"The decline of Christmas"

"OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN THE APPLE STORE: THE DECLINE OF CHRISTMAS AND THE LOOMING TECH NIGHTMARE"

Instapundit links to this article by Joel Kotkin at New Geography. Kotkin begins:

In the past, this season was marked by a greater interest in divinity, the family hearth and the joy of children. Increasingly our society has been turning away from such simple human pleasures, replacing them with those of technology. 

Despite the annual holiday pageantry, in the West religion is on the decline, along with our society’s emphasis on human relationships.

I only skimmed the article-- busy taking the dogs on walks and all-- but I'd say it's worth your while to do likewise if you've a few minutes. After surveying the tech-induced decline and fall of Western Civilization, Kotkin concludes:

Whatever the advantages that we can derive from technology, this vision of the future ["transhuman," bio-machines] violates the basic moral principles of both civil society and religious faith. Before we plug ourselves in for eternity, we might consider, this holiday season, to take a non-digital path to reviving our souls, whether by reading your bible, enjoying Shakespeare, tossing a football with your kids, or simply taking a walk in the woods. Technology might help shape what humanity can do, but it cannot make us any more human. That’s up to us.

Up to us, huh? Well. Let's see how we did here on the farm, shall we? 

Our "holiday pageantry" featured

Bibles,*

Angels,

Hymns, 

beautiful Works of Art,

folksy Works of Art,

and... 

Miracle on 34th St.,

three showings (including the cartoon) of A Christmas Carol,

Rudolf, 

and... 

a LiGhTS and DisPLaY CONTeST!!

God bless us, everyone. 



*Honest to God, as we were decorating, I laid the Bible out and Daughter C came back later to add the pageantry. The apple was a nice touch.