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It’s ‘Merry Christmas’, not Happy Holidays…

By: firstchevalier (Diary)  |  December 2nd, 2008 at 09:06 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

seasons greetings or anything else. This is the season to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. If you are offended by that, frankly, I don’t care. I’m tired of having to worry about if the most high holy season of my religion offends anyone. You’re offense offends me. You’re lack of tolerance toward my religious beliefs offends me.

The left tells us we do not include enough diverse opinions. They tell us we are intolerant of the views of others. They tell us we must accept divergent beliefs from our own. Then, in the same breath, they tell us Christians we are not allowed to be included in the public school programs, our open displays of holiday spirit are not tolerated in public places, and they will not teach their children to accept our beliefs BECAUSE they differ from their own.

To those of you who think a nativity cannot be displayed because I’m not being tolerant of others I submit my moral outrage at your own hypocrisy. Oh, and by the way, the constitution guarantees us a freedom OF religion, not a freedom from religion. By virtue of removing all religion you are, in my opinion, by default promoting the religion of atheism (which falls on the category of religious beliefs even though it denies any deity’s existence).

Oh, Merry Christmas to all, peace and good will toward men, and happy birthday Jesus.

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COMMENTS

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  • amymiller

    …as a Hanukkah bush :o )

    Merry Christmas (Eve)*22, Mark Malcolm

    • NightTwister

      …they’re all fine by me so long as nobody tells me which one I can or cannot say.

      • firstchevalier

        and his wife is athiest, yeah I know. Heck of a combination. They setup a Chrismukkah tree each year and celebrate both holidays. I know what you’re thinking and don’t go there. I’ve gotten into many an eggnog induced argument with her over ‘what’ exactly she’s celebrating.

        • firstchevalier

          and Merry Christmas.

          • firstchevalier

            and you’re exactly correct. Easter etc is a more solemn event and Christmas is a celebration, but Easter is a celebration as well if we must split hairs. Thank you for the correction.

          • firstchevalier

            exactly my point.

      • Jaded

        I am always dreaming of a White Christmas!

        • Jaded

          You do realize that you are X-ing out Christ right? Just something my mother put into my head back in the 70s when it really got started rolling.

          • DC71

            It’s not an insult, X is actually an old symbol that means Christ, not an attempt to replace or diminish it. Hope that helps.

          • Jaded

            X out Christ and gained notable attention in the 70′s just for that alone and people have bitten on it every since and it does literally X out Christ!

          • aaronbg

            X may be the greek for C but Cmas is also not Christmas.

            And I know your next argument will be that we say MLK day..guess what MLK is now where near the stature of Christ…so now it’s not the same.

            The only reason to use Xmas, or Cmas, is to be purposefully provocative, and to show purposeful disrespect to other Christians, even with your claim of being a Catholic.

            So why don’t you just stop being disrespectful to the religion of others.

            Thanks in advance.

          • leftylurker

            n/t

          • streiff

            the X is the Greek letter Chi, the first letter in, drumroll, Christ.

          • aaronbg

            but this ain’t Sesame Street and we don’t celebrate letters now do we?

  • ETCartman

    I posted this on another thread, so consider this my first “syndication”.

    ;-)

    I am sick and tired of seeing Christmas destroyed. This Jewish kid is at the end of his rope with the PC crowd trying to wipe Christmas off the map.

    Here’s a few hints for the unenlightened:

    1. It’s called CHRISTmas for a reason and I love everything about the holiday. I’ve even been to Midnight Mass (more than once).

    2. Christmas is an absolutely joyous holiday for (gasp !) families and individuals to celebrate or not as they wish (1st Amendment – know what that is ?).

    3. The holiday has NOTHING to do with anyone going shopping every day from ‘Black Friday’ through Christmas Eve, or materialism in general.

    4. If you want a shot at actually embracing the holiday as a non-religious event, here’s an idea: Tell yourself “it’s for the children” and simply have some fun.

    5. If you actually succeed in destroying Christmas, women and minorities will be the hardest hit.

    6. Come after Channukah and you’ll have to answer to me.

  • kyle8

    Chanukkah Bush.

    Sorry, Couldn’t help myself

    • kyle8

      arron? let me COUNT them,

      One Ha Ha Ha…
      Two Ha Ha Ha…
      Three Ha Ha Ha…

      • aaronbg

        n/t

        • exitsfunnel

          Your reply gets at the heart of the issue I think. Christians are always trying to frame all of the made up “War Against Christmas” stuff as an affront to their own freedom of expression but in practice that’s almost never what they are really complaining about. DC71 (or anyone else for that matter) should be free to say “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays,” “Merry Xmas” or whichever other variant he chooses just as you should.

          -exits

          • aaronbg

            Is it ok to call MLK day happy N word rights day? Or is that too offensive? Or how about we start calling memorial day happy dead baby killer day?

            Xmas in itself is not a bad word…heck it is not even a word…the point is that the intent is to devalue the Christ in the the word Christmas.

            If you or anyone else doesn’t want to say Merry Christmas…fine…don’t…but if you are going to refer to it at all then do it correctly by saying Christmas not Xmas. Show the respect you would want shown.

          • E_Pluribus_Unum

            So, are conservatives just paranoid, and the ACLU is NOT actually going around suing and strong-arming cities and towns of all sizes?

          • exitsfunnel

            I am an atheist who grew up celebrating Christmas as a secular holiday and still do celebrate it. I certainly don’t mind being wished a “Merry Christmas” or any of the other variants. If I’m greeting someone I know to be a christian I will usually use “Merry Christmas,” otherwise I’ll just say “Happy Holidays.”

            -exits

          • exitsfunnel

            I’m fine with whatever you want to call MLK day and I can’t even imagine caring what terminology others use to describe my holidays. The modern genesis of the use of XMAS had nothing to do with disrespect for Christians, it was just an effort by merchants to appeal to a wider demographic.

            -exits

          • exitsfunnel

            If the ACLU is waging war against Christmas, they’re losing pretty badly, because I see Christmas everywhere.

            -exits

          • aaronbg

            Might as well not get in the middle of the shooting then huh?

            Oh and as far as X being a “effort by merchants to appeal to a wider demographic.” well that doesn’t really jive with the other excuses put forth that X = Chi which = C which therefore = Christ.

            Seriously, at least try to stay consistent.

          • aaronbg

            Well then I guess we aren’t winning in Iraq either then since the MSM isn’t reporting it.

            Quit being sarcastic…or should I say clueless?

          • E_Pluribus_Unum

            You saw a nativity scene on city property, or a prayer at a football or basketball game, or even the word “Christmas” [as opposed to "Happy Holidays"] on city property?

            I’m betting, “not in this decade”.

          • exitsfunnel

            The point is that there really is no shooting. It’s not a battle as much as you may want to make it one. Say what you want in December and let others do so as well.

            And regarding the Chi stuff, I was careful to say “modern genesis.” The use of Chi in abbreviations for Christ goes back 1000 years but I was addressing the relatively recently specific use of XMAS for Christmas which was popularized primarily by its use by merchants.

            -exits

          • Achance

            as Robert E. Lee’s Birthday. Since that third Friday in January ISN’T MLK’s Birthday, I don’t have much doubt about why it was chosen. But, no, that wasn’t a war either.

            I’m not religious, but I am a traditionalist and one of our powerful traditions is the Christian Holiday Christmas. There is an element in America who are totally dedicated to erasing everything representative of traditional America and their foremost tool is the ACLU.

          • aaronbg

            If you are an atheist that is great and I am not trying to change your beliefs…now out of mutual respect you should also not be purposefully disrespectful to my beliefs. Xmas is offensive to many Christians.

            I disagree with homosexuality but that does not give me the right to call them faggots. Like wise you disagree with Christianity but that doesn’t give you the right to be disrespectful towards them.

            Is it offensive for you to say Christmas? It shouldn’t be because your belief is that none of it is real anyhow, so you should take any religious offense by it.

          • exitsfunnel

            You see it everywhere. Do you really think that merchants use “Xmas” in an effort to be disrespectful to 73% of their potential customers? It’s one of those things that only bothers people who are really looking for a fight.

            -exits

          • kyle8

            If Negro is offensive to some African -Americans, and Hispanic is offensive to some Latinos, and Queer is offensive to some gays.

            Then it follows that it is up to us as Christians to determine what is offensive to us. I don’t like it, but then again, I don’t like Christmas at all, because it has become a commercialised atrocity.

          • firstchevalier

            or should I say mistranslations? I have some background here in textual criticism and can tell you the name of Christ in all excepted text, that is the ones the monks found authoritative and worthy to teach from, did NOT decidedly alter the name of our Lord. In point of fact, it is, in the new testament, always spelled out in the Greek fully. Only altered, and thus unreliable manuscripts find the name of Christ abbreviated.
            We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion brought to you by the letter X.

            (Oh, and I’m okay with you ‘xing’ out Christ if you want to but I won’t be spelling Christmas with an X. Free to choose. Welcome to America)

          • firstchevalier

            n/t

          • DC71

            I can’t believe that conversation turned that angry. Let me explain my take on this, since I wrote it. X is not the letter Chi. It actually represents the Chi Rho, a common symbol for Christ. It’s that sign of an X that looks like it has a P inside it. It’s along the lines of a Jesus Fish, but has a much more special meaning. (Most people don’t consider the Jesus Fish to be offensive btw). It is symbol generally related to the Crucifixion of Christ, actually giving it solemn meaning. It’s pretty much a Catholic thing, so I see what many Protestant don’t like it, but to us, its really is solemn symbol, not an attempt to take Christ our of Christmas, it is simply a shorthand way of writing it. Catholic Monks used that symbol for centuries as a manner of writing it shorthand when they wrote out the scriptures by hand in order save space on paper. Trust me, they weren’t doing it to mock Christ. I understand you passion here, but I wanted to let you know that the X is not just a shorthand way of writing Christ, but actually has some special meaning behind it. That’s what it means to me anyway, and that’s the meaning I wanted to pass on to you guys. I hope that helps.

          • JakePrime

            Xmas crossing out Christ seems a little out of left field to me, but it does sound dated. Personally, I don’t care what anyone says as long as they don’t mind when I wish them a Merry Christmas. I always appreciate a happy Festivus well wisher.

  • RoxannaDanna

    Christians are intolerant. Republicans are intolerant. Conservatives are intolerant.

    I am so tired of hearing this mantra from the left. They say they want us to be tolerant and accepting of others. But what they really want is for us to be the moral relativists that they are. Turn our heads to abortion on demand, turn away from gay marriage, give up our convictions and accept that every opinion, belief or action deserves respect and acceptance from US. (Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict have spoken and written on the issue of moral relativism.)

    This is simply not acceptable. People deserve our respect but not always do their actions or opinions. I respect that some people are not Christian and some are atheist. I respect that they have the right to worship or not as they so choose. And as a Christian and a Catholic, I deserve the same respect.

    If I choose to put a nativity in my front yard, I’m not imposing on anyone else’s beliefs anymore than if my neighbor puts up a menorah. How am I harming an atheist if I say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah”? How am I stifling their freedom of speech or their freedom to worship or not?

    But by forcing me to be politically correct and a moral relativist like they are, my freedoms are being oppressed. My speech is being gagged and my choice to worship God is being trampled on.

    And all in the name of TOLERANCE?

    • E Pluribus Unum

      I agree totally.

  • DC71

    I don’t mind Happy Holidays. Why celebrate one when we can celebrate two (being a Catholic with a Jewish GF means more gifts!). It’s what makes America great. St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco De Mayo, Bastille Day, I’ll celebrate anything. Bring ‘em all on if you ask me.

    Seriously though, Happy Holidays doesn’t take away from Christmas, but adds to the celebration. I have no problem acknowledging all the holidays (Kwanza doesn’t count…sorry). Seasons Greetings is lame though, I agree with that.

    One correction though Mark. I don’t know what denomination you are, so I could be wrong cause, but Easter and Lent are generally considered more solemn to us Catholics. Xmas is a celebration. Sorry to nitpick. Let me know if I’m wrong, it’s be interested to know how different denominations view it differently.

    Merry Christmas

  • Scope

    Being Catholic, I celebrate the joyous day that who I believe to be our saviour was born. No one will ever tell me that I can’t have a nativity scene or any religious display on my property. I will say to everyone Merry Christmas. The Jewish people can wish me a Happy Hannukkah, and the blacks can wish me a Happy Kwanza and etc. I respect your religious beliefs and I expect others to respect mine.

    It’s the ACLU that needs to get this message.

  • leppard

    I answer Merry Christmas to anyone who says differently.