You have got to be kidding me. Unbelievable. Whatever happened to good old Christian values? Why have they been sold out to commercialization?
It’s not even Thanksgiving Day and there are already numerous homes around town lit up like nobody’s business. Why has Christmas been so commercialized that many stores and people not only overlook Thanksgiving, but also Halloween. Yes, you know who you are, you über-Christmas people who put up lights and blare Christmas music starting mid-October. It is people like you who give us normal Christians who actually care about things besides Christmas a bad rap for selling out our values.
The idea of sharing gifts has been around since, well, Christ. The idea of Christmas being the major moneymaker for department stores has been around for considerably less time. Why the change? Is money starting to trump values? Are people less concerned about celebrating the birth of Christ and more concerned about what the latest Ugg boots are going to cost and whether or not to buy the hottest new Barbie for their younger female relatives?
Unfortunately, with the way this society is run, the answer is “yes,” people are more concerned about social status symbols than Christian values and customs. While within these customs, it is appropriate to give. But, I’m pretty sure the Three Wise Men didn’t buy their gifts on Black Friday. I could be wrong, though I wasn’t there. The Three Wise Men might have known Christ was coming and thought, “Hey, we need to rack up some major debt for this little hellion.” However, I highly doubt that was the case.
So, how far will this obsession with commercializing Christmas go? Will we start to see Nov. 1 sales, also known as “Day-after-Halloween Extravaganzas?” I really hope not. It has been generally accepted that this country was founded on Christianity. It seems as though that idea has begun to be thrown out the proverbial window the more that Christmas has been commercialized.
We are moving forward. We are a changing nation. No one ever said progress or change was good, though.
We need to stop this sellout of Christian ideas. Retailers shouldn’t be so concerned about making money that they are hindering, and arguably reversing, the ideals this country was founded on.
Retailers, you are unpatriotic.
I know, I know. I’m going to get flack for this, but it’s true. Retail stores are undermining the whole idea behind giving as a symbol of care. They are making that a thing of the past and only want you to give gifts to show off how successful you are in comparison to the recipient. I say we need to stop this.
So, I guess in a way I am calling you super-Christmas persons unpatriotic as well. I don’t want to do that and offend you so let’s just go with atheist and non-Christian.
Let’s examine this: You, being the people with Christmas lights up by Halloween, are buying into the idea that Christmas is about money and showing off, with that, you obviously don’t know the real meaning of Christmas. It’s cliché, I know, but because of that not valuing Christian ideals, that pretty much makes you a non-Christian despite your best efforts to be a super-Christian.
Now it’s time to clear some things up. I was raised in a Christian household and celebrated Christmas. My family put up our lights and tree a few days after Thanksgiving and took them down generally by the first of the year.
So, to those of you who go out on Black Friday to buy all your gifts because it’s cheaper, go ahead, buy into that big-business non-Christian, unpatriotic muck. I won’t.
- Chuck Fischer is a junior in secondary education. Please send comments to opinion@spub.ksu.edu.
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