Christmas Debate Guide

From PhiloWiki

Contents 1 Tradition 2 Charity 3 The Public Square 4 Peace on Earth 5 References

Tradition

• What does the way we celebrate Christmas say about the way we relate to each other, our society and our values?
• Is it worth perpetuating the holiday season traditions? Can tradition and ritual work as ways of coming together?
• The tradition of sending Christmas cards performs a useful social function by keeping friends and family in touch. [Law, pp 34-44]
  • A. True. Christmas cards and the letters that come with them help keep people in touch with people you wouldn’t otherwise hear from in years, thus promoting better relationships with distant friends and relatives.
  • B. False. Christmas cards and their kitsch simply present a façade of faux-loveliness which hides the truth about our lives. It is not only escapist, but potentially dangerous. We might be tempted to deceive ourselves with this sentimentalized vision or our lives, and do nothing to improve them.
• Is Christmas just for Christians, or can non-Christians derive social and emotional value from celebrating it? Is there value in following Christmas related rituals without religious context?
• Is there a value to gift giving? Can it transcend mere consumerism, for instance by acting as an agent of social exchange and communication, establishing and maintaining social roles, or enhancing relationships?
• What should you do when Aunt Gertrude gives you a hideous tie? [Law, pp 12-15]
  • A. Follow Kant’s advice and tell the truth. The consequences of an action are irrelevant from a moral point of view. It is your moral duty not to lie, no matter the consequences.
  • B. Follow John Stuart Mill and the Consequentialists. First figure out what the likely outcome will be. Once you have calculated which course of action might lead the happiest result, you follow that course, even if it involves lying about the tie.
  • C. Decide that happiness through deceit is not worth having. Aunt Gertrude might prefer to know the truth. Since she enjoys giving gifts, she would want to know if you don’t like it, so that she could do something about it.
• Extra credit: Is regifting honorable? Is teaching kids about Santa Claus naughty or nice? What are some of the best gifts to give? Some of the worst?

Charity

• Are acts of charity ever selfless? Aren’t all acts of kindness so piously performed at Christmas really performed out of an ulterior motive? Deep down are we all Scrooge?
• Jesus said: "Sell whatever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven (Mk 10:21)" and "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kindom of Heaven (Mk 10:24-25)."
  • How much should we give to the poor? Some? All?
• Thought experiment: Imagine you have amassed a significant fortune. You put all of your wealth into an extremely rare vintage automobile, which you choose not to insure. One day you are driving it (carefully) through the mountains. You park it and hike the trails. At the top of a trail, you see a recent avalanche - with a large boulder on the brink of rolling down the mountain. Down one side of the mountain is a small family picnicking (out of earshot); down the other side is (of course) your automobile. The boulder is starting to roll - but if you push on it very hard, you may be able to influence which way it rolls.
  • Should you let the family get crushed to save your car? Or is that considered reprehensible? Why?
  • What if the boulder were to roll into a medical facility containing a vaccine that could help children in Africa (for instance) stave off disease? Which way would you let the boulder roll? Does it make a difference if the people are far away?
  • Wouldn't it be better to have never bought the car in the first place and put all the money into the development of vaccines that you knew would save at least some lives?

The Public Square

• What does Christmas mean in a secular society?
• As one of the few remaining common traditions, should Christmas be used by all, non-Christian as well as Christian, to bring us back together and give us a sense of community?
• Should atheists and polytheists protest "In God We Trust" on US currency? "Under God" in the pledge of allegiance?
• Should the first Muslim Congressman be required to swear an oath on the Bible instead of the Koran?
• The airport of Sea-Tac pulled down (and later put back up) 14 Christmas trees, rather than add a menorah under threat of a lawsuit from a rabbi. The airport stated that if they added a menorah, they would have to add any religious symbol. Were they correct in removing the trees? Was it right for the rabbi to threaten to sue?
• Are they Christmas trees or holiday trees?
• Is Hanukkah sufficiently emphasized over the holidays? What about Ramadan?

Peace on Earth

• What does "the meek shall inherit the Earth" mean? Is it true?
• "Peace on Earth and good will to men": What does this mean? Is this just a Christmas wish or should Christians practice this year round? Where does war fit it?
• One tenet of Christian living is to "turn the other cheek." Is this really a practical way to live? Should it be followed always?
• "The Christmas message is one of peace. But what does this mean? Should all Christians embrace pacifism and absolute non-violence? Many (...) believe that was can be and sometimes is justified. But can the philosophy os the 'just war' really be reconciled with religious belief? [Law, p 45]"

References

• Law, Stephen. The X-mas Files (London: Orion Books, 2004)