The whole "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas" argument

[Andara Bledin]

It's a straw man because there is no situation in which a rape joke is appropriate, whereas most people one is going to encounter either celebrate Christmas or have no issue accepting well-wishes in the spirit they were given instead of going out of their way to find something to be butt-hurt over.

^-.-^

[TheHuckster]

If it was logical, then anytime someone was offended it would be the offended person's fault, and that is not the case.

Yes, but I can pick many examples of people who are offended and it's "their fault" due to either oversensitivity or gross misunderstanding of the offender's words.

It's only in this instance that it is, apparently, and the only reason I can come up with for that is because religion is involved and religious beliefs "must be treated with kid gloves." Notice it's the people being offended by Merry christmas, being told to "get over themselves" and not a peep about the "keep the christ in christmas whargarlble" getting over themselves?

My attitude about this whole thing is how you greet someone else should be a reflection of who you are. If you are someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas, or simply doesn't feel like saying "Merry Christmas" then I have absolutely no problem if your personal convictions compel you to say "Happy Holidays," "Seasons Greetings," or what have you, and people who are upset about that should get over themselves and understand that the month of December is a month of many holidays.

If you are someone who does celebrate Christmas and you want to wish someone else a "Merry Christmas," those who don't necessarily celebrate it shouldn't make a big deal out of it and move on.

My point is no one should make another feel bad about how they perceive December holidays, and how their greetings and expressions reflect those perceptions. If you want to say "Happy Holidays" that's fine. If you want to say "Merry Christmas", or any other "Happy [Insert_Winter_Holiday_Here]" then that's just as well.

I also find it interesting, all the "I wouldn't be offended if someone wished me happy Kwaanza", if it had ever happened, the term would be I wasn't, which means the situation has never occurred, and cannot be paralleled.

Chances are given statistics of religion, I will never hear "happy Hanukah" I'm 37, and in all my dealings, have yet to hear it ever, I hear "merry christmas" 30-40 times a day minimum(and usually say thank you, or have a good day). And have been told numerous times I was going to burn in hell for not saying it back(average on that, about 50 times a year), which means the intent was NOT to wish me goodwill, it was to judge me as non-religious.

Great, so because some bigots use Merry Christmas as a tool to express their hateful views, you're going to paint everyone else who says the same with the same brush? Let me say this: When I say Merry Christmas to others, I never have those thoughts.

And, by the way, I used to live in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, and it wasn't too uncommon to be talked to as if I were Jewish, and yes, I've been told on more than one occasion "Happy Hanukkah" and while I might find it somewhat unexpected, I hardly took offense to it.

[HYHYBT]

Why pretend that offense is *always* the fault of the one who offends, or alternately that it's *always* the fault of the one offended? It can be both, it can be neither, and it can lean heavily either way. A lot depends on how reasonable it is to take offense, on whether the speaker knows, and *what the options are.*

In the case of the contested greetings, ALL of the available options will offend somebody. Why ignore that and go off into irrelevancies about rape jokes, which you can simply tell (if you must at all) when you're among only people you already know like them?

[AmbrosiaWriter]

I just found this and it made me think of this thread;

http://notalwaysright.com/the-grinch...ery-year/25589

^ Someone who takes the "political correctness" way too far. ^

[Andara Bledin]

THIS SONG (link to Youtube) showed up in my holiday playlist on Pandora, today, and it made me think of this thread.

^-.-^

[jackfaire]

Stumbled on this when looking for something else thought I would remark on it. So the thing is Happy Holidays pre-dates all of us by a thousand years and it has nothing to do with any other religion other than Christianity's holidays.

It has only been used to be inclusive for about 20 years. Up until about 20 years ago Happy Holidays just meant "Merry Christmas and since it's literally only a week away Happy New Year but that's a bloody mouthful so I am going to say Happy Holidays instead"

The words Happy Holidays have even appeared in Christmas songs. The saying is, was and always has been heavily steeped in Christian Culture. Having grown up saying it I feel like the generation must have when going around saying "I'm gay" went from meaning "I am happy and having an awesome day" to "I like men"

I am pretty sure most of the "war on Christmas" rhetoric is because of organizations and people whom have said Happy Holidays for 30 years or more suddenly finding that other people have assigned different meanings to their words.

Like when you tell a woman "You look gorgeous today" and instead of taking it as "I looked at you and went 'wow'" takes it as "you look like shit every other day"