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Christianity in america essay
Introduction and response to christianity in the U.S
Introduction and response to christianity in the U.S
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One can almost cut through the irony of hearing Bing Crosby sing “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” on the radio when the temperature is sixty and the first frost of winter is still weeks away. As citizens of the United States in this day and age, people are most likely all too accustomed with this typical rush promoted between important festivities. It’s exclusively about generating maximum revenue for the large corporations as frantic shoppers attempt to assuage their stress through hour upon hour of incessant shopping; arising in our society today, an important question of whether or not this avaricious behavior communicates total loss of understanding as to what the true meaning of the season represents. In my opinion, some of the more important holidays, specifically Christmas as aforementioned, have lost their intended value, becoming nothing more than a commercialized attempt to expand materialism, a direct result of the blackened sentiment of America.
First of all, come the time of year, shopping places the traditional ideas of respecting one another and putting others first on the backburner, the swiping of the credit card the most significant action that can be demonstrated. In a Long-Island Wal-Mart on Black Friday a few years back, one worker was killed by a mob of frenzied shoppers while four others, including a woman eight months into her pregnancy, were injured (“Worker Dies”). I detest the idea that an object of monetary value is worth inflicting bodily harm or even more severe, death, over. A famous scripture verse in the Gospel of Matthew states that “one should love thy neighbor as thyself”, yet, in the twenty-first century, we seem to flood our minds with nothing more than our own selfish agendas...
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Christmas has consumed itself. At its conception, it was a fine idea, and I imagine that at one point its execution worked very much as it was intended to. These days, however, its meaning has been perverted; its true purpose ignored and replaced with a purpose imagined by those who merely go through the motions, without actually knowing why they do so.
...hat their practices, while profitable, are socially irresponsible and do not follow or respect cultural and humanistic behavior. If the population becomes aware of unfair business practices and if boycotts and government intervention were to occur, then the business would suffer in the long term. A revolution against the retailer could result in a downward spiral just as quickly as it rose to the top. This lesson learned recently by Paula Dean who lost her empire and is currently in seclusion. We can show compassion for the worker and still turn a profit. We will build a business model based on this premise. We encourage entrepreneurship and will prove our model to be more profitable with a workforce that is behind the process. Costco is a good example of this practice as they pay their workers relatively well and they even lobbied for a higher minimum wage.
Within the few weeks that composed the busiest shopping time of the year, customers were able to diminish my joy for the holiday season. My first anti-holiday experience occurred when I was learning how to run the registers. At this time, I was also learning that parents tend to feel a great need to please their children by purchasing the trendiest toys and by spending hundreds of dollars on Christmas presents. One such “guest,” as we are encouraged to refer to customers, a thin woman with fluffed brown hair, came through my lane with a cart full of toys.
Charles dickens classic novella “A Christmas Carol” endorses the notion that “Generosity involves more than the giving of money, it’s also about the giving of one's goodwill, compassion, sympathy, empathy and kindness. By taking his seemingly irredeemable protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge on a supernatural journey, Dickens’ intends to convey to all of society the importance of generosity. He proclaims that generosity of the spirit defines Christmas, and goes a large way towards defining true humanity for him as well.
Shining lights, tasty treats, family coming in and pinching children's cheeks, the joy of gifts and the thrill of giving -- all these things are what can be expected during the holiday seasons. Grandma is cooking in the kitchen as you are sitting on the floor and staring inquisitively at the mesmerizing tree. Only one thing, though, is truly on your young mind, the multicolored themed wrapped up boxes beneath its dark pine branches. You think back to the other holidays where you received prizes and were allowed freedom. Like that one Halloween the first time you went as a makeshift sheet ghost. Appreciating the cool autumn air as it lead you into the night then greeting every welcoming person with a candy bowl with "trick or treat"! Possibly even reliving that one fateful February day where your first crush snuck you a chocolate kiss and a bright red card entailing the cliché poem involving violets and roses. You never question the origin of these days and yet you still reveled in the fun. Holidays show the truth behind what humans may think as sacred, traditional and what is important to their natural culture and life styles. Holidays also give people the opportunity to "blow off steam" and have something to look forward to in the simplistic patterns of living in a routine daily life. Holidays are shown as major rites and customary influences of ritualistic comfort throughout having annual celebrations. However, beneath the veneer of fun and celebrations these holidays , Valentines Day, Halloween, and Christmas, lies a sinister history that needs explored.
Ah Christmas, it is said to be the most wonderful time of the year. In the United States Christmas is a time of giving and receiving, spending time with your family, and in most Christian families, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is hands-down the most highly commercialized holiday celebrated by Americans. In fact, according to CBS news, the average American will spend $700 on gifts this holiday season, totaling for a whopping $465 billion spent nation-wide. From mall Santas as far as the eye can see, to hearing Christmas music in every retail store you enter. Christmas is a time of high spirits and high spending in the U.S.
Holden, from The Catcher in the Rye, is used to question Christmas which is thought of as a holy, peaceful and religious holiday, however, modern society has twisted
The aisles of grocery stores are chock-full of a wide variety of everyday products: produce, meat, laundry detergent, candles, socks, tooth paste, and so on. American citizens’ lives vary as widely as the products in a grocery store, but one aspect that remains the same is the need for basic household items. These residents gather at humble stores every single day in search of products and unknowingly cross paths with each other. Let’s take a look at what the shoppers and employees at an average grocery store in America might look like.
Americans that support Black Friday have this me-first attitude unconsciously portraying a narcissist mindset towards bargains and sells. They go into stores lined up for days willing to compete for the greater sale amongst thousands of other costumers and retailers that support this chaos annually because they gain the majority of their profits during the holiday season. Anne Norton states in her essay “The Signs of Shopping” that, “Shoppers who look, as most shoppers do, for bargains, and salespeople who warn shoppers of impending sales, see choices between commodities as something other than the evidence and the exercise of freedom. They see covert direction and exploitation; they see the withholding of information and the manipulation of knowledge.” (Norton
Christmas, a federal holiday since the year 1870; The name “Christmas” derives from Old English Christes maesse, meaning “Christ’s mass.” It has been my favorite holiday since before I can remember. I love the delicious food, the various presents under the tree, and of course, spending time with my family. The holiday celebrations at the Rogers house meant more when the majority of us were still young. Now, we are older, and all have to work, Christmas is the only holiday we get to spend together. Much like, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, she writes about a tradition that she wants to continue, just like I wish to continue a lifelong Christmas tradition.
O'Donnell, Jayne. "Retailers' Troubles Ripple across USA." USA Today n.d.: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Kucera, Barb. "Wal-Mart Has Perfected the Art of Union-Busting." Workday Minnesota. N.p., 26 Oct. 2008. Web.