*claps*

On the note of TV and movies, we can vote with our dollar, if it bothers you don't see it, don't watch the channel, its far more effective then just complaining to your friends.

Pardon me if this has already been stated (I can't go back and read through all 50 billion posts), but Christmas has become such a secular holiday that it has more or less lost its religous meaning for most people who celebrate it. In fact, I know Jewish people who put up Christmas trees and exchange presents.

Btw, for those of you from BOM, I'm the artist formerly known as Megamoze. I bid you all greetings.

Oh good grief.

Triple post.

welcome megamoze!

Hello Megamoze. That pretty much has been mentioned, but still good to hear.

And thanks for the response, Mike V. I wasn't doing it to complain (although I can see how some would think I was), I was just doing it for a discussion.

Another liberal...yay!!!! We need more and more!

Now that Megamoze is back, you liberals will have a leader to rally around. Let the games begin!

I just have one thing to say (it's probably been said already): I hate the use of the word "holiday."
Examples: holiday season, holiday lights, in time for the holidays, etc.
They're offending ten times as many people by not using the word Christmas! :x

Is that Mega????

Welcome!

For PC crowd it's better for nobody to be happy, than just for one small group to be unhappy ;-)

Hey, welcome! Although now I am imagining you having two heads instead of looking like Shrek.

I only celebrate X-mas.

It's not meant to exclude Christmas, it's meant to include Hannukah and New Years.

And if you're actually offended by the word "holiday", well...

Guy #1: Merry Christmas!
Guy #2: I'm not Christian, you nasty intolerant bigot. How DARE you wish me a "Merry Christmas."
Guy #1: Oh, sorry! But since I don't really know you that well, I had to assume...
Guy #2: Well, assuming makes an ass out of you. You should think before you speak.
Guy #1: But can't you accept the fact that even though YOU aren't Christian, Christianity is the majority religion in this country, and so statistically I have the best chance of being right if I do assume you are Christian?
Guy #2: Majority religion?? Haven't you read the Constitution?!? First Amendment: "Government shall pass no law respecting the establishment of religion" You. Intolerant.
Guy #1: But that's not my intention. "Merry Christmas" is just the default way way we say Hi to each other during this time of year. It's not like I'm trying to convert you or say your religion is wrong or anything.
Guy #2: COMMIE!
Guy #1: C'mon, you know I didn't mean any harm.
Guy #2: Yeah, but too bad. Instead of accepting that you didn't mean any harm and you were just trying to be polite and that the chances I'm Christian are kinda high, instead I am choosing to be all offended! WAH WAH WAH WAH!
Guy #1: Gosh, I better not send any Christmas cards this year. And I have to be careful about giving presents too. I guess I won't have to buy as much either.
Marketers: *GASP*
Guy #1: But I don't want to offended anybody even though I think they're overreacting somewhat but I can't say that or it will set them off again.
Marketers: NO NO NO NO! Must...Buy...STUFF! Wah wah wah wah!
Guy #1: But what do I do?
Marketers: We'll have a generic holiday instead. Hey, everyone's got a holiday at some point this time of year. Tell them to have a Happy Holiday. We'll stock the stores with the "general" (i.e. pagan, but we can't say that) tree and holly and stuff. We'll just "celebrate the season." You can include everybody that way.
Guy #1: Hey, great idea! *wears stripe off credit card*

And thus did the commence the modern Holiday Season.

Oh by the way, welcome Beeblebrox/Megamoze. Were you able to slam the portal shut in time, or did Threadkiller 5 follow you through? *crosses fingers*

It almost sounds as if you dont want TK5 around.

Nah, can't be! ;-)

I'll go and call a black guy a nigger then !!

**walks away, proud and happy**

I smell a movie in there somewhere! :wink:

Funny, but not what this post was about. It was this:

Guy #1: Merry Christmas -- except for YOU, you atheist.

Someone out there is happy at the use of the word "holiday" I bet. :o



It's one thing to say things like season's greetings or happy holidays, but when people working at stores are told not to say the word "Christmas" and "Christmas lights" become "holiday lights" (despite the fact that Christmas lights are associated with Christmas (hence the name) and not other "holidays"). I'm not offended by the inclusion of holidays such as Hannukah and New Years; but since there's only three freaking major holidays around this time it would make sense if they said "Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and Happy New Year." instead of commercializing everything into the word "holiday".

The fact is people are trying to make money off of Christmas without having to acknowledge it. Face it; the overwhelming majority of Christians and even people of other faiths buy presents, trees, have dinner, etc. to celebrate CHRISTMAS, not the "holidays".

It would also make sense to shorten that mouthful of words into "Happy holidays."



No, they are trying to include other faiths without having to say, "Merry Christmas, have a great Hannukah, and a Happy New Years."

I'm sorry, I have to disagree. What I posted is what I believe. As much as you would like to think otherwise, I don't believe that everybody is conciously thinking anything when they say Merry Christmas.

And I have to ask, what is wrong with "Merry Chistmas except for you, you atheist"? Shouldn't you, an atheist, appreciate that somebody is conciously acknowledging that you do not celebrate the actual birth of Christ? :?: To be technical, you are not really celebrating Christmas. I guess you are truly celebrating the family's celebration of Christmas, not Christmas itself. It's a fine point, yes, but this entire thread is about a fine point.

I rather agree with Mr. X. The root of the problem is that the word Christmas has been adopted to represent all the holidays in the season, not just the birth of Christ. In doing so, the original meaning of Christmas has been diluted. This is a misnomer. If anything -- and here I will be disagreeing with Jason Ng -- the "Have a Happy Holiday Season" is MORE accurate than "Merry Christmas," because it includes everybody except YOU, you atheists. And if atheists are going to derive happiness from something they don't believe in, i.e. their families' belief in [whatever holiday], I guess they should have the tolerance not to be offended when somebody wishes them that Happy [whatever holiday.]

I also have to disagree with Jason Ng on one more point. Christmas does not own the market on candles and lighting for their holidays. Pagans were lighting fires and Jews were lighting candles for hundreds of years BC. And why do you put "holidays" in quotes as if Chistian holidays were the only real holidays?

Agreed, do people really get that upset when ou say Merry Christmas if they don't believe in birth of Christ?

I worke din the mall during hte holiday season last year and I said everything from Merry Christmas to Happy Hanukkah to Happy Holidays, in general I used the first two when I specifically new alot abotu the cutomer. I used the last the most because its much easier to trian yourself to say Happy Holidays working in retial becasue then after Christams you don;t have to swtich to Happy New Year, and you can just trian yourself when their is a hoiday to turn on the Happy Holidays button.

Smetimes the generic is a very useful.




An athiest doesn't need to checkout girl at the Gap to acknowledge his lack of a religious faith.

Would that statemnet have to be "Merry Chistmas except for you, you atheist, and you, You Muslim, etc"? And start listing all the people who don't celebrate the day with any interest at al in the birht of Christ.

Why not call out those people who cliam to be Christian but never do a thing to actually stand by their chosen religion... no church, no nothing.



True, but the world Christian has diluted in meanign over the years too, it used to implay sooene who went to church and actualy practiced the religion, I think I know more non practiciing Christians then Christians.

Words change meaning all the time, whether we like it or not. I hate how young African AMericans use the N word to refer to their friends, but that doesn't change its extrememly common use in the Engllish langauge.

The holiday existed before Christ, it was dressed up in Christian clothing, and now that Christian clothing has come to stand for the generic holiday. The Christians in the country bear some responsilibilty for the fac thtat Merry Christmas has in part become an all encompassing greeting.




Why does Happy Holidays not include athiests?

And honestly any athiests who gets mad t being wished a Happy <insert name here>, should just ligten up a bit.

To be honest, I do feel a little uncomfortable being wished Merry Christmas. I'm not offended or anything by it but its not something important to me at all and mainly, I don't really know hwo to react to it. You can say its cause of lack of any christmas spirit in me and the fact that there is absolutely nothing about it that I personally find attractive in a sense. I'm not fond of snow, I hate anything that gives a feel good ... feel and I espicially dispise christmas music. So my understanding of Christmas itself is very limited. I did not grow up in an environment where we celebrated it ever so when someone wishes it, it doesn't really mean anything to me.

I do make it a point to wish people happy diwali, merry christmas or happy hanukkah if theyre somehow related to those holidays.