Why Christmas Should Be More Commercial

Ayn Rand Institute ^ | 12/17/02 | Leonard Peikoff

[RJCogburn]

This article was posted two years ago, but that thread is locked.

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a3e77d23d06.htm

[D-fendr]

It's still misguided.

The problem with Christmas is a religious holiday has been removed of its religious meaning.

Rand wished for more of this.

Bah. Humbug.

[nofriendofbills]

Rand was a moron, so were her followers.

[The Westerner]

What a well-written article. Peikoff has such a good mind. You may not agree with him, but he always has something original to say. I believe that there is too much guilt about living these days. Every pleasurable activity is being attacked by some PC statist who wants to tell everyone else how to live. I hope they leave Christmas alone. After all, it's one holiday that people enjoy whether religious or not.

[RJCogburn]

The charming aspect of Christmas is the fact that it expresses good will in a cheerful, happy, benevolent, non-sacrificial way.

-Ayn Rand
December, 1976

[RightWhale]

Rand was a moron, so were her followers.

Rand had no followers. It is also not common for morons to emigrate to another country, learn a new language, and make a living writing in Hollywood in the new language. So maybe she wasn't really a moron.

[D-fendr]

can you 'splain the meaning of the "non-sacrificial way" comment?

[lizma]

Christmas in America is an exuberant display of human ingenuity, capitalist productivity, and the enjoyment of life.
and for Christians the birth of Christ.

I don't think the world seeing a this massive celibration is all that bad. Yes, it's capitalistic but it's up to the individual Christian to keep it holy.

I think it presents Christianity to the world as a religion that honors life. A religion that respects giving to others.

I live in a very multiethnic area and gift giving this time of year crosses all cultures and religions. I've seen Jews, Hindus and Buddist participate and enjoy it. It's become a "do unto others" holiday. If capitalism benefits, so be it. (That's not so bad, at all.)

[Kerberos]

"Early Christians denounced gift-giving as a Roman practice, and Puritans called it diabolical.

Somehow that doesn't surprise me.

[goodnesswins]

"Early Christians denounced gift-giving as a Roman practice, and Puritans called it diabolical."

Hmmmmm.....can I be a Puritan? I am withdrawing, albeit slowly, from the heavy commercialization of Christmas....but it is hard to explain to children and grandchildren.

[Bob J]

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[RightWhale]

You're right. Christmas is for everyone.

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[CCWoody]

Blow the horn sister, if you please.

[RnMomof7]

Bumped ..for discussion

[RnMomof7]

I do not disagree with most of this...But I love the season:>)

[RJCogburn]

can you 'splain the meaning of the "non-sacrificial way" comment?

I think she is saying that we can demonstrate good will without being self-sacrificial....a definition for her of altruism. She is referring to the idea that we have no moral duty to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others, or that such self-sacrifice is a good thing or a value.

At least that is how I take it.

[D-fendr]

ah, yes, thank you, that fits. I think you're right, your explanation rings true with her philosophy.

I think she was a lead beyond the culture of her origin, and very good as far as it went.

But I think she missed a deeper foundation which left her philosophy needlessly shallow. Still, she's been a factor in many's growth at a certain stage (so long as they do not stop there.)

thanks very much for helping me understand the meaning of her statement.

[D-fendr]

* a lead beyond = a leap beyond

[Uri’el-2012]

goodnesswins;Kerberos;RJCogburn

"Early Christians denounced gift-giving as a Roman practice, and Puritans called it diabolical."

Hmmmmm.....can I be a Puritan? I am withdrawing, albeit slowly, from the heavy commercialization of Christmas....but it is hard to explain to children and grandchildren.

10 posted on 12/19/2002 6:53 PM MST by goodnesswins

The early Reformers avoided the Pagan holiday of the Roman church.

The Christmas celebration was outlawed in the early colonies as a pagan ritual of the Roman church.

The Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians and Puritans all condemned the celebration.

As late as the 1890s it was preached against by Charles Spurgeon.

There is no scriptural support for Jesus' birth occurring on the Pagan festival of Mithras ( the Sun of god).

If you search the Word of G-d you will see that Jesus was conceived
on the Festival of Dedication ( when the "Light of the World" entered the world).
He was most likely born on the Feast of Succoth( feast of Booths or feast of Tabernacles)
when the Jews enter their temporary dwellings
( which must be constructed such that you must be able to see the stars at night )

Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the
Thessalonians, for they received the message with great
eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if
what Paul said was true.

chuck <truth@YeshuaHaMashiach>