The Imperfect Community

Sewingsiren · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 12:06 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601900.html
Is anybody offended that the President and Mrs. Bush have sent out Holiday Greetings, rather than Christmas greetings?
I don't get it, the article also states that some people are offended by the stores having holiday sales, rather than Christmas sales. I would think that a very religious Christain would be glad that the retail element would be disassociated from "Christmas" scratch

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How about the the guy from the Catholic League that says the Bushs are pandering to the worst elements in society?? What?? confused2

Scout · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:50 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

I see this whole thing as just another sign that the religious right feels they have made Bush their bitch, and they want to take every opportunity to show their power now. I have seen cards that said "Happy Holidays" my whole entire life, and have always taken it to mean the whole holiday season, not "Happy Not-Christmas."

As far as these groups bullying stores to hang up things that say "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays," it's just more of the same. I'm sick of these people with their "We're Christians, and there are more of us than you, so you don't count" attitude. Businesses cater to everyone, not just Christians, and they have every right to make sure they are catering to *all* of their customers.

What really makes me laugh in all this is that a lot of these churches have cancelled services on Christmas day this year because it falls on a Sunday. I thought Jesus was the reason for the season. I thought this was Jesus's birthday party. But oh, I guess that's just not convenient, you know, to have the party at HIS house. Rolling Eyes

Bite me, American Family Association. salute

prescott · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:31 pm Post subject: Re: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

Scout · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:52 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

I have never seen a protestant church have special services for Christmas, that I can remember. Maybe some of the "high" churches like Lutherans and Episcopalians do? I'm sure the Catholic churches will be having services, since they have Christmas masses every year anyway. Dh used to like to go to midnight mass.

My neighbor at work, of the "J the Christ" shirt, brought this up to me to let me know he did not agree with it at all, which I thought was sort of interesting.

Jessica · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 4:08 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

I think it's ridiculous that there are people out there that think that "Happy Holidays" is offensive because it's not soley embracing Christian ideals. I think it's equally ridiculous that there are those out there that pretend to be offended by "Merry Christmas", so both idiots cancel each other out and we are left with too much time spent worrying about shit that really doesn't matter.

People need to start passing the hookah and getting over themselves!

Sewingsiren · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 5:40 pm Post subject: Re: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

Sewingsiren · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 5:44 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

I didn't know that any Christian churches were canceling services on Christmas, so people can stay home and open presents??!! I can't imagine that they are doing that around here, I mean Christmas has come on Sunday before, right?

Scout · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 6:58 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

I don't know that there is really anyone out there getting offended by hearing or seeing "Merry Christmas." I guess if I were Jewish and happened to be on the president's card list, I would think it was a bit tacky of him to send me a card that said "Merry Christmas." I think this is something that Jerry Falwell and James Dobson and their ilk have come up with to further draw attention to themselves and pretend like Christians are being edged out by the evil secular inclusionists.

Petulant Pixie · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 7:23 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

I'm not offended by it. He's a busy guy, too busy to be personal. I send Christmas cards to my Christian friends, and "Happy Holidays" cards to my Jewish and Athiest friends (see how I capitalized it flower

). What have other presidents done?

Naturally, our church will be open on Christmas with three masses on Christmas eve (4, 6 and midnight, which actually starts at 10:30, so it's over by midnight--it's a local thing), and then two on Christmas morning. Christmas is not the big Christian holiday, but for Catholics it is a holy day of obligation (meaning you "have to" go). I don't know, even when I was Lutheran, the order of things was very similar. These other churches seem so bizarre to me, I just can't follow their belief system at all.

Jessica · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 7:28 pm Post subject: Re: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

Scout · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 8:54 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

I just think it's funny that in the midst of making a big stink about people "trying to kick Christ out of Christmas," and Jesus being "the reason for the season," the same people are not going to their house of worship when "Jesus's birthday" falls on a Sunday. I mean, if they are visiting family and away from their home church, there will still be a Baptist church or whatever where they are that day.

I never heard of Christmas Eve having any special religious significance for evangelicals. I know that like my family, a lot of people celebrate on Christmas Eve with one part of their family, and Christmas day with another. But we never had anything at church on Christmas Eve or anything.

ETA: across the hall from my classroom, there is a bulletin board that the art classes decorate. Right now it says something like "CHRISMAHANNAKWANZIKA" with little snowmen all around it. Laughing

PP, it's funny--the other night when the Pope John Paul movie was on, I said to dh "I can remember hearing on the news when the Pope was shot (it was on that part of the movie when we flipped to it). We were at Pizza Inn."
He looked at me incredulously and said "Eating dinner? We had already been at church for HOURS by then!" Lol, he said they went STRAIGHT to church. It just reminded me of that when you said "obligation."

NakedHousewife · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:04 pm Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

What better way to celebrate the glorious birth of Baby Jesus than bitching over how to share your holiday spirit with one another? This is why all of the presents I give will be wrapped in this: http://www.tshirthell.com/miscpages/wrap_happy.shtml

Since this waste-of-airtime story came out I've been wishing people Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays. All I've gotten are smiles and "Happy Hannukah (etc.) to you, too!" This is a time to be happy and to celebrate life, family, and getting cool stuff. Wish whatever you want to wish, and if someone says "Happy Kwanzaa" to me, I'm wishing them a Happy Kwanzaa right back. Because I want them to have a Happy Kwanzaa. Isn't that what the whole greeeting is all about anyway? "I'm feeling joyous. I want to interact with you, a perfect stranger, share my joy, and hope you are feeling joyous too." "Why yes I am, thank you. I may not celebrate what you celebrate, but goshdarnit, I hope it's a good one for you and yours"

I'm totally printing it up on a card right now.

Sewingsiren · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:19 pm Post subject: Re: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

NakedHousewife · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:39 pm Post subject: Re: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

kathyjm · Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:14 am Post subject: Holiday Greetings, offensive?

He he, I don't know how I feel about all of this. At first I did feel a little 'rejected' but when I think about WHO it is (businesses looking for a profit) it doesn't really bug me. I do know how this has effected me personally (which is probably my own issue), I am finding myself hesitating in saying Merry Christmas whereas before I'd say it to anyone and everyone I came in contact with! I even had it on my voicemail for work. It was never a problem. But our culture is getting so PC it's getting ridiculous so whatever. I can say that as a Christian, I've NEVER been offended by someone wishing me a Happy Hannukha (sp?)! The good wishes are very nice no matter who it's from. OTOH, I have felt that Christmas has been raped by non christians and retailers and with time it's turned into a gift giving frenzy instead of celebrating christ and I know it hasn't always been that way! So I guess this goes both ways. I can twist it to be upset with it or be glad about it. So using Jess's theory, that cancel's it out and I just don't care :-)

I attend a presbyterian church which is evangelistic and is one of the largest churches in the area. We're already having special services, will have two on Christmas eve and one on Christmas morning. I personally have never attended church on christmas morning but I've always attended on christmas eve. It has nothing to do with presents though. I just really love the candle light service! Heck, my kids usually have their presents open before the sun even comes up so it wouldn't interfere with church anyway! :-) i really don't think churches not having a service has anything to do with presents. I think it's mostly due to many people travelling and spending the time with their families! plus, if we want to get technical, 12/25 is just the day we observe christmas, it's not really the anniversary of jesus birth (that came later in the calendar).

re: bush.. I agree with the PP...it's not like he has time to sit down and be personal (i doubt HE even does the cards, except for his family members) and can you imagine how many he sends out??!! Come on, he is a political figure and needs to be PC....