Territoriality: Peeing on It Doesn't Make it Yours
Friday December 5, 2008
Photos © istockphoto/Jesse Kunerth
& Julie Macpherson
Poster © Austin Cline
Christians have claimed that Christmas, marriage, morality, and more are theirs to define and control. What unites these issues is an effort by conservative Christians to claim ownership over cultural or political institutions which should be open equally to all citizens. They don't want to be mere contributors to a larger whole, they want to be owners with a right to exclude others. This is basically and expression of tribalism and attempt to exercise territoriality, not unlike what dogs do.
Read Article: Territoriality: Peeing on It Doesn't Make it Yours
Comments
I can understand your reasoning about why it is not legitimate for xians to control institutions such as marriage and political parties, which are and should be open to all, irrespective of their religion or lack thereof. I also understand the objection regarding morality, which applies to entire societies, again irrespective of belief. But I have trouble understanding how that reasoning applies to Christmas.
Christmas was created and defined by Christians. They chose the date. They have determined whether and how it should be treated by the faithful. They have changed the nature of the holy day before. Why should I, as an atheist, care about how different sects of the Jesus cult try to define and control xmas today?
Yes, as it happens, the various governments of this country let everyone have the day off, even if they are not xians. But no one can control what people do on that day off. And we rightly oppose gov’t. aiding religious expression when it excludes alternative viewpoints.
However I think it’s a good thing if, by arguing about how their holy day should be defined and celebrated, the cultists are distracted from trying to subvert our constitution.
I wouldn’t be so sure:
What’s Secular About Christmas Holidays?
Christians Undermined, Secularized Christmas
Because it’s no longer simply a religious holiday; it has become a secular, cultural holiday. To put it another way: it’s less like Good Friday and more like Thanksgiving. Atheists need not care what Christians do with Good Friday, but they should care what Christians try to do with Thanksgiving.
Paul Buchman says: (I can understand your reasoning about why it is not legitimate for xians to control institutions such as marriage )
Isn’t marriage a secular institution, In the USA neither a priest nor a Rabbi, nor an Imam, nor any other clergy has the authority to perform marriage without being authorized by the state. If I am wrong on this,,I am ready to be corrected.
Ron -
Yes, in America it is possible to be legally married in the absence of any clergy of any faith, and without anybody’s god being mentioned in the ceremony proper. Really, the government considers a couple lawfully wed once they’ve signed some papers. But various religious factions have tried to argue that marriage is their turf and they have a right to define it for everybody - even other religious factions who don’t agree with their definitions.
Thank you for the links and the clarification.
I’m don’t know what xians are doing to try to control xmas, other than pressuring groups to include the word “Christmas” in their event titles, rather than “holiday,” “season,” or something else. By itself, that doesn’t seem like much to worry about.
Your post “Christmas Wars & Conspiracies: Conflicts over the Meaning of Christmas Season” answered my question above and others as well.
Happy holidays!