following something written in a book makes me shudder. Whatever I do I prefer to do on my own terms. Like I understand that you would follow your religion because it preaches of good things, but parts like "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, because it is an abomination." really tick me off because I can't imagine listening to something written thousands of years ago and basing my opinions off of that. But I suppose it's just me. :lol:
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Darrell71 wrote:
Machupicchu14 wrote: If we all followed what our religion really told us, I believe the world would be quite different.
When I read things like this I realize just how unsuited I am to belong to any one religion, and thank my stars repeatedly that I was born into an environment where I could choose to be an atheist. While what you say is absolutely true, the mere thought of following something written in a book makes me shudder. Whatever I do I prefer to do on my own terms. Like I understand that you would follow your religion because it preaches of good things, but parts like "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, because it is an abomination." really tick me off because I can't imagine listening to something written thousands of years ago and basing my opinions off of that. But I suppose it's just me. :lol:
Well I guess we might not take things literally from the sacred scriptures, but rather give it our own understanding based on the time we love in, ourselves and our beliefs. Because mainly, what they try to teach us is nothing more than peace, justice, love and morality. :D

Right now, I think that in most countries, you can decide what religion to follow or just not to follow any religion at all (mainly Europe and the USA I should say). Faith is not as strong as it was before, but then it's something good we are allowed to meditate and choose the way we live rather than simply follow what other people say or do. We have freedom.Like you say before, I too feel I'm lucky to have been born in a religious family, to have been introduced to the message of Christianity and to be able to follow the example of Jesus. I don't know what my life would be if I didn't have this support, if I didn't have this belief. :D
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Machupicchu14 »

Darrell71 wrote:
Rob Houghton wrote: [...] but mostly a time to remember loved ones, give gifts, and show appreciation of others. These are the most important aspects of Christmas to me, whether religiously observed or not. :-)
Absolutely. I've never had a religion, except for a very short period in my life when I had no idea what to think and just went with the flow. But Christmas, and a few other festivals, have been very important to me because they (at least for the most part), spread a lot of goodwill around, and anything that does that deserves to be celebrated, in my opinion.
Yes definitely.. I totally agree :D
"All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love."
(все, что я понимаю, я понимаю только потому, что люблю)
Lev Tolstoy


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Re: What did everyone get for Christmas?

Post by Courtenay »

Or then there's someone like me, who grew up in a completely non-religious family, was a determined agnostic (never quite atheist) throughout my teens, then as a young adult found a faith that meant so much to me and changed my life so decidedly that I ended up becoming a Christian, which was once the last thing I wanted to call myself!! :shock: :wink: But having seen both sides of the coin, so to speak, I do understand why many people are wary of religion or reject it altogether and I don't blame them at all, given some of the things that get said and done in the name of Christianity and other faiths. (And yet at the same time, some of the most brutal regimes of the past century were atheistic — which just goes to show that human beings can commit atrocities whether or not they have "God said so" as an excuse. :( ) I totally agree, it's a privilege to live in a society where we have the freedom to think for ourselves and make our own choice, out of our own conscience, whether or not to follow a religion and what to believe or not. That's the most important thing to me — that everyone should be free to make up their own mind in matters of faith.

As for what I got for Christmas... mainly chocolates and so on from friends here, plus a package of my favourite Aussie biscuits and some money in my bank account from my parents. I'll probably get a few "proper" presents from my family when I see them later this month (which is when I'll give presents to them as well). :D
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