Thanksgetting

Why no uproar about changing the name of Thanksgiving?

It has become fashionable in the last few years to eradicate any spiritual connections to Halloween and Christmas. Why not Thanksgiving?

The holiday is most certainly connected to the pilgrims, who were most certainly Christians who had fled from the church of England to pursue their own form of Christianity. http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/story.htm

I guess it is because the word “Thanksgiving” does not contain the word “Christ, or does not openly celebrate witches and demons. People who are not Christians can find all sorts of things to be thankful for without attributing them to God, or a god. People celebrate Christmas in a purely secular way as well. Even Christians put on all the trappings of a secular celebration when they put up a “holiday” tree and give worldly gifts to each other. Yes, the magi came bearing gifts. But the whole tree thing is a direct rip off from north European medieval pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Santa Claus was a marketing gimmick by Macy’s department stores stolen from the legend of a European rich guy who gave gifts of food to the poor. http://www.the-north-pole.com/history/ (only one of many google search hits)

For that matter, why is Hanukah or any other non-Christian holiday not coming under the microscope of secular consternation?

I propose we change Thanksgiving to Thanksgetting. In this way we are more truly celebrating the pervasive attitude of society that it is better to get than to receive. Oh, no, most people would never openly admit that they would rather get than to give, especially during the X-mas season. (even calling Christmas "X-mas" has been around long before the current furor over making Dec. 25th solely a day of sharing, caring and keeping the economy stable)

But it is true. In our self centered world where self discovery, self as god, self as, well self, we give lip service to the warm fuzzy feeling we get ( see, WE GET) of giving to others, but inwardly are more concerned about what we will get from giving. I count myself in on this attitude. I too often think of what’s in it for me when making decisions. Even if I am giving money to a charity, or working with the homeless (which I keep meaning to do someday), my major motivation is how good it will make me feel. I cannot remember any specific instance where I have done something totally out of the goodness of my heart (see, there is the word “my” again) and not expected something in return.

Well, there is one thing that I did out of my compassion for another being where I knew I was doing it solely for the benefit of the givee and not to make me feel better. In fact I knew I would feel worse after doing it. I had to make the decision today to have my 13 year companion put to sleep. Yes, my cat. I could have kept her around for another few weeks, but it would have been for my comfort of putting off negative emotions and not her comfort of dying without suffering. she was too good of a friend to ask her to do that just so I could put off feeling sad

I am not asking for, or taking any “good for you”, or “you did the right thing” commiserations from my friends. It was not good for me, but I did do the right thing. So, I am pleased even through my tears. That is why I am a Christian. Because Jesus had it right. When we do the right thing, even suffer for it, we are actually relieved, even pleased. That could sound selfish as well ie: To know that we would eventually feel good about making a decision that would make us suffer first.

There is no end to that circular argument, and I am not going to go looking for one. I am just going to rest easy knowing that God is so smart and loving that he gives us warm fuzzzies for giving selflessly even if it hurts.

It is His way of saying thanks for giving.

A Robservation 11-23-05