Roy Bailey wrote in news:$ysl6uF1
:

In answer to your question - no, you are not.

I'm an atheist, so the religious message of Christmas is irrelevant to
me.

I am not mercenary, so the crass commercialism of Christmas and its
encouragement of acquisitiveness in children is repugnant to me.

What really annoys me about the whole charade is that it starts around
August and gets worse. People do things in the name of Christmas which
would (or should) result in them being sectioned at any other time.
Wearing a Santa hat should be made a capital offence! You cannot switch
on a TV or radio, or open a newspaper or magazine, without having the
whole business thrust down your throat. Yet by Boxing Day or the day
after it is forgotten; it is as if it had never existed. Until next
August, of course!

I agree that we should have a celebration of the turn of the year when
the days start getting longer (21 Dec) and eat and drink well to keep up
our spirits and keep us warm, but I wish people would keep a sense of
proportion.

Roy (who lists Ebenezer Scrooge as one of his heroes!)

I agree with most of your arguements, and they are sound.
I am not an atheist but I feel personally a fraud to celebrate any
religious festivals for the reason that I don't support my church as I
should if I were to participate in its events.

A good example of what I am ranting about is "Hatch Match Dispatch" and in
between most of us never visit the church.

I can't find the correct word for it but hypocrisy will do for me in the
meantime.

Baz