Village Break

ATHEISTS, do you think that CHRISTMAS is becoming a CASH CROP holiday rather than about JESUS ?

Because if we could stop all of the stores from selling extra merchandise around the Christmas Holidays. I think that there would

be a World War III. So as you see, many of us have become spoiled.

And to take that out of the equasion, not having gifts and all, would

be nearly impossible. Is Christmas more of a cash crop holiday now,

rather than about Jesus ? What do you think.................

Public Comments

1. Presents are nice.
   
   The stores make a big deal out of it not people.
2. Christmas is the biggest spending holiday, and our governments depend on it for the tax revenue.
3. I think people have forgotten the true pagan meanings behind December 25th.
   
   
   
   I haven't seen a SINGLE sign in my town that talks about Sol Invictus.
4. Can you believe it? People all over town are lavishing their homes, inside and out, with Christmas lights and electric-powered inflatables.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Hasn't anybody heard about global warming?
   
   
   
   You can't go anywhere without seeing additional, energy-guzzling lights strung on street posts, fences, gates, eaves or around windows like festive cobwebs.
   
   
   
   Ely is small and may not be contributing much to global warming. But this is going on all over the world. Even non-Christian countries are being sucked into this Christmas, energy orgy. And that energy has to come from somewhere and the emissions go straight into our atmosphere.
   
   
   
   It's not just the lights. It's the entire, capitalistic commercial frenzy.
   
   
   
   The Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday by retailers because it's the beginning of the Christmas shopping season when they make the majority of their profits. And when our society emits the most carbon dioxide and pollutants in seeking out those perfect holiday gifts.
   
   
   
   Stores that usually don't unlock their doors and turn on their lights until 9 or 10 a.m., go bonkers after Thanksgiving and open at 4:30 or stay open all night -- an additional drag on our energy resources.
   
   
   
   And the shoppers! They drive more than usual, burning millions of additional gallons of gas every Christmas season. And they don't take their little economy cars; they take their big SUVs to hold all those extra presents -- more carbon dioxide spewing into the atmosphere.
   
   
   
   Besides, those products jamming the store shelves don't just magically appear. Factories all over the world have to increase their production for the Christmas rush. And that increase means more worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, more pollutants and a lead shortage in China.
   
   
   
   All of those products need to be packaged and shipped. Cardboard cartons are made from trees, for pity sakes. We've been cutting down our forests so Barbie can come in a nice, multi-colored box. And don't think production of all the millions of gallons of ink used to make our product cartons so bright doesn't have a terrible cost on the environment. And Barbie is plastic. Plastic is made from oil!
   
   
   
   Then there's the increase in shipping -- unneccesary flights skipping between nations for no other reason than to overstock our stores and malls and stimulate all that extra automobile traffic.
   
   
   
   Those jets are dumping their toxic wastes at pristine high altitudes, don't forget.
   
   
   
   But driving is the worst. I'm sure urban air quality goes down during Christmas, as cold inversion layers trap all those hydrocarbons at street level. And those long drives to grandma's house for Christmas have to go, too. It's a waste of energy. A brief phone or text message can serve as well, while protecting the kids from grandma's, high-fat 20th Century cooking methods or having to pull grandpa's finger.
   
   
   
   Christmas trees? Those young pines are absorbing carbon dioxide as they grow, but we mow them down by the millions before they can capture very much of their potential CO2.
   
   
   
   All this holiday over-consumption must be stopped. It's not just contributing to global warming, it's also unhealthy.
   
   
   
   The diet at this time of year is full of sugar and fat. You might think of it as just a little Christmas splurge, but it still clogs your blood stream and leads to strokes or heart attacks in December as bad as it does in July.
   
   
   
   Each truffle is a arterial time bomb.
   
   
   
   Worst of all, what are our children learning? What kind of example is Christmas for the kids? All of the rules about good nutrition or conservation get thrown out the window every December when the windows ought to be closed to cut those heating bills!
   
   
   
   Fortunately, one of the chief offenders of all this unhealthy and unwholesome Christmas misbehavior is being brought to task.
   
   
   
   It's Santa Claus. What a throwback to earlier, less enlightened times.
   
   
   
   Acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Adm. Steven K. Galson described Santa's main problem last week in an interview with the Boston Herald. Santa Claus, Galson says, is a bad example.
   
   
   
   Galson had just given a presentation at the Boston Children's Museum on childhood obesity when he criticized, not just Santa Claus, but all of Santa's helpers for being out-of-shape and too fat.
   
   
   
   They all need to eat less and exercise more, the top doc told the newspaper. They are role models.
   
   
   
   Apparently the average, wine-breathed Santa Claus you might encounter at the mall weighs an average 256 pounds. Not satisfied with their own slovenliness, many of the in-store Clauses pass out sugar canes for the youngsters after encouraging them ask for more, more, more and then more.
   
   
   
   The surgeon general wants all Santas to shed their excess poundage and be better role models.
   
   
   
   He also wants children to stop leaving Santa cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. Maybe some non-fat milk would be acceptable, but carrot or celery sticks should replace the high-caloric, traditional munchies.
   
   
   
   Santa is being c
5. Don't bash what helps our economy.
6. It's never been about jesus for me. And yes, this year I spent way too much money ... but the kids will be overjoyed so meh, it balances out.
7. Christmas is no longer exclusive to Christianity.
   
   
   
   It's now just general time of year that everyone takes advantage of/enjoy's. When ppl are happy then tend to consume.
   
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8. Becoming???
   
   It always has been about both.
   
   Where have you been?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Merry Christmas !!
9. I think if you're a TRUE Christian you know what Christmas is all about for you.... and that's the main reason to celebrate.
   
   
   
   For those who Christmas is a time to give gifts and spend time with family....that's their choice.
   
   
   
   As an Atheist I'm with the second group.
10. it is the best commercial holiday on the calendar. If retailers had Christmas twice a year they could close the stores for the rest of the year. Most people pay lip service to the religious aspect but don't really celebrate it as such.
11. I am a proud atheist ,
    
    I think christmas is the most commercial holiday they start decorating once halloween is over in some situations before. Most people are more concerned with the 'santa' aspect. The 'santa' aspect can be concerned religious in like One way. When you are giving , it's considered charitable and kind in a way like 'Jesus'. I know a few people who really aren't all that in to the commercial part though.
12. I'm not an atheist, but I agree that Christmas, as well as most commercialized holidays are just that...commercialized. Think about it: Everyone around this time is going NUTS trying to get their Christmas shopping done, spending massive amounts of money just to please people that will either wind up taking the gift back for something they really want or wind up never using it. Also, for people that spend time, money and especially energy putting up those twinkle lights on their houses, running up their power bills and making the earth just a little bit sicker just because they "have a right" to celebrate a pagan holiday.
    
    
    
    -.- Yeah, logic-ness...
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