I know I’ve blogged about atheist Christmas before but it is something I find slightly awkward. I love Christmas, I like trees and presents and big family get togethers. I like having something to think about when it’ cold and dull. I like the midwinter festival.
However we don’t believe in the story of the nativity, which for my son is rather integral to Christmas as they tell the story at school. At the same time there is an element to Christmas that is about ritual, the process of advent, the tree, decorating the house with holy….
So what does it take to get a confirmed atheist to church?
Very little it turns out! I was sitting in a café with my son and his best friend. The BF is Christadelphian and I consider to be very religious as they go to church at least twice a week and organise events for the church. The BF is also very very cute and he looks up at me with his big blue eyes through his long blond fringe….’would you like to come to our carol service, we’ve been organising it and I’ve made biscuits…’ his mum tries to hush him and my son turns to me…can we mum please?
OK I say.
I have a word with his mum afterwards- is it the story we know, will there be much focus on salvation and hellfire…
Come the day of the service I have serious misgivings- I’ve looked Christadelphian up on Wikipedia and discovered that they believe that the bible is the literal word of god. So when it say angel it means…angel. I’m also not sure what to wear feeling that I should wrap up warm but not wear jeans.
We arrive at the church slightly late but before they start, my son sits on the front row with the BF. I sit at the back and boil, the fires of hell may be hot but the church was putting up some stiff competition. The carol service was lovely- mainly the songs that I know from school. Precussion instruments were given out so that we could join in when the Vicar led us in a Caribbean carol on his guitar. They told the story of the nativity- each child was given a model of a character to bring to the front at the appropriate moment and power point was used to illustrate the story.
Near the end the vicar started to talk …it has been hard he said to read this story today oh no I thought hear comes the message…because I’m having trouble with my glasses….my husband and I exchange confused glances….however he says there is nothing wrong with my ears and I think I hear bells In comes Father Christmas ringing bells and distributing presents to the children. Which leaves me wondering, as an atheist can I object to the commercialisation of Christmas?