Is this a real problem?

[ClaireZ]

Except that it's NOT just Christmas. There is Hannukah, Ramadan, Yule, Kwaanza, and probably a number of other holidays that I'm not familiar with. 99% of the American public does not celebrate Christmas.

Do private businesses not have the right to use whatever language they wish when referring to holidays? Or do you think that the language police should come around and force them to say "Merry Christmas"? Because, no private business is forced to say "Happy Holidays"; they do so as a business decision, in an effort to include as many people as possible. Why only include Christmas shoppers, when you can also include Kwaana, Hannukah, and Yule shoppers, as well? The argument seems to be that places should be forced to refer only to Christmas, and not allowed to make their own choices about what language to use. THAT is political correctness, and THAT is being the language police, not the idea that businesses will make marketing decisions in order to draw in the most customers.

99% of the American public does not celebrate Christmas? I find this rather hard to believe. 99%? I would like to see where you got this figure. I know I live in the boondocks of Indiana, but I have only met one family that didn't celebrate Christmas. (JW)

 

[revrobor]

Christmas is not a Biblically mandated holiday so we are free to celebrate it any way we choose or not celebrate it at all. For those of us who use the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus it's a sacred day. For others it is special in other ways. As has been pointed out it was adapted from a pagan winter festival so it's not even exclusively a "Christian" holiday. We believers would do better to share with others why we celebrate what we do than to criticize others for not celebrating the Christian meaning or the way others celebrate.

May your holiday celebration be happy.

 

[praying]

Christmas is not a Biblically mandated holiday so we are free to celebrate it any way we choose or not celebrate it at all. For those of us who use the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus it's a sacred day. For others it is special in other ways. As has been pointed out it was adapted from a pagan winter festival so it's not even exclusively a "Christian" holiday. We believers would do better to share with others why we celebrate what we do than to criticize others for not celebrating the Christian meaning or the way others celebrate.

May your holiday celebration be happy.

 

[imind]

Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." (KJV).

food for thought, or no?

 

[ZACTAK]

Actually Wal-Mart just came out a couple weeks ago and said that associates can now say Merry Christmas.

 

[cwolf20]

it was. He's still fighting the decision

Did that actually happen? That kind of breach in policy would warrant a warning, not being fired. I'd be extremely, extremely surprised to find out it was true.

 

[cwolf20]

some things don't make the news. Like a car wreck in Chattanooga. The official story last week was that the woman skidded, went thru the guard rail and her car flipped and rolled. It was also determined that she was drunk. There were a few bottles of scotch lying on the floorboard, and a couple were broken.

What was left out was the fact that she was using a vibrator.

It's weird the things you can find out when you know a few police officers.

Sounds like an urban myth. If you had internet access, you could post a link.

 

[loriersea]

99% of the American public does not celebrate Christmas? I find this rather hard to believe. 99%? I would like to see where you got this figure. I know I live in the boondocks of Indiana, but I have only met one family that didn't celebrate Christmas. (JW)

I'm sorry, I phrased that wrong. The post I was replying to argued that 99% of Americans celebrate Christmas. I was saying that 99% of Americans don't celebrate Christmas--not meaning that only 1% of Americans do, but that it is false to say that 99% do. Hope that clarifies.

 

[agyevesam]

Every person needs to decided what the holidays or Christmas means to them personally. Than after they figure it out, they need to celebrate in that way and let everyone else celebrate in there own way..... When did we become soo worried with everyone else and what they are doing?????

 

[Uphill Battle]

Christmas is not a Biblically mandated holiday so we are free to celebrate it any way we choose or not celebrate it at all. For those of us who use the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus it's a sacred day. For others it is special in other ways. As has been pointed out it was adapted from a pagan winter festival so it's not even exclusively a "Christian" holiday. We believers would do better to share with others why we celebrate what we do than to criticize others for not celebrating the Christian meaning or the way others celebrate.

May your holiday celebration be happy.

good points. I guess I just wish that I were allowed to wish people a Merry Christmas without having to worry about the P.C. police.

 

[Diane_Windsor]

Personally, I think that is the kind of problem you want to have. I mean, seriously, if your "persecution" consists of store clerks cheerfully saying "Happy Holidays" to you, you are pretty darn lucky.

I think the entire idea of complaining about this is absurd. If someone wishes you well, then you should be thankful, and wish them well in return. It is beyond self-centered to pout because someone didn't offer you good wishes in exactly the way you'd like them to have offered them.

Agreed.

 

[JPPT1974]

good points. I guess I just wish that I were allowed to wish people a Merry Christmas without having to worry about the P.C. police.

Yeah you have to watch over your back for the PC police!

 

[OhhJim]

some things don't make the news. Like a car wreck in Chattanooga. The official story last week was that the woman skidded, went thru the guard rail and her car flipped and rolled. It was also determined that she was drunk. There were a few bottles of scotch lying on the floorboard, and a couple were broken.

What was left out was the fact that she was using a vibrator.

It's weird the things you can find out when you know a few police officers.

Oh, I'm sure YOU are telling the truth. It's just that there are so many myths on the internet, you know. I know of a Christian website, for example, where they all agree that you can't pray in a public school, for example, which is nonsense. They all agree that people everywhere are getting fired for saying, "Merry Christmas".

It could be that your friend got fired for something other than saying, "Merry Christmas". There was a story about how a guy got arrested for reading the Bible in a Town Council meeting. Turns out that he was being obnoxious, and wouldn't shut up, even when asked to, etc. Without corroboration, there's no way of knowing. This is why authors give footnotes when they make a claim-so that people can check it for themselves.

 

[loriersea]

good points. I guess I just wish that I were allowed to wish people a Merry Christmas without having to worry about the P.C. police.

I do think it's important to clarify the difference between "the P.C. police" and "the management of large chain discount stores." Contrary to popular belief, they are not one and the same, if for no other reason than one exists and one does not .

Nobody has ever gotten in any kind of trouble--and never will--for saying "Merry Christmas" to anyone they want, when they are not on someone else's payroll. You can wish any store clerk in any store anything you'd like, and nobody will say anything. The issue is with store management making policies about employee conduct, which they do all the time, on all sorts of things. Wal-Mart employees, in many stores, have limits on how many bathroom breaks they can take, but that doesn't mean that the "bathroom police" are looking over all of our shoulders to make sure we don't spend too much time on the toilet.

 

[EbonNelumbo]

I think the segment on 11 o clock news last night outta Portland best summarized: When else is a tree used for a holiday? Except maybe Arbour day. It's a Christmas tree.

Hate to say it, but considering the background of the nation, though 'free' being mostly indoctrinated, people just need to get over their anti christmas stuff. I am sorry to those who feel against that but it's Christmas and personally, tolerance is great but conditioning kids to be PC their whole life is pretty sad.

 

[Rochir]

I was saying that 99% of Americans don't celebrate Christmas--not meaning that only 1% of Americans do, but that it is false to say that 99% do. Hope that clarifies.

No, it doesn't. You're still saying that 99% of Americans don't celebrate Christmas, for which I, too, would love to see sources! I'd put the number of non-Xmas-celebrating US citizens at maybe 30% which is a number I'M fishing out of thin air.

But what do you think all those Bush voters celebrate I doubt tehre are many Kwanzaa, Yule or Ramadan celebrants amongst them!

 

[TeddyKGB]

No, it doesn't. You're still saying that 99% of Americans don't celebrate Christmas, for which I, too, would love to see sources! I'd put the number of non-Xmas-celebrating US citizens at maybe 30% which is a number I'M fishing out of thin air.

Let's see if I can help explain what she is saying. Perhaps if it was phrased like so: "It is not true that 99% of Americans celebrate Christmas."

 

[loriersea]

Let's see if I can help explain what she is saying. Perhaps if 0it was phrased like so: "It is not true that 99% of Americans celebrate Christmas."

Thank you.

The number of Americans who identify as Christian is about 76%. If you figure that a number of people who don't identify as Christian still celebrate Christmas, maybe the figure for those who celebrate Christmas is maybe 85% or so. That is much different from 99%. The claim that 99% of Americans celebrate Christmas is a false one. That was what I've been trying to say. Sorry if it wasn't clear either time.

 

[Uphill Battle]

Let's see if I can help explain what she is saying. Perhaps if it was phrased like so: "It is not true that 99% of Americans celebrate Christmas."

oh oh, can I guess? lets see.... 69.987% do. (closest gets the jar of jellybeans.)

 

[SamanthaOfHope]

wow, um...ridiculous, lol. i too think that this entire "merry christmas" issue is just plain silly. besides, it's strange to propose that harm could ever be intended by simply saying "merry christmas" or posting a sign in a store that says the same. choosing totally different words, doesn't alter the meaning of the phrase anyway. and i think "merry christmas", should stay without all of the nonsense ofcourse.