Disgruntled Christians would do better to seek common cause with anyone else, including thoughtful atheists, who wants Christmas to stand for more than just shopping and gorging. If they did so, they would see that a good atheist Christmas looks a lot like a good Christian one. The distasteful consumerism of Christmas today is simply an excess of a laudable desire to put extra resources into a once-a-year coming together. Much of the value of Christmas is the same for anyone, irrespective of religious faith, or lack of it. A Short History of Truth: Consolations for a Post-Truth World by Julian Baggini is published by Quercus at £9.99.

Source: The Guardian December 24, 2017 06:01 UTC