Christmas for Antitheists

Can someone who doesn’t believe in the existence of God also celebrate Christmas?

Certainly yes.

Christmas, ostensibly intended to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, has become far more than just a religious holiday.  Cynics might even suggest it’s become the antithesis of a religious holiday.

Turn on the television set or visit a shopping mall during the week before Christmas and you know exactly what I’m talking about.  Commercials enticing you to rush out and buy a brand new Lexus aren’t very Christ-like.   The soccer mom in the mini-van who steals your parking spot isn’t thinking about Jesus, although his name probably comes up in some rather creative combinations of language.

It’s too bad really that the essential message of Christmas was hijacked a long time ago.  Modern Christmas would likely be unrecognizable to those who envisioned its oldest traditions.  It’s become the five human senses all pumped up on steroids.  That’s both good and bad.  Sure, everything tastes better and smells better.  Many of us feel better.  The sights and sounds of the holiday season are more beautiful than other times of the year.  But sensory overload isn’t always synonymous with happiness.  For many less fortunate people, this is a depressing time of year — and none of this has anything at all to do with faith or religion.

The End of the World

Wouldn’t it suck to win the lottery right now?

Imagine pocketing the lump sum of $250 million.  Your dream of a big house, fancy cars, and a trip around the world has just come true.  You’ll never have to work another day in your life.  Then, on the way to the bank, a giant fireball suddenly appears up in the sky.

Kaboom!

There’s a potential Twilight Zone episode in there somewhere.

………………..

In case you missed it, the world is going to end on December 21, 2012.  At least, that’s what some ancient Mayan calender predicts, which marks the final day of a 5,125-year cycle.  Never mind these savages spent most of their lives running through jungles and commonly sacrificed virgins to the gods.  Today, some people actually believe these tribesmen possessed unique insights into our future.  Despite their civilization utterly vanishing without warning more than a thousand years ago, they have supposedly alerted us to the very day when life on earth will end.  Now, that’s impressive.  Hell, I can’t even figure out what time Monday Night Football comes on each week.

This is a lose-lose proposition for a shitload of people.  First, we’re all pretty much screwed if the prophesy comes true.  We can all agree on that.  I don’t see a lot of upside in the entire world’s population being sucked into a deadly black hole — although I sure as hell will be applauding when it’s Kim Kardashian, Howard Lederer, and Donald Trump’s turn to enter the giant celestial vacuum cleaner.  That’s almost worth hoping it will happen.

But if the prophesy is false, some people out there will have lots of explaining to do.  There’s going to be enough egg on the faces of soothsayers to make the world’s largest omelette, assuming we all miraculously wake up on December 22nd, and there’s still an earth under out feet.