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Merry Christmas back in fashion?

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At Hot Air, Tina Korbe tells us that “vast majority of Americans still self-identify as Christians”:

In advance of Christmas, Gallup released the results of a year’s worth of interviews of Americans about their attitudes toward religion. The results aren’t necessarily surprising, but they do make you wonder: How exactly is it that the phrase “Merry Christmas” has been branded offensive? From the poll summary:

The United States remains a predominantly Christian nation, with 78% of all adults identifying with a Christian faith, and more than 9 in 10 of those who have a religious identity identifying as Christians. [M]ore than 9 in 10 Americans say they believe in God, and … 8 in 10 say religion is a very or fairly important part of their lives.

Then again, perhaps the politicization of Christmas — the suspicion of public displays of religiosity, the secularization of sacred expressions — comes from the majority’s attempt to accommodate the vocal minority.

Can’t say re the United States, where we gather that there is a “war on Christmas” in some quarters, but several Canadians have noticed that in Toronto “Merry Christmas!” is back in style.

At one hospital, for example, people said it conspicuously, and put up creches, menorahs for Hanukah, and general seasonal decor with abandon, and with not the slightest concern about “offending” anyone.

Because, the reality is, it’s not the hospital’s multicultural, multifaith staff and patients who are “offended” by others’ enjoyment of their holidays. No one is offended by Eid al-Fitr, Chinese New Year, or Diwali either. It’s the tiny minority of state nannies, social engineers, and pressure groups that specialize in taking offense, and make their living from it. And they are offended by us unwashed hordes generally. We say the wrong things, think the wrong things, eat the wrong things (!) …

Is it too much to hope that this is the year we all just told them that the train has arrived at their station in the middle of nowhere, and they can just get OFF?

Comments
For years I have seen them demanding that the season not be identified as Christmastime. its holidat time to accommadate the Jews and others because its hurtful for their sense of identity/pride to be excluded by definition from such a dominating cultural event. The point here however is about who is the boss.? the establishment/business etc have no authority to take away from us our cultural identity in naming our festive season. They are not boss. They can't say doing the moral/kind thing trumps the will or consent of the people. That's the point here. Its only a coincedence of calenders for Hhanukak to be involved or anyone else. To take back Christmas, which it only and powerfully and logically is at this time, is first to take back the peoples right to decide these things and not someone else in unelected power. Then we demand why they have moral right to rob us of our heritage. Then we assert our moral right to our heritage definitions. Then because they jumped the gun they have to wait 30 years before reviewing the whole issue. This is a robbery of our cultural identity based on moral claims by those in certain powers. Just like they say B.C.E instead of B.C. etc I see rebellion but i see a determined establishment with traditional arrogance. Just like in origin issues. Fight the power. Merry Christmas and don't tread on us.Robert Byers
December 27, 2011
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Don't get me wrong. I don't go around telling anybody what they should or should not tell their kids. It's not my business. But does no one else see the parallel between this and the narrative of natural selection, evolution, etc.? (Okay, it doesn't jump right out.) Let's say you have an uncle who waits in line to buy you something. That's terrific. How does attributing his kindness to a mythical character improve upon it? Is that an improvement? And why only at that one time of the year? But even more than that, what about the idea that he's watching you all year? Little children don't understand that it's just a story. They think it's real. And then they find out that it's not. It's not the end of the world. But it's not true. Aren't we to speak the truth with one another? When deciding what to teach or not teach our child, isn't whether or not it's true an important criteria? Again, I'm throwing this out into a forum. I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do. We're just tossing around opinions, and mine is that it's odd to knowingly tell children something that isn't true with the intent of actually having them believe it, particularly in association with an event involving Jesus, who placed the highest value on truth. Especially when the actual truth, that someone likes you and bought you stuff, is pretty good already.ScottAndrews2
December 26, 2011
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Hope all had a wonderful Christ-mass, see you all in the New Year!KRock
December 26, 2011
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"Merry Christmas" is back in style due to one thing- the will of the people. Unfortunately that seems to be the extent of our will, but at least it's something.Joe
December 26, 2011
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Ban everything, even the banning of things... :)Joe
December 26, 2011
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I'm curious. If certain Christmas traditions are now frowned upon, how is it that an event like Halloween is allowed to be celebrated? After all you have people going around to complete strangers houses saying "trick or treat" which could be viewed as an invasion of privacy and certainly be found offensive by the religious community given the theme of Halloween. I'm not saying it should be banned or stopped, rather the point is that it's a slippery slope; where does one stop. In order to 'protect' everyone (which seems to be the goal) you would need to ban almost everything.Stu7
December 26, 2011
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Hi, ScottAndrews2, Actually, there is a Santa Claus. He's the favourite uncle who stands in line for two hours to get a kid the signed baseball he knows the kid will be thrilled by. The good news is that he ISN'T a mythological figure. Indeed, he'll go on to crack the most appallingly corny jokes at the kid's wedding, some years later. People who didn't have an uncle like that missed something growing up. Maybe Santa Claus is an attempted substitute? After all, when the kid asks, who brought the baseball, he'll say: Santa Claus.News
December 26, 2011
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Thanks, Stu7. There is an epidemic of that sort of thing abroad now. I understand that the Los Angeles school board decided to enforce healthy eating and gave out tons of free healthy food, promptly wasted, thus creating a black market in stuff you can buy in most places from a vending machine. One can't change a culture just by making rules that are seen as alien and arbitrary. It is true that the students' preferred eating habits are unhealthy. But the only thing that would change that is a general desire for, say, better athletic performance or personal appearance. The kids who want to achieve in athletics eat at their trainer's table already. Those who want to look and feel good get plenty of advice from lifestyle media now. Government can't close the gap for those to whom health, performance, and appearance are not important values just by giving out for free the foods students would have paid for, had they valued them. And creating a black market in foods they honestly prefer. The desired changes here must come from within the group, not outside it.News
December 26, 2011
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I don't celebrate Christmas at all. I never have and never will. But to take offense to someone saying "Merry Christmas" is silly. I could reason that they are pushing their religion on me or assuming that everyone shares their beliefs. But they are just being friendly, and it's foolish to look for offense where none is meant. Likewise I see no point in railing against governmental and educational institution of the holiday. When in Rome you don't have to do as the Romans, but you can at least leave them alone and let them do it. One thing, though. I told my son not to tell the other kids that there is no Santa Claus. But if he lets it slip, oh, well. I'm I reasonable man and have no intention of interfering. But getting caught is an inevitable consequence of knowingly repeating something that isn't true. If parents make that choice, it's not my job to cover for them. When I was a small child I told the child next door that there was no Santa Claus. His father chased me around the yard yelling at me. I was an innocent child who spoke the truth, and he terrorized me for it. I always wonder how that looked to his son when he found that out.ScottAndrews2
December 26, 2011
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You Americans are crazy man :) Destroying the traditions of the majority in some vain attempt to 'accommodate' all other cultures seems just a little loony, and in many ways tramples on the rights of the majority. As the article points out, it generally is not the minority groups who are offended at all. Rather a small group of people who make it their business to take offense, and attempt to reshape society in their own image in the name of multiculturalism.
Is it too much to hope that this is the year we all just told them that the train has arrived at their station in the middle of nowhere, and they can just get OFF?
Amen to that. Hope you all had a great Christmas :)Stu7
December 26, 2011
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