I wouldn't read this if I were you. No really. See, I've been thinking about this raging battle over christmas. I didn't want to think about it but it has been rammed down our throats with gleeful force and a familiar soundtrack. So this isn't a fun post, and it won't be a fun read, and if I were you I'd masturbate instead of reading this. As with most political battles in this society it is functionally inescapable. Politics are so intrusive in this nation that they cannot be ignored at any level. This is especially tiresome because every issue is only allowed two sides, neither of which are rational.
The battle seems, at its simplist level, to be between non-christians who want to further genericize the holiday and christians who want everyone singing the praises of their lord. I'm sure that the issue could be further convoluted, but it must then be diluted into no more than two irrational points of view for proper summary on the evening news.
I was born into a catholic household. I am not a christian. I've been told that once you are a catholic you are always a catholic, as with most things related to the christian religion in this society the individual isn't supposed to have any real choice in the matter - so long as they choose what they are supposed to choose. I once asked a priest if there were forms I had to fill out to have the catholic label removed from my proverbial dogtags. I find it interesting that you can't simply choose to not be a catholic, but if you anger their managerial staff adequately enough you can be excommunicated. I would love to be excommunicated.
I've read the bible twice - cover to cover - during my adulthood. I read the King James version once and the International Version once. I've also studied the differences between versions. I've read the Qur'an, the I Ching and craploads of other religious and philosophical texts. At one time I could have gone toe to toe with any theologian, I knew my dogma, yes I did. I've since managed to drink away most of those memories; I'm working diligently to try and complete the task. Ultimately I taglined my own blog with the words "Monkeys, Boobies, Booze and a side of Poker". Yeah, that's the most prudent philosophy I've encountered.
As I said above, I am not a christian. To be clear, let's say for a second, for the sake of discussion, that everything that christians believe is fact, that jesus' s pop created the world and all of its inhabitants, that he sent his only son to earth to die for everyone's "sins", yadda yadda yadda. Well, the fact is, if all of that were true, I'd still not be a fan of god's efforts. I would not willingly worship that god. So, we're clear on my not being a christian, right?
Of all of the religions, the one that is the most overbearing to non-believers in the society that owns me is christianity. Sure other cults may be more violent and overbearing and oppressive than christianity, but I don't reside under their thumb, I reside in Virginia.
With these things in mind it should be no suprise that I do not celebrate christmas. I've not celebrated christmas since I was old enough to refuse to celebrate it. Again, I live in Virginia, it is quite difficult to not celebrate christmas growing up in Virginia. My parents still tell stories about me not wanting to come downstairs and open presents on christmas morning in my youth. It took a while for me to mature enough to fully understand my disdain, but it was present at an early age.
Throughout the years christians have assimilated many holidays, celebrations and rituals in order to gain the most social power possible. They've genericized their own rituals in order to blanket the largest number of people. Now that this society has migrated from the ideas of freedom and liberty toward democracy (mob rule) the fight is on to maintain and highlight the remaining nuggets of dogma in christmas as an institutionalized holiday.
When the founders of this nation outlined the structure of this society the word "god" had a far less iconic definition. Certainly there were devout christians amongst this nation's architects, but there were also people who used the word "god" to represent the idea that no person should be above another. If you don't believe me on that point, then I suggest you toss your homogenized history texts and read the writings of Jefferson, Hamilton, Paine, Adams, Madison, et al... not writings about them but writings by them. Since that time "god" has been anthropomorphized to represent, in this society, the god of judaeo christian lore. Now that this transformation is complete, those of us who would not, under any circumstances, worship that god aren't supposed to complain about it.
As a very bitter and angry non-christian I'm of the opinion that christmas is a celebration of the birth of christ. Look at the word, christmas, it is a mass for christ. Even the word "holiday" is a derivation of the words "holy day". Sure in their never ending effort to overtake the world the christians managed to shift the date of the celebration to the wrong season and they celebrate the birth of their savior with rituals assimilated from pagan ideologies, but these transgressions are the result of their own efforts and so far as I'm concerned they should be their problem. Maybe, if they're lucky, their god will forgive them.
I'm of the irrelevant opinion that religion should be a private and personal search, something that people do as they make their way through life. Certainly I think that those who come to similar conclusions should also band together to share their joy and help one another and rejoice. If I were a a fan of jesus's legacy I would certainly want to celebrate the cat's birthday. I drink a toast to Elvis once a year after all.
But since religion has been so intertwined with politics in this society things have gotten out of hand. The amount of money spent to give all government employees the day off and holiday parties, and half a day on christmas eve and decorations in every government building etc, etc, etc... well, it's astounding! That money comes from all of us, and it isn't like there is a choice, we pay or we're caged.
I come at this issue from a different angle. I do not believe that christians should further dilute their holidays in order to force those holidays on everyone. I think they should draw the line and begin to protect their rituals and holy days. But they should also stop forcing them on those of us who do not subscribe to their theology. They should protect the divinity of their beliefs, but they should also stop expecting - and most importantly receiving - preferential treatment. Give everyone an extra day's leave each year and allow them to use it for christ's birthday if they choose or Halloween if they prefer. If everyone desires a big annual office party make it the 4th of July as that is a legitimate national celebration.
I'm not a breeder, I could not have reared a child, in good concsience, in this society. Not a chance, I'm too obsessed with the concepts of freedom, justice and liberty to have brought a life into this society. But if I had a child in public school - well for one I would get to pay less for their education than I am forced to pay now as a non-breeder - I would not allow them to participate in any sort of holiday play or celebration. People can argue these points to the end of time, but there is no way an honest christian can pretend they do not know and understand the powers of indoctrination. They fully understand and implement this tool on a regular basis. I would abort a thousand babies before I would rear a child in a society where religious indoctrination is so insidiously woven into the fabric of the culture. Sure some other cultures may be worse, but that is completely irrelevant to my point. That said, I've never needed to abort a child, by the time I had my first erection the cause of children had long since been identified.
When someone asks me if I'm "ready for christmas" or wishes me a "merry christmas" I don't get angry. Sure I consider them to be brutishly inconsiderate of other cultures, beliefs and feelings, but in their self-righteous ignorance most of them - I think - mean no harm. This is the reality of slick indoctrination. As I have said herein, I do not celebrate christmas, at all, but I do not lash out at such salutations. Over the years I've been forced to determine an approach to these situations because they constitute a non-stop assault for approximately two months out of each year. It is difficult. I'm not inclined to insult people at random, it just isn't my desire. Further that, I've found that christians have often grown to expect the preferential treatment that comes with being the mob in a mob-rule society. However I've also found that in this culture silence is considered acquiesence and compliance if not outright agreement. Not all sheep bleat. However it would go against all of my own struggles, beliefs and ideologies to respond with a corresponding "merry christmas". This is something that the leaders of this society and the soldiers on the front line of the "christmas vs holidays" battle seem unwilling to understand. Over the years I've arrived at two responses to the usual christmas salutations. I respond to "merry christmas" with a smile and an "enjoy your holiday". But If someone asks me if I'm "ready for christmas" things become a bit stickier. I usually feel obliged to say that I do not celebrate christmas, though I work diligently to avoid expounding on the topic. I usually reply simply that I do not celebrate christmas and suggest that they enjoy their holiday. For the most part I've found that they can then go about their day without my having put much of a damper on it.
See that is the thing, I haven't any desire to reduce the pleasure a christian derives from celebrating the birth of their religious icons. That would make me as bad as those christians who are driven to reduce the pleasure others derive from holidays such as Halloween. Again, one thing I never want to be confused for is a christian. However those who encapsulate that desire with the desire to force their religous celebrations on those of us who do not share their belief in the unproven, well, that is a pleasure which they should, methinks, be denied.
I'm of the opinion that christians should work to maintain the few remaining theological aspects to christmas. They should fight to increase the religious significance of the mass for christ. That said, they should also stop forcing the rest of us to pay for their celebration and for that matter to participate. christmas is, indeed, a religious holiday, albeit a religious holiday that has been severely diluted in the campaign to assimilate the greatest possible number of people. To those who want to maintain the remaining purity of christmas I say stop expecting everyone to celebrate your holy day. Celebrate it yourself, but show the rest of us some remedial courtesy.
To the government that takes our earnings I say stop institutionalizing religious holidays so that they may be given the theological import they deserve without forcing their dogma upon those of us who were born here but don't subscribe to their mystical precepts.
To those who are fighting to remove the christ from christmas I say stop celebrating the holiday. If you are simply tired of being a non-christian in an overbearingly christian society I suggest you stop trying to have it both ways. I say stop celebrating their holy day! Let them have it, and let them pay for it. Don't modify it, stop participating! If you want to celebrate the pagan parts of the holiday then do so, but make it clear that you are not celebrating
christmas; call it Yule, call it Solstice, but give the christians their holiday and bow out! When someone wishes you a "merry christmas" don't try to reduce their pleasure, simply tell them that you do not celebrate christmas. Volunteer to work that day, skip the parties and if your family respects you make it clear that you don't want christmas gifts, they can give you shit for your birthday. If you are a non-christian who was reared in a christian household then you've already faced these hurdles.
If you already have your own non-christmas holiday then enjoy it, make the most of it, and thank you for never having forced it down my throat. To my knowledge I've never been forced to pay for Hanukah or Kwanza; thank you for that.
Bottom line I don't care whether you call it christmas or the holiday season, but I'm sick of being forced, against my will, to pay for it by the government that owns me, in schools, etc... This is a nation where christians boycott people like Marilyn Manson and Howard Stern who do not subscribe to their magical explanations for life. They attempt to stop those people from earning a livlihood because they don't follow their religion. Yet they expect their dogma to be institutionalized in public schools and courthouses and government buildings via tax dollars that are forcibly taken from everyone. No one has ever forced me to buy a Manson CD or to listen to Stern, but I was forced to stand up every day in public school and recite a pledge to a long since iconic "god".
Oh, and for the record, I never forgave the parents, teachers and other "authority figures" who lied to me about santa claus as a child in order to secure my obedience. The realization that santa was a lie set in motion a distrust and outrage that has continued unabated in me to this day. I don't care how you sugar coat and decorate it, the fact is that lies and bribary are used to solicit obedience in children. It may seem silly to many of you who may have been unfortunate enough to stumble across my ramblings, but it is still lies and bribary in exchange for obedience.
OK, I'm almost finished. If you ignored my warnings and read this pointless meandering and it pissed you off, well, I told you not to read it. But if you're sitting there in front of your computer and you are outraged I offer you this piece of condolence - I don't count. I'm an insignificant individual in a society that is proud of only catering to the majority of its citizens. I'm not even a minority, I'm an individual. So instead of getting your panties in a bunch and bitching me out or dwelling on your anger I suggest you have a reindeer shaped cookie and smile at the knowledge that no matter what I typed here, a portion of my earnings were stolen from me and used to decorate a christmas tree in the District of Columbia. You've already won. But whatever you do, don't you dare pray for me, ever.
Lastly, if you have one, enjoy your holiday.
