by Paul Schingle

Created on: November 22, 2009

This one is so easy, I can't believe only three other writers have written to this topic. I like to start by declaring my atheism. This isn't meant to offend but to make things clear. My atheism has nothing to do with why I hate Christmas. In fact, if people who call themselves "Christian" acted anything like Christians, I wouldn't have a problem with it. But, the fact of the matter is, Christmas is (or at least has become) the most un-Christian-like holiday on the calendar. The hypocrisy alone is enough to make me cringe. It is the most crass and commercial holiday out there. No wonder people get so depressed.

Forgetting whether Jesus was God on earth or not, the person known as Jesus preached some pretty admirable qualities. Love thy neighbor, do unto others, etc. Who could have an argument with any of these sentiments? The bottom line, in Jesus' teachings, was always love and respect. I don't have to make a deity of him to understand and respect what he had to say. So, what do we do to commemorate his birth? Why, we have an annual Christmas blowout sale. That's what.

Of course, without Christmas, American retailers would never get up to or above break-even for the year, so maybe America really is God's country. Seriously, this is the part that ruins Christmas for me. What does buying your loved one a new car (I believe the company that advertises a bow around the car is Lexus, no less) have to do with Christianity? How is it that you don't love your wife enough if you don't "go to Jared?" Christmas is nothing more than a secular holiday with one religious symbol placed somewhere in there for a few people, somewhere, to remember. Of course, Christmas was bourne out of a Pagan holiday, so I guess that's no surprise.

The bottom line is this: Christmas is a holiday for retailers to make money. It offers absolutely everything opposed to the person (Jesus) to whom the holiday is supposedly dedicated, and his philosophy. Crass commercialism. Competition for who gets (or gives) the best gift. Parents punching each other out over the last "Elmo" doll. Yeah. That's the Christmas spirit. Love thy neighbor? Only if he puts up fewer lights than me this year. And doesn't buy his wife something better than I buy for mine.

Merry Christmas? No, thanks. It's just another holiday we have to survive.

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