Teaching religion (Christmas) to kids as an atheist

[pipes]

I want to give my kids the impartial story of the different religions and traditions like Christmas, anybody know of anything?

I have a catholic upbringing and as I tell the story, it just seems to unbelievable to me and I feel as if they think I am telling them about some cartoon or something.

[LSparkle]

1. Christmas is the birthday of Jesus

who is a much-respected figure in several religions (including Judaism and Islam). You don't have to tell them the Easter part -- yet.

[Ladyhawk]

17. It isn't really his birthday, but it is when his birthday was celebrated.

It is actually the Winter Solstice. I don't believe an individual named Jesus actually existed. I think he is probably a compilation of various mythical pagan and actual figures...but hey, that's just me. Most of the things we associate with Christmas: a tree, gifts, etc. had their origins in pagan beliefs. In truth, Christmas trees are banned in the Old Testament. I forget the actual verse.

I do believe "Jesus," whoever he was or wasn't, had some good things to say and that's why we celebrate. I don't like the dogma of original sin and the idea that there had to be a human sacrifice to cleanse us. That stuff induces toxic shame to anyone who is indoctrinated. We are not responsible for the "sins" of a mythical pair of naked fruit-munchers.

[Ladyhawk]

19. Hey, can someone find that verse about not cutting down trees?

It has something to do with pagan worship. I can't find it.

[Catch22Dem]

2. Why?

My daughter knows the story from friends and family who buy into it, but she also knows, in our house, it's all about MAKING time to see the people you don't normally get to see. It's about getting together for good food and conversation. It's about finding that special little gift for someone you love (homemade or store bought)

Christmas may have a "story" but in my house, there's a WHOLE different "reason for the season" if you know what I mean. ;)

[prolesunited]

3. Depends on your audience

Who are you teaching about Christmas?

[pipes]

5. Girls 5,7

We were talking about stockings, why are they stockings, or socks, I said tradition...

So we started talking about tradition and came upon th emeaning of x-mas. then I started in on the catholic "story" and figured that in my house we don't really know Jesus and I all of a sudden had a revelation,

I think they should know about these things but don't quite know how to frame them.

[intheflow]

8. Stockings

When Jesus was born people gave him presents. Maybe people gave your girls presents at their birth? That's a way of making that part relevant to them.

So on his bithday, people give each other presents to remember that his wise teachings about love and compassion are still around us.

When people started giving presents, they mostly gave food. To keep any critters out of the food gifts, they placed them in stockings that were drying by the fireplace to keep them off the floor and away from critters.

I'm pretty sure that's the story I heard about the origins of stockings, but am now second guessing myself before I commit to posting. You can choose to use it or not, and if anyone else has another story, I'd like to hear it. :)

[KurtNYC]

25. Stockings from Holland

Here is a small collection of explanations for the origins of various Christmas traditions:
http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p1608.htm

The tradition of stockings started in Holland during the 16th century. Kids would leave clogs filled with hay near the fireplace for Santa's reindeer. Santa would then leave behind treats for the children. Eventually people began using stockings instead - something we still do today.

and check this...

St. Boniface, who is credited for converting many Germans to Christianity, came across a group of Pagans worshipping an oak tree. This made him angry, so he cut the tree down. What sprouted up in its place was a fir tree. St. Boniface took this as a sign from God, and it has been a Christian symbol ever since. Also, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, he gave a tree to his wife for Christmas, since it was a custom in his homeland of Germany.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. There are books

about the different culture's concepts of the beginning of the world. I'm sure there are books about bringing back the Light, which all ceremonies at this time of year are based upon. Besides pagan Solstace ceremonies, the Hindus celebrate Duvali (this year it was in November), the Jews Channukah-both are festivals of Light. Sufis honor Rumi, the poet, on Dec. 17th-members of the order he founded do a ceremony at that time that has given rise to the term "whirling dervishes". Hope this information helps.

[intheflow]

6. Stress Jesus' humanity and that he was an ethical teacher.

Remember to include the fact the Jesus wasn't Christian, he was Jewish!

You don't have to mention Mary's imaculate conception, especially for young children who don't know about regular conception to begin with.

You can also tell the story of the star leading the way by putting it in context that many religious leaders were said to have been born under weird astronomical conditions. I've read books in which the Buddha was said to have been born under a full moon. It was a way in the olden days to get the point accross that this was a person who had things to say that were so big, they were cosmic. Not divine: wise.

[mzmolly]

7. Many Liberal Christians don't adhere to the traditional "immaculate

conception" or the typical "resurection" theory.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. Actually, the immaculate conception is strictly a Catholic doctrine, and

it refers not to Mary's supposedly being a virgin when Jesus was born but to the idea that Mary was born without sin. Most Protestants have an official doctrine of the virgin birth but do not believe in the immaculate conception.

[Carson]

15. That's true, Catholism also teaches, I think, that Mary remained a virgin,

although I've never quite understood how Catholics interpret the verses in the Bible that mention Jesus' brothers.

Perhaps a Catholic could explain it for me?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. The explanation they give is that those are Joseph's children

from his first marriage. I think it's simpler to assume that Mary and Joseph were normal people and went on to have other children.

[Carson]

23. Really? I never read that Joseph was married previously. Where does

that information come from?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. It's not in the Bible, but it's part of the oral tradition, probably made

up out of whole cloth to reconcile the doctrine of Mary's lifelong virginity with the existence of the brothers mentioned in the Bible.

[mzmolly]

20. I don't subscribe to the Virgin birth either.

I understood the immaculate "conception" term to be about the "conception" ie. the VIRGIN birth?

Sorry for the lack of proper phrasing. ;) I don't subscribe to the "virgin" birth theory.

Additionally, I slaughtered the word "resurrection" and you have my apologies.

I presume it's obvious I don't attend Church very often?
:hi:

[pipes]

9. Thanks, these are good...

My girls are at the age of questions. Very intuitive, a good thing I suppose!

[DrWeird]

11. Everything I needed to know about Jesus I learned from...

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown.

I remember watching that and thinking "Christmas has to do with Jesus? Wtf!?"

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. How would you tell them about the beliefs of any religion that you

don't believe in?

Just say "they believe that..."

[pipes]

14. Who is they

I get that all of the time..."they who"

Well you know them, those other people...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. "They" is "me" in this case, since I'm a Christian, but

I was just using "they" to give a generic example of how to talk about religions that you yourself don't believe in.

[TexasLady]

13. Bless your heart

Im dealing with that with my five yr old ( older kids know already) and I think its fun to get to teach them so much stuff. Means we gotta do our homework, but when we learn, they learn. Guaranteed that they catch how you feel about it, and there is never anything wrong with learning about what so many others feel about things this time of year.


Good for you! Your kids are so lucky!:hi:

[msgadget]

21. My Friends' Beliefs by Hiley H. Ward

A Young Reader's Guide to World Religions


I ordered it from Chinaberry a couple years ago but you can check it out here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0802773761/qid=1102643551/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-3614663-4879914?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Edit: I just leafed through my copy and it has no Christmas references at all BUT it's good to have to explain the various religious beliefs. Sorry about that.

[ZoCrowes]

22. I'm agnostic/deist

but I celebrate Xmas (raised catholic.) I still celebrate it as a day of brotherhood and happy gift giving day ya know.