Happy holidays!

Hendrik · 12-19-2005, 07:16 PM

http://www.islam-online.net/English/...rticle05.shtml

"NEW YORK, December 19, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The Christmas season is bringing to the surface a heated debate inside the American society over religious conservatism.

Conservatives are threatening lawsuits and boycotts to insist that store clerks and advertisements say "Merry Christmas" while others argue they are being inclusive and inoffensive with the secular "Happy Holidays," Reuters reported.

Sparks flew when President George W. Bush sent out cards referring to the "holiday season," and a leading Republican declared the decorated tree on the Capitol lawn a "Christmas Tree" and not a "Holiday Tree."

A school system in Texas found itself in court after teachers asked children to bring white -- rather than red and green -- napkins to a party, while Annapolis, Maryland, raised hackles by calling its evergreen boughs and ribbons on public buildings the "Hanging of the Greens" rather than "Christmas decorations."

Fanning the flames are conservative talk show personalities bemoaning the secularization of Christmas.

Fox News anchor John Gibson chimed in with a book "The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse than You Thought."

Manuel Zamorano, head of the Sacramento, California-based Committee to Save Merry Christmas, maintains that "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" are not a substitute for "Merry Christmas".

"Christmas is the holiday and 'Merry Christmas' is what we want to hear," he said.

"It's political correctness gone amok."

Zamorano's organization is organizing store boycotts over holiday advertising.

Retailers are finding themselves in an unenviable situation as their seasonal selling campaigns seem to raise particular wrath.

"When someone says 'Happy Holidays,' they're saying something very nice to you. There's no ill intent behind any of this," said Dan Butler of the National Retail Federation.

"When you're dealing with the public you'll get positive comments and negative comments about everything in the world."

Perhaps, says Peter Steinfels of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, there is not a war on Christmas after all but a more sensitive religious right.

Radio talk show host Bill Press said people have been saying "Happy Holidays" for "a hundred years at least".

"This is nothing new. It just celebrates the diversity of America."

The author of "How the Republicans Stole Christmas" heaped blames on politics.

"It is all by design," he said. "The more people are talking about who's saying 'Happy Holidays' and who's saying 'Merry Christmas,' the less people are talking about Karl Rove, torture, Tom DeLay, the war in Iraq and other hot issues."

He went on: "And the more they stir up their evangelical Christian base over this issue, the more likely they are to get out and vote Republican in 2006".

John Danforth, a former US ambassador to the UN and a three-term senator, has charged that Bush was bowing to the rightists.

Pundits have further said that appoints made by Bush after his reelection in 2004 demonstrated that his administration had drifted towards the neoconservatives, putting an end to the genial moderation presented by some politicians like former secretary of state Colin Powell.

Bidding to win the knife-edge presidential race with Democrat candidate John Kerry, Bush played the religion card, working hard to show to the American people, many of whom have firm religious convictions, his religious commitment.

In the middle seem to be most Americans, who not only aren't offended but find the whole spat rather ridiculous, said Reuters.

"You'd think there might be some Christmas spirit around Christmas time around the issue of Christmas," said Paul Cantor, a popular culture expert and professor at the University of Virginia.

"It's one time you really wish people really could live and let live."

The debate has become comic grist.

The satirical newspaper The Onion wrote a spoof about a judge who declared Christmas unconstitutional, with a photograph purporting to be workers dismantling the famed tree at Rockefeller Center to comply with the judge's ruling.

Making the rounds on the Internet is a series of mock memos from a fake company inviting employees to a Christmas Party, complete with open bar, gift exchange and tree lighting.

By the last of the memos, the increasingly beleaguered company is forced to apologize to its Jewish employees, the office alcoholics, Muslims, dieters, pregnant women, union members, management, diabetics and vegetarians. In the end, the party is canceled."

Is this a joke?

misty · 12-20-2005, 07:54 AM

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday. What's so hard about that? Everything seemed to make me sad these past few days

gomezxico · 12-20-2005, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hendrik

Is this a joke?

NOPE! Bush's "Season's Greetings" card became a news story after, as ^story mentioned, government officials started to complain...does it seem like a joke, all the nonsense? YES! Non-Christian Americans are used to seeing the "Merry Christmas" signs over store entrances, green and red napkins at school parties and a "Christmas" Tree at the White House! Sure they may not like it, but they are used to it, so I don't really see the point "our representatives" are trying to make...if any...

I'm liberal so...Merry/ Happy/ Joyful/ Sappy Insert holiday celebration here!

Angela · 12-21-2005, 02:19 AM

I think Boston has a "holiday tree" this year. The height of nonsense.

All my Jewish, Chinese, Japanese and African American friends (in the US) celebrate Christmas! And don't get me started on India. Even they celebrate Christmas - and that's a 98% Hindu polulation.

cneill · 12-21-2005, 05:28 PM

merry chrismahannakwanzika! hehe. I saw a video on the news a couple weeks back of an Arabic guy dressed as santa singing "Silent Chrismahannakwanzika Night" in English with a heavy accent. It was quite funny, but I can't find a link to it. Anyway, someone might get offended

Hendrik · 12-21-2005, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cneill

merry chrismahannakwanzika! hehe. I saw a video on the news a couple weeks back of an Arabic guy dressed as santa singing "Silent Chrismahannakwanzika Night" in English with a heavy accent. It was quite funny, but I can't find a link to it. Anyway, someone might get offended

That reminds of MEET THE MAGOONS.

12-19-2005, 07:16 PM	#1
Hendrik Teddy Daniels Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Berlin Posts: 9,693	Happy holidays! http://www.islam-online.net/English/...rticle05.shtml "NEW YORK, December 19, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The Christmas season is bringing to the surface a heated debate inside the American society over religious conservatism. Conservatives are threatening lawsuits and boycotts to insist that store clerks and advertisements say "Merry Christmas" while others argue they are being inclusive and inoffensive with the secular "Happy Holidays," Reuters reported. Sparks flew when President George W. Bush sent out cards referring to the "holiday season," and a leading Republican declared the decorated tree on the Capitol lawn a "Christmas Tree" and not a "Holiday Tree." A school system in Texas found itself in court after teachers asked children to bring white -- rather than red and green -- napkins to a party, while Annapolis, Maryland, raised hackles by calling its evergreen boughs and ribbons on public buildings the "Hanging of the Greens" rather than "Christmas decorations." Fanning the flames are conservative talk show personalities bemoaning the secularization of Christmas. Fox News anchor John Gibson chimed in with a book "The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse than You Thought." Manuel Zamorano, head of the Sacramento, California-based Committee to Save Merry Christmas, maintains that "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" are not a substitute for "Merry Christmas". "Christmas is the holiday and 'Merry Christmas' is what we want to hear," he said. "It's political correctness gone amok." Zamorano's organization is organizing store boycotts over holiday advertising. Retailers are finding themselves in an unenviable situation as their seasonal selling campaigns seem to raise particular wrath. "When someone says 'Happy Holidays,' they're saying something very nice to you. There's no ill intent behind any of this," said Dan Butler of the National Retail Federation. "When you're dealing with the public you'll get positive comments and negative comments about everything in the world." Perhaps, says Peter Steinfels of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, there is not a war on Christmas after all but a more sensitive religious right. Radio talk show host Bill Press said people have been saying "Happy Holidays" for "a hundred years at least". "This is nothing new. It just celebrates the diversity of America." The author of "How the Republicans Stole Christmas" heaped blames on politics. "It is all by design," he said. "The more people are talking about who's saying 'Happy Holidays' and who's saying 'Merry Christmas,' the less people are talking about Karl Rove, torture, Tom DeLay, the war in Iraq and other hot issues." He went on: "And the more they stir up their evangelical Christian base over this issue, the more likely they are to get out and vote Republican in 2006". John Danforth, a former US ambassador to the UN and a three-term senator, has charged that Bush was bowing to the rightists. Pundits have further said that appoints made by Bush after his reelection in 2004 demonstrated that his administration had drifted towards the neoconservatives, putting an end to the genial moderation presented by some politicians like former secretary of state Colin Powell. Bidding to win the knife-edge presidential race with Democrat candidate John Kerry, Bush played the religion card, working hard to show to the American people, many of whom have firm religious convictions, his religious commitment. In the middle seem to be most Americans, who not only aren't offended but find the whole spat rather ridiculous, said Reuters. "You'd think there might be some Christmas spirit around Christmas time around the issue of Christmas," said Paul Cantor, a popular culture expert and professor at the University of Virginia. "It's one time you really wish people really could live and let live." The debate has become comic grist. The satirical newspaper The Onion wrote a spoof about a judge who declared Christmas unconstitutional, with a photograph purporting to be workers dismantling the famed tree at Rockefeller Center to comply with the judge's ruling. Making the rounds on the Internet is a series of mock memos from a fake company inviting employees to a Christmas Party, complete with open bar, gift exchange and tree lighting. By the last of the memos, the increasingly beleaguered company is forced to apologize to its Jewish employees, the office alcoholics, Muslims, dieters, pregnant women, union members, management, diabetics and vegetarians. In the end, the party is canceled." Is this a joke? Last edited by Hendrik; 12-19-2005 at 07:18 PM.

12-21-2005, 02:19 AM	#4
Angela Eskimo Regular Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: cloud #9 Posts: 5,029	I think Boston has a "holiday tree" this year. The height of nonsense. All my Jewish, Chinese, Japanese and African American friends (in the US) celebrate Christmas! And don't get me started on India. Even they celebrate Christmas - and that's a 98% Hindu polulation. __________________ Emmett Tinley World Domination Commission (ETWDC), Treasurer.

12-21-2005, 05:28 PM	#5
cneill eskimo hobo Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: in limbo Posts: 739	merry chrismahannakwanzika! hehe. I saw a video on the news a couple weeks back of an Arabic guy dressed as santa singing "Silent Chrismahannakwanzika Night" in English with a heavy accent. It was quite funny, but I can't find a link to it. Anyway, someone might get offended __________________ Coniunctio Gaudium Scientia Est Dimidium facti qui coepit habet: sapere aude. -Horace www.myspace.com/cpneill photography!: http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=1820624

12-20-2005, 07:54 AM	#2
misty Malaysian Eskimo Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Sabah, Malaysia Posts: 193	Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday. What's so hard about that? Everything seemed to make me sad these past few days