Is there a "war on Christmas"?


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Spider is offline Spider Post #11  December 19,2009, 8:01am
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I remember "happy holidays" being used in the 50's. Hardly a new thing. It was used to give good wishes for both Christmas and the New Year, especially in the business and public sphere. Why the fuss now?

I use it interchangeably with "merry Christmas" (or for my Brit friends, "happy Christmas") even though I'm not Christian. If I'm not sure of a person's religious/cultural standing, I'll use the more generic "holidays" when greeting them, just as I've seen done since childhood.
 
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bigfincat is offline bigfincat Post #12  December 19,2009, 8:38pm
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I don't care what you wish me as long as you wish me well.
 
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anavir is offline anavir Post #13  February 21,2010, 10:57am
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Hi All

Yes WE are happy to live in great country were freedom of speech and religion practice is available to All, yet it seems WE, are also yearning for otherwise!

In situations where employee has to fear of loosing the job over holiday's greeting such as Merry Christmas, Those Employers should be reminded that WE are in CANADA. Great Country where Freedom for Religion Practice also falls under Human Rights Law.

So God Bless you ALL! Whatever religion you might follow, Just remember, when you are greeting someone wether Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday you are acknowledging well wishes and respect. I personally will accept all well wishes regardless from what religious stand point that might be.
 
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AngelaH is offline AngelaH Post #14  March 16,2010, 12:50am
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I think it's rather silly to say "Happy Holidays" as a PC version of "Merry Christmas".

When it's Ramadan, I would share a Ramadan greeting. I won't re-name their holiday! When it's Purim, I share the appropriate greeting, I don't re-name that holiday.

One does not have to share the faith or share the holiday to respect it.

It reminds me of a selfish child I knew who hated everyone else's birthday. She'd pout and kick and scream and hit the birthday child. The only way to make her happy was to make her a cake too and give her presents and sing "Happy Birthday" to her as well. No joke. How silly is that! (As far as I know, she's outgrown that, thank GOD!)

AngelaH
 
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AudioDad is offline AudioDad Post #15  April 6,2010, 5:41pm
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notyet wrote :
the entire federal government comes to a halt on december 25th in honor of the birth of christ.
Which would never have happened in this or other Western countries had the early Christian church not been successful in "borrowing" their central tenets - virgin birth, central messiah figure, substitutional forgiveness, resurrection, etc. - from much older Pagan relgions. Even creches and Christmas trees were "traditions" borrowed from ancient Pagan celebrations. Thousands of years before anyone thought up Jesus, there were many virginal messiah births, central messiah figures being killed for the "salvation" of their believers, resurrections, etc. There's almost nothing original or unique about Christianty and it's still an infant compared to the much older Pagan religions it borrowed most of its 'traditions' from. Many Christians seem to think they own December 25th but Jesus wasn't even born on that date. The irony is almost too delicious......

So, in a very real sense, America and all other countries that celebrate what has come to be known as "Christmas" are actually celebrating the original "reason for the season" - an amalgamation of Pagan beliefs centered on the winter solstice and its transition into spring. Personally, it bothers me not in the least if someone wishes Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. I happily accept either and return the greeting in kind. We put up a tree and exhange presents at our house - two "traditions" that didn't originate in any way with Christianity. For us, it's a holiday to spend with family and friends; celebrate the year that has passed, and look forward to the coming new year.

I wouldn't worry too much about CNN's or other pablum factories' attempts to make much ado about nothing when it comes to this topic. Have another egg nog and enjoy time with family and friends.
Last edited by AudioDad; April 6,2010 at 5:45pm.
 
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startingwithbasics is offline startingwithbasics Post #16  December 22,2010, 11:01am
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Wonderwoman402 wrote :
There is only a "war on Christmas" in the minds of a few fundamentalist Christians who want everyone to believe as they do.
Tell that to the people, and towns who get taken to court because someone gets offended by a nativity scene, or by someone telling them "Merry Christmas!"

I think the idea there is a "war" going on over Christmas would be a little much, but there is very much an ongoing attempt to change Christmas to something else because a minority are offended by Christianity, have nothing else better to do, or want 15 minutes of fame.
 
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Dropdeadredtx is offline Dropdeadredtx Post #17  December 22,2010, 11:14am
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Our theatre company has quite a few staff members and a huge number of patrons who are Jewish, so 'happy holidays' is second nature around here!
 
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lunabeach is offline lunabeach Post #18  December 22,2010, 11:21am
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I am much more bothered by the materialism and down right nastiness of people during the holidays than I am by whether someone wants to acknowledge Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, and Kwanzaa in one breath.

I work about 5 hrs a week in retail to help out and really feel that people are more sour and unhappy every year. This could be attributed to the higher percentage of people waiting until last minute to shop than ever before - but whatever the reason, they're unpleasant. The story of an employee who got trampled to death at a Walmart on Black Friday in 2008 was upsetting; it was absolutely sickening to read that customers complained the store was being shut down to investigate a murder.

And then you meet someone with a wonderful spirit and it takes the edge off...this year I'm celebrating with people I love. Muslim, Jewish, atheist, agnostic, whatever...we'll enjoy the excuse to have parties and visit and that will be holiday enough for me.
 
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TheThinker is offline TheThinker Post #19  December 22,2010, 5:48pm
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My personal favorite is "wahoo doray!", anyway.
 
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AudioDad is offline AudioDad Post #20  December 22,2010, 6:04pm
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startingwithbasics wrote :
Tell that to the people, and towns who get taken to court because someone gets offended by a nativity scene, or by someone telling them "Merry Christmas!"
Which is an utterly bogus charge. No one, and I mean NO ONE, gets taken to court for wishing someone else merry Christmas. This yet more bunk spewed by the religious right. Creches are perfectly fine being displayed on private property and no one gets taken to court for having a creche on their own private property.

startingwithbasics wrote :
I think the idea there is a "war" going on over Christmas would be a little much, but there is very much an ongoing attempt to change Christmas to something else because a minority are offended by Christianity, have nothing else better to do, or want 15 minutes of fame.
Since Christians paved over (aka, stole) the various pagan winter festivals, it seems a tad silly for them to complain when others who don't share their beliefs simply want to return the favor.
 
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