Are you suggesting those experiences are only available to christians?
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This is certainly true, and is a natural inclination for humans, even among atheists who often seem to find their atheism shaped in their own image too. Worth saying that social control and cohesion are not inherently bad things in themselves, but can result in both good and bad according to how they’re used and enforced. So we also find faiths shaped by the wants, needs and hopes of their populations and adherents too: not just the varieties of Christianity but also Islam, Buddhism and a bunch of other faiths from the corners of the earth. This also seems to apply to politics too (indistinguishable from religion in many ways) although I don’t want to talk about that.
It’s quite reasonable for the ‘invading’ religion to take over festivals and times recognised by the religion it displaces - much better than penalising those who expect a knees-up at the end of December.
I’m not sure I’d have put things in quite the same way, but becoming closer to France, we noticed what seems to be a contradiction to eyes used to the British approach: what seemed to be a logical rejection of faith but in practical terms for many a continuation of quietly going through the motions at least.
It seems to me, you’ve tasted many puddings over the years, but not chosen any of them.
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I have a strong anthropological interest in religions, I find them fascinating in themselves and in what they give rise to both good and bad, but faith in superior beings etc is not for me.
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Not at all (as regards love, at least).
Well, “exactly” is going to be difficult, as you will know 
But the God who reveals himself, variously, as a mother hen, a dopey shepherd and a father who, seeing his disappointing son returning, hitches up the skirts of his robe and, abandoning all (proper patriarchal) dignity, runs to meet him, is difficult to understand except through a relationship (which, for me, has developed over decades, while being appreciable in an instant from what I’ve seen in others) with that person.
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That’s true for me too, a little. I can see how they can be forces for a form of brute-force good in the overall population, ensuring people keep breeding, behaving themselves ec. At the same time human instinct, even among basically ‘good’ people is to ‘other’ those who don’t conform to their ideals and arm-twist their victims into obedience. We have some inherited family stories illustrating both sides of this.
But I also hate the idea that, if God really doesn’t exist, then people are worshipping something that’s made up. The various forms of Christianity (I only know a little of other faiths, though enough to see the signs in some cases) have each been shaped to suit an era and a population (or its rulers). I was involved in the charismatic movement from the late 70s, and saw various miraculous things happen with my own eyes. Yet I have also taken a step back and questioned whether the things I saw were real or imagined (or caused by crowd behaviour - compare vs hypnosis thread).
And now in the churches, the charismatic thing is over. It’s as though God was directly involved with people, and then He wasn’t. It’s a key part of why I question whether what Christians think they know is real.
TL:DR If Jesus did the ‘God stuff’ why doesn’t the ‘God stuff’ still happen like that.
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Eh what? He’s still doing it, and more outrageously than ever. A non-charismatic church (it seems to me, and I know a few) is boxing with both hands tied behind your back and your legs tied together!
Heard it before!
But it illustrates something you find in the Bible, which says that we all have the capacity and desire to worship.
Gervais seems so often to worship cynicism and cruelty.
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My muslim neighbours here celebrate Christmas. They do it mainly for their young kids. Haven’t asked, but I suspect they want their kids to be less muslim and more secular French and as all the kids peer group celebrate Christmas then they do as well.
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I have no issues with people following their chosen religion and having beliefs different to my own. What I do object to is any suggestion that they are more moral, caring, generous or understanding than non believers. The kindest, most moral person who practised what he believed that I’ve ever known didn’t have a religious bone in his body although, surprisingly, his mother and sisters were Billy Graham converts who oozed religion in every sentence. The biggest liar I have met in recent years wore a crucifix around their neck and attended church.
I once had to ask a Hindu lady if she objected to her daughter being one of the Wise Men in a Nativity. Her answer was lovely. It’s a celebration isn’t it? Why wouldn’t we want to be involved?
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Not at all @vero, not dull for me. I had similar, although not as broad experiences with religion in the family and at school as a young child and came to the same sort of conclusions as you at a relatively young age.
I also love religious architecture and art, without it having any sort of religious meaning for me. It’s more an emotional thing attached to the beauty of human creation.
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Hear, hear @hairbear !
I had serious doubts before but it really struck me when I was probably about 6 in church during a sermon based on a text about unbelievers and polytheists and whoever having false gods and being cast into the outer darkness and I thought what utter nonsense. And you do what’s right because it’s right not because you’ll be punished if you don’t.
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That’s orthodox Christian doctrine, certainly. You love because you were loved first.
And you atheists are fortunate that you live in a country that bases its laws, and its ethics, on Judeo-Christian ethics, so you don’t need to work out why you believe it. 
Not sure an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth, ritual impurity & subjugation of half the population, lapidation, burn 'em all let god choose who is saved etc etc are necessarily a great advertisement for Abrahamic religion but each to each.
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I do enjoy your robust thoughts, @vero .
I suppose that a wandering tribe of hunter-gatherers may have needed a different approach to governance than a modern democracy. But the 10 commandments seem a reasonable starting point for such a people. And the sermon on the mount (for example) for our age.
Really?
Maybe better than China, Afghanistan, North Korea, …?
If you say so… 
I honestly do not CELEBRATE xmas, but I do join in any festivities that are going on. 
I DO celebrate the winter solstice as that is a genuine factual thing, the sun is starting its return and well worth celebrating. (I know the sun isn’t actually moving…)
I also join in the fun on Burns’ Night, Hallowe’en, Saint Andrew’s Day, Hogmany/Ne’erday , Paddy’s Day etc,etc. Any excuse, really. 
I have noticed that in any Nativity scenes I have seen anywhere in France, (in supermarkets, churches) there is no baby in the crib. I presume that is because of the law against displaying religious symbols, so how do they explain all the Jesuses hanging outside every village? Historical custom and practice, I suppose.
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