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Why is no one getting that the hoopala of Santa and gift giving that had one aim .... promote materialism and sell product, Was a Americanized Retail and Corporate invention far more then Christian roots. In fact the simple Christians of the US early history and even the Founding Fathers .... were not Christmas Christians.
Most of the non-Church traditions of remembering Jesus birth that was traditionally set at Dec 25th to coincide with pagan rites as early Christianity and the Church like the Catholic and Lutheran Churches..... was to allow pagan traditions to filter into Christian ones and leave converts remnants of their former pagan traditions.
There was no Santa in a red suit till especially Coca Cola advertised the traditional one we have yet today in the early 20th century and have it grow to wide acceptance (we can also note most retail was Jewish owned too)... For those to claim gift giving is taken from the Wise men (Maji - look up that term) giving Jesus gifts is what Christianity is about or meant to be for this observance of Christmas. Is not the truth but for many a perversion that actually did water it down and weaken it pointing toward just Jesus in the first place. The gift giving aspect claimed that it is about Jesus getting gifts from the wise man is very loose indeed also.
The Christmas tree has direct pagan northern European roots though in the Bible the translation has God referred to as a large Fir tree for symbology purposes.
So for a Atheist group to use this and re-create a atheistic tradition and even music as simple Church hymns evolved might water down and have a aim to destroy a Jesus evoked in Christmas with the hoopala of gift giving. It really is just to allow aspects of a tradition into a Atheistic ideal... much as Christianity long ago allowed old Pagan traditions of those it aimed to convert to Christianity to still observe.
Add how so much has been Commercialized or Americanized for us..... none of that was evolved by Churches or for the Faith to promote. It always had a effect more to take away from a Jesus of Christmas and point it to more vanity and materialism that now has our Economy even need it. Whether by Christians or Atheist. Even the Japanese adopted Christmas aspects without Jesus parts etc Aspects of decorations and gift giving yes.
Also why the US does not see it or need to as a Religious holiday the way they do a Easter as commonly called.
Do any of you think the Pilgrims, Puritans, Quakers and other early non-Catholic more simple sects that were early to America celebrated Christmas? There was little of it in the 1700s America even it was not till later waves of Christians like Catholics and Lutherans that brought more aspects over and the merging and Commercialization came in as Retailers saw it as a method to sell Sell SELL and here we are today. Universal acceptance even if Atheist in a large degree as no one claims Santa represents Jesus at least.
At first I was thinking that it was a little early to have the perfunctory "Pagan roots of Christmas!" poster show up, but it's already the 21st of November, so I guess it's right on schedule.
Although, this year's poster dovetailed the whole matter nicely with materialism--a two for one. Well done.
Talk about a transparent organization, FFRF (https://ffrf.org/news) links the NEGATIVE press articles about themselves on their own website.
Seems that this is right in line with their online transparency, too. I follow them on Facebook just to read the things people send them. Every week, they publish the negative mail they receive. They call it "Crankmail," and publish it as they get it, with all the cursing and poor spelling and grammar left as it was written.
Based on...what exactly? You do realize that atheists give gifts to children, do you not?
Charity is a wonderful thing...when it's actually charity.
But too much christian charity is a ruse. It becomes a ruse when there's a hook attached to it.
What does this charity do? It basically says -- here's a toy gift. Now will you believe in christ?
Real charity has no hook. The hook makes it an attempted bribe.
As a principal I always welcomed donations to the school, particularly when they went to needy students. But the donations I honored the most were those that were anonymous, that had no tax write-off involved.
My charity tradition comes up this week. Each Thanksgiving Day I sit down with my check book and write out a half-dozen checks to my favorite charities. Boys Town is always high on the list. So in an American Indian school. Sometimes a Thai orphanage. If I could easily do it anonymously, I would, but you shouldn't send cash through the mail.
What ever the government takes over it will wreak like the hospitals, schools, and the economy ..... Take these charity work out of the hands in the schools, and the gifts will continue.
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