Suffer!!
When people who did not celebrate Christmas or who did not identify themselves as Christian filled out surveys about their moods while in the same room as a small Christmas tree, they reported less self-assurance and fewer positive feelings than if they hadn’t been reminded of the holiday, according to a new study.
The university students didn’t know the study was about Christmas, said study researcher Michael Schmitt, a social psychologist at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. Nonetheless, he said, the presence of the tree caused non-celebrators and non-Christians to feel subtly excluded.
Who says there is no war on Christmas? Apparently there is a war on decorations and symbols. Displaying one might not make someone feel included. Tell the NFL to stop selling jerseys too. This is ridiculous.
For those that do not like Christmas, I say just pick out an empty spot and stare at it.It is a good excuse for me to make some lasagna.
I like Christmas. You can run it as Saturnilia if you want or just an excuse to have some fun like New Years eve or you can do the Christian religious bit and attend church. Last and not least you are free to pretty much ignore it.
If you can’t deal with that you need to go live in a cave or maybe get a job as light house tender if they still need those. That way you won’t have to deal with people with other points of view very often.
There is a war being waged by your government on America’s middle class. Christmas is just more collateral damage.
You know, even a eunuch will feel sexier if while taking a survey there is a nude woman or a goat in the room.
deowll said,
“If you can’t deal with that you need to go live in a cave or maybe get a job as light house tender if they still need those.”
A job and shelter would be nice this time of year!
Gee, I never hear Christians complaining about Muslim holidays or Jewish holidays. My thought is if you do not like it. Leave the country.
Maybe they’d be more confortable with a Hanukkah bush?
“Who says there is no war on Christmas? Apparently there is a war on decorations and symbols.”
Or maybe, just maybe, people are getting tired of religious bullshit. It’s not a “war” on Christmas decorations, it’s a cultural shift away from nonsensical religious traditions in general.
This was a trend that began a long time ago. It’s the reason why the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus have taken precedence over the guy nailed to the wall. People may not want to admit it, but they’re uncomfortable with the religious underpinnings of these holidays.
I’m a strident atheist, and think that most people who believe in the giant invisible Sky Daddy are freaking idiots, however the silly season doesn’t upset me in the slightest; at least no more than naming most of the days of the week after pagan gods and stuff like that.
Wednesday was named in honor of the Norse god Odin, and this seems to bother nobody, even christians whom you’d think would hate the whole day-naming thing as there isn’t a Jehovaday.
People just need to settle the hell down and worry about things that actually matter.
nilum–of course you are an atheist. No devout person would blaspheme the way you have.
Freedom of Religion to an atheist means as you have written.
Freedom of Religion to a true believer means everyone who doesn’t observe the tradition the same way they do is in fact “attacking” their religion.
You see this all the time, the war on Christmas a good example. Don’t allow schools to force prayer on the kiddies: an attack on religion. Thats how it goes.
Freedom? Why would anyone who worships a tyrant think “that” was a good thing? Its apostasy by definition. Freedom? Hah.
Thus verily have I spoken for the ages.
The Christmas tree has nothing to do with celebrating the birth of your deity’s son…who wasn’t born on Dec 25th anyway, you realized that was changed centuries after his death to help induct Pagans who had big end of year celebrations on that date and dates around it. Same with the virgin birth. No one in the year 210 knew about that one…that was added later too. Much of the myths you think about modern Christianity were “add-ons” later as the myths had to be expanded as it entered new areas. That you can know this, know that committees of men sat around rooms arguing what the myths should be and what should or shouldn’t be included in the final “text” of the Bible…you still “believe” it?
It’s like people (and there are some) who REALLY believe in Scientology. A religion about space aliens, started by a science fiction writer who joked about starting a religion. Knowing that you think they couldn’t believe, but they do. I don’t know how people have on such blinders, but whatever.
Say Bush or Hand or by what shortened moniker do you prefer:
YOU KNOW, we are all the same and different at the same time? When you appreciate that people believe things for which there is no evidence and on which common sense would nay say, then you realize that is something people tend to do. Then you realize/admit that you/we are people too?
So the interesting question is: “What do YOU Bush the Hand believe for which there is no evidence and/or which common sense would nay say? Or, assuming you have done some thinking about it, how “close” do you get to such positions?
Fun to think about, Christmas Time or any time of the year.
Did they do this study with just Xmas trees? what about a menorah, or star of david, or any other religious symbol/icon? Did they also conduct a control study with NO religious decorations, or do it at the time of year where there’s no major holiday going on?
That said it’s like blaming guns for murder rather than the person who pulled the trigger. If they are implying blame on Christmass trees for people’s depression.
I live in a very jewish area. I have to look at cars drive by with the silly candle thing on top… (yes i actually know what it’s called) and all that reminds me of that big wall the Jews have in Palestine surrounding the largest concentration camp on the planet.
Dead trees have always made me feel sad.
I’m an agnostic.
I love xmas and xmas trees. Not because of chrisendom, but because they are just pretty, its a nice holiday for families and friends.
If its got light on it or in it, I would dig it.
Cursor_
im against the senseless slaughter of trees as 1 month decorations. but whatever.
The Yule Tree is a key part of pre-Christian Germanic traditions. For those of us who are Asatru, it is a holy religious symbol distinct and separate from Christianity.
Good Yule!!!
The Egyptians were part of a long line of cultures that treasured and worshipped evergreens. When the winter solstice arrive, they brought green date palm leaves into their homes to symbolize life’s triumph over death.
The Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. They gave coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one’s journey through life.
Centuries ago in Great Britain, woods priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious winter solstice rituals. The Druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and place evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits.
Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from these early traditions celebrating the Winter Solstice.
I guess we should ban seasons altogether since they make people sad. :’-(
Good points #3,4,9…
Christmas is connected heavily with the Winter Solstice. The Christmas Tree itself is a symbol of Yule, which is a German and Scandinavian holiday from centuries past, connected to the return of the Sun after the Solstice. Absolutely nothing is wrong with this ancient symbol.
Get a FAKE tree… I did and now I don’t feel guilty at all.
And it’s a perfect shape and has lasted 10 years now.
BTW, the more I think about what Christmas really stands for, the more ‘religious’ I become. We really gave JC a raw deal.
Jesus Christ, truly the one whose name can not be spoken.
So much so that even a historically false reference to him must be expunged.
Is there no shame left in the left?
#8
I don’t think people are uncomfortable with with religious aspects of some holidays, they just don’t care.
You can see this already with Thanksgiving. It has become Turkeyday.
Soon Christmas will be PresentsDay; 4th of July will be FireworksDay; New Years will be DrunkenSexWithRandomFloozyDay… well you get the idea.
By stripping all deeper meanings out of our special days we can:
A)Be called into work, because it is just another day.
B)Focus on what really matters, us.
I challenge any hater of Christmas to go to work on December 25th. Seriously.
On the other hand, I do not have a Christmas tree in my house, nor do I put up Christmas lights. I think that lights and Christmas trees distract from the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Christ. He is God, yet he humbled himself enough to become a baby and be born in a stable.
My church does have Christmas trees up and my parents have a Christmas tree. I just don’t.
When store clerks wish me a happy holiday, I ask them to name the holiday I am supposed to be celebrating. I think it would be easier to call it a holiday tree though instead of a Christmas tree. That way, I could leave it up all year and just change the holiday I am referring to. “I have my holiday tree up for Martin Luther King’s birthday.” or “I have my holiday tree up for President’s day.” or “I have my holiday tree up for Independents day.” That way I can avoid the hated task of putting a tree up or taking it down since there is a holiday approximately every month.
Christmas was always a wonderful tradition when I was a child. But as I grew up I realized it’s alsoo a very democratic institution. It’s very inclusive, and not setup simply for Christians. Christmas works when adults labor to make it work. My folks worked very hard to make each Christmas a warm and rich experience. But if you don’t put the effort into it, sure enough, it doesn’t work.
People who complain about Christmas make me tired, because it’s clear they don’t want to make the effort. Such people to me seem to be selfish and lazy. I hardly expect everyone to rush out to the stores and spend more than they have on things they don’t need. This is actually sinful. But to claim to be disaffected by the holiday seems to be a symptom of some kind of disorder. Every belief system has some kind of celebratory season. Christmas itself is an amalgam of “pagan” and Christian traditions (Jesus didn’t have a Christmas tree; neither did the Pilgrims), which should demonstrate it’s inclusiveness. In any case, there are simply people who will find fault in anything that smells of organized ANYTHING; religion, government, stamp clubs, you name it. Party poopers.
#26, Indepedents Day sounds like fun- boot all the Dems and Republipukes out for a day! When is it?
# 25 chris said:
“New Years will be DrunkenSexWithRandomFloozyDay…”
No, we call that Friday.
# 27 Gildersleeve said:
“In any case, there are simply people who will find fault in anything that smells of organized ANYTHING; religion, government, stamp clubs, you name it. Party poopers.”
Be a little more discerning. What there are, are people who object to organized force or fraud.
Look at all the Atheists who have posted above that they don’t have a problem with Christmas.
The people who lawyer-up over Christmas are usually Jews.
Better a fake tree than cut down a real one with child labor in china and have it shipped to walmart. Why not just admire a live one at the park?
This is a keeper:
“I know for some of the faithful enforced secularism in the public square is perceived as an assault on religion but that’s like saying an empty glass is an attack on booze. You are free to practice your faith in spaces we do not share. Public atheism may infringe on your consciousness but it does not violate your rights.”
Read more: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/12/22/john-moore-atheism-and-the-irrational-mind/#ixzz18rjl14RK