Merry Tossmass

[Lady Di]

This is worth watching! You must click to activate the video.

http://www.citizenlink.org/Stoplight/A000005834.cfm

[Bill of Rights]

I was not raised Christian, but my wife and my daughter were. We have a Christmas tree (the years we put it up, anyway) and we all like it, even to the point of it being up one year until March or April. :oops: I'm not offended by "Merry Christmas", not at all. It's nice to have a retailer not exclude the holiday I was raised with, however, and in fairness, I can't expect them to go to the expense and trouble to make up a special catalog just for Chanukah-the return on investment is clearly not substantial enough for that.

So, rather than have them send out a "Harry ChrisKwanzmakah" catalog (which, I think, really would offend everyone, I rather appreciate "Happy Holidays"/"Holiday" catalog/etc.

Oh, and yes, that was intentionally "Harry"... as in Happy/Merry.... and pronounced, "Hairy"http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd198/St-Michael/afro.gif

Blessings,
B

[Lady Di]

This is one of Lady Di's hot button topics. Wait while I step upon my soap box. :lol:

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd198/St-Michael/soapbox.gif

BOR, reasonable people like yourself may not offended by the words "Merry Christmas;" however, a vocal minority of people in our country have taken political correctness to the extreme. Their goal is to exclude Christians from the marketplace of ideas, and they've made no secret of it. Today, in America, the only group of people that it's acceptable to malign, ridicule, and offend are Christians. Bill O'Reilly has been speaking out about the assault on Christianity and Christmas, in general, and for good reason. If any other group in America were treated the way that Christians are treated by the left, there would be mass protest and hysteria. The ACLU would have already filed lawsuits. Christmas is a federal holiday, and for decades retailers have marketed to an American society where the overwhelming majority of citizens celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Christ.

I wish my Jewish friends Happy Hanukkah on the appropriate day. I wouldn't think of wishing them Happy Holiday in its place, because I believe it reduces the significance of what it stands for just as wishing a Christian Happy Holiday diminishes the significance of the birth of Christ. Happy Holiday is a secular phrase, and the commemoration of the birth of Christ is anything but secular.

As for me, I'll continue to refuse to buy holiday cards, holiday trees, or holiday anything. I'll continue to bake Christmas cookies, sing Christmas carols, and send Christmas cards. And I'll certainly continue to wish my friends, family, acquaintances, and even strangers Merry Christmas.

Liberals, who ironically demand tolerance from others rarely practice it themselves. They've created a society where everyone is offended by something. As a society, we need to stop being so thin-skinned, and we definitely need to stop being offended by EVERYTHING.

There...I said that all in one breath. :wink: BOR, I need your soapbox icon to place here, huh? :D (Icon added at your request. B)

[Bill of Rights]

I will agree, many people claim to be "offended" by that wish. I know not why. I don't even ask for equal time, just "honorable mention" as opposed to it being completely ignored.

The example I used a while back talking to someone was that if you, as a Christian, enter a synagogue for a worship service, every prayer is offered to God. There is only one God, and on that point, both our traditions agree. Thus, you could follow along and pray along with everyone else, and while something may seem amiss or just missing, nothing will alienate you.

By contrast, when I go into a Christian church for a worship service (and it doesn't happen often, but it does happen on rare occasions), every prayer is offered in Jesus' name or, in a Catholic service, to either the Blessed Virgin or one of the Saints, none of whom I believe are deserving of worship. (no, not even St. Michael. :lol:) It's a very excluded feeling, and it's uncomfortable, kinda like being the little bitty stuff left over after you scrape a BIG Oreo cookie with your teeth, but hey, if I'm visiting their church, I expect they'll do things as they do things, not make concessions just for me.

All I'm saying here is that the retailers aren't necessarily trying not to offend, but rather to include everyone's holidays without having to print a special catalog for each of the 3 major holidays (not to mention whatever others) that fall around this time of year.

That's how I see it, anyway.

Blessings,
B

[Lady Di]

You give retailers too much credit, BOR. They didn't start using the phrase "Happy Holidays" to show their sensitivity. Many, if not most of them, capitulated to the unreasonable demands (and threats) of the vocal minority (ACLU-types). You know how it works...much the way Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow Coalition do it. They extort $$ from big corporations by threatening to "expose" them for trumped up charges of racism. The left threatens retailers much the same way. Retailers gave into the demands of the whiners and began banishing the word Christmas from their displays. Many of those retailers came to their senses after thousands of shoppers refused to buy "holiday" merchandise.

We live in a society where the majority of Americans claim to be Christian. I don't practice Christianity to offend anyone, and I wouldn't expect to go to a Muslim country and have my faith given equal time and respect. I wouldn't go into a Jewish synagogue and expect to have my faith given equal treatment, and I doubt any Jewish person would enter a Christian church and expect that Christ not be worshipped.

I am not demanding that everyone acknowledge or even respect Christianity or the birth of Christ, but I do expect to be able to celebrate Christmas without secularists interfering the way they do by taking the religious signficance out of a religious holiday.

I have a deep respect for the Jewish faith. I respect everyone's right to worship the way they see fit. I'm just asking for a little respect in return. (Not from you, BOR, but from society, in general.)

That's the view from the window of my heart.

Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah! :D

Bah Humbug on Holidays! :lol: