By Dan Wilson
It’s that time of year again, usually just after the American Thanksgiving, that radio stations begin playing Christmas songs. I’ve been told that some stations begin even earlier (like in October), as soon as the advertisers start their Christmas sale promotions.
So I’m at work last week, and one of the supervisors changes the radio station from the designated classic rock station to an all-Christmas music station. Tis the season, right?
Well, somebody complained and after much ado, the station was changed back to classic rock music. So what’s the big deal? What’s wrong with playing Christmas music at work? For the record, the worker who complained was me.
I’m not a religious person. In fact, you could call me anti-religious. I believe religions were created to control the people, plain and simple. Give them something to fear and they’re easier to manage. I also believe, as John Lennon did, that religious institutions are responsible for much of the violence and suffering in the world. “Imagine there’s no heaven…”
Maybe there is an all powerful deity out there (up there?), maybe not, but I don’t see the point in obsessing over something I’ll never know the answer to. It’s kind of like ghosts and aliens. If one presents itself to me, great.
Until then, I’m not interested. I’d rather focus my time and energy on real-life issues; issues that matter. But that’s just my opinion; my belief. And yet I don’t go around forcing this belief on others. That would be disrespectful, as disrespectful as playing Christmas music in the presence of non-Christians. Because that’s what Christmas music is: it’s Christian music; religious music. And I believe religion has no place in the workplace.
We live in a multicultural society, sharing this country with people of many different faiths, including those who choose to have no faith. For one religion to dominate the workplace, is discriminatory, and to some, including me, extremely offensive. I’m confident that if I forced a group of Christians to listen to Muslim religious music, or music with the message that there is no God, many of them would find it offensive too.
I would of course never do this. All I’m asking for is the same courtesy and respect. Your religion should be a personal, private affair. And you are free to worship whatever deity you want to in the privacy of your own home or church. But please, don’t force it on others. · Note: This may seem to some readers, in the grand scheme of things, like such a trivial matter. But to me it’s huge. I see it as just another example of one culture forcing its lifestyle, its values and its beliefs on everyone else. And history has shown us that this is never a good thing.
Dan Wilson is a Niagara resident and a contributor to Niagara At Large.
(Visit Niagara At Large at http://www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary of interest and concern to residents in our greater Niagara region.)
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Wow Dan, you better tip-toe on this subject. If you’re not a believer a lightning bolt will strike you down! At least ,that’s what people will have you think.
Now that other groups have managed to get some respectability, such as the queer community, people need someone else to persecute and look down upon. Just human nature I suppose, so atheists and agnostics will be next.
On CNN an interviewer asked a gay man (who was kicked out as his son’s boy scout leader on the grounds that “the scouts do not allow homosexual or atheist leaders”) how he liked being equated with ATHEISTS! Oh dear, what an awful fate.
Your opinion on religion as a source of dissension and means of control are certainly shared by me. Surely we’ll get backlash from expressing this. If you dare suggest you are a non believer people get all over you like a cheap suit and try to evangalize you. This irritates me no end because I do not try to de-evangalize them. If they want to believe – great, I’m happy for them and respect that, live and let live. I’m sure religion gives them comfort.
I agree with a wise ex-Muslim lady I heard once who said to a Muslim cleric in a debate – “You can worship stones if you wish, just don’t throw them at me”. After he threatened to call her an infidel – oh, my gracious – she said that was fine with her and you could see his source of control over her was completely taken away and he was totally deflated. It was laughable.
I feel that as soon as you have a strong religious belief, especially radical, there is an immediate source of conflict because, if I am right, you must be wrong and in many cases, such folks actually feel superior. Organized religion has strayed so far from the words of the great “religious” teachers as to be no longer recognizable and are often used for political and economic control. Religious beliefs may not always be the direct source of world problems but are often used as leverage by unscrupulous leaders. Can you imagine a US president being elected if he/she declared themselves an atheist? Fat chance.
Religion or a lack of it does not make you a good person. If you live a good life and have ethics, that is what is important. One can be very spiritual, sometimes moreso, without the threat of perdition hanging over one’s head.
Why should we waste our lives worrying about dying? Live for today. I do not like an institution that keeps you in fear because you are going to die some day. We will all die so get over it and live with that in mind. If we go somewhere we will find out then, if not, who cares?
I do not mind Christmas music because I can turn it off if I want to and I actually don’t mind some of it though not for weeks so I guess I’m not as adamant in that regard. Religion has contributed to music, art, music and architecture and some of the grass roots religious have been very charitable. Having said that, many secular institutions and individuals have done the same.
I agree with Deepak Chopra who said that he prefers to associate with those who feel they do not have all the answers rather than those who think do. At least they are thinking for themselves and not told what to think. What is wrong with that?
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Thank You – Linda and Dan for your very relative wisdom.
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Very well said (or written) Linda. Religion is a tool, and like any tool, can be used for good or bad. Likewise, many good people use religious organizations to do good deeds, but this does not mean that you can’t do good without religion. Some people, like my mother, would disagree with this statement though. She says the devil’s in me for thinking such things. That’s usually when I poke her with my pitchfork. 🙂
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I’ve mislaid my pitchfork so I just use a pointy stick!
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Dan, it seems to me that you’ve missed one of the truly Good Deeds of religion -in this case Christianity- MUSIC !!!
Why not just sit back and enjoy the Glorious music that has been inspired and created by two millennia of the re-telling and re-invention of the story of how and why Jesus came to Earth? If nothing else came of his short 33-year life, what a great gift, eh? Music to uplift our Spirit.
If the theology of the sometimes contradictory lyrics bother you, just pretend that the voices are instruments in the orchestra of Life.
The Christmas season is short. Just like Life, enjoy the Benefits and avoid the ‘Bah, humbug’.
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Didn’t John Lennon and the Beatles write some Christmas music? Maybe you want to think twice about aligning yourself with such a heathen??
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Now THAT’s the spirit! More like the prejudiced response I was expecting. Did I say you were not entitled to your religious beliefs? Absolutely not!You of course are absolutely right so I must be wrong. Thank you for proving my point. The religious cannot stand to see someone disagree with them. And a Merry Christmas to you.
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P.S. Paul-Rather than just making a blanket statement, would you care to give your analysis of my statements piece by piece? Do not cherry pick but rather respond to each and every sentence! I did not denigrate religion per se, only the way some people use it and I really doubt you could totally deny everything I said.
The definition of a bigot is – “someone obstinately and intolerantly devoted to his/her own beliefs”. I feel this does not apply to me because I am willing to discuss other’s opinions without blanket condemnation. I granted the good things about religion did I not? Did I intolerantly state people do not have a right to their beliefs? Nowhere did I call anyone by a term meant to be derogatory as you did by using “heathen” or imply that I should think twice (I suppose for fear of my mortal soul). Does this mean you’re perhaps a bigot?
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Sorry Linda, you must be confused…unless Linda is an alias for Dan and you wrote the original article. I did not see anything in your responses making any mention to John Lennon. So, why on earth would you feel the comment was directed to you? I for one am not a firm believer in Jesus or God. I do, however believe in a high being that set the universe in motion. From there, we have all evolved to be the toilet bowl of a society we have become. Although Christmas is directly associated with the birth of Jesus, I do not reference/associate it in that way. For me, it is more about the feeling or “spirit”, if you will. When you were a child was Christmas celebrated in your household? It was in mine, along with many others. It is a feeling of joy and thankfulness for good friends, family and a special closeness to those that I experience at this time of year. Christmas music is simply one of those things we experience at this time of year. It is something that helps instill the “spirit” in many. And yes it can get extremely annoying the closer we get to the big day but I would certainly not complain about it to this extent, especially when most others are enjoying it! Obviously, Dan has no interest in making friends in the workplace. To raise such a fuss over something like this when in all reality you would be more likely to win the lottery than to hear a Christmas song on the radio referencing any type of religion. It is due to people like Dan that most (if any) stations would have the stones to play something referencing religion. While I completely agree that North America has become a very diverse continent, may I remind you that it IS a Christian continent. Yes, anyone has the right to celebrate their beliefs in any which way they choose but do not object to the way we celebrate.
Here is a very small piece of what Christmas means to me…children!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!
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“Aligning yourself with a heathen” regardless of who it was directed at was my objection. You have no right to call someone a heathen. It was used with derogatory implications. Rather than explain your reasoning, you just resorted to name calling.
I celebrate Christmas as a time to get together and also celebrate any other occasion that does the same. I do not particularly object to Christmas music nor to religion although I am not religious. I do not think people should call anyone names however.
Unfortunately, as you stated, North America is Christian (for now), Saudi Arabia is a Muslim nation, Israel is Jewish and so on. Religion does not belong in the realm of law and government. It is divisive and intrusive. If churches want to lobby as they do in government they should begin to pay their share of taxes. Religion should be personal and not public.
“Heathens” can be just as good people and as ethical as anyone whereas religious people can be self righteous and bigoted.
I don’t particularly feel Lennon was a heathen either and, even if he was, in his later life he was an advocate for peace and love. Isn’t that what Christmas is about?
I am not as adamant as Dan but I do believe nations should be secular and, as such, are more progressive. Many nationalities in our country celebrate their heritages and most of the rest of us join in the celebrations but they do not try (or should not try) to force them on others. Some religions do and it is annoying.
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Ahh, confused again I think Linda? I was not calling anyone names, merely stating that for Dan to go to the extent of complaining (about Frosty and Jingle Bells nonetheless) to the extent where it is ‘banned’ from his workplace and then quotes an individual who actually put out a Christmas album, is utter nonesense.
I completely agree that religion has no place in ‘the realm of law and goverenment’, we’re talking about the workplace here. A place where people spend a good portion of their lives. If listening to Christmas music at this time of year; not much more than 2-3 weeks out of the year, helps people get through their mindless job then why would one want to come between that? I’ll tell you why Linda (and here’s where the name calling comes in) – it’s because Dan’s a DICK!! I mean really, to use the reason that it’s due to it’s religious content is pure bullsnapper!! When’s the last time you heard a religious christmas song on the radio? Maybe you have? In all reality, there may be 1 out of 20. And, is it REALLY that offensive? Maybe Dan needs to spend more time focusing on his job rather than what he can do to bring his co-workers down? Just a thought? I grow tired of referring to and discussing this issue as a religious one because it’s really not. It’s plain and simple – Dan is a shit disturber and karma can be a son of a bitch. P.S. not at all a threat (for those that may interpret it as such)
It’s been nice debating with you Linda but too much time of my life has already been wasted over this ——-wait for it———cockroach.
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I don’t view Christmas as religious. In fact, it has Pagan origins. So, if people want to listen to Christmas music and celebrate, that’s fine. All the fuss and muss about Merry Christmas v Happy Holidays … all I can say is Hallejulah!
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