War on Christmas

[wihosa]

However at the same time, why get upset just because a greeting isn't something you like? If you don't celebrate then why not just answer with a simple "Hello" instead of getting upset at all?

I don't remember anybody getting upset but the Christians. They are the ones who are offended that retailers wish to be inclusive by using the term Happy Holidays.

 

[WillowTree]

How do you know? Have you polled all Jews? Have you polled all atheists?

What's your problem with atheists?

Life's experience.. I've never met a Jew who was offended by my "Merry Christmas" greeting.. Now you atheists are a different story altogether.

 

[Steerpike]

Life's experience.. I've never met a Jew who was offended by my "Merry Christmas" greeting.. Now you atheists are a different story altogether.

You are wrong Willow Tree. No reasonable person, whether Christian, Jewish, OR atheist, gets upset over this sort of thing. There are a very few loud people in each group who seem to let it bother them.

 

[KittenKoder]

I don't remember anybody getting upset but the Christians. They are the ones who are offended that retailers wish to be inclusive by using the term Happy Holidays.

Never said it didn't go both ways. To me this whole issue is rather stupid, so Idefend both sides to have the right to say what they want, but forcing them to say it one wy or another is wrong wither way.

 

[mattskramer]

Safe and Sweet

May whatever religious beliefs or disbeliefs you have concerning life and death, and whatever thoughts you have on the possibilities of life after death give you peace, tranquility and happiness this time of year and all year long?

Could that statement offend anyone? If so, please explain.

 

[KittenKoder]

Safe and Sweet

May whatever religious beliefs or disbeliefs you have concerning life and death, and whatever thoughts you have on the possibilities of life after death give you peace, tranquility and happiness this time of year and all year long?

Could that statement offend anyone? If so, please explain.

If it does offend someone then they have issues, not the person saying it.

 

[sky dancer]

Life's experience.. I've never met a Jew who was offended by my "Merry Christmas" greeting.. Now you atheists are a different story altogether.

I'm not offended if someone says Merry Christmas to me. I happen to be a Buddhist by the way.

"In his 1958 study of second-generation immigrant Reform Jews on Chicago's South Side, clinical psychologist and rabbi Milton Matz revealed that in the second generation parents often agreed that a Jewish child might need a Christmas tree to "hyphenate the contradiction between his Americanism and his Jewish ethnicism." Matz's study also demonstrated that members of the third generation were increasingly likely to recognize the inherent contradiction in adopting the religious symbols of another group; they would eventually give up the Christmas tree and find other ways of expressing their acculturation into American society.



Sure enough, in a 1993 study Stanford religious studies professor Arnold M. Eisen validated Matz's findings, demonstrating that the majority of American Jews no longer had Christmas trees. In 82 percent of entirely Jewish households, a Christmas tree had never been displayed. So too, sociologist Marshall Sklare's research in the 1950s and '60s on second- and third-generation Jews established that Hanukkah--formerly a "minor" Jewish holiday--had gained in importance when it became the Jewish alternative for Christmas. "Instead of alienating the Jews from general culture," wrote Sklare, "Hanukkah helps to situate him as a participant in that culture. Hanukkah, in short, becomes for some the Jewish Christmas." Ironically, by elevating Hanukkah as a Jewish alternative to Christmas, American Jews had invented their own holiday tradition through a Christmas mirror."

My Jewish Learning: Jews & Christmas

 

[sky dancer]

Life's experience.. I've never met a Jew who was offended by my "Merry Christmas" greeting.. Now you atheists are a different story altogether.

Are you angry with atheists or just me?

 

[WillowTree]

You are wrong Willow Tree. No reasonable person, whether Christian, Jewish, OR atheist, gets upset over this sort of thing. There are a very few loud people in each group who seem to let it bother them.

I'm just saying.. I've never met a Jew who was offended.. I say "Merry Christmas,, the Jews say in return and "Happy Hanunaka" and we smile at each other warmly.. Until athiests I've never met people who wanted to cut Christ out of Christmas.. Jews, know who Christ was, they just don't recognize him as the messiah.. but they still understand a celebration of his birth.. Ever been to Jerusalem?

 

[WillowTree]

Are you angry with atheists or just me?

I'n not "angry" with anybody,,

 

[Steerpike]

I'm just saying.. I've never met a Jew who was offended.. I say "Merry Christmas,, the Jews say in return and "Happy Hanunaka" and we smile at each other warmly.. Until athiests I've never met people who wanted to cut Christ out of Christmas.. Jews, know who Christ was, they just don't recognize him as the messiah.. but they still understand a celebration of his birth.. Ever been to Jerusalem?

I've met people from all three of those groups who were offended in one way or another by the greeting of another religion, etc. Luckily they are few and far between.

 

[sky dancer]

I'm just saying.. I've never met a Jew who was offended.. I say "Merry Christmas,, the Jews say in return and "Happy Hanunaka" and we smile at each other warmly.. Until athiests I've never met people who wanted to cut Christ out of Christmas.. Jews, know who Christ was, they just don't recognize him as the messiah.. but they still understand a celebration of his birth.. Ever been to Jerusalem?

I'm not Jewish. I have never been to Jerusalem. I disagree that atheists want to cut Christ out of Christmas. Consider Christmas from their point of view if you can.

I'm Buddhist. I respect and revere Christ as a role model for love and compassion.

IMO. Commercialism is not an invention of atheists. If anything has taken Christ out of Christmas its capitalism.

 

[WillowTree]

However at the same time, why get upset just because a greeting isn't something you like? If you don't celebrate then why not just answer with a simple "Hello" instead of getting upset at all?

Now you're getting it,, no reasnon whatsoever that you should be offended by "Merry Christmas" so what's all the arguing about doyathink?

 

[sky dancer]

I'n not "angry" with anybody,,

Well, you seem to have a charge about atheists. You responded to a post of mine by saying 'you atheists',

 

[WillowTree]

I've met people from all three of those groups who were offended in one way or another by the greeting of another religion, etc. Luckily they are few and far between.

yep! I tend to agree with you,, those are people who just look for something to be offended about, have you noticed how that happens a lot lately?

 

[Steerpike]

yep! I tend to agree with you,, those are people who just look for something to be offended about, have you noticed how that happens a lot lately?

Well, it is magnified on the internet forum. To some extent, places like this self-select for people who have an axe to grind.

 

[wihosa]

Safe and Sweet

May whatever religious beliefs or disbeliefs you have concerning life and death, and whatever thoughts you have on the possibilities of life after death give you peace, tranquility and happiness this time of year and all year long?

Could that statement offend anyone? If so, please explain.

No one could be offended by that statement but it would sure be a mouthful as a greeting.

 

[sky dancer]

yep! I tend to agree with you,, those are people who just look for something to be offended about, have you noticed how that happens a lot lately?

Aren't you in effect saying that you are offended that atheists are offended? Why not consider the atheists point of view?

 

[WillowTree]

I'm not Jewish. I have never been to Jerusalem. I disagree that atheists want to cut Christ out of Christmas. Consider Christmas from their point of view if you can.

I'm Buddhist. I respect and revere Christ as a role model for love and compassion.

IMO. Commercialism is not an invention of atheists. If anything has taken Christ out of Christmas its capitalism.

I said it once, twice three or four times.. I am happy to say Merry Christmas, and they should be happy to say Happy Holidays.. butttttttttt, I am not going to stop saying Merry Christmas to please themm... capiche.. I'm not Jewish either.. but I have been to Jerusalem,, three of the world's biggest religions all reside in the Holy City of Jerusalem,, Jews, Christians and Muslims.. It's a very worthwhile trip..

 

[Annie]

However at the same time, why get upset just because a greeting isn't something you like? If you don't celebrate then why not just answer with a simple "Hello" instead of getting upset at all?

Indeed. If I was shopping at a local Skokie, (significantly Jewish suburb), store and the cashier wished me 'Happy Hanukah', I'd respond, "To you too!" Doesn't seem that difficult to me.