"Under God"

[Hyena Dandy]

That reminds me of my highschool teacher who said "Puppies!" when she wanted to swear.

[Nekojin]

I seem to recall one teacher back in grade school who, in an attempt to be non-denominational and inoffensive, would say, "Happy happy," and, "Merry merry." Most of the kids thought she was a twit.

[woodensunshine]

Just my two cents regarding both the pledge and how to wish someone a holiday greeting.

I stopped saying the pledge when I was in middle school. I chose not to and I had that right. I stood just like everyone else, but didn't place my hand over my heart and I didn't recite the pledge. No one said anything to me about it.

When someone wishes me a Merry Christmas, I give them a huge smile and tell them Happy Holidays. I'm not protesting the use of Merry Christmas, I'm just issuing a universal "I hope your December is going well". I haven't heard of anyone throwing a fit to my face, but I do have those Facebook friends that get all up in arms that someone doesn't say Merry Christmas.

I like it when someone tells me Happy/Merry Whatever. They don't know what holidays I do or do not celebrate. Now, if they insist that I tell them Merry Christmas or get all huffy when I wish them a Happy Holidays, THEN there lies the problem.

[Hyena Dandy]

Getting all upset over someone wishing you happy holidays/merry christmas/solstice/anything is ridiculous.

I can understand it as a personal thing. "I'd rather people didn't say that. Please don't say it to me" is one thing. But "The world hates people like me because of all of this wishing Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!" is ridiculous.

It's one thing to ask people not to do something around you. It's another to ask them to change the way they act around everyone.

It's like this post I saw that said it's rude to assume someone's gender, and to always ask which pronoun they prefer. It's one thing to say that that's appropriate in your social group, or to say to ask you before using a gender pronoun.

It's another to expect someone to do that in all situations for all people. Especially when, more often than not, people take offense to being asked what their gender is.

[bex1218]

One of my ex co workers posted something on Facebook about being anti- saying Happy Holidays and how she was offended that no one says Merry Christmas anymore. I almost wrote on it saying that Christmas isn't the only holiday in December. Hell, Christians aren't the only one's to celebrate holidays.

I wonder what she would say about "Under God" on the Pledge.

[Hyena Dandy]

Yeah, because we all know that every Christian out there is always on the lookout for someone not like them to torment.

'Cause, you know, it's way too far-fetched to actually believe that the person could just be saying the words because those are the words they grew up saying or anything like that.

^-.-^

If someone doesn't want me to wish them Merry Christmas, then I'll say Happy Holidays instead. But there's a difference between "Please don't say that around me" and "Don't say that to anyone." If someone didn't want me to say the word piano around them I'd find a synonym for it.

[Andara Bledin]

Yeah, because we all know that every Christian out there is always on the lookout for someone not like them to torment.

'Cause, you know, it's way too far-fetched to actually believe that the person could just be saying the words because those are the words they grew up saying or anything like that.

^-.-^

[Nekojin]

really so an exclusionary, christian celebration is "generic"-huh could've fooled me, for some of us it's a very painful reminder of our isolation and the fact that if the person saying it knew we didn't believe the same things, they may hate us or wish for our death, rather than wish us well.

I don't know if you've noticed, but just in the past 40 years, Christmas has gotten considerably more secular and commercialized. I know Buddhists who celebrate it, for crying out loud.

[BlaqueKatt]

Take it in the spirit it's intended - a generic, seasonal well-wishing. And stop being such a Scrooge.

really so an exclusionary, christian celebration is "generic"-huh could've fooled me, for some of us it's a very painful reminder of our isolation and the fact that if the person saying it knew we didn't believe the same things, they may hate us or wish for our death, rather than wish us well.

[Nekojin]

Pitching a fit over it is ridiculous. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, whatever they say. What's ridiculous is caring whether someone says the 'wrong' thing.

I don't mind people wishing me Happy Holidays. Or Happy Hannukah.

Besides, I celebrate two holidays that time anyway. Christmas and New Years. I hope that both of them are happy.

Very much this. Christians who get bent out of shape over "Happy Holidays" or any other festive greeting are self-important idiots. Non-Christians who get bent out of shape over "Merry Christmas" are also self-important idiots.

Take it in the spirit it's intended - a generic, seasonal well-wishing. And stop being such a Scrooge.

[Hyena Dandy]

Pitching a fit over it is ridiculous. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, whatever they say. What's ridiculous is caring whether someone says the 'wrong' thing.

I don't mind people wishing me Happy Holidays. Or Happy Hannukah.

Besides, I celebrate two holidays that time anyway. Christmas and New Years. I hope that both of them are happy.

[BlaqueKatt]

Happy holidays? To everyone who ever threw such a shit fit about merry christmas that they got it changed to happy holidays has NO LIFE. They are a shit disturber. It doesn't affect them in any way and doesn't violate anyone else's right, unless you're seriously concerned with your right to not here merry christmas.

freedom of religion IS A RIGHT, and if I'm of any other faith that doesn't celebrate xmas, forcing me to say it, or saying it and getting offended if I don't say it back is violating my rights. and dividing into "us" and "not us", what is so wrong about including everybody, not everyone celebrates christian holidays, and getting offended about being inclusive to everyone is just bizarre.

Can anyone honestly say they are offended and feel persecuted because they had to <gasp> hear "under god"?

When you are one of two non christians in school, and one of two that don't say under god, yes you do get persecuted.(I was beaten with bibles to "drive the deamons out of me", and the Jewish kid was called "christ killer", we were each other's only friends, because we were "different" and ostracized.

[jackfaire]

Most of society tries to teach obedience and respect to authority (and/or to the pack), which really becomes ragingly hypocritical these days when the same people beating that drum are also going out of their way to slander the president.

It's not actually hypocrtical. They have never taught "respect authority for being authority" they have taught "respect our authority and people that think just like us"

[Nekojin]

I stopped saying the pledge of allegiance in the 5th grade, stopped standing in Junior High. Not because of the Under God bit but just because I decided I didn't like institutionalized indoctrination.

I learned in the Boy Scouts that doing something just because that is how the masses expect you to act is wrong. Side note the Boy Scouts were trying to teach me it's right.

Most of society tries to teach obedience and respect to authority (and/or to the pack), which really becomes ragingly hypocritical these days when the same people beating that drum are also going out of their way to slander the president.

[jackfaire]

I stopped saying the pledge of allegiance in the 5th grade, stopped standing in Junior High. Not because of the Under God bit but just because I decided I didn't like institutionalized indoctrination.

I learned in the Boy Scouts that doing something just because that is how the masses expect you to act is wrong. Side note the Boy Scouts were trying to teach me it's right.