Customer Reviews

Trouble with Christmas

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Santa Claus and his reindeer, Christmas trees and cards, exchanging presents and so on and on. It is good to have in one place a history of all of these diverse elements of the Christmas tradition. Tom Flynn covers a lot of ground and he writes well so this is a fun book to read.

The book is even better in presenting the argument against the holiday and describing the "Trouble With Christmas." He demoans the arrogance of adopting a holiday of one religion as a secular holiday in a country that is home to people who have many different religions.

Last week when I was watching television I saw the ad the Hallmark Company ran urging people to buy their Christmas tree ornaments. And as I write this review the middle of August has not even come so I know the Christmas season will be in full swing soon. I suggest to others that indeed it is not too early to start preparing for the Christmas season by getting this book.

The author presents a good case for having a Christmas free end of the year.

Just as the old ad slogan goes, You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Levy's Rye Bread . . . I say: You don't have to be atheist to enjoy this wonderful diatribe against the hokum that had grown clogged and weedy around what was once a simple, reflective religious day of remembrance. Christians are enriched by reading of the non-Christian origins of modern Christmas customs. I for one am fed up with the glut of consumerism that has buried the holiday and if Flynn served only as a whistleblower to the holiday's excess, this book would be good enough. But Flynn also writes from the atheists point of view, an amiable atheist at that, and he has this practicing Catholic on his side as one who decries those condescing, oppressing people who poo-poo anyone who doesn't get all visions-of-sugarplumsy at the thought of Christmas. I read this year (2002) that Christmas is catching fire in China with nary a mention of Christ. They just dig the gift giving and the clown in the red suit and if Americans were more honest, we'd happily echo the words of Bart Simpson, who said something like: "Let's remember the true meaning of Christmas...the birthday of Santa Claus."

Flynn reminds us that our egotistical view of the holiday -- that it "our" Christmas was the way it always was -- is a myth. In just a blip of history ago, Christmas was a holy day and a humbler day. I long for a return in that direction, and Flynn's book refreshes my overview of the holiday. It consoles me that much of it is hogwash and that I oughtn't feel to glum about feeling glum about it.

Flynn's book "The Trouble with Christmas" is a very well-research and informative work that presents an intelligent investigation into the celebration of the Christmas holiday. Mr. Flynn is not a "bah, humbug" as the previous reviewer noted; he is a rational, intelligent individual who asks important questions about the yuletide holiday. His inquiry explores the supposed "historical" roots (pointing out that most of what we celebrate originated in the middle-to-late 1800's, not antiquity). He examines the origins of many xmas symbols (the yule log, Santa, the tree) and relays a wealth of information on about them.
Plus, he is sympathetic to those who may not be of Christian origin and asks his reader to consider what it must be like for say, a Jew or a Muslim or an atheist, to have to endure another's holiday and to have to endure scorn and negativity from those (probably like the previous reviewer) who cannot understand why everyone just doesn't celebrate Christmas too.

I really disliked this book, because Tom Flynn, who professes to be an atheist/secular/humanist, uses the veneer of other American religious affiliations (Islam, Judaism, Hinduism), to make his argument of why Christmas shouldn't be celebrated at all (even privately). Why would an atheist emphasize multicultural religious beliefs to make his argument?? Isn't a secular humanist suppose to regard all religions with the same critical thought?? I would suspect that the author is more "anti-Christian" and scrooge, than anti religion.

Another major fallacy is the author keeps on emphasizing America's "growing diversity" while completely overlooking that the vast majority of this growth is fueled by Catholic practicing Hispanics. Therefore, while America is getting more ethnically diverse, it doesn't mean that the dominant religious practices have changed. Not at all.

I thought this book would focus more on the governmental condoned part of Christmas (eg federal holiday, public displays, public schools), instead I got a got a spew of why the Winter Solstice shouldn't be celebrated, even though it is based on a true astronomical happening.

I'm an atheist myself, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the December holiday lights, decorations and parties, in what would otherwise be a dreary winter month. Mostly though, "The Trouble with Christmas" is poorly argued and not worth the read.

I couldn't believe how entertaining this book was. I was really just expecting a book full of putative facts, sleeping material. Not so! As cliche as it sounds: "I couldn't put the book down." I was really impressed with all of the resources that were used in compiling this book. One phrase that sticks in my head even after reading this was the "controversial," mantra : "Keep Christ in Christmas," to which he commented to the effect, "They were having a hard enough time keeping Christmas in the first place." I recommend this book to anyone who "insists" on putting up Christmas lights in the middle of October, and, "Mary Xmas!"

I enjoyed reading Tom Flynn's The Trouble With Christmas! He concisely debunks the myth of Jesus and all the cute little fairy tales invented by the writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Flynn also explains how Christmas was celebrated in the UK and the US many years ago and where modern Christmas pasttimes and decorations come from.

Next, we learn about where the story of Santa and Rudolph originated. He gives many references, most of them quite old, of psychologists and others who believe telling your children there's a Santa Claus is lying to children and not moral. The last segment of the book deals with how we should face Christmas today. I sincerely agree with his stance on keeping Christmas and all religious symbols out of public schools. Keeping trees, red bows, stockings, and other such paraphernalia in schools is a silent endorsement of Christianity, and this is inappropriate. I also think that the government and major corporations giving employees these days off is a silent endorsement of Christianity and should cease.

Flynn goes to work on Christmas and treats it as any other day, and I really admire him for doing this. He encourages other freethinkers to do this as well, and no doubt many more should. In the real world, however, many of us can't do this. Clients would be offended, even though we all know they shouldn't care whether or not a business they patronize doesn't believe a baby with magical powers was born on exactly the same day the Sun God was purportedly born. Mr. Flynn works for an atheist publication; his job by its very nature will not be in jeopardy because he doesn't buy in to silly superstitions.

I think we should, as in many instances, follow Richard Dawkins. He claims Christmas is a time when family and friends get time off together; they eat, drink, and exchange gifts. It has nothing to do with the Babe Born in a Manger. He says Merry Christmas to people too. I would love to be a polite curmudgeon and tell people no magic god was born at this season; that mangers and resurrections are as likely as flying reindeer. But as long as the majority of Americans are befuddled by the junk their parents taught them as children, we'll never be able to safely come out of the closet.

This is a wonderful book written from an atheistic point of view for Scrooges everywhere.It examines the roots of the holiday,how it came to be(quite recent by historical standards) and the problems it has caused.The outline is clear with the social,moral,ethical impacts examined.Not much is said about the economic burden it places on people but we all feel that impact quite readily in January.Do you like it?Betcha you don't.It looks at the religious aspects and how Catholics have made it into something it should never have been.Now it's a commercial tsunami we can't turn our backs on.Santa is explored as well,what a marketing strategy he turned out to be as well as the "traditions" we utilize as if they have been in use since time began from the yule log to the tree.All are window dressing designed to pick your pockets which they do.It seems we have about 6 people to thank for this mess who though not conspiratorily but individually brought a defunct, dull,uncelebrated day, the birth of Christ, back into vogue and have crippled much of society financially all for one day a year. But for all we do for our loved ones and especially our children we usually hear "Is that all I got".Trouble is, even the Bible can't get it right,Just read the gospels that describe the event and compare them closely,you'll see.Christmas is part fairytale part fluff and you spend until you bleed every year for nothing.Read it, it will make you take a closer look at a day that should not be what we've made it,legal robbery, offensive to those who wish to have no part of it and nothing whatsoever at least in its present form to do with the birth of a man named Jesus Christ.The book, nor do I feel that the holiday should be abolished, just celebrated in a more private, solomn way,and not made so public.Tuned down with less emphasis on spending and more emphasis on the reason for it in the first place, you know like the signs say "put Christ back in Christmas".I'm Catholic and I'm sick of it, all the phony crap every December. Read it, it will give you food for thought and hopefully will make you reassess your priorities, er, I mean Madison Avenues and Japans priorities on you.

Tom Flynn's collection of historical tidbits makes this a fascinating read. Unfortunately, he has an axe to grind and he sharpens it through a considerable portion of the book. He surmises that Christians should shun Christmas because of it's pagan roots, and that Americans should reject it because of its manufactured nostalgia. I agree that children should not be allowed to believe in Santa Claus, but to reject the holiday symbolism because of what it used to mean simply overlooks what it has come to mean to millions of people across the globe.

Why stop with Christmas? All holidays should be abolished. Life should be colorless and bland with nothing to look forward to. That way we can work more and produce more.

Honestly, why tell people, via this book, that they can't have a holiday? Christmas is what you want it to be, and it's different to different people. It constantly evolves. If some have no religion in their version, so be it. Winter festivals have a long history, so trying to rid the world of Christmas is a waste of time, and would only serve to make life more dull.