November 25, 2009

The Most Wonderful Hassle, Part 2

Among my friends and associates, I know lots of people -- perhaps dozens -- who don't follow a particular religion. They haven't done so for years (if ever), and they don't plan to start anytime soon.

So when the Mormons or the Jehovah's Witnesses come knocking, they respond with a polite, "no thank you," and send them on their way. Generally they're fine law-abiding citizens, even if they don't go to church.

And yet...

Year after year, time after time, they celebrate Christmas. They take time off from work, they exchange gifts, put up lights on their houses, send out cards to all their friends. They've done it this way for decades, and they don't plan to stop anytime soon.

What gives?

It's very simple really. They're not practicing religion. Here in the good ole USA, it's our cultural custom. It's just what we do.

But in recent years, as we know. the familiar greeting "Merry Christmas" is becoming rare. "Christmas" sales at the department store have given way to "Holiday" sales. Does this mean that our civilization is becoming more ungodly?

Perhaps. But maybe this trend just means that they're fed up with the posturing. For the first time, they're being honest about their true sentiments.

Honesty? The end of pretense? What a concept.


No comments:

Post a Comment