Wish I could pretend I believe so I could enjoy the holidays like I used to, but just can't bring myself to join in the fun. I don't want to become a mormon or even a christian, but I do miss the fun we used to have. Sometimes I feel like a bitter old bitch because I can't stand being around the backstabbing, pious hypocrites who claim to be christians. By far they are more dishonesty, hateful and hurtful, and uncaring than anyone I know who doesn't claim they have a religion. It's difficult to rebuild that social support system when everything and everyone was connected to tscc. I actually believe there might be a god(s) but I don't believe in atonement, crucifixion, floods, prophets, special powers by priests or priesthood ... Can someone else share how you deal with all this, especially around a holiday?

I enjoy holidays with no particular god belief! Just make sure you are spending your precious time with people who are loving, decent, honorable, kind, etc. Ignore the rest! We're all human. Somebody doesn't like someone else --- always.!

Then beleve in choclate. Make a point of worshipping it by consumeing as much of it as you can without becomeing sick.

you need no god to celebrate life/the beginning of spring ;-) ...

http://www.howtodothings.com/religion-spirituality/how-to-celebrate-ostara
http://www.hranajanto.com/goddessgallery/eostre.html

There is a lot to like about Christian holidays. Good music, celebrations, food, etc. I don't see why you have to believe in it to enjoy it.

For me, Easter is all about spring. I cut all the daffodils and brought them in.

Flowering plum, cherry and forsythia branches get cut and put in tall containers.

Bowls of chocolate eggs, and a rabbit collection come out.

Tomorrow the kids (adults) are coming for dinner. We're having salmon and shrimp on the grill. Drinking champagne, and having strawberries for desert. We're all so glad winter is over. It might even be warm enough to sit outside tomorrow. It's all about ushering spring.

Much about the "holidays" have nothing to do with Christianity, not even their origins.

these holidays are a lot more fun when you don't have to do all the crap some religion says you have to.

No worries about "am I keeping the spirit of christmas" or am I being materialistic. Oh bull. I just said something to my ex yesterday as I was putting things in baskets for my 26-YEAR-OLD TWINS--that it was so nice to have Easter and not worry about having fun giving my kids baskets. I love holidays. I call it tradition.

I made cupcakes today like my mother used to make. My kids had asked me to anyway as I made them all while they were growing up--and my mother did, too. And I took some to my siblings, too.

Mormonism teaches you how to view existence through Mormon glasses. When you leave Mormonism you end up with no "glasses." It takes a while for you to learn a new way of looking at reality.

All I can advise is patience.

Don't have to believe to enjoy watching The Ten Commandments at Easter every year. Yul Brenner and Egyptians. You cannot beat that. So Let It Be Written. :)

wwfsmd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't have to believe to enjoy watching The Ten
> Commandments at Easter every year. Yul Brenner and
> Egyptians. You cannot beat that. So Let It Be
> Written. :)

My favorite line from that movie: "Rameses the First has spoken!"

I also like the 10,000 Hebrew slaves with about 100 guys with whips forcing them to build Seti's Temple. Hmmmm what's wrong with this picture?

He and I were given very different explanations for the staffs turning to snakes.

Take those religious holidays and celebrate the seasons! Easter is for Spring, as mentioned above, and new life. Christmas is for Winter and famiy, Thanksgiving is for Fall and the bounty of all we have. 4th of July is for Summer and water sports! I guess I'm thankful to the Universe for all life gives me and I use the times of year to mark that thankfulness. Gives me an opportunity to step back and realize that Life is Pretty Good.

God is a boring old priesthood cuss who hasn't smiled in hundreds of years, Kolob time.

I no longer feel reverence for them.

Now I feel joyful anticipation for time off, time with friends, playtime, etc.

It's good to have no god.

I was lucky...I grew up in a house with a mom who only went to church on Christmas Eve for the music, so we never focused very much on God and Jesus. Thanksgiving was about spending time with Grandma, Christmas was about singing songs and opening presents and making cookies (and not bothering mom in the kitchen). Easter was about egg hunts and present hunts (yes, present hunts on Easter. It kept us busy for hours, and we never once thought about Jesus.) St Patty's day was the one day of the year that we got to eat corned beef and cabbage, and Valentine's day meant lots of cheesecake.

The way I celebrate Christian holidays now that I'm older is to get together with any non-religious friends who don't want to spend their day with Christians, and we go to a diner or someone's house and enjoy each others company.

Find some friends who don't feel overly religious and who don't have plans for the holiday, and get together and make your own traditions! Play games, cook good food, get drunk--whatever floats your boat. Use holidays as an excuse to spend time with people you care about, nothing more, and eventually you'll come to enjoy them again.

Easter--with its bunnies, eggs, and chicks, is a rehashed Pagan holiday for the Goddess Eostre. Christianity even stole the name. (The word "Easter" isn't in the bible.)

I celebrated March 21-22, the spring equinox. Everybody else doing it a couple of weeks later doesn't bother me. I like hiding eggs for the kids and watching them get all excited when they find one.

Hope you have big plans for May 1, like a Maypole dance. Always remember that all the christian holidays were stolen from the ancient pagan beliefs of our ancestors. Celebrate accordingly

Can't you just make one up? Everybody else did. The hard part is getting other folks to believe in the guy. Or woman. Or whatever.

I'm glad you said this. I do all those things everybody else says; I am actually happy making baskets and hiding eggs and all. I'm also looking forward to holding my six-month old daughter while we join the egg-hunt.

But I'm there with you. I'm happy about life. I enjoy it. I'm not sad there's no god (so I believe, but do not begrudge others.). But the celebrations aren't the same. The stories aren't real. Bad thing could happen any moment and prayer won't help.

It is sad. I don't mean to add insult to injury; I'm just saying that I get where you're coming from, and chocolate doesn't compensate for the hope of eternal life.

"Anbody who says different is selling something."

Why do u have to believe in God or Jesus to enjoy the holidays? Screw God and Jesus and bring on Santa and the Easter bunny! Seriously the holidays are more fun without religious influence. I had a lady matter of fact like tell a bunch of us ( coworkers) the real reason for Easter and proceeded to tell us that Jesus died fo we could be saved. Yadda yadda everyone's eyes glazed over of course and I just said "whatever you have fun with that... My money is on coloring eggs with the kids." Of course I might have shut her down and embarrassed her but I'm sorry don't f#cking come at me with ur Jesus sh*t at work not everyone believes in your fairytales or wants to feel bastardly for it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2012 05:10AM by boiseguy.

mmhh..nah, just enjoy the holidays. it's another excuse to BBQ, watch movies, relax, call friends, etc.

god i wish we had more fun holidays in the name of whoever the hell they feel like. it's all about fun! i'm agnostic and it's fun to relax and enjoy the free ride.

Take some quality time and screw your brains out.

I agree with what everyone else says. If anything I enjoy the holidays more because I no longer have to tie in the religious stuff with the kids. Now Easter is all about celebrating spring so yes, the easter bunny still comes to bring treats and an egg hunt.

ass what my religious beliefs are. He/she/it loves me unconditionally and doesn't condemn me for rejecting any other god or religion. He/she/it is open to new ideas and has a great sense of humor.

Holidays to me have become about spending time with my family and having a special dinner together.

The LDS Church claims they're all about family, but they steal time from families, so it's just not true.

Now, for me, it really is finally about family.

Thank you everyone for all your great advice and ideas. It does all take time. Rather than ignore the holidays and pretend there is no longer fun to be had or that it's hypocritical to celebrate the religious holidays because we don't believe in the crap anymore, we are going to change our attitude. It is time to enjoy the fun parts and truly enjoy our great kids and grandkids. We need to let go of the pain and it is a good time to do it.

Let's face it. Kids love Christmas because it means Santa Claus and presents. They love Easter, because they love the Easter Bunny and finding hidden eggs. Just like Hallowe'en means dressing up, having fun and eating lots of candy.

That's what it all means to my niece and nephew, who haven't grown up with religion, as well as spending time with their extended family.

I hope you got a chance to enjoy a beautiful spring day (assuming it was as beautiful where you are as it is here!) I hope you were surrounded with people you love and who love you. I hope your grocery store has lots of leftover Easter candy for you tomorrow at half price!

We will have a beautiful Spring! Thank you everyone. What a great place to get support when you have a down day.