Atheists Love Too?

[Thorne]

There can't possibly be any secular aspects of Christmas or Easter to celebrate, unless the secular have adopted and adapted them from the religious celebrations they are. If the non-religious have adopted a religious festival, they cannot be heard to complain that it has been forced down their throat.

They can, and do, make that claim. If the Christians can adapt their holy days from the pagan celebrations that came before them, there's no reason that non-Christians, can't adapt, too. Gift giving, family dinners, sports, Santa Clause, all are secular aspects of the holidays, though gift giving is derived from religious traditions, too. You can't really complain if people choose to give gifts to friends and family, and have meals with them, without bothering with the religious trappings.

Saint Valentine's Day has been associated with the celebration of love since Chaucer's time at least (per wikipedia), and there is no suggestion that it was introduced by mediaeval businesses to boost sales.

You're probably right, but the modern form of celebration is NOT derived from any religious celebration.

I'm sure the Chief Purchasers of the shops and supermarkets you patronise would be delighted to learn that you believe you make your buying choices unaffected by advertising or any other influence.

I never said I was unaffected by advertising. That would be nearly impossible. It's so intrusive, so ubiquitous, that you would have to be a hermit in a cave to completely avoid it. I just try not to pay attention to it, and I do my best to purchase based on what I need, and can afford, rather than on what's being advertised as the latest craze.

I suggest you buy whatever those shops choose to make available to you, and even if you are immune to the advertising you are subjected to, they are not.

Well, it's kind of hard to buy things they DON'T make available! And I'm not immune. I try to avoid it when I can, and take any advertising claims I do see with a hefty dose of salt.

Christmas and other religious festivals are the most important times for sales in nearly every kind of business there is, and only a fool would refuse to capitalise on it.

And only a bigger fool would blame them for doing so.

You say you have no problem with business making money out of religious festivals.

Again, it's not the religious festival that they are making money on, but the more secular trappings which have grown around the religions.

If the boot was on the other foot, and you wanted to utilise whatever product or service a business provided for your own purposes, you would be made to pay a royalty based on how much use you would be making of it. What royalties does Wallmart pay to the Vatican?

What religious product or service has Walmart taken FROM the Vatican? Children's toys? Televisions? Socks and underwear (an annual Xmas gift when I was a kid)? Did Kmart steal Blue Light Specials from the Pope?

If I go into Office Depot and use their copy services for my Xmas cards, say, I would expect to pay a fee. If I buy a printer and print my own, I don't have to pay that fee. I do have to pay for the printer, though. At Walmart perhaps, not Office Depot. Do you think I should still pay Office Depot a fee for printing my own Xmas cards? Maybe I should pay a fee to Hallmark?