Secular Appropriation of Religion

[alixtii]

This post (on the "Non-Christian's Christmas") linked by metafandom (to be linked? I follow the del.icio.us account) is making me think, as posts so linked are liable to do. I'm on the record as being in favor of secular appropriation of religious holidays, while being uncomfortable with the Christocentricism at work in the way secular Western society actually works in appropriating religious holidays. (Which makes my thoughts about something like yuletide very complicated.) I am in favor of said appropriation for three main reasons:

1.) I do not believe that there is any such thing as a "core truth" to any religion, and thus the breaking apart of ritual from the oppressiveness of doctrine is viewed by me as an overall beneficial shift.

2.) I believe the secular forms of religious holidays are rich cultural forms that have merit in their own right.

3.) I believe, as a Christian, that the Holy Spirit works in complicated and mysterious ways. 

I know, however, that there are people on my flist who quite strongly dislike said appropriation, at least some from a sense that the resulting cultural forms are somehow inauthentic. Y/N?

Comments

[lanair.livejournal.com]

Hmm I think it would be weird to celebrate something like Christmas without including a reference of Christ (unless you called it plain "mas" or something). =D

2.) I believe the secular forms of religious holidays are rich cultural forms that have merit in their own right

First of all, how much culture is found in these religious holidays that they could stand alone? Then, didn't the culture arise because of the religion. Wouldn't divorcing one from the other make the cultural aspect worthless?

After all, we do have secular holidays (like that President's Day thing and Thanksgiving). Why not leave those secular, and keep the religious holidays to commemorate religious events?

For the record, the commercialization/de-religionization of holidays like Christmas and Pascha annoy me... but if you wanna do something about the other holidays, like Hannukah, I wouldn't mind (c'mon, how cool would it be to have a guy dress up in a rabbi suit, sit under a big menorah in the mall, and give out presents). ;)

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

First of all, how much culture is found in these religious holidays that they could stand alone?

I don't know how to quantitate.

Then, didn't the culture arise because of the religion.

They seem to be in some type of causal relation.

Wouldn't divorcing one from the other make the cultural aspect worthless?

I don't see why it should.