One of the few things I like about Christmas, is I get to wish people who serve me at a checkout a "merry Christmas". this is a small humanising gesture that is socially acceptable for me to make maybe once a year in December. The rest of the year- we are total strangers brought together by consumerism.
I also like it when my mum makes those rolls of sausages or stuffing wrapped up in a slice of bacon for Christmas Day. And Christmas Pudding. Hmmmmm...
But actually- there is not much else. Part of me has wanted to take the step of not celebrating Christmas.
As an "atheist" (or if you prefer "godless communist trying to destroy your way of life") there is a legitimate case for not indulging in a religious tradition that is weird when it's religious and even weirder now it has almost nothing to do with religion.
Take lying to Children about Santa. Is it really ok to tell your kids that on the night of December 24th a professional burglar is going to break into their house, probably using a chimney, and as an alcoholic gets so drunk from muld wine that you leave him on the mantle piece that he will leave you presents made by slave labourers in the Arctic and then continue his annual round the world crime spree on a sleigh pulled by a psychedelic reindeer with a glowing red nose to warn air traffic control they are approaching?
Then- after being forced to sing about psychedelic reindeer for their childhood at primary school- one day your kids realise Santas not real and get the first lesson in adulthood: your parents lie to you because they enjoy the power play of deciveing you so that when they put presents under the tree so you think it's extra special because it comes from a complete stranger rather than feel taken for granted for the other 364 days of the year.
Just Think about it for a second.
Then ask yourself Where does Christianity come into this weird LSD trip of a horror story to exploit and emotionally manipulate suggestable children?
ok. Let's take the Christian part of it seriously. According to the story Jesus was born from a virgin in a middle eastern country after being forced out of their home town because King Herod wanted to commit mass infanticide for fear of a messiah being born and so Mary and Joseph only found shelter in a stable as there was "no room in the inn". Meanwhile, three wise men got high and started seeing a bright star in the night sky and so went to Bethlehem to give this new born child gold, frankincense and myrrh. Keep in mind that this new born baby is prophesied to grow up to become a middle eastern extremist that tries to overthrow an evil empire only to die in a public execution and then be ressurected on Easter Sunday (when we celebrate a public execution and the worlds first zombie by eating chocolate bunnies and eggs. Which is. Just. ....Weird).
One thing to keep in mind is that the bible does not say when Jesus was born. Let alone anything as precise as December 25th- which may well have been an entirely political placement of the holiday to compete with a pre-existing pagan festival.
So to celebrate this "Christmas" we engage in a social ritual where, to be thankful for the birth of the saviour, we eat too much, sing songs that have very little to do with Christianity, get to know relatives we really don't like and most importantly for at least everyone under the age of 10- gather round a tree to get presents (should I mention that the trees origin in the Christmas celebrations comes from Germany courtesy of Prince Albert exporting it to England in the 19th century and so has nothing to do with the Middle East?)
Meanwhile, in America (and sadly more so in the UK) to celebrate what we are thankful for on the approach of Christmas, people do this.
Can we just take a moment to admit this is a load of ********? If Christians want to go the church and be devout on their special day that's ok but do we really have to turn this sort of mass hysteria into a national past time?
I have to admit Christopher Hitchens was right when he said celebrating Christmas is as close as the west comes to a one-party state with every radio and television station blaring out pro-Christmas propaganda/ music/ almost compulsively merry-ment. It's worth reading-whatever your beliefs- if you have a sense of humour.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...2008/12/tis_the_season_to_be_incredulous.html
Whilst I don't agree with the Soviets banning Christmas (I'm not quite that cruel) as a result of that weird experiment to reverse centuries of mass indoctrination with more indoctrination many people celebrated New Years Day instead. I kind of see the point as a secular holiday even if it is about the earth making one full journey round the sun...
Take a moment and just think. Is this "Christmas" how we really want to spend our December 25th? Seriously?
I also like it when my mum makes those rolls of sausages or stuffing wrapped up in a slice of bacon for Christmas Day. And Christmas Pudding. Hmmmmm...
But actually- there is not much else. Part of me has wanted to take the step of not celebrating Christmas.
As an "atheist" (or if you prefer "godless communist trying to destroy your way of life") there is a legitimate case for not indulging in a religious tradition that is weird when it's religious and even weirder now it has almost nothing to do with religion.
Take lying to Children about Santa. Is it really ok to tell your kids that on the night of December 24th a professional burglar is going to break into their house, probably using a chimney, and as an alcoholic gets so drunk from muld wine that you leave him on the mantle piece that he will leave you presents made by slave labourers in the Arctic and then continue his annual round the world crime spree on a sleigh pulled by a psychedelic reindeer with a glowing red nose to warn air traffic control they are approaching?
Then- after being forced to sing about psychedelic reindeer for their childhood at primary school- one day your kids realise Santas not real and get the first lesson in adulthood: your parents lie to you because they enjoy the power play of deciveing you so that when they put presents under the tree so you think it's extra special because it comes from a complete stranger rather than feel taken for granted for the other 364 days of the year.
Just Think about it for a second.
Then ask yourself Where does Christianity come into this weird LSD trip of a horror story to exploit and emotionally manipulate suggestable children?
ok. Let's take the Christian part of it seriously. According to the story Jesus was born from a virgin in a middle eastern country after being forced out of their home town because King Herod wanted to commit mass infanticide for fear of a messiah being born and so Mary and Joseph only found shelter in a stable as there was "no room in the inn". Meanwhile, three wise men got high and started seeing a bright star in the night sky and so went to Bethlehem to give this new born child gold, frankincense and myrrh. Keep in mind that this new born baby is prophesied to grow up to become a middle eastern extremist that tries to overthrow an evil empire only to die in a public execution and then be ressurected on Easter Sunday (when we celebrate a public execution and the worlds first zombie by eating chocolate bunnies and eggs. Which is. Just. ....Weird).
One thing to keep in mind is that the bible does not say when Jesus was born. Let alone anything as precise as December 25th- which may well have been an entirely political placement of the holiday to compete with a pre-existing pagan festival.
So to celebrate this "Christmas" we engage in a social ritual where, to be thankful for the birth of the saviour, we eat too much, sing songs that have very little to do with Christianity, get to know relatives we really don't like and most importantly for at least everyone under the age of 10- gather round a tree to get presents (should I mention that the trees origin in the Christmas celebrations comes from Germany courtesy of Prince Albert exporting it to England in the 19th century and so has nothing to do with the Middle East?)
Meanwhile, in America (and sadly more so in the UK) to celebrate what we are thankful for on the approach of Christmas, people do this.
Can we just take a moment to admit this is a load of ********? If Christians want to go the church and be devout on their special day that's ok but do we really have to turn this sort of mass hysteria into a national past time?
I have to admit Christopher Hitchens was right when he said celebrating Christmas is as close as the west comes to a one-party state with every radio and television station blaring out pro-Christmas propaganda/ music/ almost compulsively merry-ment. It's worth reading-whatever your beliefs- if you have a sense of humour.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_...2008/12/tis_the_season_to_be_incredulous.html
Whilst I don't agree with the Soviets banning Christmas (I'm not quite that cruel) as a result of that weird experiment to reverse centuries of mass indoctrination with more indoctrination many people celebrated New Years Day instead. I kind of see the point as a secular holiday even if it is about the earth making one full journey round the sun...
Take a moment and just think. Is this "Christmas" how we really want to spend our December 25th? Seriously?
