Christmas is a goner. Just ask Gretchen the Grinch. Jon Stewart brings reality back. He reminds us all that Christmas survived the Rome Empire. Totally great cartoon.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| The Gretch Who Saved the War on Christmas | ||||
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Does it matter that cards we receive say Seasons Greetings? Does it matter that sales clerks we don’t know tell us to have a great holiday instead of Merry Christmas? Is it something to be paranoid over? Is there really a war on Christmas?
O.K., Jon, I’ll play that game. Suppose we rename Hanukkah too — something like “The Jewish Winter Happy Time Festival.”
Wolverine, No one is renaming Christmas. The parade was being renamed. Perhaps renaming the St. Paddy’s Day parade might come closer.
When does a Winter parade get bigger than just Christmas? When does it include other religions and groups that aren’t Christian? When does the Christian holiday no longer become the focus? When Santa, the reindeer, holly, wreaths and the snowmen become the focus then is it fair to rename something that celebrates the secular aspect that has grown out of a religious holiday?
Is there a Hanukah parade somewhere? Pretty difficult for a minority religion to come under the same scrutiny.
Like my dear beloved late husband, I feel like going into a deep-freeze from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve. The hype is unbearable. What does 24 hr open stores have to do with Christmas? Why do people stand in line to get into Walmarts, K-marts, ANY-marts in order to “save” money by buying things for themselves and others while getting into debt?
I don’t care what the holiday is called. It simply has gotten out of hand. I doesn’t have any meaning anymore. Food baskets are being given out. Has anyone heard about a Fourth of July food drive for the needy? Or Easter baskets with food for the hungry? Are they starving only at T-giving and Christmas?
My daughter and I watched “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” last night. That’s ONE thing I like about Christmas.
I don’t really understand the anger against Christmas. Doesn’t make sense to me and maybe I guess I just don’t want it to make sense.
I may not be an overly religious person (as I think religion is something within an individual and shouldn’t be pushed on me one way or the other by the State) but I do recall something my mother taught me.. manners.
When a person says we’re going to have a quick prayer and say some words or something else just bow your head, clothes your eyes and think of baseball. Don’t ruin that moment by trying to bring up some PC bull about how we need to cater to everyone regardless of faith, beliefs or lack of one. Life isn’t fair, wear a cup.
Same with the Pledge in schools. If you don’t want to say it? Fine with me. Stand mute and at the position of attention until it’s over.
Marinm
I’m with you 200%! (I don’t think of baseball though; I’m more for soccer)
Marin, I tend to agree with you. However, you and I both belong to the religion of the majority. It hasn’t been that way always. When my husband was growing up, he was a Catholic boy in a public school. He was forced to ‘put the ending on the Lord’s prayer.’ He resented it horribly as a young person. Jewish friends have told me how they hate having to go to a BOCS meeting and do Christian prayers.
The school issue has been taken care of. No more Lord’s Prayer to start the day. However, the BOCS still has its devotional before it starts. Wouldn’t it be more inclusive to have a moment of silence?
I am not angry at Christmas but I am also not paranoid over it. I don’t go ballistic if a clerk says Happy Holidays to me or if my Christmas card says that either. It doesn’t matter. I assume not every celebrates Christmas. I also, if I notice even, assume the person who picked out the card liked the picture, it was a seasonal card, and as long as it acknowledged the season, they didn’t care. If they had wanted a religious message, then they would have sent a religious card.
I also accept that Christmas is culturally an American holiday and not necessarily a religious one. Christians need to accept that people do celebrate the season but not necessarily the religious aspects of that seasonal holiday.
I have to come back to this….or my fingers will fall off.
Part of the problem is that SOME, certainly NOT ALL Christians have to shove their religion in people’s faces. That’s too bad and that’s what brings about some of the antagonism that is felt. I have felt myself feeling it even though I am Christian.
If I’m asked to go to Temple with a Jewish friend and everyone does some sort of prayer or hymn or whatever (mind you I’m 100% ignorant on this as I’m not Jewish so please anyone feel free to correct my verbage) then I need to do the adult thing and smile, bow when needed, stay silent and not draw attention to my faith.
I also don’t like when someone ‘corrects’ someone. For example; if you tell me Happy (insert something other than Christmas here) I hate it when people respond back (with disdain) No, Merry Christmas. If that person responded back in a cheerful Merry Christmas – no problem but because someone didn’t get my religious diety or holiday correct doesn’t mean I should force feed it back to them. The adult thing to do is smile and say thank you.
Para 3 for #6 is spot on. That’s the adult thing to do.
I guess if aethiest’s truly believed in that faith they’d not work at any place that provided religious holidays off (or they’d work those days if the company were open) to tilt at the windmill. I have no problem with an atheist working the swing shift on Christmas for me. 😉
I don’t disagree with anything you have said Marin except that Atheists would work the holidays. Actually, I believe Christmas is the only Fed holiday that is of a religious nature. Is it even a fed holiday?
Most atheists I know just want to be left alone. Most don’t even tell you. They are certainly free to enjoy the secular aspect of Christmas.
I just don’t want Atheists claiming a religious symbol as theirs, like Solstice. they are certainly free to enjoy it…just not claim it. It might offend the Druids and Wiccans.
I’m not a witch. I’m you.
Faux News isn’t happy unless it can find some issue about which to p & m. Its audience thrives on anger about something. Tis the season to moan about Christmas greetings, displays, secular cards. I know many atheists, being a member of the club myself. Of those, only one likes to argue the non-existence of a god. The rest merely live their lives a-theistly. Most of us are able to attend others’ masses, funerals, weddings, etc. and conduct ourselves as we would in any foreign culture. We make an attempt to kneel when the adherents kneel, stand when the pledge of allegiance or a prayer is said, and then go home politely and uncoverted. I don’t care what holiday salutation with which I’m greeted. I’m not angry at receiving religious cards from others. However, I do get mad at the devotionals given at BOCS meetings. Save that stuff for church, temple, mosque. If it’s verboten at school, it shouldn’t be one more issue that politicians should be immune from while trying to dictate to every other governmental entity. A moment of silence is okay by me – if I can’t work up a religious thought, I can always ponder whether I left the coffee pot on or if I need to stop at the store for dog food.
Censored, you have made my point. If one goes to someone’s wedding or funeral, that is a requirement. I can’t thing of a single athesit who would p & m over being subjected to someone else’s religion. However…..participating in one’s government should require the secret hand-shake. The public square should be free of forced participation in a religious excercise that may or may not be one’s own.
@marin
I’m not a you. I’m a watch.
Did I get it right?
With regard to #12, I don’t see the issue with the BOCS starting off with an invocation or other moment. Congress and our federal legislative body kick off a daily session with a prayer, invocation or some other statement about God. Even our current POTUS ends his speeches with God Bless the United States of America. Does Mr. Obama by doing so push people away from active participation in government? I doubt it.
While I appreciate Censored’s view on this I do disagree (respectfully). By taking away the ability for a legislative body (such as the BOCS) from having something she is actually getting what she wants – no religion – but then the majority of people who do have faith are then being silenced. While it’s not completely fair is it better to cater to the few or the many? Again, life isn’t always fair..
MH, lol — nice.
@marin,
To say that the majority of people who have faith are being silenced? Not really. You have no way of knowing how many people in attendance (and that includes the viewing audience) are people of faith and if they are, which faith. Personally, I don’t mind the visiting preacher program but I do resent the governing body of PWC thinking it is necessary. What is the difference in the BOCS and a football game from a public square perspective?
I think a moment of silence is far less encroaching than a prayer. People can do their own prayers or make up a mental grocery list. I don’t think Congress ought to kick off with a prayer either. Moment of silence for them too, lest the competition as to who is the most holy starts. POTUS saying God Bless America…that is an individual saying words. It doesn’t involve participation.
marin, you know how you are about the 2nd? I am not quite as bad about the first …but getting there.
MH, when we talk about the first we have a balancing act (as I alluded to in #14) that will not make everyone happy. You will have those that are hurt, feel marginalized, etc. Can’t avoid that. So, the best solution would seem to me to be that the majority view should be entertained. As you noted with your Druid reference would it be smarter for the BOCS to have a Druidic Chant or to have a non-denominational prayer?
On the whole I actually agree with you but on the specific of allowing a governmental agency to be able to have a few words before a public meeting – I think it’s ok. Again, better to offend fewer than more.
I don’t think you’ll have many people agree with you that what Mr. Obama says during a public speech is as an individual.
In my mind I don’t see a difference between a BOCS meeting and a football game escaping the obvious that you need to pay to watch the game and you probably can’t participate in the game where you can get up and say your piece during citizens time at a meeting. I remember before wrestling matches Coach saying some words. It was clear he wasn’t doing so as an agent of the State but as an adult trying to build a team, keep us safe, and build some character.
Now, I’m no scholar (I remind everyone I graduated HS with a 1.1 GPA so feel free to fact check everything!) but the 1A says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
So, think about the situation where the BOCS can’t say a prayer anymore. You *know* what will happen. 100 people will line up for a citizens time that’ll be established right after the Pledge and those 100 people as individual citizens will each say a prayer.
The system ain’t always fair or perfect but it does work.
MH, God bless you for feeling strongly about the 1st. Hopefully with time I can get you to love the other 9 of the Bill of Rights….including the one that protects all the others.
marin , eveyone gets to pick a favorite. You obviously have a favorite. I just like the first.
The Constitution sees the coach saying a few words as he is an agent of the state. I don’t think that the court interpretations have been consistent actually. I believe the captive audience aspect has much to do with the rulings.
O.K., you guys. Shame on you for stealing Christmas! And then pretending everything is just so okey-dokey and no big deal. There is even some school principal in Florida who ordered his staff not to decorate with red and green because those colors are a reminder of a Christian holiday. Nice going, dumbass! What do we get now? Purple and pink? Some people are managing to turn this place into Pottersville, that’s for sure certain. Old Clarence is probably marking names in the book and recommending someone to come back here and try to get his wings. The late Ebenezer Scrooge is mumbling in his grave, wondering why he had to put up with all those crazy ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future when they won’t even call it Christmas anymore.
Looks to me like this country is infested with a bunch of cultural bandidos who enjoy baiting other people. If you want to have your bland Winter Holiday, go find another date on the calendar and leave our Christian celebration alone. Make sure that date is in late January or February so you don’t mess up Boxing Day also. And you do not get to take Santa with you. He’s ours. His name used to be Saint Nicholas — some old bishop in Anatolia eons ago, they tell me. It will serve you right if a bunch of Christians tell you to take your phony Winter Holiday and stuff it. Then they’ll decide to chase all the cultural bandidos out of Christmas. Looks like that may have started already in Tulsa.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Oh, and “Merry Christmas” to all the bandidos out there. Ooops, almost forgot. On the eighth day of Hanukkah, during the final remembrance of the reconsecration of the Temple at Jerusalem, may Jon Stewart get a lump of coal for his gift.
“Winter Holiday” indeed!! Outright thievery, I say. Kinda stupid too. Who in his right mind wants to celebrate winter? It’s cold; you have to shovel out the car; you slip and fall on your ass on the icy sidewalks; you get the car dented up in a fender bender; the kids all get the sniffles; grandpa comes near to kicking the bucket with pneumonia; and your heating bill goes through the flippin’ roof. This you want to celebrate?!!!
Many ideas brought forth. –
I don’t know WHY it happened, but it seems to me that the Greedy Grinch is the one that stole Christmas as we knew it. When did the stores start to put out Christmas items at Halloween? When did the stores begin to push “50%-off” in the wee hours of the morning? When did it become necessary to BUY presents to everybody rather than just for the kids?
How did it come about that Christmas should be crammed down one’s throat with loud Christmas music (“The little drummer boy” gives me hives) in shopping malls before Thanksgiving? By December 24 and 25 everybody is totally fed up with Christmas.
Witness the tree being thrown out on the 26th! What happened to the 12 days of Christmas? Well, we know that, of course, St. Valentine’s Day is around the corner. What, another religious day! Rats! Let’s outlaw it. – Oops, come March and there’s St. Pat!
What are we going to do but howl to the moon!
Long live the Fourth of July!!! No cards, no presents, no religion, no “gotta-dos”, great entertainment from the Mall in the country’s capital city. Sheer enjoyment!
I want to control what everyone else is doing and saying. I want teachers and government officials to publicly represent my faith. I want everyone to give the greeting that I want to hear. I want stores, businesses and my neighbors to put up their decorations only when I give the go-ahead. I want all to refrain from engaging in profitable business during this season. And if I don’t get 100% compliance from everyone, then I am going to whine and whine and drive you crazy with my whining.
Christmas is only the build up to the true winter holiday – WINTEREENMAS!
http://www.wintereenmas.com/
And, of course, the best holiday of the year….MARDI GRAS!!
Another problem is that the current “celebration” of Christmas is intertwined with the one invented by Coca-Cola. Its very hard to keep to the spirit and religiosity of Christmas.
BUT, I am SO tired of these anonymous complaints that force entire communities to basically cancel Christmas. The Richmond Christmas Parade was previously sponsored by the Ukrops family, owner of the Ukrops Supermarket chain. They’ve retired and sold the company. The new sponsor’s first mistake was to advertise that they were changing the name to the Holiday or Winter Parade because they wanted to be “inclusive.” They were convinced to change their plans within 24 hours.
The ones worrying about “inclusion” don’t see the insult to the ones that are celebrating Christmas when they say that they have to change the name of the holiday. Suddenly, those celebrating Christmas are exluding others from celebrating….what? Another winter holiday? Especially as celebrated now, Christmas can be celebrated by all faiths. Christmas trees and the modern Santa are NOT Christian symbols.
Bah, humbug to the “Winter Holiday”!! It’s so darned cold out there that the only suspicious looking characters out on the street are those from Neighborhood Watch!! Hibernation is beginning to sound like a good option. Wake me up after the Super Bowl.
The next bandido who wishes me “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” is going to get a whupping with a roll of wrapping paper and have tree ornaments in the shape of the Star of Bethlehem hung from his ears.
@Wolverine, I don’t care if someone says Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas to me. What if the person doing the wishing doesn’t observe Christmas? What if he or she is unsure that you are an observer? What if that person wants to include more holidays than just Christmas–holidays such as New Years and Solstice?
I just don’t get it.
Happy HanuKwanzaMas! And to the atheists….have a nice day.
One of the definitions of “holiday” is a feast day or holy day. So just take “Happy Holidays” as a way of saying “Happy Holy Day”. Holy day or xmas…can be one in the same if you want it to be.
Nah, Moon, I am simply in the usual holiday ranting mood. Just realized only two weeks to Christmas, and I still haven’t done a darned thing. I’m with Punchak on this. It’s the same every year. Christmas “guilt trip.” The older I get, the worse it gets. Next thing, you know, those three crazy ghosts of Christmas will be showing up at MY door.