Some atheists resent living in Western societies that have been heavily influenced by Christianity, including the annual celebration of Christmas. In contrast, Robert Fulford (who prefers to describe himself as an “unbeliever”), says that he appreciates the influence of Christianity and enjoys Christmas. He writes, "Every Christmas I find myself grateful to live in a Christian-dominant community within a civilization that has been constructed by Christianity…"
He then goes on to talk about how the moral principles, found in the Bible, have shaped his society in positive ways.
The truth is that our society has been given its moral principles by Christianity, and those principles shape us, whether we are committed to a religion or not. Christian feelings enter in the moral air we breathe and find a comfortable home within us.
We believe we should see the welfare of others as at least as important as our own. We should treat everyone fairly. We should be ready to give an honest account of our lives. When we describe our fellow citizens as “good,” we are usually saying that they follow the way of life that we have learned, consciously or not, from the pervasive Christianity around us. If we go out of our way to smooth the path of minorities, we are reflecting the same feelings.
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Reference
Robert Fulford, “Why This Unbeliever Is Happy to Celebrate Christmas,” National Post, December 22, 2017, https://nationalpost.com/opinion/robert-fulford-why-this-unbeliever-is-happy-to-celebrate-christmas.