Bye-bye, bank-teller bigot.
I bank on my phone but had to go in person to close an account. As the teller was doing his thing, in the room's absolute silence, I said merrily, "Wouldn't it be nice to have some classical music? This place is so quiet!"
He grinned and said, "Yes! Christmas music!" I said very nicely, "Well, not everyone is Christian, which is why I suggested classical, because (and here I made a sweeping arc with one arm) it transcends all religions!" (Yes, I know that's not always true, but I was just quipping.) Then I added, "Don't you agree?"
His face turned to stone and he said not another word to me. As he handed me my paperwork, I said with a laugh, "I guess not!" and I almost SKIPPED out of that bank knowing I don't have to go back.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I'm not a person of faith. And these days I feel threatened by religious extremists who are endangering our nation.
But I also know that most who say these things around here are good hearted, decent people; and because I'm not a religious bigot, I chose to assume she wasn't either.
So I smiled back and said, "Thank you, and the same to you." And I left her smiling too.
a two sentence observation does not a lecture make, nor was the customer making a scene... just wow. Seems like a lot of extra emphasis was added to this story in your reckoning.
I get pretty tired of people insisting that the only thing anyone should be thinking about is xmas and all its commercial trappings, when it is prevalent in a conversation I make the same claim as the customer, politely. People need to realize that there are other beliefs than their own and just because capitalism has a grip on a concept does not require all of us to participate in it or enjoy it if we find it offensive or uncomfortable.
Don't know that I would use the term bigot in the telling of this tale but I certainly did not come away with the idea that the customer was rude, making a scene or insulting in any way. The teller should have kept their beliefs/opinions to themselves if anyone should have checked their emotions, customer service and all.
you weren't able to read past the first sentence as immediately following my exclamation of "wow" to indicate that I was not getting where the other commenter got all that it did from the OP. Because immediately following the word "wow" I go on to explain what I meant by that, if you had been able to get that far, you might have noticed that part of my comment.
But whatever, have a happy day anyway. 
I am also an atheist, but I wouldn’t put a stranger, especially someone doing his or her job, in a position to agree or disagree with my belief that that classical music ascends all religions 
I love classical music, but I don’t associate it with religion. If I’d been that teller I might have reacted the same way, perhaps, but being the wise-ass that I am, I probably would have said merry Christmas and left it at that 
... in my opinion if someone likes the music that our culture refers to as "Christmas music" that doesn't means he/she is a bigot. A lot of the popular holiday tunes aren't the slightest bit religious in nature, it's more about nostalgia than anything. Some of the greatest American songwriters of the 20th century were Jewish and yet they penned many "Christmas" songs.
People do occasionally rant here, after all. I also use words in the privacy of my living room that I don't even use here. (Jeanine Pirro is coming to mind at the moment.)
that Jesus is the reason for the season are on the opposite end of the spectrum and equally obnoxious. I think a few people posting above mentioned that it is a secular holiday. I might not go that far since it is based on Christian belief; however, I would argue that a lot of people just enjoy having the time off to spend with friends and family. I don't think we need to have pushy comments from either side. Everyone needs to mind their own business and let others enjoy the holiday in whatever way they want.
