Quote: Pingl @ April 22 2013, 7:10 PM BSTTo be honest I find it a festival of greed and gluttony,
Yeah, it is the best.
Why does anyone need religion? Page 16
Quote: Matthew Stott @ April 22 2013, 7:11 PM BSTI like getting presents and eating a lot.
What are you an escort?
But yeh every culture and country where it gets cold, or they remember it being cold and dark has a big party festival when its really cold and dark.
They're all a bit silly but fun.
Albeit I always thought Channukah was a bit shit.
I think the idea of not wanting to get together at that time of year for what ever reason is a bit weird.
Quote: chipolata @ April 22 2013, 7:12 PM BSTWhy would that matter? It's not like they can physically take Christmas from you.
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Quote: chipolata @ April 22 2013, 7:12 PM BSTWhy would that matter? It's not like they can physically take Christmas from you.
People being twits is annoying, chip.
Of course they can't affect my life, but someone sticking their nose in and trying to control you is, of course, annoying.
Quote: chipolata @ April 22 2013, 7:12 PM BSTWhy would that matter? It's not like they can physically take Christmas from you.
Oh but they are, even as we speak a Cromwellian Christian cabal is going to make Christmas for atheists illegal and force them to sit in empty rooms listening to repeats of the Two Ronnies next door and the pleasant laughter of happy Christians. And not the living hell of unwanted family guests, recrimination, pent up frustration, jealousy and envy that normally makes up a family Christmas. ZOO THIS IS A JOKE!
Quote: Pingl @ April 22 2013, 7:16 PM BSTZOO THIS IS A JOKE!
See, say that afterwards, and we'll all know!
Quote: zooo @ April 22 2013, 7:18 PM BSTSee, say that afterwards, and we'll all know!
OK 
Still at it? You're like bunch of angry birds. 
Quote: Gordon Bennett @ April 22 2013, 7:46 PM BSTStill at it? You're like bunch of angry birds.
I think pingl is a secret satanist
When I used to go clubbing, there was a club in Birmingham called "Satan's Paradise" me and my mates went to quite often.
One night not long before Christmas my mate Jon said some friends of his were having a party and we could pop in for an hour or two beforehand. When we got to the house we discovered it was actually a carol-service. A proper one, with sherry, a piano, carol-sheets - the works.
I'm not religious at all, but actually really enjoyed it. There were mince pies, sherry and carols I hadn't sung since I was a kid....also there were some good-looking women to share the carol-sheets with.
When we left they asked us if we'd like to stay, but we apologise and explained we had to go to "Satans".
I still feel a bit bad about that.
There's a slovakian ice hockey player called Miroslav Satan, how must he feel about that? But we're straying from the topic...
There's a Panorama on right now about Sharia councils in Britain.
I'll put another angle on it.
I was brought up to believe in god. I went to church and Sunday school every week. I joined the choir and sang in it for years.
All of this gave me great pleasure.
To this day I love going to church for weddings, Christening etc. I love to sing the hymns - which I know the numbers of, and words by heart. (I don't need a hymn book, they were drilled into me when in the choir)
My father, who never believed in God wanted a 'humanist' funeral when he died. It just wasn't the same. No ashes to ashes etc. No church, not even the crematorium. The ceremony definitely lacked some dignity.
Do I believe in god: Absolutely not. But the church is a great place to go for solemn and binding ceremonies. It adds a sense of occasion and 'dignity' to them.
It's easy to just put it out of your mind that you think it's a fairy story that was exaggerated out of all proportion and ewnjoy your time there.
Not a good thing; religion, politics and the law need to be kept as separate as possible.
And political correctness in this area is just patronizing racism (or theism).
Quote: Kevin Murphy @ April 22 2013, 8:29 PM BSTThere's a Panorama on right now about Sharia councils in Britain.
Well we can all agree councils are bastards.
You may not believe in any God or religion but that wanker Richard Dawkins is likening Religious Education to Child Abuse.
Now I think that is a very dangerous comparison - devaluing child abuse and making it seem like a trivial inconvenience rather than physical lifelong damage. The man is an out and out twat.