Maybe the reason Christianity is being slammed is because it's something that people actually have the freedom to do; before, they would have been labelled a satanist, dressed in chains and sentenced. I'm afraid to say that Christianity is also, for me, a somewhat irritating religion.
I don't mind Christians, mind you- I mind the fact that they see fit to tell me, quite conversationally, that I'll burn in hell if I don't immediately conform to the will of the Church and Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. All the little offsets of Catholicism- Jewdaism (sp?), Jahovah's Witnesses, Protestants, whatever, are also (for me) classified under the same banner because they're essentially the same religion with a minute difference (I.e., Jesus didn't carry the cross, someone else did). I've read the bible, I've been to churches, and frankly, it doesn't interest me.

Here's an interesting tidbit that I may or may be penalized for. Someone earlier touched on the subject but didn't tread too far, so here I go: You know Christmas? It's not a Christian holiday, sorry to say. And if you want to contradict me by saying it is, then you can happily explain what elves, mistetoe, reindeer, santa clause and evergreen trees have to do with the birth of a miracle-worker, aka Jesus Christ? Halloween and Easter are also pagan holidays. Again, tell me what rabbits have to do with the rebirth of Christ, three days after his crucifiction. See, it would have been very bad for Christians to deem pagan holidays as non-celebrational. (Pagans were the majority, not the minority). Instead, Christians decided to keep most of the holidays, just call them something a little different.

Eastre (Or Easter): It was a celebration! For what? Why, the return of spring, of course! Pagans went out, grabbed a bunch of rabbits and roasted them up in a number of imaginative ways for a grand feast. Nowadays, seeing as it would be sort of detrimental on the rabbit population, chocolate versions of the floppy-eared mammal are used instead. Which is fine with me, because I like chocolate. The rabbit and the egg are both symbols of fertility, so giving someone an egg is reminiscent of wishing them to have many children. In some pagan societies, lots are also drawn to match men and women for a little fun afterwards. Bonfires would be lit to celebrate the return of the sun god as well. (Ever lit a candle during Easter? That's what it symbolizes!)

All Hallow's Eve (Or Halloween): Satanists, druids and witches alike celebrate this day as the New Year because satan's powers are apparently at their highest on this day. I, myself am more familiar with the tradition of dressing up in the most horrific costumes in order to do one of two things; (1) trick the spirits of the dead into thinking you are a spirit so they won't possess your body, and (2) Scare the spirits away by being more scary than they are. Food was left on the doorstep to appease the spirits as well, and if really poor people came to take the candy instead, why get upset? Hence, dressing up in costumes and going door to door for food.

And last, but not least...

Saturnalia (or Christmas)
*Tidbit Alert!!* Jesus was born in August. The Wise Men arrived at his door, following a star (the planet jupitar) around the middle of December. Need porrf? The shepards were watching over their flocks at night when Jesus was born. Flocks aren't kept outside for six months of the year due to the cold- December being one of them.

Saturnalia is a celebration honouring the Sun God. In the beginning, the Sun God defeated the evil dude (I can't recall his name) and all was well. But each year, the Evil Dude regained strength, and the Sun God was pulled into a battle with him; thus, the sun 'vanished' (or didn't give off as much heat), and winter came about. The celebrations held two meanings- one was to honour the sun god and his battle. The second meaning of the celebration was because the pagans believed what they did now would represent the rest of the year; eating lots now means they would eat lots for the remainder of the year. Thus, the gluttany of X-mas became a tradition. (I use X-mas as opposed to Saturnalia because it's a habit; no one would know what I was talking about otherwise.)
Caroling: Originally called mummers, they originated in Rome where they donned costumes and went door-to-door, entertaining their neighbours with singing.
Evergreen: Trees were brought into the home and decorated with gilded food (nuts, berries and apples) and such to show that winter would not last forever; the evergreen demonstrated the resilience of nature, and the soon-to-be crops that would grow again. The decorations were to show that food would soon grow again.
Misteltoe: A fertility ritual, much like the giving of an Easter Egg. Mistetoe, which could grow without roots, was another sign of the resilience of nature; it was hung inside the house as a reminder.
Gifts: Who can forget presents? Children were offered as gifts to the Sun God, because it was said he liked children. More often, criminals were sacrificed in giant cages shaped like animals, which is more to my liking. Before anyone gets disgusted, God could ask for human sacrifices, so why can't the Sun God?
Wreaths: Made of mistetoe (already explained that) and berries (red was a sacred colour; red was the colour of blood, after all).
Other Tidbits: when Santa Clause began to become adapted again, the stories travelled to two places; one in which there were plenty of reindeeer. Hence, a sleigh being pulled by reindeer. Some homes were built into the ground, and the only way to get into the houses were through the top of the house- or, the 'chimmney'. (Santa Clause was banned by a Belgian priest because he was "too pagan" as a symbol.)
Santa Clause: Has many names. Saint Nick was indeed a charitable Christian man, but he was preceeded by Nicholas, a crafty being who left presents under the tree. More presently, Satan Clause is the modern take on Odin (or Woden), a mythical man with a flowing white beard who crossed the skies on his faithful steed, the eight-legged horse. In Holland, he became Sinterklaas. Migration occured, and North America renamed him Santa Clause, then made him rolly, polly and jolly.
Elves: Erm, I can't recall what they were, except they were the herbalists and midwives of the Big People (us humans) who became hunted down during the Christian Witch Hunts (which interestingly enough occur in a time when the church was beginning to lose power)

Forgive me if I've left anything out, but I'm exhausted and I need sleep!! Hope this little entry interests some people.


PS: It was said, in a book I read, that the Gods of the old religions become the Devils of the New religions. Would you know that Satan bears a remarkable resemblance to the Sun God? Just thought I'd point that out. Good night!