Forums | MacLife

Tallgeese wrote:

So people only have a legitimate reason for celebration, memorial, and tradition if it's a solstice or equinox?

That's not what I said.

Ribtorus wrote:

Tallgeese wrote:

So people only have a legitimate reason for celebration, memorial, and tradition if it's a solstice or equinox?

That's not what I said.

Then be more precise.

wow. tons of one-liners in the last few pages of this thread.

Tallgeese wrote:

Ribtorus wrote:

Tallgeese wrote:

So people only have a legitimate reason for celebration, memorial, and tradition if it's a solstice or equinox?

That's not what I said.

Then be more precise.

There's no need for legitimacy in what people chose to celebrate. But if people are going to insist on some quality of legitimacy, then they are setting themselves up for plenty of mental machinations and logical contradictions.  A holiday built on some natural occurance like the seasons or the regular flooding of a river has a clear basis, especially for an agrarian society. But that's not to say made up stories about magical sky fairies getting virgins pregnant, or mythical tales of an Africa that might never have existed are any less reason to celebrate.

Last edited by Ribtorus (2006-01-03 9:42 pm)

Farmerkev wrote:

mahakali wrote:

Farmerkev wrote:

It was claimed there was a legitimate comparison between religious holidays like Christmas and Kwanzaa.
There isn't.

I don't see much historical difference between them:

A plethora of customs with either secular, religious, or national aspects surround Christmas, varying from country to country. Most of the familiar traditional practices and symbols of Christmas originated in Germany, including the now omnipresent Christmas tree, the Christmas ham, the Yule Log, holly, mistletoe, and the giving of presents to friends and relatives. These practices and symbols were adapted or appropriated by Christian missionaries from the earlier Germanic pagan midwinter holiday of Yule. This celebration of the winter solstice was widespread and popular in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity, and the word for Christmas in the Scandinavian languages is still today the pagan jul (=yule).

Rather than attempting to suppress every pagan tradition, Pope Gregory I allowed Christian missionaries to synthesize them with Christianity, allowing many pagan traditions to become a part of Christmas.[3]

source

Just give Kwanzaa a few more centuries.

are you being purposely dense?

Which part is that you didn't understand?

I gotta admit I don't see the distinction, either, kev...

Does Christmas have a similarly exclusionary/preferential undertone, since it's about a particular group (Christians) pointing out that they're different from everyone else, by having a Messiah who will reward them with eternal life and a society that officially promotes their beliefs? Since everyone is forced to recognize the holiday, via time off work, closed government, nearly omnipresent marketing, and the like, it seems more abusive than Kwanza, which people are free to ignore.

Last edited by XYZ (2006-01-03 10:55 pm)

Perhaps, but the word Christmas is Christ Mass. It could be argued that, by celebrating Christmas, one is being a Christian.

Farmerkev wrote:

mahakali wrote:

Farmerkev wrote:

are you being purposely dense?

Which part is that you didn't understand?

I'm saying the dude and his holiday have racist undertones and it can't be compared to a religious holiday.
You're talking about xmas trees.

Aww, think about the xmas trees with the Black Piet standing next to it holding a schtick!

(?) What's with the xmas trees? I thought what we were comparing is whether or not the two were pulled out of someone's ass.