Bill Donohue
This is the most joyful time of the year, especially for Christians. It is not a good time for dogmatic secularists, many of whom are deeply unhappy. If anything, Christmas brings out the worst in them.
Take Freedom From Religion Foundation. The radical atheists paid well
I support efforts by the religious to put Christ back into Christmas. I really do. I agree that Christmas should not be about materialism and the economy and fulfillment of social expectations. It should be a small religious holiday celebrated by whatever real Christians are left.
It should be, buy a gift for a bestie, buy one gift each for family members, say some prayerful nonsense, and have a nice meal. Not people trying to outdo each other with decorations, or making sure we spend enough on everyone, or making sure the Christmas cards go out on time, or making sure we cut down a tree to display in our living rooms.
It’s the very materialism quoted in the article that brings me down. It’s the social expectations with Christmas that flood me with unhappiness and anxiety and make this such a miserable time of year. So I support them taking it back and scaling it back.
I don’t know what country you live in, but the U.S., where Bill Donohue lives, is not a Christian country and never has been. If anything, there is still too much Christ in Christmas for most people coming from a non-Christian background.
You misunderstand me. Take Christmas out of prominence in the society and put it back into the religious domain. Let them have it back, in a scaled back, watered-down way.
If you are atheist, why do you care what happens to Christmas? It was once a religious holiday, now co-opted by capitalism. Let it die a slow death along with the rest of Christianity.
It gets shoved in my face for over two months a year. That’s why I care. I have never celebrated it, I have never wanted to celebrate it, and yet, instead of thinking that maybe I wasn’t raised in a Christian household, I’m a “Scrooge.” Just yet another way I’m othered because I come from a non-Christian background in America.
That sounds awful. I’m lucky to live in a former socialist country so most things that are connected with Christmas on the west are transfered to New year (giving presents, tree and things like that) while Christmas is just a holiday that Christians celebrate, only day I care about Christmas is when it comes because I live in a Christian family so they force me to participate and I hate that.
WTF? It sounds like you do not like Christmas. I sympathize and agree with you. Why do you downvote and argue against my proposal to marginalize the holiday? Your hostility makes no sense at all.
It should be a minor holiday, celebrated by few. It shouldn’t be shoved in my face or yours. It shouldn’t be a two month PR shitstorm.
First of all, I didn’t downvote you. Please do not accuse me of doing things I didn’t do.
Secondly, the U.S. is majority Christian. How would that marginalize the holiday? Do you really think making Christmas more religious would somehow stop people buying presents for each other and listening to Christmas music?
Proponents of putting more religion in Christmas seem to eschew so much commercialism.
Of course not. The Christmas economic juggernaut won’t stop for anything at all. There’s way too much cash flow at stake. Most people still believe in gods and ghosts and jolly gift givers, so most will never become atheists or abandon the tradition. At the same time the “put Christ into Christmas” lot will never reach critical mass because the numbers of the truly faithful and deep-pocketed are dwindling.
Oh good, so I have to wait for them to reach “critical mass” for them to stop treating me like shit because I don’t celebrate their holiday? I doubt it.
Not having a critical mass hasn’t stopped Christians so far from telling me things like my people killed Jesus and that I should just lighten up and celebrate their holiday because they once sang a dreidel song. And I don’t mean just random Christians who found out my lineage either. I mean things like my school teachers.
I may be an atheist, but I’m also a Jew. I was raised without celebrating Christmas. I have been given shit for it by religious Christians my entire life. All making Christmas more Christian will do is make it worse for people like me.
I am so fucking tired of being othered in this country for not being part of the Christian majority. It’s happened for all 46 years of my life and it’s getting worse all the time.
My point was that I do not seriously believe that supporting them will lead to a better outcome. I’m sorry to see that you felt attacked.
I have left this community as a result of this thread, so I hope you will find peace in that.
Fortunately for us, as the truly faithful “put Christ into Christmas” lot are the ones calling for removing our rights and building a theocracy.
How about we don’t put the religion back into christmas AND we don’t make it about materialism?
I don’t get why it has to be either about a bigoted religion or celebrating materialism when it can be neither.
Christmas for me is finally going home and having a day together with extended family where we get to finally meet after a long time.