Dear Father Christmas

[craig1985]

Julenissen,

Kan jeg få disse vær så snill?

No biathlon rifle for me this year

EPO


(English posts only)

 

[flyor64]

EPO


(English posts only)

Sorry...it was my lame attempt at humour...since Father Christmas aka Santa is known as julenissen here I felt I needed to speak in his language if I want to score some new skis...

My son, of course, brutally mixes both languages quite effectively and calls him Jule Claus...

Very simply I said, "santa, can I have these please?"

*DISCLAIMER: I could have very easily written it incorrectly as I'm still learning

 

[Anonymous]

 

[auscyclefan94]

What do you want for Christmas?

What do you want for Christmas?
I want...

 

[krebs303]

A week in St Kitts. With one of the girls from the babes thread.

For you my friend your Christmas wish has come come true.

 

[davidg]

A week in St Kitts. With one of the girls from the babes thread.

You beat me to it, but given some of the replies, I think I need to be more specific. @Scott Socal - you are not making the choice easy, coz you keep adding more. But don't stop

 

[Moondance]

Dear Santa,

Please F@ck off, so we can actually go back to what Christmas is all about; the birth of Jesus, the importance of family and not this crass materialism.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Dear Santa,

Please F@ck off, so we can actually go back to what Christmas is all about; the birth of Jesus, the importance of family and not this crass materialism.

That is an outdated concept.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Anything but the Spanish Shimano "neutral" support
...

SC, i wouldn't mind an Aussie Tour winner... but if not, i'll be ready for it by 2015, just gotta work on my TTs in that time

+1
If not, i'll be a mountain goat for you.

 

[Moondance]

That is an outdated concept.

What? Christianity?

Hundreds of millions of Christians (and you can count me among that number) around the world disagree with you. I'm actually rather pleased that in the Netherlands we don't have this concept of a Father Christmas or a Santa Claus tied in with the birth of the Savior and Redeemer. Children get their gifts on St. Nicolas' Day here (Dec. 5) which allows us to remember what Christmas is all about. What's more important, faith and family, or gifts?

 

[Tranquil]

All I want for Christmas is ...

* Retribution for the centuries of abuse that minorities have received
* The suppression of all those people who preach violence against others
* Some nice weather in the UK

... that's pretty much it. I'm easily pleased.

 

[Anonymous]

of course he should look like this..

but obviously not female... just green.. darned american corporations..

 

[auscyclefan94]

What? Christianity?

Hundreds of millions of Christians (and you can count me among that number) around the world disagree with you. I'm actually rather pleased that in the Netherlands we don't have this concept of a Father Christmas or a Santa Claus tied in with the birth of the Savior and Redeemer. Children get their gifts on St. Nicolas' Day here (Dec. 5) which allows us to remember what Christmas is all about. What's more important, faith and family, or gifts?

I am as well, but numbers at church are declining, people have a lack of respect when praying, i agree that christmas should be about giving, faith and family but people have become so self centred that they get greedy and want more more more and stuff their faces with food.

At a parish in my area at the Christmas Vigl you pack the church with people. On sunday's usually you have the church only half filled.

 

[Tranquil]

"To believe in God means to see that the facts of the world are not the end of the matter. To believe in God means to see that life has a meaning." - Ludwig Wittgenstein"

I think that pretty much covers every criticism I could level at any and every religion.

Question: Why does one need to be told what the meaning of one's life is ?
Answer: Because you can't figure it out for yourself.

 

[Moondance]

"To believe in God means to see that the facts of the world are not the end of the matter. To believe in God means to see that life has a meaning." - Ludwig Wittgenstein"

I think that pretty much covers every criticism I could level at any and every religion.

Question: Why does one need to be told what the meaning of one's life is ?
Answer: Because you can't figure it out for yourself.

You might find this hard to believe, but my faith is the most powerful, helpful, inspiring and, yes, meaningful part of my life. I live a better, happier and more satisfied life because of my beliefs. I live a life in which I am the only one who determines where it leads, in that sense I do not need to be told what the meaning of my life is. However, I do believe that besides my personal wishes, and desires, ambitions and aspirations there is a higher purpose to what I, and all other beings do. I choose to call this higher purpose God, although I personally consider myself to be by-and-large emancipated from the dogmas, both ancient and modern, which might exert human control over what this purpose might be perceived to be. I do not know God's purpose, nor do I believe does anyone alive today, however I choose to live a life guided by a simple moral code which will lead to a better world. This is the meaning that faith gives to me.

I do not attack anyone for their gnosticism, or agnosticism, or atheism for that matter, I believe in freedom of religious conscience for all people in all instances (although you, apparently, do not).

It should be noted that Ludwig Wittgenstein, a man whose quote you mock, is generally considered the greatest thinker of the 20th century, and was regarded by Bertrand Russell (a man practically worshiped by modern atheists) as the greatest genius he ever met.

 

[scribe]

Dear Santa,

Please F@ck off, so we can actually go back to what Christmas is all about; the birth of Jesus, the importance of family and not this crass materialism.

All I wanted was some blazin tail in a warm tropical location. No materials necessary!

 

[davidg]

All I want for Christmas is ...

* Retribution for the centuries of abuse that minorities have received
* The suppression of all those people who preach violence against others
* Some nice weather in the UK

... that's pretty much it. I'm easily pleased.

The first two we can work on.

The last one - you've got no chance!!!

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Dear Santa,

Please F@ck off, so we can actually go back to what Christmas is all about; the birth of Jesus, the importance of family and not this crass materialism.

Christmass is not about the birth of jesus, it's not about Santa (its much older than those two)
It's about bringing light & warmth in the darkest, coldest, time of the year. It's about bringing people together. It's about thinking about the past, and making good intentions for the future. It's about peace & love

 

[auscyclefan94]

Christmass is not about the birth of jesus, it's not about Santa (its much older than those two)
It's about bringing light & warmth in the darkest, coldest, time of the year. It's about bringing people together. It's about thinking about the past, and making good intentions for the future. It's about peace & love

i agree, though it is becoming a bit too materialistic.

 

[badboyberty]

Dear Santa,

Please F@ck off, so we can actually go back to what Christmas is all about; the birth of Jesus, the importance of family and not this crass materialism.

Christmas please F@ck off so we can go back to good old Saturnalia.

If we go back to the real meaning of Christmas we realise that it used to be the Roman holiday Saturalia, which ran from December 17 to December 25. Saturnalia involved copious gambling and feasting, and the ignoring and inversion of normal social heirarchies. In fact Saturnalia was such an impressive party and got so out of hand that the Empeors Augustus and Caligula both tried to have it shortened to try to lessen the impact on the economy.

 

[hektoren]

To believe in God means to see that the facts of the world are not the end of the matter. To believe in God means to see that life has a meaning.?

Typical! Ludwig Wittgenstein didn't say that! He said "To believe in A God...." or as he wrote it in german: "An einen Gott glauben" ....In other words: Any God will do!
Wittgenstein also said this: "I think one of the things you and I have to learn is that we have to live without the consolation of belonging to a Church..."
Wittgenstein fought in WW I because "he hoped it would give him a jolt so he could be the man he wanted to be" . I wouldn't use his ramblings, misquoting him even, and imply that you say something very profound, if I were you.

 

[Moondance]

Typical! Ludwig Wittgenstein didn't say that! He said "To believe in A God...." or as he wrote it in german: "An einen Gott glauben" ....In other words: Any God will do!
Wittgenstein also said this: "I think one of the things you and I have to learn is that we have to live without the consolation of belonging to a Church..."
Wittgenstein fought in WW I because "he hoped it would give him a jolt so he could be the man he wanted to be" . I wouldn't use his ramblings, misquoting him even, and imply that you say something very profound, if I were you.

If you read his Notebooks 1914-1916 (where specifically it is i do not recall but it was entry around July of '16 i think) I believe that you will see that I do not in fact, misquote him ("An einen Gott glauben heißt sehen, daß es mit den Tatsachen der Welt noch nicht abgetan ist. An Gott glauben heißt sehen, daß das Leben einen Sinn hat." my translation is the standard and accepted one I got from a professional translated version), nor do I make any claims that the 'God' that Wittgenstein refers to is in fact a purely Christian God; and I fully accept your point in this regard. I am not trying to paint Wittgenstein as a Christian apologist, I have never made that claim and never will, and I understand his world view quite well, even if I don't understand a whole lot of what he wrote in Philosophical Investigations.

 

[Wallace]

I know that some "Christian" posters here love to decorate their Christmas trees, and get together with the kids to talk about what they consider to be the true meaning of the season, but at my house we celebrate the depth of Winter in the fine old British way, by draping the intestines of our enemies around the frozen trees, to implore the Gods to bring back the sun. I wish you new-fangled religions would stop stealing our rituals.

 

[hektoren]

If you read his Notebooks 1914-1916 (where specifically it is i do not recall but it was entry around July of '16 i think) I believe that you will see that I do not in fact, misquote him ("An einen Gott glauben heißt sehen, daß es mit den Tatsachen der Welt noch nicht abgetan ist. An Gott glauben heißt sehen, daß das Leben einen Sinn hat." my translation is the standard and accepted one I got from a professional translated version), nor do I make any claims that the 'God' that Wittgenstein refers to is in fact a purely Christian God; and I fully accept your point in this regard. I am not trying to paint Wittgenstein as a Christian apologist, I have never made that claim and never will, and I understand his world view quite well, even if I don't understand a whole lot of what he wrote in Philosophical Investigations.

I spent the better part of the summer of 1983 in Dokumentationszentrum Wittgenstein in Kirchberg am Wechsel, while my actress girlfriend studied mime in the Marcel Marceau tradition, and I must say that the "professional" or "standard" translated version you're referring to just isn't correct. He wrote these three sentences in his diary, starting with "An einen Gott glauben..." twice, and in the third sentence he omits the "einen". However, its obvious when looking at the context, that the third sentence doesn't indicate that he's now specfically referring to the christian God; he's referring to faith in general. In Austria and Germany the omitted "einen" is therefore usually put back in. If you won't take my word for it, go to : http://www.zitate-suche.de/glaube.html , or, even better, read the passage in context. It's still a good quote, but it is more generic and doesn't need hijacking by christians, that's all.

Wittgenstein lived in a small cabin at a place called Skjolden, Norway 1913-1914, and in the University of Bergen (where I live, and work) we have a Wittgenstein archive that you'll find at http://wab.aksis.uib.no/ If Wittgenstein is at all interesting to you it's a good place to start. I never get to grips with his world view myself, he's just too enigmatic and "dark" for my taste.

As for christmas, I usually sacrifice a goat.

 

[hfer07]

deleted by mod