Stupid People bitching about holiday greetings!

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[Flyndaran]

X-tian is just a nickname based on the first letter of Christ in greek. It has no other ulterior meanings. I would appreciate if those pro and con wouldn't try to add any. It just confuseses an already volitile issue.

[Amethyst Hunter]

X-tian is just a nickname based on the first letter of Christ in greek. It has no other ulterior meanings.

I first started using "Xtian" as an abbreviation, since that was how I first encountered it. Over time, I saw people using it more as a way to differentiate between fundie nutjobs and people who behaved sanely, the latter getting the full "Christian" spelling as a mark of respect, because even if they and others (agnostics, atheists, pagans, etc.) disagreed, they could still stay cool about things. The fundie nuts, on the other hand, are the ones out there waving their little signs and marching their little protests and trying to pass as many bullshit laws as they can, because they're so into the whole "OMG WE R TEH PERSECUTED!!" crap.

Here's how I see it, at least in regards to the topic:


Stranger: Happy Holidays!

Christian: Thank you! And a Merry Christmas to you too! (Said in a friendly tone, of course)

Stranger: Thanks, dude!



Stranger: Happy Holidays!

Xtian: IT'S MERRY CHRISTMAS, NOT HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! HOW DARE YOU TAKE CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS! I'M LOSING MY RIGHT AS A CHRISTIAN!!

Stranger: ...


Big difference between the two, no?

Bottom line IMO is that if you act like a decent human being regardless of your religion (or lack thereof), then I will gladly give you the respect that you deserve. Act like a spoogemuffin, and I'm gonna rip you apart, coal or no coal in my stocking.

[Slytovhand]

I'm one of those slightly more annoying ones who don't like copping the "Merry Christmas" line - but that's cos I'm pagan.

Happy Holidays makes sense - at the very least because it's the end of the year, and that's when pretty much every culture (well, based on the Western calender). But I'll only get narky towards those who actually know me. Strangers - I just let it pass... in silence.....

I'M LOSING MY RIGHT AS A CHRISTIAN!!

Not before I lost my rights as a pagan....

Oh - and trust me, if we started throwing around "Happy Saturnalia" you'd get a few not-nice comments.

Boozy - as per Rupert Murdoch... yep, our declaration of war on the US... why has it taken this long for people to notice???

[Flyndaran]

...
Oh - and trust me, if we started throwing around "Happy Saturnalia" you'd get a few not-nice comments.
...

Maybe they confused it with "Happy Bachinalia".
As a male, I would be quite scared if a woman wished me that. I don't want my limbs torn off by crazy chicks.

[Slytovhand]

??? Where do you get the "limbs torn off by crazy chicks" from??

It was to honour Bacchus/Dionysus - and thus a time to drink, drink, drink and drink. Oh, and have a bit of rumpy-pumpy... and then drink some more. No limb tearing involved.

(sounds a bit like Christmas, yes?? )

[Flyndaran]

??? Where do you get the "limbs torn off by crazy chicks" from??
...)

I think it might have been in a greek play or some such. I remember a female only celebration that if any man should witness it, the women under the influence of a trance like physically enhance state would kill them by tearing them apart.

[Rapscallion]

I think you may have the Maenads in mind.

Rapscallion

[Flyndaran]

I think you may have the Maenads in mind.

Rapscallion

Ahhhh. That's it. It's been so long since I read about classic Greek and Roman mythology. My mistake.