A Roman Catholic by birth I left the church in high school when I couldn’t reconcile the horrors in the world, and the apparent priest pedophile cover-up , to the riches of the Vatican. However this cleric has it right.
According to the Telegraph in Disney accused by Catholic cleric of corrupting children’s minds.
Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the corporation of “exploiting spirituality” to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site. He argues that it pretends to provide stories with a moral message, but has actually helped to create a more materialistic culture.
In a guide to helping people find happiness, the abbot, who starred in the hit-BBC series The Monastery, warns that society is in danger of losing its soul because of growing consumerism and the decline of religion.
Considering the small piece of the soul chipped off this past Black Friday when a thunderous herd of miscreants trampled to death a Walmart worker, and despite the fact this herd might not have been after the Disney Princess, I think he’s on to something.
God knows — so they say— how long Disney has been peddling the good against evil theme while making millions off their movie themed gotta have toys.
Take if from someone who never saw “the toy of the day” appear under the Christmas tree, there will be no long term detrimental affects on your child’s health, no psychological damage done. As a parent you’d be wise to consider the fool you are to fall into the Disney trap, or any of the thousands of similar traps, being set for you and your offspring this season.
Our Christmas is very small, but it’s hard to keep it in perspective sometimes. Harder still to think of how to keep our son from catching the I want bug.
It’s easy with a kindergartner, books and a couple toys. We decided at a long time ago we’d spend our time off during the holiday doing fun things. It’s worked so far.
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I think you have the right idea Jacob, doing things instead of shopping for things.
Odd that I would post on a former Mouseteer, Britney Spears, while you are posting logically on the decline of the America Empire via consumerism and immorality.
Nice.
I never got the best toys. Best Christmas was 1979. I got a football, tee and a baseball mit. Got a “santa” letter from my Grandparents. And it snowed in Tennessee to the tune of 10 inches and I didn’t go school before that big holiday. Life was nice at 7, even when my dad wasn’t cool.
How’d T-day go?
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My family weren’t big gifter’s. We did have everything we needed but rarely got things we requested. I know people who spend several hours opening presents on Christmas morning. Never made much sense to me.
T- Day was nice, as T days go.
It has (or every older generation feels it) that Christmas is just an excuse to spend money on people, whether they need things or not.
But no one of stature wants to undermind that philosophy since US Economics now turns on whether Bobby/Betty Sue gets a Nintendo, I-Phone, shiny thing-a-ma-gig to make those China exports keep on a risin’.
I’ve made gifts since I’ve been out. Booklets, CDs of songs, stuff like that.
As it turns out, we better start making things again or else, they’ll be little Merry about this country…
Jason P.’s last blog post..Pop Culture: Britney Spears turns 27, a Decade of Decadence
We were slight on gifts, but spent Christmas Eve reciting “A Visit from Saint Nicholas”( The Night Before Christmas), going to church and eating lots of food.
We had a tree, some lights outside, worked at the Christmas dinner at the shelter downtown serving food and cleaning up, mostly cleaning up. Then the whole family went to a Christmas Night movie. I loved that Christmas night movie.
Minus church, that is a tradition I’m planning on keeping.
Much like yours.
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We did much the same. We often had a house full of people though Tasmania was popular as a Christmas vacation spot. lol
Thanks to xmas, I’ve always hated underwear and socks (although I do wear both). It’s a trait passed on to the youngest (I often have to check to make sure he’s wearing his underoos to school).
I no longer get undies and socks for xmas. Which means I now have to go out and buy my own. For some reason, the clerk who rings me up is always… a female. Gah! Be careful what you wish for.
Could be worse, I know.
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Well, I’m not getting you socks and underwear.
Dogs make nice gifts.
I have 5 siblings there wasn’t a lot of excess. There are countless parents who have nothing to give their kids but things so they give things, and they end up with “thing lovers”.
Why do ya think Walmart had the stampede
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I know so many people already acting insane about their holiday shopping. It just seems like such a waste of time. Jut think how many people you know are more enthralled by what they have than anything else though. I imagine it’s quite a few.
I was thinking about this post last night. I have never understood Christmas–the crazed buying and all that. Something else I have never understood and don’t feel comfortable posting about (god knows why–I used to be fearless).
I see bloggers talking about giving less gifts and adopting families to give them gifts. I have always believed that if people are in true need and you’re in a fortunate enough position to help you just do and don’t talk about it. You dont’ wait until December and that’s the part I really don’t get
Do you tell a person or family in need (not you the blogger formerly known as Alice) “sorry I don’t help in April. Tax time.” “Sorry it’s birthday summer.” “Sorry it’s September or January etc”
Instead of bothering me less and less through the years as most things tend to do, it bothers me more
We’re going to be going through very bad times (I hope I’m wrong) and people will need help all the time
I understand somebody like Bill Gates waiting until he was super rich to begin his foundation–but for the great middle it’s different
I know this is off topic but when has that ever stopped me before?
And I was given great presents as a child but if I cut the hair off the first high fashion doll I wasn’t given a new one despite my tears, begging and even having the mumps. Can’t see most parents now not giving in even if they don’t have the money. I do think great lessons are lost in that.
What I remember more about my parents is the time they spent with me. My father promised I could see a certain movie no matter what time at night it came on. He thought it would be the late show (11:30 PM) on a school night. It was on the late late show (2 AM Christmas vacation) He woke me up to watch it, and watched it with me–being self employed he could sleep late the next morning and never got up until 9:30 anyway
Things like that make great memories–not having every American Girl doll etc
Do I have to fix my feed finally”
You are right on that pia. We always did and never talked, and to this day that is the case. I like to suggest others do things for other or so one, but I don’t talk, at least not often that I can remember, about the women I support monthly or whatever unless I’m trying to get others to do it as well.
I think the doing is lost among all the giving. Knowing people who spend hours weeks and days shopping for gifts and hours opening gifts it’s just amazing to me we are not already wiped off the earth for our imbecility, selfishness and stupidity.
I used to like it when people would come visit us in Tasmania at the holiday, I enjoyed watching the adults sit around and imbibe, talk and argue politics. I enjoyed taking off to museums or in some cases traveling back here to see relatives. I remember the lights. I never remember the gifts.
Wow, that’s interesting. That cleric is more than a little far-fetched, if you ask me. I can see how there may be some validity in his claims though. I always thought — and still think — that it’s Barbies that mess up little girls’ minds. I will definitely not be buying any of those for my kids one day.
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I think he is pretty close in his assessment of things, though Disney is not the target for me.For me it is any corporation marketing junk to people who otherwise wouldn’t want it, and it’s also the fools who buy into it - most of us at some time or another.
Anyone who doesn’t believe in rushing the capitalist super warehouse lines to buy the toy of the day is obviously not a “good,” reasonable,” “serious,” and extremely “patriotic” American. Consumer confidence, i.e., spending money, is the most “patriotic” thing a person can do during time of war. Not to mention this whole thing can easily be viewed as an accessory to Bill O’Reilly’s War on Christmas!!!! ;)
‘Tis better to rush toy lines and go to Disney than find WMD.
Chris’s last blog post..The Slow Sludge of Reality
Disney does have some nice family movies, unrealistic but good for small kids.
We seldom need anything people try to sell us, but advertisement is in front of us almost 24./7.
We do one gift and a stocking, eat pork roasts, and drink a lot of wine. That is our family Christmas in a nutshell.
I like to shop but more for entertainment.
kaitlyn’s last blog post..Holiday Dressing