Would you send a Christian Christmas card to an atheist?

[Song_of_Storms]

[SIZE="1"]Actually, my question is would you send a Christian Christmas card [Like with a vivid Creation, Christ theme] to a person you have no IDEA how they would take it? I'm asking because I'm in this Christmas Card swap-thing, where the recipients are randomly picked for each person. So I have no idea about these people. Personally, I could care less if they "get offended", I'm not going to turn Christmas into some sort of bland, "there-is-no-God" garbage. Of course, I also don't want to get bombarded with constant angry retorts. I would like to know what YOU would do in a likewise situation. Thankies~! [/SIZE]

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I don't see why not. I mean... just send it away! No biggie! Haha.

[Fantasy Dreamer]

Yes. Send it anyway.

[wildpurplechild]

I'd send it, and I hope they feel God's love this Christmas

[Dante]

It's purely random, so both of you have to realize that the other person's belief systems MIGHT not equate to your own. There is a chance you could receive a Hanukkah card, a Kwanzaa card or by some odd end even some Wikan holiday card... or you might just end up with Santa or Rudolf cards.

If you want to know how they might feel, you could ask how you would feel if you received one of those other cards. A little bit confused, maybe given the Christian majority, a bit rolled over (if they're assuming that you don't recognize their non-religious individuality - which is kind of a prejudgment on their part)... but ultimately, LET'S FACE IT! If this is the first time they've ever received a Christmas Card that happens to have Christian Theme to it, they've really missed out in life .

It's a CHRISTMAS CARD trading event, they don't have to participate if they want to act all shocked about receiving one . They can go cry to Richard Dawkins about their lives being trampled upon by the horrors of a piece of paper that didn't say "seasons greetings".

If you only have one card to exchange, you could always consider making one by hand (far more fun then it sounds). Come up with a crazy idea and let the paper glue and ink fly (Michaels sells harder paper good for this). THEN if they actually get offended, you can make a sad face and apologize for the quality of the artwork and when they realize you made it yourself they'll feel bad about putting it down ;D).

If this doesn't work, I think you should put a golden hammer and sickle on red cardboard paper with the words: "Merry Christmas-COMRADE!" with a plastic spork on the inside... but I spend too much time online .

[ShiroiHikari]

Send the dang thing. If people had half a heart, they'd just be happy just to receive some kind of card rather than complaining about it having the word "Jesus" in it or whatever. Besides, I think it's ridiculous that now we have "Christian" Christmas cards and "non-Christian" ones. Hello? It's called "Christmas" for a reason. XD If you're an atheist then what are you doing celebrating Christmas in the first place?

[Mr. SmartyPants]

If you're an atheist then what are you doing celebrating Christmas in the first place?

For presents and to enjoy your time off. Duuuuuuuhhhhhh. =p Isn't that what Christmas is all about?

[EricTheFred]

Personally, I've been equally delighted to get "Happy Hannukah" cards and "Merry Christmas" cards from Jewish friends in the past. Whether they are wishing to share with me the joy they feel in the season, or wishing for me to feel the joy of my holiday in the season, I consider both to be equally welcome wishes.

I think you can use the same logic with atheists. Any religious card you send is a wish to share your joy with them, not an attempt to force your religion upon them. Frankly, the religious card is more sincere, to my mind.

[ShiroiHikari]

Eric put it much better than I did.

[Tsukuyomi]

[SIZE="1"]Actually, my question is would you send a Christian Christmas card [Like with a vivid Creation, Christ theme] to a person you have no IDEA how they would take it? I'm asking because I'm in this Christmas Card swap-thing, where the recipients are randomly picked for each person. So I have no idea about these people. Personally, I could care less if they "get offended", I'm not going to turn Christmas into some sort of bland, "there-is-no-God" garbage. Of course, I also don't want to get bombarded with constant angry retorts. I would like to know what YOU would do in a likewise situation. Thankies~! [/SIZE]

I say yes to sending it ^^ It's mostly a "it's the thought that counts" type thing anyway ^^ If they take offense to it, then that's them :-? I see nothing wrong with it ^__^

[Song_of_Storms]

[SIZE="1"]
Okay, thanks everyone. >w< I will send a Christian Christmas card~

Actually, I did try to make my own... it looked like a two-year old had a field day with crayons. >.>; [/SIZE]

[Phantom_Sorano]

It truely is the thought that counts.

[Alice]

I would say pray for the person who receives it! Your prayers can make a lot of difference in someone's life, and that may help them feel God's love, even through something as simple as a card.

[Ingemar]

Send the darn thing.

If we can't send a Christian themed Christmas card on a day that everyone, Jews and atheists included, know is a Christian holiday, and we don't have physical persecution as an excuse, we have truly lost as people and Christ did not die and claim victory over death.

Sorry for the long winded answer, but I am kind of a "big picture" guy.

[Nate]

I wonder if they even make Yuletide cards anymore. I mean there's still pagans around so it's safe to assume they exist SOMEWHERE.

I must find some!

[Song_of_Storms]

I wonder if they even make Yuletide cards anymore. I mean there's still pagans around so it's safe to assume they exist SOMEWHERE.

I must find some!

[SIZE="1"]... I thought a yuletide was just a...log... used for, um, fireplaces. >.> My ignorance is overwhelming me today, it would seem. [/SIZE]

[KhakiBlueSocks]

[font="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="4"][color="RoyalBlue"]I'm going to say no. I'm not going to willingly give a person a Christmas card when I know that they don't believe the same things I do--that's just going to open a jar of worms that didn't need to be opened in the first place.[/color][/SIZE][/font]

[Nate]

[SIZE="1"]... I thought a yuletide was just a...log... used for, um, fireplaces. >.> My ignorance is overwhelming me today, it would seem. [/SIZE]

Aw don't feel bad. :3

But yeah, Yuletide is the pagan holiday that was originally in December As you may or may not know, when the Catholic church was in its early years (we're talking third-century here), they were trying to spread the news to other cultures. Other places already had religious celebrations that were tradition though. So what the church did was they said "Okay, you can keep your previous feast days, but now you can celebrate them with new Christian meaning instead of your pagan meaning."

Thus, Yuletide became the celebration of Christmas. A lot of Christmas traditions, such as caroling and Christmas ham, come from pagan traditions (caroling was known as wassailing, in which people would sing to their neighbors in exchange for food and drink, and the Christmas ham was called the Yule boar, a feast in tribute to the pagan god Freyr).

So yep, that's about all there is to it. XD Again, don't feel bad if you didn't know a lot of this. It isn't exactly something they teach in school after all.

[minakichan]

But yeah, Yuletide is the pagan holiday that was originally in December As you may or may not know, when the Catholic church was in its early years (we're talking third-century here), they were trying to spread the news to other cultures. Other places already had religious celebrations that were tradition though. So what the church did was they said "Okay, you can keep your previous feast days, but now you can celebrate them with new Christian meaning instead of your pagan meaning."

I thought those were a different... flavor of pagans than the ones we have today.

(I couldn't think of a better word! hush.)

[Cap'n Nick]

The Ashley and I just sent out our cards, which are blatantly Christian, to a card list containing people who definitely are not. We do this knowing that the people in question know and accept our religious beliefs, enjoy celebrating the more secular aspects of the holiday, and won't take our Jesus-flavored postage as a personal affront. Were any of these things in question we would find a different way to acknowledge our friendship, which to me is the essential function of a Christmas card.

That's not to say Christmas cards are completely useless in evangelism. I personally have the tendency to gloss over theological differences in daily life. A religious card can be a very non-confrontational way to remind people that oh yeah that guy has a religion and he isn't shoving it in my face like a jerk all the time, maybe I should talk to him about it.

[Warrior4Christ]

This is a semi-aside, but... for me, the Hanukkah or Kwanzaa argument is merely a theoretical one, as I have never ever in real life encountered these at Christmas time, except in the annual CAA threads about it.

But more on-topic, I do slide in Christian-based things to non-believers when I can (when I know they can take it)....

[Nikolai Melodie]

Hmm, I guess I can answer as someone whose been there. I was an Atheist for a long, long time. But, that being said, I was a very immature person in my, 'faith,' so, the very mention of organized religion sent me fuming. Do you know this person well enough? Do they regularly stomp around proclaiming their hatred for Christians (if so, why in the world are you sending them a card XD?) or are they just the normal sort of healthy adult that just happens to be disenfranchised with religion at the moment? It all depends on the person.

I think that, of course, who ever it is should be happy to get a card at all, no matter what it says on it, but... you know, you just have to be careful with these things. Good luck.