Opti
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Post by Opti on Dec 22, 2015 23:16:12 GMT -5
www.notalwaysright.com
It’s the holiday season and I am Jewish. For the holidays I am allowed to wear a little pin dreidel that flashes little lights when I turn it on. Out of respect for other people’s differences of religion, I choose to opt out of saying “Merry Christmas” and instead just wish a “Happy Holidays” to everyone. A customer has just finished paying for their groceries and I have bagged everything myself, since we were short on baggers.)
Me: “Okay, ma’am, you have a wonderful day and Happy Holidays!”
Customer: “No, young lady! You said it wrong! It is not Happy Holidays; it’s Merry Christmas! Honestly! You need to quit being such a terrorist! People like you are tearing this country apart!”
Me: *very confused* “Excuse me? How am I a terrorist?!
Customer: “You need to learn how to accept Christ and the Constitution in your heart and stop this hateful and destructive behavior! We need to keep the Christ in Christmas!”
Me: “Well, ma’am, I am sorry if I offended you. But, Jewish and I don’t celebrate Christmas. I just try to—”
Customer: *cutting me off* “OH, MY GOD!! Does your manager know?!”
(She scoffs and leaves the store muttering how she’s never going to shop here again. The customer behind her walks up to the register shaking his head.)
Customer #2: “Christ and the Constitution? Apparently she doesn’t know what the First Amendment is.”
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Dec 22, 2015 23:32:22 GMT -5
Virgil Showlion and I have been having a discussion of what is and isn't "terrorism". Somehow I think we might just agree on this one: “No, young lady! You said it wrong! It is not Happy Holidays; it’s Merry Christmas! Honestly! You need to quit being such a terrorist!
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Dec 22, 2015 23:34:24 GMT -5
This was my favorite sentence-
“You need to learn how to accept Christ and the Constitution in your heart and stop this hateful and destructive behavior!"
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Dec 22, 2015 23:42:42 GMT -5
Happy Holidays, everyone!
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Virgil Showlion
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[b]leones potest resistere[/b]
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Dec 22, 2015 23:53:06 GMT -5
Virgil Showlion and I have been having a discussion of what is and isn't "terrorism". Somehow I think we might just agree on this on: “No, young lady! You said it wrong! It is not Happy Holidays; it’s Merry Christmas! Honestly! You need to quit being such a terrorist! Technically, doesn't saying "happy holidays" to a Christian who's sensitive about season's greetings constitute a microaggression? If so, contemporary wisdom holds that microaggressions are a form of violence. And since this particular woman was clearly terrified by "Christ being taken out of Christmas", it's reasonable to conclude this was an act of violence in furtherance of terror--ergo, terrorism. The solution to all of this violence is obvious: before issuing season's greetings, we should all be diligent to ask people what benediction they'd feel comfortable with, preferably at the same time we inquire about their preferred gender pronoun. Cashier: Excuse me. If it wouldn't trouble you, may I ask you about your preferred gender pronoun and season's greeting? Christian Woman: Certainly. I prefer to be called "she" and "her", and my preferred season's greeting is "Merry Christmas". Cashier: Merry Christmas! It all works out so much better.
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ktunes
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Post by ktunes on Dec 23, 2015 2:46:03 GMT -5
i don't get the whole "happy holiday's", "merry christmas" controversy...when i was in grade school we always did a fundraiser that time of year and sold "holiday" cards...there were multiple types but they either said "merry christmas" or "happy holidays"... that was over 45-50 years ago...where was the controversy then
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 23, 2015 6:04:12 GMT -5
You didn't have everyone's panties in a wad or their feelings being hurt whine whine whine.
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marvholly
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Post by marvholly on Dec 23, 2015 6:10:25 GMT -5
I, too, am Jewish and just go with the flow. I live in metro Chicago which is a BIG melting pot of everything especially in my specific burb. Cashiers seem to be saying Happy Holidays mostly.
Next year it will be even more PC since Hannukah overlaps Christmas.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 23, 2015 6:14:08 GMT -5
Wasn't it a few years ago when Hanukkah was around thanksgiving? DH's rabbi was so happy about it because he felt that Hanukkah was not being celebrated correctly being too close to Christmas.
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Dec 23, 2015 10:38:09 GMT -5
Wasn't it a few years ago when Hanukkah was around thanksgiving? DH's rabbi was so happy about it because he felt that Hanukkah was not being celebrated correctly being too close to Christmas. channukah runs off the Jewish calendar, which is lunar. it can be as early as thanksgiving or as late as christmas. you're welcome.
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verrip1
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Post by verrip1 on Dec 23, 2015 11:16:51 GMT -5
All this wondrous divisiveness really warms the cockles of some of y'alls hearts, eh? Let's celebrate how happy we are not to be one of those people.
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jkapp
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Post by jkapp on Dec 23, 2015 14:56:09 GMT -5
i don't get the whole "happy holiday's", "merry christmas" controversy...when i was in grade school we always did a fundraiser that time of year and sold "holiday" cards...there were multiple types but they either said "merry christmas" or "happy holidays"... that was over 45-50 years ago...where was the controversy then It started when communities that had Christmas trees up in the town square for decades were told they now had to call them "holiday" trees, or some other generalized term (Festivity tree, etc).
Then store managers said that cashiers were banned from saying Merry Christmas (not persuaded to say Happy Holidays or some other greeting, but banned from saying Merry Christmas).
Then schools started changing the lyrics to classic Christmas songs so that the overly sensitive secular people wouldn't have seizures (I'm only guessing at the reason, I'm no doctor)
Then stores and town centers began taking down anything that mentioned Christmas (because, apparently, if some people see the word their heads explode or some shit), and put up more generalized decorations.
Believe me, if this same shit happened 45-50 years ago, there would have been controversy then too.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2015 15:02:27 GMT -5
The Merry Christmas Nazis have turned me into a Happy Holidays person. I'm like that.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2015 15:05:04 GMT -5
i don't get the whole "happy holiday's", "merry christmas" controversy...when i was in grade school we always did a fundraiser that time of year and sold "holiday" cards...there were multiple types but they either said "merry christmas" or "happy holidays"... that was over 45-50 years ago...where was the controversy then It started when communities that had Christmas trees up in the town square for decades were told they now had to call them "holiday" trees, or some other generalized term (Festivity tree, etc).
Then store managers said that cashiers were banned from saying Merry Christmas (not persuaded to say Happy Holidays or some other greeting, but banned from saying Merry Christmas).
Then schools started changing the lyrics to classic Christmas songs so that the overly sensitive secular people wouldn't have seizures (I'm only guessing at the reason, I'm no doctor)
Then stores and town centers began taking down anything that mentioned Christmas (because, apparently, if some people see the word their heads explode or some shit), and put up more generalized decorations.
Believe me, if this same shit happened 45-50 years ago, there would have been controversy then too.
Who was doing all this stuff? To me these are just urban legends. It happened to a friend of a friend's mother...
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ken a.k.a OMK
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Post by ken a.k.a OMK on Dec 23, 2015 15:11:40 GMT -5
In college I belonged to a national fraternity founded by Jewish men. My chapter was about 70% Jewish. I'm Christian. I lived in the house and we all put up a Hanukkah bush. We made lasting friendships. I learned some Yiddish. 45 years later some of us still get together.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Dec 23, 2015 15:50:16 GMT -5
It started when communities that had Christmas trees up in the town square for decades were told they now had to call them "holiday" trees, or some other generalized term (Festivity tree, etc).
Then store managers said that cashiers were banned from saying Merry Christmas (not persuaded to say Happy Holidays or some other greeting, but banned from saying Merry Christmas).
Then schools started changing the lyrics to classic Christmas songs so that the overly sensitive secular people wouldn't have seizures (I'm only guessing at the reason, I'm no doctor)
Then stores and town centers began taking down anything that mentioned Christmas (because, apparently, if some people see the word their heads explode or some shit), and put up more generalized decorations.
Believe me, if this same shit happened 45-50 years ago, there would have been controversy then too.
Who was doing all this stuff? To me these are just urban legends. It happened to a friend of a friend's mother... Book Excerpt: The Myths that Stole Christmas
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jkapp
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Post by jkapp on Dec 23, 2015 17:45:19 GMT -5
It started when communities that had Christmas trees up in the town square for decades were told they now had to call them "holiday" trees, or some other generalized term (Festivity tree, etc).
Then store managers said that cashiers were banned from saying Merry Christmas (not persuaded to say Happy Holidays or some other greeting, but banned from saying Merry Christmas).
Then schools started changing the lyrics to classic Christmas songs so that the overly sensitive secular people wouldn't have seizures (I'm only guessing at the reason, I'm no doctor)
Then stores and town centers began taking down anything that mentioned Christmas (because, apparently, if some people see the word their heads explode or some shit), and put up more generalized decorations.
Believe me, if this same shit happened 45-50 years ago, there would have been controversy then too.
Who was doing all this stuff? To me these are just urban legends. It happened to a friend of a friend's mother... These were all news stories over the past 15+ years...they may not show up in all of the liberal biased media however, so depending on where you get the news...
There was just recently a news story about a town in New Jersey (I believe) that was changing the lyrics to Silent Night. This was like last week...
And you never heard about all the towns changing from Christmas Trees to Holiday Trees? That's been ongoing for a while now.
And, also, many stories I've heard have been store employees saying they are not allowed to say Merry Christmas...are you saying they are all lying?
Ugh...
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 23, 2015 17:46:58 GMT -5
Well, there's a huge push back for Merry Christmas.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 23, 2015 17:47:58 GMT -5
Who was doing all this stuff? To me these are just urban legends. It happened to a friend of a friend's mother... These were all news stories over the past 15+ years...they may not show up in all of the liberal biased media however, so depending on where you get the news...
There was just recently a news story about a town in New Jersey (I believe) that was changing the lyrics to Silent Night. This was like last week...
And you never heard about all the towns changing from Christmas Trees to Holiday Trees? That's been ongoing for a while now.
And, also, many stories I've heard have been store employees saying they are not allowed to say Merry Christmas...are you saying they are all lying?
Ugh...
If it doesn't fit the PC blather, it's not true you know.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Dec 23, 2015 17:48:35 GMT -5
Wasn't it a few years ago when Hanukkah was around thanksgiving? DH's rabbi was so happy about it because he felt that Hanukkah was not being celebrated correctly being too close to Christmas. channukah runs off the Jewish calendar, which is lunar. it can be as early as thanksgiving or as late as christmas. you're welcome. . I didn't realize I'd asked you.
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Dec 23, 2015 18:00:29 GMT -5
channukah runs off the Jewish calendar, which is lunar. it can be as early as thanksgiving or as late as christmas. you're welcome. . I didn't realize I'd asked you. consider it a public service.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2015 20:30:54 GMT -5
Who was doing all this stuff? To me these are just urban legends. It happened to a friend of a friend's mother... These were all news stories over the past 15+ years...they may not show up in all of the liberal biased media however, so depending on where you get the news...
There was just recently a news story about a town in New Jersey (I believe) that was changing the lyrics to Silent Night. This was like last week...
And you never heard about all the towns changing from Christmas Trees to Holiday Trees? That's been ongoing for a while now.
And, also, many stories I've heard have been store employees saying they are not allowed to say Merry Christmas...are you saying they are all lying?
Ugh...
I suspect these stories are exaggerated in your conservative propaganda. I have heard a lot of song knock offs that do no harm to the original, Weird Al has made a career out of it. Trees and greetings are not what define Christmas. Or shouldn't be. However, contrary to Christian narcissism they are not the only ones celebrating in December. I say this as a Christian. Happy Holidays doesn't exclude Christ, it includes everyone else.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2015 20:41:01 GMT -5
Tennesseer I love that link. I'm going to look for that book at Chapters!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2015 20:43:08 GMT -5
Well, there's a huge push back for Merry Christmas. It's crazy! Especially when I am getting attacked for not saying Merry Christmas by people I know haven't been to church since their wedding and have not read even one of the Gospels let alone the whole bible or even the new testament.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2015 20:59:15 GMT -5
Oppressed is when you are not allowed to say Merry Christmas in public... It's not when you can't force everyone else to say it to you...
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mmhmm
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Post by mmhmm on Dec 23, 2015 21:11:28 GMT -5
I live in the navel of the bible belt and I haven't seen this kind of thing here. People just seem to want to get along. They'll accept Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays with equal aplomb. I haven't seen anyone make a big deal about it. It's certainly not a problem at a city level.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Dec 23, 2015 21:29:43 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2015 21:41:25 GMT -5
The thing is, our celebrating Christmas in December is more to do with the solstice than anything else...
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Dec 23, 2015 21:51:24 GMT -5
The thing is, our celebrating Christmas in December is more to do with the solstice than anything else... I know. Because Christmas is really a repurposed pagan holiday Christians decided to makeover since they were unsuccessful at stamping it out.
Thankfully we got Christmas cookies out of the deal.
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fishy999
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Post by fishy999 on Dec 24, 2015 3:24:27 GMT -5
Happy holidays was an attempt to included Xmas for everyone
The 'War on Christmas' was created by Fox News.
Just like the Christian Oppression meme- meanwhile there is a church on every corner in this country.........
I really feel for people that are going to go through this holiday full of hate.
Going to stick it through New Year- but I think politics is a part of my life I have to let go- it is poison. I can't recall it ever being this bad.
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