Not sure I fully understand this question but if you mean should people no longer erect nativity scenes and just stick to candy canes and snowmen at public places like town halls etc, I think it's a bunch of hogwash. Nobody is asking anyone to celebrate the holiday in a religion fashion just by decorating according to their own beliefs. Next they'll be ripping all the crosses off the church steeples cause their visible and "might offend" ... get with the program folks...if ya don't like it, don't look.
Fisch,
47
Preston, CT USA
What are me thoughts
on what? Uh. . .I don't really understand the question. Discourse is conversation.
Public discourse could mean small-scale discussion between people in public,
or it could conceivably mean the airing of ideas to a larger public. I
understand that many people think
that Christmas has become too secular a holiday, that in all the supposed
greediness people forget about the story of Jesus's birth. But I don't
understand how that could occur in conversation, unless people neglected
Jesus-related discussions in favor of Santa/presents/etc. discussions.
Personally, I like my Christmas secular. But I guess I don't have an opinion
on secularizing Christmas in public discourse, because I don't really
know how that would happen.
Karen,
23
Ames, IA USA
I think that you have to be sensitive to the spiritual beliefs and celebrations of others, but I don't believe that you should feel ashamed of celebrating Christmas.
Keri-Jade,
23
Brampton, Ontario CANADA
I'm
fairly certain that I don't understand the question. "Christmas"
, "Christ Mass" is a celebration of the birth of a particular
God. People mutter about Christmas becoming secular, but I (and I am not
Christian) I don't think Christians have exclusive rights to the spiritual
drama of the turning of the year. I don't see how a particular religious
holiday can become secularized in public discourse--unless "public
discourse" is an euphemism for brawling over the nature of winter
festivities.
Jill,
61
Saylorsburg, PA USA
I don't care. :) I'm not religious but I enjoy all the trimmings of christmas, the rituals and such. Its just fun.
Talia,
25
Tallahassee, FL USA
I think this question can be answered very simply... I don't.
Doug2,
30
Kansas City, KS USA
Well, I do it because I'm not Christian. If Christians are saying "I blah blah blah for Christmas" and try to secularize their speech, that's forced and also just sounds weird. However, if you are addressing a group of people who don't necessarily have religious beliefs in common or an individual whom you know to believe something else or whose beliefs you do not know, it's down right rude to turn to them and ask what their plans are for a religious holiday you don't even know they don't want to.
Firelady,
24
Frisco, TX USA
I think it is already secularized. Christmas at this point in history is very economic. Most of the judo-christian polarization of christmas has been slowly phased out of the holiday and replaced with something more sinster. The "perfect gift."
You Me
That is a very confusing question. I do not know what you mean.
Spartacus,
31
Thrace
I think Christmas should be a religious holiday. People should be just as free to celebrate Christmas as they are to celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Eids. If most of the population of a community are religious, they should be able to put Christian manger scenes, menorahs, and other religious symbols on public property as long as no one religion gets favored treatment. Instead of keeping religion totally out of Christmas and other end-of-year religious holidays, all of the religions should be able to display their symbols, explain their meaning, and let the public at large observe them, ignore them, or whatever. The atheists can explain why they don't believe in a God and the public can agree, disagree, or whatever.
Cathie,
53
Novi, MI USA
I think we should "take the Christ out of Christmas" in our multi-cultural society. Not everyone was raised to believe that Christmas is a religious holiday and those of us that WERE raised that way, should be allowed to celebrate in the way that is dear to them.
Reba,
57
Gaithersburg, MD USA
To me there are two different holidays on December 25. There is the holy day and there is the gift day. For people who remember the holiness of the day, it doesn't matter what the secular world does to Christmas, the holiness remains. For those to whom it doesn't matter, who cares? I will be celebrating the incarnation of God.
Laura,
37
Lowell, MA USA
I think we have
to accept that Christmas has become a public, not just a religious, holiday,
a celebration of winter and of children. That said, it becomes incumbent
upon responsible people to be sensitive to the feelings of those for whom
it is not a religious holiday and not create a
potentially hostile environment. On the other hand, those persons who
are in a minority in the country should not be looking for offense and
should show some generosity of spirit toward traditional celebrations.
Jane,
63
West Linn, OR USA
Well, the reason to celebrate Christmas is to welcome the Christ child to the earth. It isn't about Santa Claus, reindeer and trees. Christmas is a religious holiday not a secular one. (Although you wouldn't know that by all the advertisements)
Janet,
45
E. Brunswick, NJ USA