So much "religious" meaning has been drained from Christmas in America that some might regard Santa - the symbol of modern Christmas - as a bit Satanic. Christmas is characterized by increased depression, excessive spending, outrageous materialism, troubling debt, ridiculous advertisements, and of course annoying cultural wars over the "meaning" of Christmas. If anyone were to make any real attack on Christmas, it would require pointing all this out and thereby encourage people to chuck it completely.
Read Article: Satanic Santa & Christmas: Should We Discourage Kids from Believing in Santa?
“Christmas has become characterized by increased depression, excessive spending, outrageous materialism, troubling debt, ridiculous advertisements, and of course annoying cultural wars over the “meaning” of Christmas itself. If there is going to be any assault on Christmas, it may as well include pointing all this out and perhaps thereby encourage people to chuck it completely”.
At least it’s brought us some great specials, not to mention “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”.
increased depression…so much for holiday “cheer”
Why don’t you try and get it declared unconstitutional or something if it bothers you so much?
What is it, exactly, that you think bothers me so much?
Isn’t this “Blair Boys” the same person as Frank Walton Fan and Skeptical Skeptic? The comments certainly appear to be in the same style.
I once refered to Santa as “God j.g.)
Are you suggesting we chuck Xmas itself, or just the cultural war over it? I think there’s plenty good in it worth salvaging from the mess you describe.
@Blair Boys – last time I checked, atheists weren’t the ones attempting silly (and IMO unconstitutional) Constitutional Amendments. Flag burning, Gay Marriage sound familiar?
I really regret going along with the whole ‘santa’and ‘easter bunny’ thing. Its outright lying to the kids. And how do you get out of it? Tell them straight that you’ve been conning them? Gently ease them into the idea that it was all a bit of make-believe and we don’t expect them to go along with it?
And what is more wonderful for a kid: that their hardworking family has gone all-out to provide a memorable day with loads of longed-for gifts, or that some stranger from the north pole has squeezed down their chimney?
Not to mention the whole idea of priming them to believe in nonsense.
Why can’t we do what the christians did in the first place, and replace the holiday with something secular. Exchange gifts for the new year, perhaps.
Not to mention the whole idea of priming them to believe in nonsense.
He sees you when you’re sleeping, he sees when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good or you’ll go hell…
Santa? Nope, Jesus!
Helen: “Its outright lying to the kids.”
I don’t have any children yet, but I’ve already made up my mind that I will not lie to them.
I myself am DONE with Christmas. I loved it as a kid. But of course, I grew up in a worldly home that didn’t talk about God. Once I found Him, a lot has changed. The problem is that my wife and three kids haven’t been touched by God the way I have. They love Christmas. I actually started to dislike that time of year well before ever finding God. You don’t need the Holy Bible to recognize evil. The lavishing of gifts. The fake smiles and favoritism. The complete disregard of poor and homeless people, as well as those shacked up in hospitals. If you took the billions of dollars that “Christians” spend during the holidays, you could end world hunger. Nothing good has ever come out of December 25. Just a bunch of “feel good” spirituality that emits from Satan. Nothing Godly and Holy would ever attract the evils of the world so much. And that’s why Christmas has absolutely NOTHING to do with Jesus. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.
Joe M…WOW…my husband and I woke up for real this morning to this very fact. We have felt awful about everything that “christmas” has to offer in our world today. So when watching on youtube….The real meaning of christmas…with tears in my eyes we threw out our TREE and all that has to do with this EVIL holiday. Even at church were flooded with all of this. It has really opened our eyes to the truth. Like Jesus said, my lambs are led to slaughter… Now we know and we now pray for strength to share this with others.
We atheists should coopt Christmas just like the Christians took the holiday away from the pagans. Oh, well, maybe not just like the Christians… none of that persecution stuff.
I have often wondered if Santa constituted the training wheels for “God” and his “son, Jesus.” Perhaps in our brains the appropriate neurons wired for “Santa”are connected and in place, waiting for the more “adult” fantasy of The heavenly reward.
The proof of Santa is in the His gifts (and the cooky crumbs and half-finished glass of milk, which might happen every year during childhood.)
In the adult version we must wait until we go to Jesus which no one ever returns.
Just a “thought.”
Grandpa