Would atheism destroy the economy?

[Cartoonist]

Now that the holiday shopping season has officially begun, here's a purely hypothetical question.

Suppose everyone accepted reality and no longer believed in myths. What happens then? Retail is over reliant on Xmas. Could it survive without it?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. We'd find another winter holiday.

[Cartoonist]

4. Sounds too easy

We already have the real reason for the season, the solstice. I don't see much promotion of that. Certainly not from retail.

[rurallib]

10. Believe me, the merchandisers would have huge campaigns for the solstice or

Saturnalia or whatever to get folks to shop. It would only take a couple years to take hold.

Look at Single's Day in China - that is now the biggest single shopping day in the world.

[Major Nikon]

19. Just like religion did

[Brainstormy]

2. we're atheists

who still put up a tree and buy gifts for kids only and gather for holiday meal. Our skeptics group also has an annual party with a Festivus gift exchange. We'd spend exactly the same. It wouldn't change a thing for us if the whole world went rational.

[marylandblue]

3. Yes, we would survive without it

The tradition of a holiday around the winter solstice long predates Christianity. The long cold nights are boring and depressing, so it's a great time to party. So we'd still keep the tradition without the religious content. A lot of families have already made this transition.

[Corvo Bianco]

5. Huh? Capitalism has nothing to do with babe Jesus or Neptune

Atheists can spend with the best of them! Just slap an organic label on everything no biggie

[Butterflylady]

6. Was santa a figure in the bible?

No, so the answer to the question is yes. We would still celebrate.

[Cartoonist]

7. Santa is the greatest religious figure ever.

He gives and asks us for nothing except to be nice, not naughty. But he's only a prop to sell Jesus to the kids.

[bitterross]

28. Santa is a prop for retailers, not Jesus

I have to disagree with the thought of Santa being the greatest religious figure ever. Unless you mean for the religion of greed and self. In that case, you'd be dead on.

[HopeAgain]

8. Consumerism IS the American religion

The devotion to consumer purchasing is much greater than the devotion to any diety.

[Cartoonist]

9. Where's the Focus?

Spreading out the shopping kind of waters it down. You need certain occasions to buy gifts for. Nothing beats Xmas.

[HopeAgain]

11. Mother's day, Father's day, birthdays...

Americans would find ways to continue amass consumer stuff. That's what we do, Christmas would quickly be replaced with other reasons to buy, buy, buy.

[Cartoonist]

14. We already have those

None of them is comparable.

[HopeAgain]

15. But is Christmas gift giving part of Christianity?

My belief is Americans are conditioned to spend too much of their income on "stuff" and if they didn't have Christmas, they would still spend it sometime else for something else.

Black Friday sales could be replaced by labor day sales and so on. I think the encouragement to spend has less to do with Religion, more to do with attitudes, nand may even be a replacement for a sense of satisfaction that some gain through spirituality.

Personally, I think an economy based upon consumer spending and excessive ownership of consumer goods is not a good economy, so the lack of Christmas spending would probably be a good thing if it did indeed make a difference.

[Hav]

12. It has become a tradition

and I'd bet for many it's an event where you don't spend much time thinking about the religious context. Why else would it be such a commercialized event?
I'm an atheist and it was always celebrated in the family. No one wasted a thought on religion. For some it's just a time to exchange gifts and come together.

[msongs]

13. religious propaganda blasting from every public place speaker - shades of 1984

the mall plays not just chestnuts on a fire but you have to have jesus or else

[Iggo]

16. No. The economy would embrace atheism.

[Mariana]

17. I don't think so.

What really happens is that people decide to buy stuff, and they put it off waiting for Xmas. If they didn't celebrate Xmas, most of them would still buy the stuff.

[MineralMan]

18. I wouldn't think so.

However, I think the likelihood of atheism becoming all that prevalent is near zero, so it probably doesn't matter, really.

[Nitram]

20. Capitalism knows how to tap into our insecurities and desires. If it isn't Christmas, it will be

a different holiday around the same time of year.

[The Genealogist]

21. No, it wouldn't

I think the results of vast quantities of money being spent during religious holiday seasons would just be spent at other holiday seasons. I am not sure what seasons they would be, but I am certain ad people and manufacturers would find some way to separate a nation full of atheists from their money in the name of a widely-recognized holiday.

[guillaumeb]

22. Is atheism incompatible with capitalism?

No.

[edhopper]

23. How do you figure that?

[guillaumeb]

29. Capitalism depends only on a love for money and control over others.

And that is a universal human condition.

[edhopper]

24. Festivus!

For the rest of us!!

[qazplm135]

25. Thanksgiving would merge with Christmas

(which with Black Friday, it's pretty much already doing).

[GemDigger]

26. The only things I think it would hurt are the churches and Christian stores.

It might make a little ding on the employment/unemployment line but the rest of the world would go on like they have been doing.

[liberal N proud]

27. Black Friday

Black Friday traditionally marks the time of year when retailers recognize their books being in the Black.
Black Friday sales were a celebration of this event but have become a boost to their sales. Black Friday is not tied to holiday shopping. My guess the only part of the economy that would suffer is the selling of religious stuff.