Stupid People bitching about holiday greetings!

[Evandril]

Xtian People!! (Not to be confused with actual Christians, who, y'know, have common sense and don't wig out over a harmless wish of general goodwill.)

Yay! Someone else who uses xtian and Christian the way I do

We've got some idiots at work that have refused to come to the 'Holiday Party' because of it's name...Despite the fact it's between Thanksgiving and Christmas (Is Xmas themed though, I'll admit)

As a nice side point...I had a Christian friend of mine who *wouldn't* celebrate Xmas, since he (rightfully) claimed it was a pagan holiday, and not really when Christ was born He'd also 'defend' me from the attack xtains fairly often, was fun

[DrT]

There's a small group of morons (in any country) that will start flapping their pie holes about dumb shit like this. The problem is, Fox News, and Bill O'Reilly specifically, decided to get this small group of idjits worked up about this a few years back. And then they reported on it, essentially creating a controversy where there was none. Now this pointless argument fueled by a small group of nut jobs is big news.

True that. The issue really is that the proportion of morons for any given country being the same, the US gets the most of them (they are 300 milions total)
Well, except for China (but they get shot there) and India (but nobody gives a damn about them, and the cast system takes care of the rest).

So you have a huge bunch of morons talking the same langage (that's why we have it better in Europe and easily communicating....
I'd say it's one more reason to dissolve the federal governement and go back to each state governing itself.

[Amethyst Hunter]

And here is my reply that I'll be sending to the paper re: the freakout over "Merry Christmas"...


December 2, 2008

So, the Christmas Wars are back. Take a good look around America. Last I checked, there were no laws against saying or not saying “Merry Christmas”, nor were Christians being jailed or executed for speaking those words. A group's rights can't be lost when that group is still the dominant power in this country. Go someplace where the minority populations of Christians are routinely guillotined just for looking at a Bible – THAT'S real persecution. Hearing various holiday-related greetings does not and never will count as discrimination, regardless of anyone's beliefs.

Know why people working retail are disciplined or fired over this nonsense? Because paranoid entitlement-minded grinches eager to pitch a tantrum over receiving any wish of general goodwill complain to corporate management, who then put greed over common sense and take things out on the poor employees. Would you rather have a cashier say “Screw you” instead of “Happy Holidays?” Some of them would really like to do that when dealing with those types of customers, believe me!

Unless you have a sign over your head denoting what religion, if any, you hail from, it's impossible for strangers to know what you do or don't celebrate. If you don't like hearing a certain phrase, simply walk away. No one's forcing you to participate in any rituals. We sensible folks enjoy our chosen holiday without wasting time on martyr complexes or politically correct games. The holiday season encompasses all joyful religious and secular goodwill amidst humanity; hence the multiple and colorful expressions of it.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

[my name]

And yes, that ending bit is my way of saying "Fuck You" to all those idiots who get pissed off no matter what greeting you lob at them.

[Flyndaran]

...
And on and on and on. It keeps people circled into the flock better if they think that their ideals are under attack, and this is just another example. If they bothered to open their eyes, they'd see their particular version of the holiday is quite well represented everywhere.

It's like political hot buttons. If you keep them focussed on looking outward, then they won't look inward to corrupt leaders, and mismanagement.

[Flyndaran]

I try to take every given, "Happy (anything)." the benefit of the doubtthat they simply wish me to enjoy the holdiay that they currently celebrate. End of topic.
If they give it in an obviously antagonistic way, as to suss out if I'm a fellow believer, then I will probably just ignore them with an unrepressed eyeroll. I allow myself such behavioral imperfections to maintain sanity.

As an atheist, I personally don't feel comfortable wishing someone a happy christmas. To me it feels too much like wishing them continued self-delusion. That's mean from my perspective.
If someone gets irate about my, "Happy holidays." or simple, "Hello.", then they get a little more than an eyeroll and shunning. They get an irritated grimace and maybe a, "pfft" utterance. I will forever, hopefully, refuse to sink to their level and give them the fight they so desparately want.

[AFPheonix]

It also loops back to what people hear and repeat back to each other in the church. Christians honestly feel like the world is out attacking them. They use military imagery constantly, even indoctrinating it into children by teaching them about putting on the full armor of God (I even had a playset of plastic armor as a child with each piece depicted in that particular Bible passage marked accordingly), singing songs like:
I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry
Shoot the artillery
I may never fly over the enemy
But I'm in the Lord's Army Yes Sir!

And on and on and on. It keeps people circled into the flock better if they think that their ideals are under attack, and this is just another example. If they bothered to open their eyes, they'd see their particular version of the holiday is quite well represented everywhere.

[Boozy]

This whole problematic is so odd when seen from the outside. I don't know how the Australians or Canadians look at it, but I know that over in Europe people couldn't even undertand the concept of being offended by anyone telling you, or not, to have a merry Xmas.

The thing is, I'll bet the average American isn't offended, either.

There's a small group of morons (in any country) that will start flapping their pie holes about dumb shit like this. The problem is, Fox News, and Bill O'Reilly specifically, decided to get this small group of idjits worked up about this a few years back. And then they reported on it, essentially creating a controversy where there was none. Now this pointless argument fueled by a small group of nut jobs is big news.

Interestingly, Fox's Rupert Murdoch is Australian. What happened there? Did the Aussies kick him out for being such a dick? Or did they purposefully send him to the US? Americans should consider that an act of war!

[DrT]

Won't be the first time that 'right for free speech' and 'right to be protected against anyone disagreeing with me' are mixed up...

This whole problematic is so odd when seen from the outside. I don't know how the Australians or Canadians look at it, but I know that over in Europe people couldn't even undertand the concept of being offended by anyone telling you, or not, to have a merry Xmas.

Maybe it's because religion is so little an issue, or something, but in any case it's a nice way to break the ice, start a conversation, and really wonder at how odd american society is.
I'm the one defending it most often, mind you (spent 8 yrs there, I know of to debunk the idiotic concepts and falsehoods on the US), but there are still things that amaze me.

[protege]

But neither person has been denied nor denied others free speech.

That's how I see it too, Boozy. Problem is, that quite a few "Christians" (not real Christians, BTW) *want* to see it as losing their rights. They *want* to be "persecuted" so they have an excuse to act like bigger douchebags than they already are.

[Boozy]

Who or what exactly does this person think is stopping them from saying "Merry Christmas" in public? What instrument of the state is removing her right to use this phrase?

This has got to be my biggest pet peeve. People who think that their right to free speech means no one can voice disagreement with them, ever.

If Person A says "Merry Christmas" to someone, and Person B responds with "Eff you, bitch! I'm not Christian, so shut up!" then Person B is a raging douchebag. However, if Person B responds with, "And Happy Holidays to you!", and Person A responds by getting offended, then Person A is the douche.

But neither person has been denied nor denied others free speech.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Okay, this is it, this is EXACTLY the kind of crap I'm talking about here. Check out this gem I just discovered in a local paper:

December 2, 2008

I am proud to say 'Merry Christmas' to everyone -- peacefully

With the trouble that the world is in now, with the recession/depression and all the violence everywhere, we all need to wake up and once and for all put the true meaning back into Christmas. I am so tired of losing my right as a Christian not to be able to say "Merry Christmas" in public, or to hear Merry Christmas from someone that has had their job threatened or to be written up if they are heard saying it.

The whole reason for Christmas is because God blessed the Virgin Mary with child and brought His son Jesus Christ to earth to be born and die to forgive us from our sins. How could we ever forget that? Sadly, because so many people have, the world is in the shape that it is, and getting worse. We buy and exchange gifts to each other in celebration and remembrance of the gifts that were brought to the Baby Jesus from the wise men. The lights on the trees are a symbol of the star lighting the way to Bethlehem for Christ's birth.

Everyone of every nationality has the right to celebrate Christmas (or any other holiday, for that matter) in their own tradition. We as Christians have the right to wish anyone we come in contact with a Merry Christmas. In return, I expect people of other religions to greet me in their custom ways without being offended.

I am taking a strong stand this year, and wishing all those I see a Merry Christmas, because I am proudly celebrating the birthday of my savior Jesus Christ. Jesus says in the Bible, "if you are ashamed of Me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father." I don't know about any of you other Christians, but I don't want to come face to face with Christ when I die and have to explain that I went with the world and denied His birthday. Do you?

Religious stuff aside, it sounds like this person's just looking for an excuse to be offended. Losing her right?? Bullshit! Since when are people holding guns to Christians' heads telling them they have no right to say "Merry Christmas"? Last I looked, no laws were being passed saying that telling someone "Merry Christmas" was illegal.

I'm definitely writing a rebuttal for this one.

[daleduke17]

And this is the reason I don't say anything other than "Have a nice day" (or the time-of-day equivalent).

[vanima]

Nobody celebrates Winter-een-mas?

best holiday EVER

[protege]

Nobody celebrates Winter-een-mas?

[Devilboy]

Happy Festivus!!