I got that that creepy pre-Christmas feeling this morning as I drove to work. What triggered it was that the some supermarkets have already got their decorations up, Christmas trees, you name it - it was hanging and shining everywhere.

“Here we go again” I thought to myself, “another big spend up on Chrissie presents and fatty food and seeing people you otherwise try to avoid all year round. Ho Ho bloody Ho!

Like many people I’m glad when it’s all over and I simply think of Santa as that big fat bloke in a red suite who robs me of my hard earned at the end of every year. And I’ve never been convinced about Mary’s Immaculate Conception so there’ll be no visits to nativity scenes for me either. Bar Humbug!

But there is something I do know. That many families (comprising 2 Million Australians) will go without this Christmas or will be given loans by credit unions and unscrupulous banks. Loans they’ll spend all of 2007 paying off.

Yes people need to spend responsibly and budget but the overall culture of Christmas is now lost to materialism and capitalism.

In my state the Queensland Council of Social Services found that, at the last Census, around 10 per cent of Queenslanders live in poverty. This equates to around 400,000 people including 100,000 children. Certain groups are definitely more vulnerable to poverty, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, the unemployed, poorly educated, single parents, renters, homeless and people living in rural, regional or remote areas.

I sometimes wonder how much blame for ongoing poverty can be placed at the feet of this old Christian ritual? What are Church leaders saying about poverty this Christmas? More importantly, what are our fearless political leaders doing about it. Do they have any responsibilities in this issue at all? If so, what?

Some useful links for this topic:
http://www.qcoss.org.au/Default.aspx
http://www.antipovertyweek.org.au/info.html

Now Rainer if the rest of us stop producing all this surplus wealth that can be taxed,then Aborigines will have to go back to being hunters and gatherers.Now that will be real poverty.

Rainer, good points. There must be a balance in there somewhere between the Bah Humbug thing and the strain that christmas places on many families.

An expectation that no matter how strained the budget there will somehow come christmas be some kind of surplus to spend on trash food and gifts that people don't need is a significant social pressure.

R0bert

Arjay, Now run along boy, I'm sure there's a Right Wing / One Nation type discussion waiting for your malevolent presense somewhere on this site.

Rainier, seems we're agreed on our distaste of Christmas - a commercialised bun fight! Some go broke - and the multi-nationals grow richer!

For what it's worth I'm one dude who is rebelling against the Christian tradition. I've refused all family "orders" to travel to the city for the "festive season", laden with pressies for the grandies (who've got all toys ever known to man), and all the blow-ins who are usually stuffed to the hilt with smoked salmon, sea food, turkey and pudding and appearing somewhat comatose!

I'm on the nose with all since "Fido" and I are going bush for the day (pith helmet and nets in tow) to avoid any unexpected visitors who may feel pity for me - hah!

I shall endeavour to assist with community projects in the follow-up - no I'm not a do-gooder! It will simply be more fullfilling than the usual hog-wash and p#*ups one has to endure with the traditional celebrations. And how many of us reflect on the reason for the celebrations? Certainly, not I!

Am I a grumpy old man/woman? You bet - and with relish! Freedom - at last. Maturity mitigates the taint of guilt that often hangs over one who refuses to conform!

Rainer

Just look at the nations that based their laws on the Christian/Judea ethic and see how many people want to immigrate to these countries. Then have a look at other religions and philosophies and see the lack of people lining up for those countries. Adopting godly living releases from poverty not causes it. Laziness, divorce, abuse, drunkedness leads not poverty.