Merry Christmas vs Happy Holidays

[Jim1999]

It seems to me that Christmas started even before the American Thanksgiving this year. That tells me what Canada and America make of Christmas; an opportunity to sell, sell, sell. That tells me what Christmas is to everyone.

The form of greeting doesn't mean dickaboo. We are not living in Christian countries. We live in multicultural countries. Christianity was intended to be a personal experience and not a cultural bend!

Cheers,

Jim

 

[abcgrad94]

If you look at the stores and their sales fliers, you'll notice there IS a war on Christmas. Instead of Christmas trees, the sales fliers call them "holiday trees." Since when did Thanksgiving, New Years, and Kwanza use decorated trees? That's always been reserved for Christmas, so they are deliberately removing the word Christmas in that instance.

The same thing is true of "holiday lights," "holiday wrapping paper," and "holiday shopping." The retailers want us to shop for Christmas gifts, but they deliberately use the word "holidays" so as not to offend the PC crowd.

I'm not offended when people tell me "happy holidays" because I'll just respond "thank you and Merry Christmas to you, too." No big deal there, but when retailers want my CHRISTMAS money and disguise it as "holiday shopping" yeah, it bothers me.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

We are not living in Christian countries. We live in multicultural countries. Christianity was intended to be a personal experience and not a cultural bend!

Cheers,

Jim

Exacactacly!

 

[Tom Butler]

Most clerks who say "Happy Holidays" are following orders. Cut them some slack.

Smile and reply "Merry Christmas," and then grin broadly. This sends them a signal that you know they're only following store policy and you don't hold it against them. Sometimes they'll grin or wink, sending you a signal that they agree with you, just following policy.

If you're really offended, find the store manager and tell him. Nicely, please.

Managers listen to their customers. They're not in the business of running them off. If enough people talk to the manager, he might change. But remember, he's not so much listing to your argument. He's totaling up how many people share your view.

 

[Johnv]

What a spring board to share the gospel.

Good point!

Most clerks who say "Happy Holidays" are following orders. Cut them some slack.

It might not even be that. Our receptionist says "Happy Holidays from... (our company name)" when she answers the phone, but she does so because it has a nice ring to it when she answers the phone. She's a Christian like about 2/3 of us at work. We have no particualr policy over what greeting we can use. She is free to use Merry Christmas is she likes, but her current greeting just works. I'd be amiss if anyone judged either her or our company by the greeting she gives them.

Instead of Christmas trees, the sales fliers call them "holiday trees."

I think you might be guilty of being a bit generic, and making a broad accusation. Disneyland's tree is billed as a "Christmas" tree. Our local Home Depot's have "Christmas" trees on sale in their advertising. My local city is having a "Christmas" tree lighting ceremony. I think you're seeing "holiday tree" in one flyer, and using that to make a broadbrush. And even if they did, so what? A Christmas tree isn't about the birth of Christ, the last time I checked. Neither are the lights on my house or the big inflatable Santa on a motorcycl.... oh, un, nevermind.

If a store wants my business, they'll do so because they're giving me the best value for my dollar, not because of their decor or advertizing. Their decore or advertizing are aimed at people other than me, so I dont' care much about those things.

The retailers want us to shop for Christmas gifts, but they deliberately use the word "holidays" so as not to offend the PC crowd.

We complain that Christmas is commercialized, and then complain when Christmas isn't mentioned enough in that commercialization. Retailers just can't win.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

So should a Muslim/Jewish/pagan/etc worker be forced to say 'Merry Christmas' to placate us?

 

[rbell]

What a spring board to share the gospel.

Home run.


Of course, that then puts the onus on each of us...to respond gently, lovingly, truthfully.

But you're right: What an "opening" for a conversation about why we celebrate Christmas...and that it has nothing to do with retail shopping patterns.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

What a spring board to share the gospel.

Exacactacly!

 

[Aaron]

So should a Muslim/Jewish/pagan/etc worker be forced to say 'Merry Christmas' to placate us?

Irrelevant. The question is, should Christian clerks be forbidden?

 

[Johnv]

The question is, should Christian clerks be forbidden?

Any clerk, whether they be Christian, Jewish, Hindu, etc, should adhere to the policies and procedures set forth by their supervision, so long as said prolicies and procedures are legal. Doesn't matter what the topic of point is.

 

[Salty]

Irrelevant. The question is, should Christian clerks be forbidden?

NO THEY SHOULD NOT!

When a clerk says "Happy Holiday", I ask "Which one are you talking about?"

then as Revmitchell says - its a springboard to witnessing.:thumbsup:

 

[Aaron]

We live in multicultural countries.

We're responding to the prohibition of the free exercise of the religion that brought us Christmas*, not whether or not a Jew chooses to wish me a merry Christmas.

*I don't care about it's pagan roots. I'm talking about what is observed in the festival now.

 

[Jim1999]

I wonder how many complaining Christians do not buy gifts and wrap them for other people. I wonder how many decorate a pagan tree and put it in their living room with fancy lights. I wonder how many take this time as a holiday. I wonder how many actually take the time to celebrate the One whose birthday this is wrongly taken to be!

Oh, I have never celebrated "Christmas". My general form of greeting is "Cheers" or "Happy Christmas", just to be polite.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[just-want-peace]

There is no problem. There is no "War on Christmas". Merchants have customers who celebrate a variety of holidays during December/January. Why not be inclusive, and wish them all well. Of course, the hypersensitive will find any excuse to take offense, even an at innocuous, friendly greeting. And do not many Christians celebrate Christmas and New Year's? Looks like "holidays" to me.

Bolded mine

Earth to MP, Earth to MP - what is your ETA back to our planet?????????

 

[Aaron]

. . . so long as said prolicies and procedures are legal.

There's the rub. What is the weapon wielded most in the war on Christianity? Litigation.

And that is what is feared by most retailers. It doesn't matter what the law says; it matters what a judge will interpret it to mean, and lately in matters of religion, the laws are interpreted to mean Christians must practice at home out of sight of the world. (True Christians, anyway. There are many nominal Christians who deny that this is the case.)

The phasing out of Christmas in public isn't just something that happened because that's what retailers decided. It is the response to the enormous pressure applied by secularists and their mob and Gestapo tactics.

 

[Johnv]

We're responding to the prohibition of the free exercise of the religion...

Since the practice of the Christian religion does not mandate the use of a particular greeting at certin times of the year, the point is moot.

There's the rub. What is the weapon wielded most in the war on Christianity? Litigation.

Then feel free to sue yoru employer for not allowing you to say "Merry Christmas". You'll lose, but feel free to do it anyway.

The phasing out of Christmas in public isn't just something that happened because that's what retailers decided. It is the response to the enormous pressure applied by secularists and their mob and Gestapo tactics.

Interesting, comment, since Christmas wasn't practiced in public until it became secularalized and marketed.

 

[Gina B]

What is a nominal Christian?

 

[preachinjesus]

1Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. Titus 3:1-2

 

[Johnv]

What is a nominal Christian?

Any Christian that doesn't agree with Aaron will be considered by him to be a nominal Christian. It's just a veiled way to insult the brethren.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

I am really missing the boat here - I don't see why the world's secular marketplace celebration of Christmas is any better than the world's secular marketplace celebration of the 'holidays.'

Both deny the redeeming power of the risen Christ.