https://www.catholicleague.org/christmas-joy-eludes-atheists/
Bill Donohue This is the most joyful time of the year, especially for Christians. It is not a good time for dogmatic secularists, many of whom are deeply unhappy. If anything, Christmas brings out the worst in them. Take Freedom From Religion Foundation. The radical atheists paid well
Those who have behaved admirably, in some cases altruistically, have done so for naught—what happens on earth stays on earth.
Imagine this not being a good enough reason to behave altruistically -- to make things better for people on earth.
(The whole article reads like satire. I didn't eat the onion, did I?)
"why even bother being a good person if I don't get rewarded for it??" - Man, supposedly morally correct
Bill Donohue has been around a long time. I don't think the Catholic League is much more than just him. And he is serious.
Even after reading the title of the article I had to do a double take because I really thought it was the onion.
Seriously whoever wrote that article needs to repent of being so judgmental and bitter towards 99% of the world's population.
That bro needs to touch grass.
He talks about joy, but you can tell how bitter he is from his writing. Few people do this as well as Catholics, in my experience.
It's sad that there are people writing trash like this. Person who wrote this just projects his own beliefs onto others and doesn't even try to look at things from a different point of view.
My family is Jewish. We never celebrated Christmas when I was growing up. No tree, no wreath, no carols, no yule log, no advent calendar, none of it.
So yeah, Christmas joy does elude me. Not because I'm an atheist, because I wasn't raised in a Christian environment.
That said, I did spend one Christmas in the UK and it was much more enjoyable as it was much more secular.
I went to a school show last week, and there was a morality play skit presented by the fourth graders. The middle part had the children singing a parody of Deck the Halls. The chorus, Fa la la la la, la la, la la, was sang as Nah nah nana na, No! Not with me (spit).
It was my best gift this season.
I support efforts by the religious to put Christ back into Christmas. I really do. I agree that Christmas should not be about materialism and the economy and fulfillment of social expectations. It should be a small religious holiday celebrated by whatever real Christians are left.
It should be, buy a gift for a bestie, buy one gift each for family members, say some prayerful nonsense, and have a nice meal. Not people trying to outdo each other with decorations, or making sure we spend enough on everyone, or making sure the Christmas cards go out on time, or making sure we cut down a tree to display in our living rooms.
It’s the very materialism quoted in the article that brings me down. It’s the social expectations with Christmas that flood me with unhappiness and anxiety and make this such a miserable time of year. So I support them taking it back and scaling it back.
I support efforts by the religious to put Christ back into Christmas.
I don't know what country you live in, but the U.S., where Bill Donohue lives, is not a Christian country and never has been. If anything, there is still too much Christ in Christmas for most people coming from a non-Christian background.
You misunderstand me. Take Christmas out of prominence in the society and put it back into the religious domain. Let them have it back, in a scaled back, watered-down way.
If you are atheist, why do you care what happens to Christmas? It was once a religious holiday, now co-opted by capitalism. Let it die a slow death along with the rest of Christianity.
If you are atheist, why do you care what happens to Christmas?
It gets shoved in my face for over two months a year. That's why I care. I have never celebrated it, I have never wanted to celebrate it, and yet, instead of thinking that maybe I wasn't raised in a Christian household, I'm a "Scrooge." Just yet another way I'm othered because I come from a non-Christian background in America.
That sounds awful. I'm lucky to live in a former socialist country so most things that are connected with Christmas on the west are transfered to New year (giving presents, tree and things like that) while Christmas is just a holiday that Christians celebrate, only day I care about Christmas is when it comes because I live in a Christian family so they force me to participate and I hate that.
WTF? It sounds like you do not like Christmas. I sympathize and agree with you. Why do you downvote and argue against my proposal to marginalize the holiday? Your hostility makes no sense at all.
It should be a minor holiday, celebrated by few. It shouldn’t be shoved in my face or yours. It shouldn’t be a two month PR shitstorm.
First of all, I didn't downvote you. Please do not accuse me of doing things I didn't do.
Secondly, the U.S. is majority Christian. How would that marginalize the holiday? Do you really think making Christmas more religious would somehow stop people buying presents for each other and listening to Christmas music?
Secondly, the U.S. is majority Christian. How would that marginalize the holiday?
Proponents of putting more religion in Christmas seem to eschew so much commercialism.
Do you really think making Christmas more religious would somehow stop people buying presents for each other and listening to Christmas music?
Of course not. The Christmas economic juggernaut won’t stop for anything at all. There’s way too much cash flow at stake. Most people still believe in gods and ghosts and jolly gift givers, so most will never become atheists or abandon the tradition. At the same time the “put Christ into Christmas” lot will never reach critical mass because the numbers of the truly faithful and deep-pocketed are dwindling.
At the same time the “put Christ into Christmas” lot will never reach critical mass because the numbers of the truly faithful and deep-pocketed are dwindling.
Oh good, so I have to wait for them to reach "critical mass" for them to stop treating me like shit because I don't celebrate their holiday? I doubt it.
Not having a critical mass hasn't stopped Christians so far from telling me things like my people killed Jesus and that I should just lighten up and celebrate their holiday because they once sang a dreidel song. And I don't mean just random Christians who found out my lineage either. I mean things like my school teachers.
I may be an atheist, but I'm also a Jew. I was raised without celebrating Christmas. I have been given shit for it by religious Christians my entire life. All making Christmas more Christian will do is make it worse for people like me.
I am so fucking tired of being othered in this country for not being part of the Christian majority. It's happened for all 46 years of my life and it's getting worse all the time.
At the same time the “put Christ into Christmas” lot will never reach critical mass because the numbers of the truly faithful and deep-pocketed are dwindling.
Fortunately for us, as the truly faithful “put Christ into Christmas” lot are the ones calling for removing our rights and building a theocracy.
How about we don't put the religion back into christmas AND we don't make it about materialism?
I don't get why it has to be either about a bigoted religion or celebrating materialism when it can be neither.
Christmas for me is finally going home and having a day together with extended family where we get to finally meet after a long time.