Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

When did 'Happy Holidays' become anti-Christian?
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | December 4, 2005 | Mark Hare

Posted on 12/04/2005 5:24:15 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines

The columnist argues that the "dreadful" Iraq war "diminishes the joy of the Christmas season," and that "talk-radio land and the Internet blogosphere," should stop complaining that "Have a nice holiday," or "Happy holidays" or "Enjoy your holiday" are "part of a campaign to take God and Jesus out of Christmas."

He argues that Christians shouldn't be offended and speculates that non-Christians aren't as easily offended if you wish them "Merry Christmas."

However, he also claims that saying "Happy Holidays" is a matter of politeness to non-Christians and as "a courtesy."

Finally, the author insinuates that Christians are responsible for the commercialization of Christmas and concludes it is "far too soon" to be wishing people "Merry Christmas" anyway.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051204/NEWS0201/512040327/1002/NEWS


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: happyholidays; postedtowrongforum
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 141-154 next last
To: Noachian

***If Christians are going to be the group that retailers profit from then they deserve more than a politically correct salutation.***

Worth saying again.


61 posted on 12/04/2005 6:54:48 AM PST by kitkat (Democrat/Socialist/Communist.= Hillary the RED)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: AlexW
It's a fine line. I believe there is an attempt to remove Christ from Christmas. IMO, It's evilness by a small few and a PC effort to please everyone by the rest. Christians can't ignore small steps though because they lead to a larger plan. I don't want to take on the minority "everyone against me" stand, though. Would I have even noticed or cared where Walmart put Nativity scenes a few years ago? Probably not but when I go in and all I see is "holiday" and I have to ask after going thru aisles of Santa Claus and plastic trees and I know what is going on this season I wonder.
62 posted on 12/04/2005 6:57:33 AM PST by CindyDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: CindyDawg

Yes, these mangers were for sale. I did not stop to determine where to find the figurines for them, so I can not attest to what they looked like. I have to admit I was in there for specific items and wanted to get in and out, and didn't dawdle. When we pull out all the Christmas boxes this evening I'm going to check my nativity pieces - I think this manger is a bit too large for my set, but if not i will go back and buy it.

I'm sorry your experience was so depressing, that's awful. I don't particularly care for shopping, fortunately for me the WalMart I shop in tends to be a very friendly place.


63 posted on 12/04/2005 6:58:10 AM PST by Gabz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: MACVSOG68

Yeah, I don't want someone having to tell me Merry Christmas if they are uncomfortable doing so.


64 posted on 12/04/2005 7:00:47 AM PST by CindyDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Gabz

Well in all fairness, Saturday night is not the best time to go to Walmart around here any time of the year. We have two superstores and they are thinking about a third.


65 posted on 12/04/2005 7:04:12 AM PST by CindyDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: SamuraiScot
X=Cristos. The letter X was used to symbolize Christ at times when Christians were persecuted.
Considering our persecution in this day & age, it seems oddly appropriate to acknowledge it by writing "Xmas". Xmas means CHRISTmas, not the commercialized Santa-centric celebration.
66 posted on 12/04/2005 7:08:30 AM PST by Sisku Hanne (The Old Media, Democrat party & the Left are grim MILLSTONES for our troops)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: CindyDawg
Awesome! Our little church's Sunday School leader does a Holy Hunt every Easter--lots of plain plastic eggs with nothing in them--then 13 with the story of Christ (like Walmart's) in them. The kids love the hunt--AND hearing the story!

BTW--last night our little Southern Oregon town had its tree-lighting ceremony. Was wonderful to hear true Christmas carols along with "holiday" songs. Also, our only motel has a cross on its roof.

Did I mention I LOVE my little town?

67 posted on 12/04/2005 7:14:20 AM PST by milagro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: CindyDawg

Was amazed when I went to visit my son in El Paso. Could not believe they have 9 Walmarts--all superstores!


68 posted on 12/04/2005 7:15:30 AM PST by milagro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: milagro

Isn't it amazing? We have a counted population under 200000. We have 2 supers , a Sams, a Target and a KMart. Target and Kmart are supposed to be building new stores. It's still not enough.


69 posted on 12/04/2005 7:18:48 AM PST by CindyDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: CindyDawg
Well in all fairness, Saturday night is not the best time to go to Walmart around here any time of the year

I don't think Saturday night is a good time to go to WalMart ANYWHERE at any time of the year :)

The WalMart I shop is about 15 miles away, but I have to cross the state line to get there. And there is not another one for at least another 40 miles or so. There has been talk about a superstore in this county - but I'll still go to the one I go to now - the location they are talking about for a new one is 25 miles away.

70 posted on 12/04/2005 7:25:36 AM PST by Gabz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: MACVSOG68

"I'm less concerned with the term "happy holidays" than with other more direct attacks on Christmas, including the "holiday tree",

Yes, we should remember that it is Happy Holidays, BECAUSE it is CHRISTMAS.

I have no problem with Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays, as long as it is in perspective of Christmas.

And yes, Christmas is a nice time in Slovakia.

Merry Christmas :)


71 posted on 12/04/2005 7:29:40 AM PST by AlexW (Reporting from Bratislava)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: milagro; CindyDawg
Did I mention I LOVE my little town?

That's GREAT.

I don't live in "town" and th largest town in this county has a year round population of less than 5,000 and it's on an island. We went over there last night for the annual Christmas parade. As you come over the drawbridge there is a traffic signal and you either turn left or right, and right there is a life size Nativity scene, put up by the town.

One of the 2 floats that had living Nativities on them was sponsored by WalMart, the other was a local Church's float.

72 posted on 12/04/2005 7:32:21 AM PST by Gabz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: Behind Liberal Lines

The backlash. Truth is everybody wants the freedom to say what they want. I like Christmas, I like to shop at stores that have Christmas displays, nativity scenes are rare but pleasant surprises. I will also begrudgingly defend those stores who don't get into the "Christmas" season. We guarantee their right to do so. Nobody really has a problem unless Christian churches begin retractions of Christ in their Christmas celebrations.


73 posted on 12/04/2005 7:43:56 AM PST by RGSpincich
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gabz

We are having our Christmas parade tomorrow. My grandaughter goes to a private Christian school and they have a float and the bigger kids are marching. We have lights and crosses and nativity scenes all thru the neighborhood and non retail businesses.


74 posted on 12/04/2005 7:45:11 AM PST by CindyDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: Behind Liberal Lines

Like some pimple faced clerk at a crappy high-volume retail store will make or break a two day holiday (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) by not greeting me a certain way. Please. Christmas is too tacky and commercialized as it is. I spend Christmas with my family...not the entire staff of Target or WalMart. What the heck do I care what they say to me, as long as my transaction is fair, quick, and reasonably polite?


75 posted on 12/04/2005 7:46:47 AM PST by coop71 (Being a redhead means never having to say you're sorry...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Behind Liberal Lines
When did 'Happy Holidays' become anti-Christian?

When the PC (Communist) crowd decided that they must remove Christ from Christmas.

76 posted on 12/04/2005 7:47:13 AM PST by Dustbunny (Main Stream Media -- Making 'Max Headroom' a reality.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: coconutt2000
It's not that the words "Happy Holiday" are offensive. It's not. It's when retailers, who make a killing on this Holiday insist on making it policy to remove the word Christmas. It is an attack on not just Christian's it is an attack on American culture as well. Excluding the fat man in the red suit has little to do with the birth of Christ but everything to do with our diluting our culture.

Secondly, the majority of Americans have always been comfortable with Christmas, Jews and Agnostics included. It seems that it became unpopular about the same time that the politically correct bunch thought that we should embrace Ramadan and Eid or Kwanzaa. Anything but Christmas.

77 posted on 12/04/2005 7:48:24 AM PST by Colorado Doug (Diversity is divisive. E. Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Siena Dreaming
The word "holiday" actually comes from "Holy-Day" which of course implies a religious root.

Yep but that is only known to the masses that were born before the 70's and 80's. It is no longer common knowledge thanks to the PC (Communist) crowd.

78 posted on 12/04/2005 7:49:15 AM PST by Dustbunny (Main Stream Media -- Making 'Max Headroom' a reality.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: doberville
The store owners and I have an agreement: They don't celebrate 'Christmas' and I don't shop in their store.

Ditto's to that.

79 posted on 12/04/2005 7:50:54 AM PST by Dustbunny (Main Stream Media -- Making 'Max Headroom' a reality.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: CindyDawg

Where the Nativity Scenes made/carved in the Holy Land from the local olive wood? If so by whom? Or were they made of something else and from somewhere else?


80 posted on 12/04/2005 7:53:54 AM PST by deport (Merry Christmas; Feliz Navidad; Buon Natale; Joyeux Noël to one and all and Happy Holidays to.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 141-154 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson