A Christmas Greeting

[Rosco]

A friend (and occasional drummer) of mine posted me an e-Christmas card. Reproduced here:

From ME (the wishor) to you (the wishee)

Please accept without obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress non addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practised within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular tradition at all.

I wish you a financially successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures or sects, and having regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting you are bound by these terms that:

 This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal

 This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wishor are acknowledged.

 This greeting implies no promise by the wishor to actually implement any of the wishes.

 This greeting may not be enforceable in certain jurisdictions and/or the restrictions herein may not be binding upon certain wishes in certain jurisdictions and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wishor.

 This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first.

The wishor warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance or a new wish at the sole discretion of the wishor.

Any reference in this greeting to “the Lord”, “Father Christmas”, “Our Saviour”, “Rudolph the red nosed reindeer” or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall nor imply any endorsement by or from then in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images are hereby acknowledged

[ghost of miles]

I suppose I'm being a Grinch, but this reminds me too much of the bogus "war on Christmas" crap that Bill O'Reilly and other wingnuts have been perpetuating. The irony is that it's jerks like O'Reilly who have now politicized the holiday.

Beam me up to the political forum, Scottie!!

[BERIGAN]

I suppose I'm being a Grinch, but this reminds me too much of the bogus "war on Christmas" crap that Bill O'Reilly and other wingnuts have been perpetuating. The irony is that it's jerks like O'Reilly who have now politicized the holiday.

Beam me up to the political forum, Scottie!!

Sounds like someone misses the political forum!

Last year, for shits and grins(and a little moola) I briefly worked in that wonderful world of Book retail that you are familiar with as well(Booksamillion-hey, it was close! ) Since the main manager was always saying Happy Holidays, the rest of us felt compelled to say the same thing. NOT saying it was forced on us. So, I would belt out Happy Holidays, and some people would say Merry Christmas back to me. I felt like I couldn't say what I felt like saying. Sometimes we are politically correct without anyone asking us to be. So, I finally started to say Merry Christmas back to folks. Felt like I was saying something I shouldn't, but I got over it.

But you are wrong if you don't think there isn't a war on Christmas at least at some level. Schools having winter programs,(How many schools call Christmas break, Christmas break these days?) Not using green and red colors for decorations, changing lyrics to Silent night to "Cold in the night"

I read somewheres(can't find it now) that a kid was sent home from a school party for having an Elf hat on!

Edited December 17, 2005 by BERIGAN

[Brownian Motion]

But you are wrong if you don't think there isn't a war on Christmas at least at some level.

The "war" is not on Christmas, Oh-Willing-Tool-of-Right-Wing-Christian-Fundamentalism; the "war" is on those who for reasons of faith don't buy into the Christian fairytale.

[Rosco]

Here we come, Politics Forum!

[ghost of miles]

But you are wrong if you don't think there isn't a war on Christmas at least at some level.

The "war" is not on Christmas, Oh-Willing-Tool-of-Right-Wing-Christian-Fundamentalism; the "war" is on those who for reasons of faith don't buy into the Christian fairytale.

Yeah, no kidding. And I'm a so-called "person of faith." (Man, I hate that phrase... makes believers sound as if we are the "special" and priviliged group of citizens). That doesn't mean that I should go around trying to shove my religion's holiday down everybody else's throat.

Know why most stores say "Happy Holidays," outside of not wanting to exclude their Jewish, Buddhist, Islamic, and Kwanzaa-celebrating customers? BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO FREAKIN' HOLIDAYS!!!!! Christmas and New Year's. Hence the saying "Happy holidays." The fact that it doesn't exclude those who aren't Christian is just a nice little afterthought. These jivesters have managed to turn a happy day of spiritual unity into a divisive political matter. Like everything else they touch, they turn it to hate. In my more Christian moments, I say, "God bless 'em anyway..." in my more secular moments, I say, "Fuck 'em." O'Reilly and his ilk--I'll say it again--are truly the Grinches of the season.

What would Jesus say? "Stop turning my birthday into a wingnut fest!!"

[Big Al]

Before this gets tossed into the political forum....

The war, it seems, is not a war "on" Christmas as much as it seems to be a war "over" Christmas. Who owns it? The Christians or the pagans? Well....

Oddly enough, I was reflecting on something Christ said while I was out Christmas shopping today (and I am reeeeeeally paraphrasing here): "And why do good and give gifts only to the people you love? Don't even the pagans do that? Do something really challenging: give to your enemies. Give gifts to the pagans, not the other Christians. Love those who curse you." Whooo boy. Guilty as charged here, and you're certainly forgiven for not taking anything else I say seriously.

Conrad is right when he asserts that there are wingnuts who are attempting to take Christmas out of the holiday season; those people are called "extremists." However, David is also right when he asserts that there are wingnuts who are attempting to shove their militant version of Christ down everyone's throat at this time of year. Those folks are also called "extremists." To me, their all mixed nuts!

Christmas is a part of the holiday season, just as Hannukah and the New Year celebration are all a part of the holiday season. To wish someone a "Happy Holiday" is no more offensive than wishing someone a nice day. And wishing someone a Merry Christmas, when Christmas is right around the corner and that happens to be your belief, is no more offensive than someone of the Jewish faith wishing me a Happy Hannukah, even though I'm not Jewish. What's the big deal? I'd like to think that I can be allowed to celebrate in a Jewish person's joy during this season. Me wishing someone a Merry Christmas is simply my way of inviting that person to celebrate in my joy at this time of year. Nothing more, nothing less.

Naive? Probably. Wouldn't be the first time. But I'd rather be hopeful than hopeless. Especially at this time of year.

One final note: David is completely on-target when he asserts that O'Reilly and his ilk are doing more harm to Christmas and the meaning of Christmas with their VERY unChristian ranting and raving. Modern-day Pharisees and Saducees, every damn one of 'em.

Edited December 17, 2005 by Big Al

[7/4]

...a Festivus for the rest of us.