Pope: Christmas Polluted by Consumerism

[Thekla]

Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that Christmas festivities have been polluted by consumerism and suggested that assembling the Nativity scene in the home is an effective way of teaching the faith to children.

…

“In today’s consumer society, this time (of the year) is unfortunately subjected to a sort of commercial ‘pollution’ that is in danger of altering its true spirit, which is characterized by meditation, sobriety and by a joy that is not exterior but intimate,” the pope said in his traditional Sunday blessing.

“Assembling the Nativity scene in the home can turn out to be a simple but effective way of presenting the faith to pass it on to one’s children,” Benedict added.

“The Nativity scene helps us contemplate the mystery of the love of God, which is revealed to us in the poverty and simplicity of the grotto in Bethlehem.”

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20…

It’s time to start celebrating the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s what the Church calls it. I’m tired of all the bellowing about saying “Merry Christmas” at the mall. Henry Ford used “War on Christmas” rhetoric back in the 40’s as an anti-semitic tactic. Now it’s used as some political/consumerism tool.

 

[FightingFat]

I so agree with this. We have a lovely little crib we all put together as a family. My children really love it.

Christmas is always a mixture of joy and sadness for me. Sadness at the gluttony and avid consumerism where the true meaning of Christmas has long been forgotten and a deep joy and closeness to Christ that is always born of these feasts, opportunities to renew and be close to the mystery and majesty of Christ.

 

[bapcathluth]

I also agree with this statement by the Pope. I think this whole “controversy” about saying Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays at Walmart is a tactic to distract people from thinking about the really important issues. How about health care, the war, the economy? To say that Walmart has anything at all to do with the true meaning of Christmas is just plain sad.

 

[b_justb]

bapcathluth:

To say that Walmart has anything at all to do with the true meaning of Christmas is just plain sad.

Didn’t the Magi buy their gifts from Walmart?

 

[Della]

While I agree with His Holiness that Advent and Christmas ought to be a time of meditation with the emphasis on the Christ Child and the Holy Family, et al, one thing all the hype surrounding Christmas does is keep the idea of Christmas alive for many people for whom Christmas is the only time of the year they even hear about Christ. And, others who are nominally Christian may be stirred in their hearts by having Christmas present all around them.

I forget who said it, but there is an old saying in show biz that it doesn’t matter what they say about you in the newspapers as long as they spell your name right. Well, commercialization does that for Christmas. It’s not the kind of publicity we Christians would want or have sought out, but let’s take advantage of all the hoopla to reach out to people for whom this once a year extravaganza is the only time religion ever comes into their lives.

 

[bapcathluth]

Della:

While I agree with His Holiness that Advent and Christmas ought to be a time of meditation with the emphasis on the Christ Child and the Holy Family, et al, one thing all the hype surrounding Christmas does is keep the idea of Christmas alive for many people for whom Christmas is the only time of the year they even hear about Christ. And, others who are nominally Christian may be stirred in their hearts by having Christmas present all around them.

I forget who said it, but there is an old saying in show biz that it doesn’t matter what they say about you in the newspapers as long as they spell your name right. Well, commercialization does that for Christmas. It’s not the kind of publicity we Christians would want or have sought out, but let’s take advantage of all the hoopla to reach out to people for whom this once a year extravaganza is the only time religion ever comes into their lives.

I see your point, Della. But I question whether this hoopla brings people to religion or whether it turns them toward rampant consumerism.

 

[Thekla]

bapcathluth:

I see your point, Della. But I question whether this hoopla brings people to religion or whether it turns them toward rampant consumerism.

Didn’t the Holy Father make a statement last year about the Catholic Church being better off smaller and more devout than larger and watered down?

I just don’t see how hearing the words “Merry Christmas” and shopping help out anyone with learning more about Christ. For a lot of people, this connection with rampant consumerism casts a very negative feeling about religion. I can’t believe it’s a good thing to be associating Christmas with Bill O’Reilly, Jerry Falwell, John Gibson, and the rest of the Christmas police.

 

[jman507]

You don’t have to throw the baby out with the bath water. The Pope pointed out we also need to do thing like make sure we have a nativity to point the younger ones what the reason for the holiday is. There is nothing wrong with buying others presents, but you don’t have to go overboard. The Pope didn’t ask everyone to take a vow of poverty. As far as people saying Christmas in the shopping area, the whole thing is why should there be a double standard. You can call any other holiday what it is, but once it comes to Chirstmas one must start refering to it as a generic holiday. What about all this call to tolerance and diversity? We must now not beable to proclaim the day for what it is?

 

[Thekla]

jman507:

You don’t have to throw the baby out with the bath water. The Pope pointed out we also need to do thing like make sure we have a nativity to point the younger ones what the reason for the holiday is. There is nothing wrong with buying others presents, but you don’t have to go overboard. The Pope didn’t ask everyone to take a vow of poverty. As far as people saying Christmas in the shopping area, the whole thing is why should there be a double standard. You can call any other holiday what it is, but once it comes to Chirstmas one must start refering to it as a generic holiday. What about all this call to tolerance and diversity? We must now not beable to proclaim the day for what it is?

The word 'holiday" is hardly generic; it’s etymology is from the term “Holy Day.” And we have several holy days this time of year as well as the season of advent. We just had a Holy Day (the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception) the other day, we’ve got the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (aka Christmas) and whatever Holy Day seems to come around New Years. I think it’s the Solemnity of Mary.

“Happy Holidays” seems more Catholic to me because it encompasses more.

 

[mdzialo1]

Isn’t it obvious that if, during the Christmas season, saying
“happy holidays” were more Catholic and holy, then all these stores would probably be insisting on wishing everybody a “Merry Christmas?”

Sometimes I wonder whether some people around the forum are honest brokers of the truth or dissemblers.

 

[shannin]

Thekla:

It’s time to start celebrating the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s what the Church calls it. I’m tired of all the bellowing about saying “Merry Christmas” at the mall. Henry Ford used “War on Christmas” rhetoric back in the 40’s as an anti-semitic tactic. Now it’s used as some political/consumerism tool.

Instead of focusing on the miracle of the birth of our Savior, everyone is running around complaining about how broke they are and how they are NOT ready for Christmas. It’s a shame.

 

[bapcathluth]

shannin:

Instead of focusing on the miracle of the birth of our Savior, everyone is running around complaining about how broke they are and how they are NOT ready for Christmas. It’s a shame.

I also think it gets to be a contest about who decorates their house the most tastefully and beautifully. Where I live, an upper middle-class neighborhood, the amount of money spent on decorations is exhorbitant. Then people have very fancy parties in order to show everyone their decorations. It is hard not to get sucked into this mindset of doing everything Martha Stewart-like and feeling very pressured to live up to these exacting standards.

One must really take a deep breath and remember what the season is for. How can we appreciate what the day is all about --Christ’s love for us–when we must be sure that all the gifts are wrapped meticulously, we have entertained with high class food and drinks, we have decorated extensively, etc.

I am not trying to be a scrooge. I love decorating, and parties, but we have gone way too far. This is what should be on Fox News, not whether a clerk in a store says “Happy Holidays” or not.

 

[jman507]

Thekla:

The word 'holiday" is hardly generic; it’s etymology is from the term “Holy Day.” And we have several holy days this time of year as well as the season of advent. We just had a Holy Day (the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception) the other day, we’ve got the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (aka Christmas) and whatever Holy Day seems to come around New Years. I think it’s the Solemnity of Mary.

“Happy Holidays” seems more Catholic to me because it encompasses more.

Oh come on, its a fallacy to think that if a person is using a word it can only be intended as its etymological root.

 

[shannin]

bapcathluth:

I also think it gets to be a contest about who decorates their house the most tastefully and beautifully. Where I live, an upper middle-class neighborhood, the amount of money spent on decorations is exhorbitant. Then people have very fancy parties in order to show everyone their decorations. It is hard not to get sucked into this mindset of doing everything Martha Stewart-like and feeling very pressured to live up to these exacting standards.
One must really take a deep breath and remember what the season is for. How can we appreciate what the day is all about --Christ’s love for us–when we must be sure that all the gifts are wrapped meticulously, we have entertained with high class food and drinks, we have decorated extensively, etc.
I am not trying to be a scrooge. I love decorating, and parties, but we have gone way too far. This is what should be on Fox News, not whether a clerk in a store says “Happy Holidays” or not.

EXACTLY. Hey, it’s fun to bake, decorate and give loved ones presents but these things have become the mindset and focus instead of the birth of Jesus and the Advent season. I’ve fallen into this trap myself.

 

[Thekla]

jman507:

Oh come on, its a fallacy to think that if a person is using a word it can only be intended as its etymological root.

Who said that’s the only use? It’s just that people keep referring to the term “holiday” as if it is some generic term; it’s really a pretty Catholic one. We have three Holy Days of Obligation within a one month span and even the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ isn’t the most important of the year. That would be the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[jman507]

Thekla:

Who said that’s the only use? It’s just that people keep referring to the term “holiday” as if it is some generic term; it’s really a pretty Catholic one. We have three Holy Days of Obligation within a one month span and even the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ isn’t the most important of the year. That would be the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let me make a distinction here. It is one thing for a person to use both “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” as one might say “Hello” and “Good Morning.” It is a whole different thing when there is a refusal to use “Merry Christmas” but use “Happy Holidays.” Holiday can be used to refer to any holiday.

So for instance lets go to the school room. Now lets say the teacher always does something special for the students when there is a birthday. Now in this case lets pick out one student, “Jane.” Now for every others student when ever the teacher talks of the birthday coming up, she will make sure it is brought up, like oh its “Jims birthday tomorrow and you know that means we will have cookies.” But now when it comes to Jane she never once acknowldge its Jane’s birthday, but just says its a birthday is coming up. Which its one thing to say that, its a whole different thing to seem to be going out of your way to not mention any referance to Jane and her birthday. Eventually once Jane caughtes on, its very likely she will feel alientated. One can mention everyones else’s birthday, but not hers. The question would be in this case, why can you refer to every other holiday to what it is, but not Christmas. In the Catholic Liturgical calander, there are holidays all year round and they are not confinded to one season.

If think your looking at the wrong problem if you think that businesses not acknowledgin Christmas is going to help the problem of it being overly about consumption. That would be like changing the name of a Liquior store, to a store of drinks, in the case it’ll help the problem of the alcholic. The problem is in the person drinking alchole, you can change the name alchole as much as you like, but the person will have the same problem with the same substance.

The problem isn’t that holiday is a very Catholic term. The problem is the intention of the reason why people don’t want to use the word Christmas.

 

[Thekla]

jman507:

Let me make a distinction here. It is one thing for a person to use both “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” as one might say “Hello” and “Good Morning.” It is a whole different thing when there is a refusal to use “Merry Christmas” but use “Happy Holidays.” Holiday can be used to refer to any holiday.

So for instance lets go to the school room. Now lets say the teacher always does something special for the students when there is a birthday. Now in this case lets pick out one student, “Jane.” Now for every others student when ever the teacher talks of the birthday coming up, she will make sure it is brought up, like oh its “Jims birthday tomorrow and you know that means we will have cookies.” But now when it comes to Jane she never once acknowldge its Jane’s birthday, but just says its a birthday is coming up. Which its one thing to say that, its a whole different thing to seem to be going out of your way to not mention any referance to Jane and her birthday. Eventually once Jane caughtes on, its very likely she will feel alientated. One can mention everyones else’s birthday, but not hers. The question would be in this case, why can you refer to every other holiday to what it is, but not Christmas. In the Catholic Liturgical calander, there are holidays all year round and they are not confinded to one season.

If think your looking at the wrong problem if you think that businesses not acknowledgin Christmas is going to help the problem of it being overly about consumption. That would be like changing the name of a Liquior store, to a store of drinks, in the case it’ll help the problem of the alcholic. The problem is in the person drinking alchole, you can change the name alchole as much as you like, but the person will have the same problem with the same substance.

The problem isn’t that holiday is a very Catholic term. The problem is the intention of the reason why people don’t want to use the word Christmas.

“Happy Holidays” can be used to cover many holidays and as Catholics, we have three of them at this time of year as well as the entire season of advent.

I assume that many people don’t want to leave out the non-Christians who are celebrating different holidays. And I can’t believe that people are so thin-skinned that they need their Christmas validated by department stores the way that Jane needs validation from her teacher. Also, remember that not all Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25.

Your liquor store analogy complete escapes my comprehension.