2017 is going to be great for us all.

It's nice that Rand saw the charming aspects of lights and cheer and good will in Christmas celebrations. I cannot hide from the original premise that mankind is to be happy because the man was born who would become a blood sacrifice to "save" all of mankind from the wrath of his "father". That is a very sick meme that all the gifts cannot obscure.

Let's by all means celebrate good will and human intelligence and collaboration by which our lives have risen immensely above the survival level of early populations and even some that struggle today. Yet "our Savior is born" is the driving theme emotionally at which good Christians are to rejoice. Blood sacrifice is what they are cheering. And that is also the premise on which perpetual wars are justified.

Human cooperation, division of labor, peaceful trade have made possible a quality of life where everyone can be safe, comfortable, with enough food and daily needs, a surplus of cultural creativity and pleasures. That is worth celebrating--the many individuals whose benevolent working together makes material and intellectual progress possible. Let's put the ghoulish memes behind us. Happy New Year!

If charity is chosen it is a blessing. If charity is imposed it is a profound evil.

I'm all for benevolence. So I tolerate that great masses of people believe that a child was born so that he could grow up to become a blood sacrifice demanded of him by his "father" so that all the rest of humanity would be "saved". What an insane concoction. But then any belief can take root and grow into incoherence when severed from its moorings in reality. It would be hilarious if not the cause of most of the miseries humans inflict on themselves and each other.

Here's hoping the new year will see some rationality emerging from the hysteria. Happy New Year, all, and a good psycho-epistemology.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Especially since 2017 should be a better year than the previous eight.
Me dino could be wrong.
But I don't think so.

Here's a link to some of Rand's favorite Christmas cards that a friend sent me. It's from the Daily Kos, of all places.
http://m.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/2...

Merry Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, did anyone see this? http://www.seeker.com/5000-year-old-n...

Happiness and good will to all, when you're not weeping and repenting!!

I admire Ayn in many ways, but in what Christmas means we are diametrically opposed. As a libertarian and Christian, it is for me the time to celebrate the birth of Christ. A felicitous Christmas wish to all my fellow Gulchers!

Blanco

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Thanks for the link to what I assume is your own blog. I also appreciate the link to "Two Steps from Hell." I found them via Pandora.

Merry Newtonmas!

Merry Chistmas and a happy New year to you and your loved ones ,ObjectiveAnalyst!!!
Thanks for sharing
Peace on Earth,
Dan

Hi OA; Good Post. Txs

I completely agree w/ the article, especially the excerpt in the OP.