Posted on 07/13/2004 2:01:55 PM PDT by Ebenezer
Great, I'm glad we agree.
"I know you won't be offended, since you believe we all should celebrate as we choose so, I celebrate and choose to say 'God Bless you' to yourself.
"
Why would I be offended if you say "God Bless You" to me? If that is your belief, then why would you not say it. I'll thank you, even though I don't share your belief. Why? Because you mean well for me when you say it.
"How do you celebrate Rosh Hashana? Ramadan? May day? Cinco de Mayo? Boxer day?"
It all depends. Normally, I do not celebrate these at all. However, if I am in company which does celebrate one or another of them, I am happy to participate in their celebration, just as I do at Christmas with my church-going family and friends. I am respectful of their beliefs, even though I do not share them. My atheism doesn't come up at all unless someone asks me directly.
When table grace is said, I lower my head and close my eyes, out of respect of the beliefs of others. I needn't believe as they do to show respect.
"Not everyone celebrates Christmas as a religious holiday. Not everyone is a Christian.
Ummmmm, it is a Christian holiday. Non Christians who celebrate it are goofy."
The thing is that the end of December and the first part of January is a period for many holidays. Christmas is just one of these. "Happy Holidays" is quite a good and respectful greeting for this period, since one doesn't normally know the beliefs of the person being greeted. Same with "Season's Greetings."
A person who is not a Christian is unlikely to greet you during this period with words which have meaning only to Christians.
Too much is being made of all this, IMO. Why do we not just let everyone say whatever they want to during the season?
Or...do you believe that a Jewish clerk in the store you visit should wish you a "Merry Christmas?"
You are not participating, you are attending. Big difference.
I greet people by saying hello.
A person who is not a Christian is unlikely to greet you during this period with words which have meaning only to Christians.
That works for me. I have no need of affirmation from anyone. I greeet my brothers in Christ by wishing them a nice celebration of our savior's birth. The rest of the people are of no special concern to me as far as doing anything different than any other day of the year. I wish them well.
People who celebrate something they don't believe in just to fit in, or to "have it all" are goofy IMO. I'm not talking about going along with others, I'm talking about people who go around pretending it is their holiday, doing all the things that the Christians do. Some say Merry Christmas to each other even though neither is a believer. I even know of some Jews who said they went to midnight mass to watch. They thought it was a great "show". They even got there early to make sure they got a "good seat". That was goofy, disrespectful even.
Too much is being made of all this, IMO. Why do we not just let everyone say whatever they want to during the season?
Who said they couldn't? Say what you please, but don't expect others to respond in the way you expect them to. They might respond by thinking it's goofy, like I do. Wish me Merry Christmas, I say thank you and mean it, say Happy Holidays and I say, which holidays?
Or...do you believe that a Jewish clerk in the store you visit should wish you a "Merry Christmas?"
I believe he would be correct in saying, "how may I help you sir?" Why does he feel the need to make assumptions about my faith?
"Why would I be offended if you say "God Bless You" to me? If that is your belief, then why would you not say it. I'll thank you, even though I don't share your belief. Why? Because you mean well for me when you say it."
You, my friend, are rare in these circles.
However, I stand by my convictions that many people become offended by 'Christians' celebrating Christmas or why would the dismantling of everything associated with Christmas and the christian religion continue to occur?
Bless you and others that share your viewpoint. As for those that don't, your well-meaning viewpoint may be enlightening to them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.