Shop less, share more

There's a growing voice of Christianity making the rounds this season called the Advent Conspiracy, Christians who are, supposedly shockingly, discouraging consumerism. I fail to see what is in the least shocking or conspiratorial about this.

Shop less, share---give---more is ALWAYS what I've been reminded to do, being taught early on that Jesus is the reason for the season. (Rhyming makes learning easier.) Yes, we received presents---lots of them!---and toured mall displays, sometimes the Museum of Science & Industry's Trees Around the World exhibit, along with driving around neighborhoods shamelessly wishing aloud, "I wished our house looked like that" or "Whoa look at the lights on that tree!" So what.

Stop running yourselves in debt on the pretext of celebrating Christmas

Although we always got gifts it was always slightly doubtful that we would; there remained the threat of adhering strictly to a churchy Christmas: hymns, Christmas play, and rounds of dinner. Sanctified but square...like Catholics. In retrospect I realize our parents were bluffing (I think) but as a child the prospect appeared anything but. And there was, naturally, no way to argue against the holy spirit of the holidays. Unlike beastly children today we knew it was incorrect to expect, as if our little asses were entitled, to receive more than a bag of fruit and nuts and socks or underwear. Swear to God.

Therefore, when I read in the Times article how the Advent Conspiracy founders, which, to be clear, have nothing to do with Seventh Day Adventists, resolved to embark on "a radical experiment" in which "they urged congregants to spend less on presents for friends and family, and to consider donating some of the money they saved as a result" I thought to myself, Radical? Huh? Radical is installing a menorah or goddamn Buddha piggy bank in a Christian house of worship, including those comically lame store-front churches. I don't shop from car trunks, visit alley way doctors or worship in what used to be porn cinemas or laundry mats. Tacky.

The Advent Conspiracy is launching the right message but there is nothing radical about it: Stop running yourselves in debt on the pretext of celebrating Christmas. Rather than fuss and bah-humbug the absences of "Merry Christmas" and Nativity displays be a stalwart follower or more altruistic human being and donate monies to charities and poor peoples. It would be a wiser and definitely more Christian use of one's pay checks than the greed, lust, envy vices perpetrated by retailers.

So if retailers report that consumerism was down this season, fine. What good is a Sony Playstation if the light bill ain't paid.