Christans and the "War on Christmas"...which is more offensive?

[rateyes]

Which offends Christians more:

1. A store clerk saying "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas,"

2. Or a retailer making a bloody fortune off the commercialization of one of the most holy days observed by people of the Christian faith (in effect, selling the baby Jesus)?


Also, why in the world would retailers start a "War on Christmas" when Christmas has made them billions upon billions...trillions of dollars down through the years? Something doesn't compute.

[BOSSHOG]

1. I don't care what the clerk wishes me

as long as he/she is courteous, accurate and quick. "Christians" are fucking idiots on this subject as well as others. There is no war on christmas but they just have to create martyrdom for themselves. Fortunately for them they are free to do so in the land of the free. Retailers have to attempt to react to everyone and thats just impossible. If "christians" were truly christians why would they be in retail outlets at this time of year?

[Window]

2. Be sure to say Merry Christmas and not Xmas.

I was playing a game on Pogo yesterday when one person wished another a "merry xmas and happy ny."

Someone else replied, "please do not take the Christ out of Christmas in this room."

I couldn't believe my eyes and can't wait to run into her again to wish her a merry xmas. LOL

[blondeatlast]

3. There is NO heresy in the use of "X" for Christ whatsoever.

From Wikipedia:

In ancient Christian art χ and χρ are abbreviations for Christ's name. In many manuscripts of the New Testament and icons, X is an abbreviation for Christos, as is XC (the first and last letters in Greek, using the lunate sigma); compare IC for Jesus in Greek. The Oxford English Dictionary documents the use of this abbreviation back to 1551, 50 years before the first English colonists came to North America and 60 years before the King James Version of the Bible was completed. At the same time, Xian and Xianity were in frequent use as abbreviations of "Christian" and "Christianity"; and nowadays still are sometimes so used, but much less than "Xmas". The proper names containing the name "Christ" other than aforementioned are rarely abbreviated in this way (e.g. Hayden Xensen for the actor name "Hayden Christensen"). Pop artist Christina Aguilera is known to spell her first name as 'Xtina'.

This apparent usage of "X" to spell the syllable "kris" (rather than the sounds "ks") has extended to "xtal" for "crystal", and on florists' signs "xant" for "chrysanthemum" (though these words are not etymologically related to "Christ"; "crystal" comes from a Greek word meaning "ice", and "chrysanthemum" from Greek words meaning "golden flower", while "Christ" comes from a Greek word meaning "anointed").

[spoony]

12. Uh, yeah in writing, the post you were replying to

said not to SAY Xmas, which would be an odd choice to say the least.

[blondeatlast]

4. Can we just start a RW talking point forum, please, Admins?

This same damn OP was posted in the Lounge two days ago and DUers of every spiritual (or un-spiritual) ripped it to shreds.

[rateyes]

9. Excuuuuuuuuuuusssse Me. nt

Didn't have to click on it to read it.

:hi:

[blondeatlast]

10. Sorry--I'm a little too cranky for GD right now...

Think I'll skulk over to the Target site and do some shopping...

KIDDING! My bad--:hi: backatcha.

[rateyes]

14. No problem,

I came from another forum where a bunch of jackass RWingers were shoving their "martyrdom" down my throat. I overreacted a bit myself.

:hi:

[Quantess]

5. Nobody should use ANY greeting until the day of the holiday.

People can start saying "Merry Christmas" on the 24th and 25th of December---no sooner, and please refrain from saying it after the 25th. Same goes for Hannukah. During the days of Hannukah---not a day before and not after-- then say Happy Hannukah.

Don't tell me to have a Merry Christmas on December 2nd. It's not Christmas then! Christmas is on the 24th and 25th.

I'm so ******* sick of ALL December holidays!

[Hatalles]

6. Well, the answer to the question depends on the kind of Christian you ask. nt

:)

[Az]

7. Um... technically

Christmas was not one of the most holy days according to the church. Easter far outranks Christmas. Christmas was initially created in order to overwhelm and oppress pagan practices in recently defeated lands. We don't know when Jesus was born but based on what evidence we do have we know for certain it was not Dec 25 or any time in the winter.

Just a little nit being picked. Sorry to interpupt. I do agree that the commercialization is far too excessive no matter what you celebrate at that time of the year.

[rateyes]

15. I think that's true for Catholicism and Protestantism in the U.S....

but, in the Eastern Orthodox branch of Christianity, Christmas outranks Easter...at least that what it seems from my reading.

[seabeyond]

8. i am not offended companies make money this time of the year

i am not offended by the words happy holidays

i am offended with "war on christmas".... fuckin make christmas a war in the very essence of what christmas is about peace on earth. that is what is so offensive to me is the right creating war on christmas

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. This is why we have "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown."

Christmas hasn't really been about Jesus for the last 2000 years or so. But we turn on the TV and let Linus prattle on about the real (i.e. not really) meaning of Christmas being about Jesus, and that keeps the fundies happy.

I blame cable TV.

[spoony]

13. I think it is...

...the combination of the stores' willingness to make money off of Christmas shopping, but not being willing to acknowledge the fact.

For example, Best Buy's omitting Christmas, but saying things about ordering by so and so date to receive your order by December 24th, as apparently a totally arbitrary date that they picked at random.

The 'war on Christmas' is of course overblown, but there are some annoying examples of pseudo-PC nonsense banning Santas and whatnot.