The War on Christmas

[lewisnotmiller]

I'm going to point out the obvious and say there is no psychical way to go to war with a day.

Phhht...you're just scared, because this year Christmas is gonna fight back...

*cue stirring martial music*

 

[Deidre]

I'm going to point out the obvious and say there is no psychical way to go to war with a day.

lol

I love this forum.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I'm going to point out the obvious and say there is no psychical way to go to war with a day.

I am reviving the ancient practice of bah-humbuggery.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I am reviving the ancient practice of bah-humbuggery.

An enemy of Christmas is an enemy of mine, so let me commence the propoganda war...

Dear protectors of Christmas, did you HEAR what my opponent said? No? Well, I QUOTE...

'I am reviving the ancient practice of...buggery...'

I mean, really. It is quite clear that those in opposition to Christmas are nothing more than common fornicators.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I mean, really. It is quite clear that those in opposition to Christmas are nothing more than common fornicators.

It's even worse than that!

 

[leibowde84]

Businesses are afraid to use the word Christmas in their advertising for fear of offending someone. Soon all we will hear is "Happy mid-winter non-religious celebration to you." It might not be a war on Christmas but it is taking the holiday away from Christians in order to not offend non-Christians.

Seems like a smart business decision. What's wrong with happy holidays?

 

[Nietzsche]

I'm going to point out the obvious and say there is no psychical way to go to war with a day.

Clearly you just haven't tried hard enough. Remember the 8th day? No? Just me? Perfect.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

What's wrong with happy holidays?

Yeah, and we we should change the name from Christmas to Satanmas, er, I mean Santamas.

 

[leibowde84]

Do you think the "War on Christmas" is occurring? What are your reasons for or against?

I don't think there is a war on Christmas in any real way, as the opposite seems to be taking place. More and more non-Christians are celebrating the holiday, albeit in a non-religious way. And, this is for good reason. If Christmas is to continue as the national holiday that it is now, the religious aspects of it are going to fade away. But, the generosity and family aspects of it will surely continue.

 

[jonathan180iq]

Do you think the "War on Christmas" is occurring? What are your reasons for or against?

Ah yes, the War on Christmas...

That time of year when the overtly nationally sanctioned holiday is openly celebrated by what seems like 99% of our society for two months, the entire public and private sector schedules are altered to reflect the favoritism of this particular holiday over all others, and yet somehow Christians still feel persecuted because red and green colored cups at their favorite coffee shop aren't Christmasy enough...

This is essentially just some argument thought up by a bunch of selfish pricks who need something to stoke their feeling of eternal victim hood. I imagine it comes from a place of self-loathing, seeing as how most Christians in the West who have read their Bibles must recognize the stark contrast between the cushy lives that they live and the sacrificial lives lived by their Biblical heroes. If they can invent and believe in some type of societal injustice against them then it makes them feel like they are actually suffering for their faith, which is what is called of them in their holy book. I find it disgusting, really, that an over-pampered section of the populace complains when their holiday of choice is still the predominant holiday of choice even after secularization... Boo-hoo! Woah is me, for I have everything I want and I don't know what suffering feels like! Wah Wah Wah.

Get over yourselves.

 

[metis]

If there is a "war on Christmas", whomever is trying to do this is losing badly. Already there are Christmas specials on t.v., advertising up the kazoo for Christmas presents, continuous Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel and some others, radio stations playing one Christmas song after another, Christmas displays popping up everywhere I look, etc. Frankly, not only don't I mind this at all, I enjoy that holiday tradition and others.

To contrast that, how many Hannukah or Ramadan movies, songs, advertisements, yard displays, etc. do we see? How many times are we wished "Happy Hanukkah" other from our family and friends? But we're not complaining about a "war on Hannukah".

 

[leibowde84]

Do you think the "War on Christmas" is occurring? What are your reasons for or against?

I think we are becoming more and more aware that any governmental action seeming to endorse Christianity or Christian Holidays is inappropriate. In the same way, businesses have an interest in not excluding anyone. They want people to feel welcome, and, since many of our citizens don't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, and the word "Christ" is literally part of the name, they have, rightly, started to avoid using that word. I fail to see any issue with this, as it is merely an effort to avoid excluding non-Christians.

 

[leibowde84]

Christmas should be about the birth of the Christ. Commercialized seasonal hype should have nothing to do with that event. Some businesses do believe that they'll increase profits by removing Christian symbols this time of year. People will either reward or punish them financially. But what a business does or does not do is separate from believers celebrating the Christ in churches or in the church of their own hearts.

Does it bother you that so many non-religious people celebrate Christmas as a time to be with their family/loved-ones, focusing on generosity, love, and nourishment instead of Christ? If so, why? Aren't those the things that Jesus encouraged so much?

 

[Desert Snake]

Even if it was occurring, I would support it.

Christmas should not be a national holiday becuase it is a violation of separation of church and state.

Ah...but people want their national holiday, don't they? So, make it non-religious', and it's not a ''problem''...

If people want to pretend that ''Christmas'', isn't a religious oriented holiday, that isn't my problem.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Is there a war on Christmas? No, but one could say that there has been a misguided attempt to be all inclusive that has now led to not celebrating anything or only celebrating a scrubbed, commercialized version of a celebration. The 'recognize all celebrations and faiths or recognize none' is by default the attempt to stop recognition of any as there is no way to recognize all.

Of course we can recognize them all. Why wouldn't we be able to?

 

[Draka]

Ah...but people want their national holiday, don't they? So, make it non-religious', and it's not a ''problem''...

If people want to pretend that ''Christmas'', isn't a religious oriented holiday, that isn't my problem.

For many people it isn't a religious holiday. And as long as it is nationally recognized why should it be considered such by those people? Personally I don't think it should be nationally recognized. See, Christians still get favored there. People of other religions that would like to celebrate their important religious holidays with their family, or however they may spend them, have to request time off from work for theirs. Have to juggle schedules, ask people to swap days with them, and often don't get them off. But Christians, they automatically get that day off. Many times with pay. AND if it were ever taken away as a national holiday you can sure bet we would never hear the end of "war on Christmas".

Look, right now Christians are having their cake and eating it too. Not only do they get their religious holiday nationally observed but they also seem to get to play the victim of some sort of non-existent persecution. For what? People not greeting them with "Merry Christmas" everywhere they go? Starbucks just having a red cup? Oh no Mr. Bill...that nativity scene isn't allowed on the front steps of City Hall! Boo fricken hoo.

 

[Akivah]

Do you think the "War on Christmas" is occurring? What are your reasons for or against?

I think Christians have twisted their own holiday. From what I understand, this holiday is supposed to be your god's birthday. Yet all I see is unmitigated greed for presents. The commercialism has taken over your religious significance. If this "war" only involves the color of Starbuck cups or how businesses decorate their own shops, then your "war" is already lost.

 

[jonathan180iq]

Is there a war on Christmas? No, but one could say that there has been a misguided attempt to be all inclusive that has now led to not celebrating anything or only celebrating a scrubbed, commercialized version of a celebration. The 'recognize all celebrations and faiths or recognize none' is by default the attempt to stop recognition of any as there is no way to recognize all.

• Ramadan (Muslim)
• Eid al-Fitr (Muslim)
• Saint Nicholas Day (Christian)
• Eid'ul-Adha (Muslim)
• Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican)
• St. Lucia Day (Swedish)
• Hanukkah (Jewish)
• Christmas Day (Christian)
• Three Kings Day/Epiphany (Christian)
• Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish)
• Kwanzaa (African American)
• Omisoka (Japanese)
• Yule (Pagan)
• Saturnalia (Pagan)

...Well, that was easy...

 

[Ouroboros]

There's a war on Pagan traditional celebration of Christmas. Yule should be celebrated with offerings to the gods, eating, a lot of beer drinking, and singing/dancing and having a merry good time. I want the old time religion Yule back. Screw Christmas. Bring back Yule.

 

[jonathan180iq]

Ah...but people want their national holiday, don't they? So, make it non-religious', and it's not a ''problem''...

If people want to pretend that ''Christmas'', isn't a religious oriented holiday, that isn't my problem.

The tradition of conifer tree decoration, magic elves & flying deer are a specifically Christian tradition? Did I miss those books of the Bible or something??

You can celebrate Christmas as a Christian if you like. That's totally cool. Do your thing.
But you must recognize that it's not a strictly Christian holiday anymore than Fall Harvests are a strictly Christian Holiday, and as such no one else on the planet is required to celebrate this time of year in the same way that Christians do just because Christians like it better that way...