“For me, it has nothing to do with "no time" for religion. I would find time for it if I had any belief in it, but for me, it is entirely myth, folklore and legend. When someone comes along with proof that god (which god?) exists, I will remain atheist. I don't see why that should prevent me from enjoying the social side of some of the holidays though.”

“It always makes me laugh when people say they are atheist and have no belief, but use the word " Holiday"”

“mutton8

Do you follow the 10 commandments?

Do you keep the Sabbath holy or have you worshipped any graven images recently?

From some of the threads you have started, you don't have a very Christian attitude to the rest of the world.”

“Yes Flossy, but I use the word with a non capital "h". There is nothing holy about it. It's just a word adopted into general use to mean vacation. Sorry, but that was nit picking.”

“Spring Bank showed its true colours yesterday, plenty of shops and restaurants open.”

“The 10 Commandments are from the Old Testament - why aren't you suggesting that we follow the teachings of Jesus mutton8? Like turn the other cheek, giving to the poor, helping people from a different background?”

“I'm an atheist - simple reason being if you join any religion you're condemned to hell by most of the others.
Seriously though bad people do bad things and good people do good deeds. Only in the name of religion do good people do evil.”

“10 Never eaten winkles - eaten most other things, some dead, some drunk, some lightly stunned
9 I'm always good - just some people have no sense of fun
8 Not likely - I have enough problems remembering one
7 I have no sense of humour
6 B****r
5 Pedants welcome - I know what I meant
4 Now retired and have reverted to my teens
3 Learn the tuba - your neighbours will appreciate it
2 If you learn the bagpipes the whole street will benefit
1 No idea who 'Sensational' is - but I could guess”

“It's a simple case of following simple common-sense regulations. As i once said to my teenage son, "the rule book I live by is this thick" (and I opened my fingers to about three inches).”

“At least we have had some sensible discussion on this and not just a lot of silliness that seems to be over-indulged in. OK - a forum that is not divided into subjects will and should allow for non- serious matters, but those that want to indulge in personal tittle-tattle should do so on their own posts.”

“Maybe they're on their (religious?) holidays.”

“The Ten Commandments: that would be Exodus Ch20 then.
Numbers 1 - 4 are pretty petty considering the pretended ominpotence of the proposer. Can a god really be so insecure?
5 is illogical.
6 -9 are the stuff of recognisable law but look at them carefully.
10 is probably good advice but not something that could be legislated.
Then the mountain explodes (Sinai is not a volcano) and more instructions are passed on including (v26) "Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon."
But we are concerned with "The" Ten Commandments.
There are no mentions of non-fatal offences against the person if we concede that adultery is consensual. So that allows rape, ABH, GBH, wounding with intent, administering noxious substances and other such interesting pastimes.
There are no mentions of non-larcenous offences against property. So that allows malicious and criminal damage and, more interestingly, arson.
Even the ones that look straightforward are open to interpretation, famously "Thou shalt not kill." Anything? Ever?
Yes, I know that there are hundreds of laws, rules and regulations elsewhere in the Bible that cover some of the matters not included in Exodus 20 but that was not the proposition offered for discussion and, anyway, there are some really weird ones, especially in Deuteronomy. See, for example, Deuteronomy 22 11 "Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together." There goes most of today's clothes trade.”

“I am agnostic; certainly open to the idea that there could perhaps be a higher deity but I need proof. I think all organised religion is inherently flawed. It is partisan and produces divisions. I have to say that the majority of actively religious people I know appear smug and 'holier than thou'. They are also very judgmental, not particularly humanitarian and quite insular. I really try to live my the maxim of treating everyone as I would wish to be treated. OK, sometimes I get it wrong (I am quite intolerant!) but I think the world would be a far nicer place if we reflected back on our behaviour and admitted our faults and mistakes then rectified them if possible.

'This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness'. (Dalai Lama).”

“Another one of the Forum members that I admire. Always talks a lot of sense.
The Dalai Lama's teachings seem like a good idea. Think I'll have a read.
HAppy New Year Demonica. You're no devil really are ya?”

“@Sensational; no devil at all! The name is from a favourite song of mine. I am an angel - honest! Happy New Year to you too. Health & happiness.”

“Some interesting stuff on the 10 Commandments, but I only mentioned them as an example of how good behaviour might be codified. After all, they were written when life was very different from what is now. What if I had given the Highway code as an example? It lays down advice on how road users should behave, not necessarily backed up by law.
Neither was the post intended to relate good behaviour with religion, but whether secular or any religion, human nature demands that rules of behaviour are essential and those rules are often unwritten and have to be taught if chaos is to be avoided.But I note that not much was made of my suggestion that should those who do not believe in holidays related to a specific religion eg Muslim or Jewish, go to work?”

“mutton8

Of course humans need rules to live by though it doesn't mean they will stick to them. If they did we wouldn't need the police, criminal solicitors, the court system or prisons.

Your question about holidays and different religions wasn't very clear so maybe that is why you don't get a reply.

If someone who is of a non-Christian religion works in as a bus driver, shop assistant or in a school (just using random examples) how do you propose that they go to work on Christmas Day when the buses aren't running or the shop/school is closed?”

“Mutton8,
There are communities in Britain that continue as normal over the Christmas period, the Hasidic Jews for example exist very happily following their own religious caledar. We are still a Christian country but somehow it has become unfashionable to go to church or to be proud of being a Christian.”

“Missfoodlove

It may be a Christian country, but lots of us are really atheists/agnostics or pay lip service to the CofE when they are asked to put their religion on forms.

I don't know about being unfashionable to go to church so much as not being relevant to many people's lives. Even if I believed in a God - and I haven't made my mind up yet - it wouldn't be the one in the Christian bible and I would never go to a church service.

I'm with Demonica as far as Christmas goes, but as the school where I work is closed and I don't have a key for the main gate, there isn't a lot I can do about it.”