Humanist ads: less Santa more Scrooge

I think that one reason the AHA has chosen this particular time of year to advertise Humanism is that it seems the entire winter season has been (commercialism aside) completely appropriated by the religious. Since becoming a federal holiday in 1870 by presidential order of Ulysses S. Grant, Christmas was considered the only winter holiday in America until Hanukkah began to be emphasized in the Jewish community (see American Jewish Historical Society article) in the early 1900s; Kwanzaa in the 1960s; and the winter solstice by the NeoPagans beginning in the 1970s. In our religiously pluralistic society, other winter traditions are now being recognized as well. Most people assume everyone else is celebrating their own religious holiday; at least, one they’ve heard of.

However, no consideration is given at this time of year to the non-religious/non-theistic. Traditionally, and lately much more visibly, non-theists are vilified and demonized as godless-equals-immoral. When the kind of condescending (“poor lost souls”) and vitriolic (“they’re all going to fry in hell”) rhetoric leveled regularly at the non-religious is aimed at other faith traditions, anti-defamation organizations stand up and start screaming, and rightly so. Non-theists don’t have an anti-defamation advocate; we’re on our own. So, if the AHA wants to pick a season to shake people out of their complacent and naive worldviews, they really couldn’t pick a better time.

Perhaps we should keep in mind that the real reason for the season is the tilt of earth’s axis and its revolution period through the solar system, and that on December 21-26 in the southern hemisphere, it’s summer.

I mean, even the word 'Holiday' comes from 'Holly Day.'

See any holly in the Bible?

That's again cause there ain't.

This is nothing being 'stolen' from Christians.

Just something they attached themselves to which never 'belonged' to them in the first place.

Not that they were ever unwelcome.

I mean, hey, Doctor of Urology. (wink)

You see any Elves in the Bible?

That's cause they ain't there.

They come from something older.

Yaknow, Doctor. It seems this is one thing you can't understand about the 'magic of the season.'

What is freely shared cannot be stolen.

Never mind 'owned.'

Professor:

""Believe in God, many Gods, a merciful God, a wrathful God, impersonal God, personal God, Goddess, or no God at all. The pluralism of of America guarantees you your space. Intensely personal or wear-it-on-your-sleeve, we express our faith or no faith with abandon and celebrate our choice in our homes and sometimes in public.""

Not always so much, actually, in the current political climate. That's why the humanists felt a need to actually advertise, especially after last year's assault on their humanity, via a fictitious 'war on Christmas' in which the putative majority claimed that anyone but themselves was 'forcing' them to be consumerist... and thereby to be scapegoated... Cause *certain Christians themselves declared a lot of the rest of the country as some people making 'war' on them. And in the process, as has been going on a long while, demonized and dehumanized those of other beliefs or presumptive interpretations of those beliefs. *

""In some ways, it is this very exigency to gain converts that I see in the American Humanist Association's (AHA) latest campaign.""

It's an exigency, but not to convert. Rather to humanize themselves. In the face of much defamation.

"" Billboards to drive the curious to their website and spread a message of good work and charity in a world bereft of a God.""

I don't think that's so 'evident,' but rather it's a move, under the circumstances, to appeal to the wider community, nonbelievers, believers, or those faking it and feeling thereby isolated, to understand that this does not make one, or your neighbors, ...'evil.'

""Now I grant the AHA full rights to create awareness, improve an understanding of their little known belief system, """

Oh, you 'grant,' do you?

Maybe it's 'little-known' in their case because it's a) Not a system, and b) Widely defamed as being an 'evil' one.

""But I simply take issue with intruding upon the space of Christmas to spread this unique iteration of good cheer. There are 365 days in the year and several weeks not strongly affiliated with any other faith.""

Horse-hockey.

Like many 'Christian' holidays, the traditional good cheer and trappings and traditions thereof, are not something Christians own or 'brought' we stupid Europeans and our ancestors.

They 'stole' them to begin with, if it were possible to steal 'giving' and the Winter Solstice themselves.

More like, these were things shared, which 'Christianity' appropriated and eventually edged everyone else out of.

Look at em. They're always having a crisis about Yule and Easter and 'Halloween' and such being 'too Pagan,' and not making sense in a Biblical context, cause... Well. That's what they *are.*

They cannot be owned, any more than they can truly be 'stolen.' They are, ...A gift.

""A Santa hat is not a Christian symbol, but it is strongly identified with the cheer and merriment of Christmas.""

You hit it, there, though.

The hat is *not* a Christian symbol.

It's *older.*

The Old Ways, or the non-religious ways, are *not* the ones conflicted about this.

"I will be one of the first ones to admit that Christmas has become too commercialized; but that is not the fault of the nonbelievers; but the retailers."

Hmm. Speaking of retailers, weren't the vast majority of the retailers AND advertising execs, Christians too? So we're now all seeing an endless parade of advertisements geared towards buying happiness through stuff, and who has been orchestrating this blaring din?

Not the atheists or humanists. They also have the good manners to do any door-to-door proselytizing. For which I am grateful and relieved.

Aseem, Did not Khrisna have a miraculous birth also? What about your faith? You are much more generous to some of the Christians than they would ever be to you. If you asked them to celebrate the festivals of Rama or listen to YOUR sacred texts, most would refuse and tell you they were completely myth and add that you were going to hell because you didn't believe in Jesus.

The problem is not that they only have these few days to celebrate the birth of Jesus (who was probably not born on 12/26). They shove things down our throats all year long & complain bitterly that THEY are being discriminated against if someone else wants to celebrate their faith.

They largely manufactured this War on Christmas thing. No one was taking Christ out of Christmas. Most of their Christmas traditions were borrowed from other religions anyway. I will be one of the first ones to admit that Christmas has become too commercialized; but that is not the fault of the nonbelievers; but the retailers.

I guess I just don't look for the devil in everything. Life is a miracle. It should be celebrated. It matters not to me, whether my friends wish me "Happy Holidays", "Season's Greetings", "Merry Christmas", or even Happy Hanukkah or Merry Yule" - I celebrate the fact that I have friends!

Time and time again we hear from the christians in America that we are a christian nation. They actually believe that, they believe there is no room for people of no faith.

Well guess what, we unbelievers suspect there are a large number of our kind within the ranks of the churchy religionists. It's difficult to go against the herd for most people ... imagine how these suppressed freethinkers would feel to learn they are not alone, that they can enjoy their lives without the religious delusions.

They can enjoy christmas without the delusions too.

If members of the American Humanist Association were using truly Christian symbols, the cross or the Virgin Mary, to make their point, your argument would have stronger merit. However, Santa Hats, pretty packages, and all the bling that hangs on trees are much bigger heresies to "the reason for the season" than a group expressing alternate views. Over the centuries, how we celebrate Christmas has been tweaked and changed to suit contemporary needs, allowing for the welcome inclusion of interfaith celebration and, unfortunately (if not ironically), fallen prey to usurping by the commercial world. People, both religious and nonreligious complain about this; nevertheless, as you point out, these ubiquitous accoutrements to Christmas have become part of the spirit of the season. This ultimate genuflection to commercialism and the almighty dollar seems, to me, to be a greater indignity to the Christian faith than humanism using the same secular and commercial avenues to make their point. To argue that Santa hats should be off limits to humanists; well, that in itself seems to be a greater insult to Christianity.