Happy Holidays VS Merry Christmas

[KouAidou]

I just don't mean on this board, I mean in the wider culture. Every year this comes up, taking attention away from actual news. I admit I am a bit of a dick, but some discussions just need to die.

People in the wider culture also constantly throw pissfits over things way more trivial than this. Man, have you ever watched Andy Rooney? Or one of those entertainment news shows?

I just don't get all these people who want to be like "YOU ARE JUST AN ASSHOLE IF YOU GET OFFENDED BY A KIND GESTURE" and can't take two minutes to put themselves in that "asshole's" shoes. People generally aren't dicks to each other for absolutely no reason. Allow for a moment that there may be a reason, and work back from there.

 

[Blue Saint]

People in the wider culture also constantly throw pissfits over things way more trivial than this. Man, have you ever watched Andy Rooney? Or one of those entertainment news shows?

I just don't get all these people who want to be like "YOU ARE JUST AN ASSHOLE IF YOU GET OFFENDED BY A KIND GESTURE" and can't take two minutes to put themselves in that "asshole's" shoes. People generally aren't dicks to each other for absolutely no reason. Allow for a moment that there may be a reason, and work back from there.

It isn't people getting offended. It people who try to blow this into some major issue. If saying either Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday offends you I am sure if you just engage politely with the person, they would be more than happy to go along with your request. That is an issue of courtesy which takes between the two parties involved. The notion that there is some malicious intent behind either one is absurd. And by entertaining that notion is any fashion I feel isn't a good thing for anyone.

And those examples you give at the beginning I also find distressing. While I admit I also throw pissfits about trivial matters, I have no illusions in their greater importance. When things such as these are passed off as news I do believe they should be tackled head on.

Also I am sorry if offended anyone in any fashion, it is just a discussion that does nothing but inflame passions by design. I wasn't calling anyone here an asshole in particular, just the people who propagate this for their own ends. Unless that was your intent I apologize

 

[Fox-Chan]

People in the wider culture also constantly throw pissfits over things way more trivial than this. Man, have you ever watched Andy Rooney? Or one of those entertainment news shows?

I just don't get all these people who want to be like "YOU ARE JUST AN ASSHOLE IF YOU GET OFFENDED BY A KIND GESTURE" and can't take two minutes to put themselves in that "asshole's" shoes. People generally aren't dicks to each other for absolutely no reason. Allow for a moment that there may be a reason, and work back from there.

I do understand that not everybody celebrates the same holiday. I could understand if they were just frustrated and felt as if they were being pressured in to becoming Christians. After all, Christianity is the most practiced religion in the United States.

However, it does not justify getting mad at anybody that wishes you a 'Merry Christmas.' Likewise, Christians shouldn't flip over people preferring 'Happy Holidays.'

 

[KouAidou]

@FC, BlS: Okay, I can agree there. Certainly people should not go around losing their **** at other people over it. I guess your default image of the situation is not really the same as mine; I have not personally witnessed, nor can I really imagine, anyone just exploding with rage upon hearing the word "Merry Christmas." But maybe it has happened? I dunno.

 

[Lynxara]

These are just greetings, most people don't really see either one as having much significance behind them.

I think we're so used to taking "Merry Christmas" for granted as an empty greeting that we forget not everyone views it the same way. Nor should they. People aren't obligated to assume that words don't really mean what a dictionary says they mean.

People are obligated, as adults, to be responsible for the effects of their words and actions. So if you upset someone with a thoughtless act of "friendliness," you're still responsible for that. You do not have the right to call someone an asshole because you insulted and belittled their beliefs.

 

[Blue Saint]

People seem to be misunderstanding what I am saying. I understand that it is possible to offend with these sayings, and you should make an effort to make amends for it if you do. For me that is just common courtesy and should be practiced whenever possible. The assholes are the ones that turn this whole affair into something more than it is, claiming that people are attacking their beliefs. That is a manufactured controversy for the sole purpose of provoking hostility. I am not calling the people involved those types of occurrences assholes, nor am I calling anyone here an asshole.

I call these asshole issues because these are the type of things that get spit out across cable news for the sole purpose of getting people pissed off. The type of "stories" that are popular and get ratings but are in no way news which also more often than not take attention away from actual news stories. I hate cable news and the 24 hour news cycle. And to me the people who foster this current state of cable news are assholes. So the type of issues that seem to form the vast majority of their content are asshole issues.

 

[Forever Knight]

I say Merry Christmas to everyone. I don't have the time to ask them beforehand what religion or whatever garbage they are.

If someone says Happy Holidays to me, I still enjoy it.

Either OR, I don't give a ****.

I'm Atheist and could give two shits since all of this is related to religion anyway.

 

[KingRanger]

It isn't people getting offended. It people who try to blow this into some major issue. If saying either Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday offends you I am sure if you just engage politely with the person, they would be more than happy to go along with your request. That is an issue of courtesy which takes between the two parties involved. The notion that there is some malicious intent behind either one is absurd. And by entertaining that notion is any fashion I feel isn't a good thing for anyone.

And those examples you give at the beginning I also find distressing. While I admit I also throw pissfits about trivial matters, I have no illusions in their greater importance. When things such as these are passed off as news I do believe they should be tackled head on.

Also I am sorry if offended anyone in any fashion, it is just a discussion that does nothing but inflame passions by design. I wasn't calling anyone here an asshole in particular, just the people who propagate this for their own ends. Unless that was your intent I apologize

I am sorry I jumped to conclusions then. I just thought it would be an interesting discussion. I do agree with some of what you had to say here.