Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

[pillar_anime7]

Today is officially Christmas Eve morning (the time I'm writing this) and while I'm sitting here at the computer desk, I begin to think about an episode of The Colbert Report (pronounced coal-bear re-pore) that makes a big deal about this whole thing. Why is it that we live in a country, that's about 85% Christian, where stores are worried about losing customers if they say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays"? Why is it when people put nativity scenes in public places, somebody takes offense to it because they don't believe in Jesus? Japan is a nation where less than 1% of their population is Christian and I don't think they have that kind of problem over there. According to the November 2005 newsletter for The Raven 4 God, "Can you imagine, 99% of the people are Non-Christian but the stores think they can INCREASE sales by using the words ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’!!!! It’s hard to understand how a country like America can be afraid of losing sales by using the word ‘Christmas’!" When I was in 3rd grade, the week before Christmas vacation, our teacher had us sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. I wasn't offended by it. None of the students were offended by it. I don't think any of the faculty were offended by it. Despite the fact that our Christian population outnumbers their total population, I think we can learn something from our Japanese brethren. Keep the Christ in Christmas and everybody will get along just fine, because if it wasn't for Jesus doing what He did, we'd all be lost right now. With that being said, I wish all of you a Merry CHRISTmas and a very happy new year.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I hate political correctness. Don't think it's only America that is affected this way. Much of the Western World has this particular attitude.

[Nate]

Why is it that we live in a country, that's about 85% Christian

In our other thread, this was discussed. 85% who SAY they are Christians, but probably much, much less than that that actually ARE Christians. People go to church once a month or so and say, "Yeah, I'm Christian," but really aren't.

I can't remember if it's in someone's signature or another thread on here, but I remember reading it. Someone saying how it's ironic that it's "cool" to call yourself a Christian, but if you actually try and LIVE like one, you're called stuck up and closed minded.

"Can you imagine, 99% of the people are Non-Christian but the stores think they can INCREASE sales by using the words ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’!!!! It’s hard to understand how a country like America can be afraid of losing sales by using the word ‘Christmas’!"

Because Christmas isn't a Christian holiday in Japan. Granted it isn't exactly entirely a Christian holiday here in America anymore, but it has a Christian meaning behind it (for the most part). This isn't really true in Japan, so I really don't see how they're a model to be followed.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Don't tell the christmas-haters where the word Holidays come from... they will go berserk

It's so funny to see people offended by something they don't believe in

By their logic, I don't believe in santa! So I should take GREAT offense by all the santas I see, and get the ACLU to ban santas from malls and such

[Chainchump]

The only thing you need to know is america is afraid of its own people and that because of that america is going further down the drain

[harina]

o____O

Geesh... Americans are weird..

Why do non-Christian people even spend Christmas? It doesn't make sense..

[Slater]

I think we've all had our daly perscribed dosage of antiAmericanism today...

As for the initial topic of this thread, I think that everything is well discussed in the other 2 active threads... the one on living a Christian life being hard and the one about Christmas banning.

[TallHobbit86]

I always thought of "happy holidays" as a way of saying both "merry christmas" and "happy new year" at once. I remember when stores used to be more obvious in their distaste for the Christ in Christmas by replacing "christmas" with "xmas." Now, it seems they're trying to be more subtle, but the media coverage on this topic has been massive. Hopefully, next Christmas, most stores will stick with Christmas to avoid the bad press. Then, maybe some good will come of all this.

[JediSonic]

lol where did the term holidays come from?

THere was a good article written by a JEW in my school newspaper defending the use of the word "christmas" this month actually. It had some good points, I think:

1) How is eliminating the cultural reference to Christ going to make stores more culturally diverse?
2) It doesnt matter what we call them, christmas trees will always be christmas trees and will always be a symbol of Christmas whether Walmart acknowledges that or not.
3) Saying "christmas tree" really isnt that offensive
4) What's next.. the nativity scene is the holiday homeless family?

[shooraijin]

Mod note: let's just make sure we keep the politics angle to a minimum. That said, Merry Christmas.

[Arnobius]

I always thought of "happy holidays" as a way of saying both "merry christmas" and "happy new year" at once. I remember when stores used to be more obvious in their distaste for the Christ in Christmas by replacing "christmas" with "xmas." Now, it seems they're trying to be more subtle, but the media coverage on this topic has been massive. Hopefully, next Christmas, most stores will stick with Christmas to avoid the bad press. Then, maybe some good will come of all this.

Ironically Xmas is also Christian, though many have forgotten it.

X isn't the English letter X, it's the Greek Chi-- the first letter in Christ (unfortunately I can't recreate the Greek on CAA). Xmas is a CHRISTIAN abbreviation

http://www.bartleby.com/61/80/X0008000.html

[Kisa]

I say Merry Christmas and really don't care what others think. Political correctness is getting out of hand....

[Stephen]

We already did this once. Check the thread Christmas under seige.