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Originally Posted by HarryT
One question I'd like to bring up for discussion:
ACC is self-evidently a Christmas story, but is it an overtly Christian story?
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Interesting question. I would say no. Certainly not really any of the salvation through belief in Christ sort of Christianity. Obviously there is an underlying aspect rooted in such scripture as:
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"Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" Matthew 19:21
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and
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“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25
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Really though in ACC the message is more a greed is bad and generosity is good generic message of goodwill. Certainly not Christianity as actually practiced then or now.
The supernatural aspects, that is the four ghosts that appear to instruct Scrooge in the error of his ways, are associated with the celebration of Christmas, but never struck me as overtly Christian.
Then there is this closing paragraph:
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"He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!"
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Note that the mention is Spirits, not angels or visions of Christ. “Keeping Christmas well,” based on Scrooge's behavior on Christmas Day, seems not religious, but just taking the time to put aside business and quest for profit and show goodwill and generosity.
Could be an interesting discussion to hear what others might think. Bwah-haa-haa!
Edited to add:
I was curious and so did a word search through ACC (love ebooks!):
The word Jesus never appears. The word Christian appears just three times. The word God twelve times, mainly in such common expressions as "God knows." The word church or churchyard appears ten times, almost always just describing the surroundings of a location.