Ask an alcohol-drinking, girl-kissing, pot-smoking Atheist!

[snubs]

Are you against saying "Merry Christmas"?

[American Eagle]

I certainly am because it's still November!

[jasonjannajerryjohn]

Now, if you're still around, here's another one: What, in your mind, are the defining parts of the American and French Revolutions and why did they end differently? Specifically, what factors played roles in their differences?

A history question! YAY! Gotta love history. I love talking about history and people in general so I'm going to answer this one. Kind of surprised you asked this question, given your history of questions, but ok.

The American and French revolutions were fundamentally different because they had different root causes. The American revolution was about taxes, when it came right down to it. The colonists didn't particularly like being taxed without having a say in the government, so they threw tea overboard and the rest is history.

The French Revolution was about a lack of food. When you have a bunch of people sitting around in big fancy houses eating big fancy feasts and wearing big fancy clothes with fancy hats, while the majority of the people in the country are starving on the street, monarchy starts to become unpopular.

That's the very basic reason why they happened, but as with basically everything, the truth resists simplicity. There is much more to both. Here's some videos on them both if you're interested in learning more about them.



Also no of course I'm not against saying "Merry Christmas." It's a traditional greeting and Christmas is a traditional holiday. There's nothing wrong with saying that phrase or celebrating Christmas. In fact, I celebrate Christmas all the time, every year, in fact, and I'm not even a Christian. Amazing right?

[snubs]

Well, I figured since you don't believe in Christ you wouldn't really like saying "Christmas" nor would you celebrate it...in the traditional Jesus' birth celebration, and not the Santa Claus bull.

[31899]

I should note that "Crash Course" is not always accurate and incredibly bias. Be careful if you are going to be using it to teach people.

[jasonjannajerryjohn]

Ok so in order to answer this we need to know a little about the origin of Christmas. Jesus's birth is thought to have taken place in the summer, not the winter. The festival of Jesus's birth was moved to the winter to coincide with the Winter Solstice. Christmas is one of a number of holidays that were borrowed from the other religious traditions that were around. Basically, people weren't going to stop having their festivals. If you live your life as a peasant, you don't want to stop having this festival, this time of celebration where you don't have to worry about doing work for once. The lives of peasants were pretty bad and festivals were one of the only releases they had, especially if you grew up celebrating that particular festival. This was mostly in England but also other parts of Europe. The church realized this and moved the celebration of Christ's birth to winter to coincide with the winter solstice. The winter solstice eventually morphed into Christmas and here we are.

Now you don't have to take my word for that, research it yourself. But even without the pagan origins of Christmas, Christmas, if you can get over the insane amount of materialism, is about being around your family and getting closer to them. Taking part in family tradition, being with your loved ones. Celebrating peace and good will. The idea that we can live without killing each other is always an idea to celebrate. It's a holiday in which we can get together and celebrate. Christmas is not exclusively Christian.

And how so 31899? If you're going to accuse of bias, you're going to need to say why. It is going to be generally difficult for anyone to get rid of their biases, because we are all human, we all have biases. But I think Crash Course does a good job of trying to get rid of them. John Green, the guy who teaches Crash Course is a Christian, but doesn't teach from an overly Christian bias worldview, for example. Have you watched the videos at all or are you just saying that because I posted them?

[John Chrysostom]

I have to say I am a huge fan of Crash Course and the Green brothers. Also not accurate? I mean sure they have biases, we all do, but I think they are generally accurate.

[Whitty Whit]

Here's a question.

Should the English Colonists have revolted? Or should they have complied to the English Crown and become subject to insane taxes and governmental takeovers (much reminiscent of today's government, imo)

[Musical Shutterbug]

Here's a question.

Should the English Colonists have revolted? Or should they have complied to the English Crown and become subject to insane taxes and governmental takeovers (much reminiscent of today's government, imo)

I'm doing a debate on that very subject in two weeks How hysterical!

[jasonjannajerryjohn]

Here's a question.

Should the English Colonists have revolted? Or should they have complied to the English Crown and become subject to insane taxes and governmental takeovers (much reminiscent of today's government, imo)

The taxes really weren't all that unreasonable, except perhaps the stamp act. And the English government really wasn't taking over the colonies. The colonies were already very autonomously governed and the colonists had already developed an identity apart from England. The only "governmental takeover" that was going on was in the form of the colonists who used guns to force the other colonists not to drink tea. Or buy really anything else that involved English taxes. The main thing for them was that they didn't have any representation in parliament. And that small group that gradually grew into a larger group didn't like the idea of having taxes without having representation in the parliament.

It's easy to make snap judgements about something like this. But as always, the truth resists simplicity.

[The Hippie]

Being an alcohol-drinking, girl-kissing, pot-smoking Christian, do you reckon we would get along?

[Kait]

I like how Quad J took over this thread. >.>

[snubs]

I like how Quad J took over this thread. >.>

I know, right. =p

[jasonjannajerryjohn]

I like how Quad J took over this thread. >.>

Well people wouldn't post questions in the general atheist thread and xiao disappeared. >_>

[Aeva]

I have a question for you, xiao, if you decide to reappear.

What sort of clothing do you prefer to see on girls? (And for the sake of the younger members, let's not discuss bras and underwear lol.) Skinny jeans? Flare jeans? Shorts? Dresses? Modest (yet flattering)? Revealing? I'm honestly curious as to what types of clothing attract heathens like you.

[EMBEE]

How do you respond to those who say that atheism is a religion?

[Guess Who!]

I have a question for you, xiao, if you decide to reappear.

What sort of clothing do you prefer to see on girls?

Let me take a WILD guess and answer for xiao....

NONE!!!!

[King Herod]

I have a question for you, xiao, if you decide to reappear.

What sort of clothing do you prefer to see on girls?

Let me take a WILD guess and answer for xiao....

NONE!!!!

Interesting topic, and aaah, geez. I don't even want to see his response to this. *hand over face*
And kind sir, xiao, I find it surprising any girl would want to kiss you...what with the funky booze breath and everything. Sorry, sorry, that was a joke...no offense. Anyhoooo....

[Sherlock]

Well, I figured since you don't believe in Christ you wouldn't really like saying "Christmas" nor would you celebrate it...in the traditional Jesus' birth celebration, and not the Santa Claus bull.

Well, Santa Claus is basically a character based off of St. Nicholas who was a very real person. In many cultures, St. Nicholas Day is still celebrated, and there are varying traditions about how he looks and what he does (putting gifts in shoes for children, etc).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

My point is that Santa Claus may be a secular symbol today but he was based on a historical, religious figure of old. In fact, most American holidays have roots in some religious tradition or Holy Day/Feast Day. Even the word 'Holiday' itself is shorthand for "Holy Day".

And on a related note...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet

[snubs]

Well, I figured since you don't believe in Christ you wouldn't really like saying "Christmas" nor would you celebrate it...in the traditional Jesus' birth celebration, and not the Santa Claus bull.

Well, Santa Claus is basically a character based off of St. Nicholas who was a very real person. In many cultures, St. Nicholas Day is still celebrated, and there are varying traditions about how he looks and what he does (putting gifts in shoes for children, etc).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

My point is that Santa Claus may be a secular symbol today but he was based on a historical, religious figure of old. In fact, most American holidays have roots in some religious tradition or Holy Day/Feast Day. Even the word 'Holiday' itself is shorthand for "Holy Day".

Yes I know all that. And I am very fond of the story St. Nicholas. I just don't like how they make Santa Claus today.