Holiday Tolerance
How about a Humanistic Holiday
Dec 18, 2008 Kathy Schlossmacher
More and more frequently newspapers report stories on deep seated arguments over what adorns a town or city square during the holiday season. For some it is a hard and fast rule that all holidays must be recognized if one is, for others, who believe their religion to be the one and only religion, then the decorations must reflect only that faith.
Add to this problem the recent vocal atheistic majority that is calling for non religious representations for the holidays that will offend no one, even the atheistic and agnostic among the society. For those who do not hold to a religious faith, much of what is used to decorate can be offensive and bothersome. Yet, most of these elements of our society celebrate these holidays on some level.
What is the Reason for the Season
What many propose instead of the religiosity associated with this time of year is a more humanistic approach. It cannot be argued that this season is one in which love of others, giving and caring are highlighted. This is seen in the giving of gifts, in the heightened humanitarian efforts of clothing, food and toy drives to benefit those in poverty. While a society may disagree on the reason for the season, most will agree on the idea of giving, on the alleviation of others' suffering. This would seem to be a starting point at which to begin to develop a humanistic view of the season.
A Changing Society
There was a time when society was highly associated with religion. Most people adhered to some form of religious observance and for the most part this observance was limited to the major religions. Now folks often belong to alternative expressions of spirituality. Many of these are non mainstream and share little or nothing in common with their more traditional counterparts. Yet, most religious expressions, despite their origin or belief system can get behind this idea of giving and sharing during the season. It becomes easy to embrace the idea of charity and allows for a common denominator to tie the diverse society together.
A Humanitarian Approach
It may serve society better to stop worrying about public religious symbols and confine themselves to snowflakes and snowmen for public decorations while looking inside to see how they can help to promote activities designed for the relief of suffering. In a society torn by war, overwhelmed by poverty and living in fear of terrorism, does any city really need to argue over their holiday decorations when they could be doing something to relieve some of the suffering around them.
People can still choose to express their vision of the holidays in a personal way in their own homes and with friends and family. It is time to stop the bickering and begin again to see the real reason for the season, which is the theme of giving, not just to those you love, but to all those who need it.
New Expressions for the Season
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