Study: Christmas Trees Hurt People's Feelings

Scientists, researchers, quacks - whatever you want to call them - some of them have too much time on their hands.

From The Telegraph [bold my comments]

Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada, found non-Christians feel less self-assured and have fewer positive feelings if a Christmas tree was in the room.

The scientists conducted the study using 77 Christians and 57 non-believers, including Buddhists and Sikhs.

The participants did not know the survey was about Christmas, and were asked to fill in questions about themselves both when a 12-inch Christmas tree was in the room and when it was not.

"Non-celebrators" reported fewer positive feelings and less self-assurance in the Christmas room. Christians were mostly cheered by the tree.

Christians, however, did report feeling more guilt when a tree was in the room, which, claim the researchers, suggests the holidays can be stressful.

Michael Schmitt, a social psychologist behind the research, decided to carry out the study after controversy over whether Christmas should be celebrated in public in case it offends non-Christians. [please do a study if the Call to Prayer is offensive to non-Muslims, please. Please?]

He said: "Simply having this 12-inch Christmas tree in the room with them made them feel less included in the university as a whole, which to me is a pretty powerful effect from one 12-inch Christmas tree in one psychology lab.

"I don't think it's really going to undermine anyone's experience of Christmas to tone it down.

"We're not suggesting 'no Christmas' or 'no Christmas displays at all,' but in contexts where we really do value respecting and including diversity in terms of religion, the safest option is not to have these kinds of displays. [so yes, he is suggesting no Christmas displays]

"I understand why it might feel threatening to people. [no, I don't think he does, actually]

"But I think if people do care about making a whole range of different kinds of people feel included and respected, then we can make some small changes that would go a long way toward creating a more multicultural or inclusive society."

I'm sorry, but the desire of folks such as this guy is not to create a more multicultural or inclusive society, but a less Christian one. I have no doubt about that at all.

Perhaps the scientist should take a look at Lk 12:51-52: "Do you think that I have come to give peace on Earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three;"

The point of Christmas, and of Christianity, is not to "feel" inclusive, or have high self-esteem or have positive feelings about oneself. And the point of living is not to make it to the end having offended the least amount of people by our religious beliefs or expressions thereof. Believe me, many Islamists have no qualms about expressing their faith - and Christians never ought to be uneasy about expressing our faith either.

The point of Christmas is to remember this: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son...not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." And as history has shown - lots of people are threatened by that, because it means having to repent from sin and turn away from selfishness; to admit we are sinners. And many many people don't want to do that - myself included, at times. That's part of the "division" Jesus spoke about - we have to separate ourselves from the world, and from the flesh, and from the devil if we profess to follow Him.

And apparently, something as innocuous as a Christmas tree, on some subconscious level, tugs at the souls of the people who feel excluded and uncomfortable. But the answer is not to do away with the public displays. Because there will always be signals and signs of Christ in the world - churches, cemeteries, bumper stickers, and more. Should those be done away with too, in the name of inclusiveness and multi-culturalism?

No, the answer is for those of us who claim to be Christian to be the living witnesses of Christ's love - to be the paradoxes of our age - so that others will be drawn to Christ through us, as we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. That is true inclusiveness.

Now - when will this scientist conduct a similar study, this time with a picture of an ayotollah or Muslim extremists on the wall?