In response to the The True Meaning of Christmas
It is something pitiable and sad in Christianity today that it cannot appreciate the 2 000 000 year old traditions of human consciousness, the real meaning (of anything, including Christmas) for themselves and all humankind, and that Christian continue to narrow their world until it is unrecognisable beyond their own mind.
The Gospels demonstrate how the (real) followers of this charismatic teacher are happy to form Jesus in their own image, as does Paul and then eventually Constantine through to Calvin. Each iteration, while demonstrating precisely that religion, like all cultural phenomena, is whatever you construct it as and has nothing to do with objective truth, at the same time proposes a more exclusive club or set of rules and mores to which one must subscribe; eventually at the end of a sword, stone or baton.
The whole 'keep Christ in Christmas' movement is so much self-righteous slop, arguing only for 'my exclusive version of God or salvation'.
Far more interesting than 'real' meanings for Christmas foisted upon us by fundamentalism is the reality of how quickly Christianity and Islam were able to spread, mostly without the need of a sword (which came afterwards) and become a veneer over local tradition. It demonstrates an inherent human tendency to favour unity over dissent or a single universal theory over fragmented ones or a single monarch, no matter how unpopular, over a bunch of nobles.
China was stronger under a single Emperor, the United Kingdoms were more influential united and the US graphically illustrates that even unity steeped in the blood of brother and cousin brings prosperity like no other political imperative.
Just as curious in religion is the tendency for sheep like behaviour - the shepherd metaphor in Christianity, which should be derisive, since it seems to indicate little brain power to assert ones own thoughts, but instead is fostered - is none the less true. The iPod, iPhone, iSteve phenomena indicates another of our human attributes - that herd mentality. Yet this mentality can also lead the masses to overthrow a dictator. This, surely, is more interesting than whether you put an 'X' or 'Christ' in Christmas.
If there's a any message in Christmas its that we can be strong in unity while still appreciating our diversity.
1 comment:
I definitely agree some Christians do try to force what they consider to be the 'real' meaning of Christmas above everything else and in the end can forget what being a Christian is actually about: take this article: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2011/12/07/confused-rhode-island-christianists-sing-secular-song-to-defend-pagan-symbol/
I understand that celebrating Jesus' birth at Christmas is a tradition that doesn't actually have any links to the Bible. However, not all traditions are bad, and this one has a long history having been celebrated for hundreds of years. I'd rejoice in Jesus birth regardless of whether we had Christmas or not and I also enjoy many of the other celebrations and traditions that have come to be involved with Christmas. I understand that not everyone includes the story of Jesus birth as part of their celebrations, which is of course their free choice. I choose to honour that story above the Santa story because I believe it is not only about hope and miracles, but also true and believable.
I would alter 'religion' as used in your 2nd sentence, 2nd paragraph to also include any worldview, as I think that secularists/ atheists/agnostics can be just as guilty of "proposing a more exclusive club or set of rules and mores to which one must subscribe; eventually at the end of a sword, stone or baton." They are just as capable of claiming that only they know the real truth about life and the world (even if that be that truth can not be known but is instead constructed), while all the foolish people who believe in gods or religions of any kind need to be contained and controlled so that their silly ideas and traditions don't irritate those of the secular majority.
It wouldn't surprise me if we see this happening more in countries, even democratic ones, which have a growing secular population.
I agree that appreciating our diversity and standing up for freedom to follow a religion or not to follow any at all is important at Christmas as much as at any other time of the year.
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