Why are people trying to take Chirst out of everything? Now even Christmas! The very holiday meant to celebrate His birth. How many people are okay with this? As a christian I think it's crazy. Why after all this time is it being changed?
2006-11-19 08:19:06 · 28 answers · asked by Leaving on a jetplane 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'm not just being nice to those who celebrate Christmas. I just want to know why people are disrespecting christianity by taking Christ out of Christmas. We are to be respectful to other cultures, but why are other cultures not respectful to us?
2006-11-19 08:25:03 · update #1
If I know that someone celebrates Christmas, I am more than happy to extend good wishes for their Christmas celebration. If I know they celebrate Yule, Saturnalia, or Hanukkah, I extend them good wishes for their respective holidays. If I do not know what someone celebrates (if anything), I use the phrase "Happy Holidays". That is the phrase that I use for acquaintances or even strangers that I may bump into and I use it out of respect for all. I wish more commercial stores did too since it is a general phrase that is inclusive to all who celebrate a holiday in December.
When dealing with those for whom I do not know what (if any) holiday they celebrate, should I just choose one and apply it to all? Should I just wish everyone a Happy Yule? Or Happy Hanukkah? Perhaps Happy Kwanzaa? Or do you only want me to be respectful to those who celebrate Christmas?
2006-11-19 10:27:13 · answer #1 · answered by Witchy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jeremiah 10:1-5 (or the whole book for that matter)
[1]Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
[2] Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
[3] For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
[4] They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
[5] They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
To me the customs of Christmas do not really have much to do with the real Christ. In fact no one really knows when Jesus of Nazareth was born. And it probably wasn't Dec 25. So one could even say that calling Christmas...Christmas is contradictory, since the holiday came from a different religion to begin with. I would suggest doing some research (including what the "Christian" Bible says about it..see above) on where Christmas came from and what it really represents before you get too hooked on the idea that saying "Happy Holidays" is crazy.
2006-11-19 08:33:10 · answer #2 · answered by Sand 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What a silly issue that has taken up so much news time. Happy holidays refers to all of the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Most people are not referring to Kwanza, a really new, made up holiday, or the jewish holiday, since most people don't celebrate that except the jews.
Christmas is actually set on a pagan holiday; I just chortle when I read these so called stories where something miracleous happens on Christmas or Christmas Eve--they are all man made holidays.
2006-11-19 08:36:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all, I AM a born again Christian-----NOW let me ask that you find out the origin of christmas ---type origin of christmas in the search line. Christmas is not Jesus birthday. Christmas is a pagan holiday that was started by the Catholic church to satisfy the people. Jesus was Not born on Dec. 25th. I do like the holiday season & I don't care whether you say Happy Holidays (which would include New Years) or Christmas. Either is fine with me. I have sent cards that said Merry Christmas and I have sent those that said Happy Holidays and said and say both.
Just chill out and have a good time with your family and friends.
But know the truth about the origin. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all.
2006-11-19 08:32:51 · answer #4 · answered by suzie 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nobody's trying to take Christ out of Christmas. Kinda hard to call it Christmas without him.
Secondly, Christmas is NOT the only holiday being celebrated this time of year. We have Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, etc. Stores have to be respectful of their multicultural customers, therefore, saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone is quite presumptuous and, well, rude. Not rude to Christians, of course, but to anyone who isn't, it's rude and insulting to presume they worship a religion and thusly celebrate a holiday that they don't.
After all, as a Christian, you wouldn't want to be wished a Happy Hanukkah, would you? You're not Jewish, after all. Saying things like "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" can allow stores and their clerks and any other business to wish you a happy holiday season without insulting you by trying to assume what religion you are and wish you a Happy Hanukkah when they should be saying Merry Christmas.
In my opinion, this whole "war on Christmas" is a load of baloney cooked up by the media and likely the extreme end of the conservative religious spectrum to get attention and force their beliefs on others. Whether or not to say "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" is hardly something to start fights over. It's words. Be glad that you're wished anything at all besides the usual "have a nice day".
And for the record, I'm an atheist, and I don't get myself in an uproar anytime some clerk around here wishes me "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays". Christmas isn't the only holiday celebrated this time of year in this country, so get used to the "Happy Holidays" and get over it.
2006-11-19 08:32:23 · answer #5 · answered by Ophelia 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christmas has evolved to become a superficial, money grubbing, retail holiday. Yes, originally it was to celebrate the birth of Christ. But it should also be about getting together with the people that you love to celebrate being together. It doesn't have to be about Christ. So I would stick with Merry Christmas, because that's what it is, Christmas.
2006-11-19 09:15:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The United States was formed on Christian beliefs, therefore if we are gong to have a holiday in the US it should be Christmas, not that people can't chose to celebrate the holidays anyway they wish.
The main people you see taking Christ out of Christmas is the media and retailers. The retailers are just trying to make more money by trying to please more people. The media supports it because they are anti-Christian.
2006-11-19 08:32:26 · answer #7 · answered by Messenger 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
AMEN! I don't think I am a religious fanatic but I think the whole meaning has gotten lost. Christmas is to celebrate the birth Christ! I respect other peoples beliefs and customs but I don't believe this is right. It is MERRY CHRISTMAS for me, Not the happy holidays that is being shoved down our throats!
2006-11-19 08:30:52 · answer #8 · answered by Robin L 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Seriously, do you really think that saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" does anything more to take Christ out of Christmas now that the mass commercialization has pretty much turned it into a secular holiday?
And I agree. Why did things change after all of this time? In fact, let's forget about computers. We never needed them before. Let's toss modern medicine too. If blood-letting was fine for my ancestors, it's fine for me. While we're at it, let's bring back the caste system and slavery. If people don't have the potential for social mobility, they won't be disappointed when they don't go anywhere.
2006-11-19 10:39:36 · answer #9 · answered by Phil 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Say what you like, but Happy Holidays/Seasons Greetings is the politically correct thing to do.
You don't have to take Christ out of anything if you don't want to.
Just remember that a lot of people are not Christian. There is absolutely no reason to make them believe in Christmas, say prayers in school etc.
Christianity in politics is a thing of the past.It's 2006 and now governments are realizing the diversity of all cultures.
2006-11-19 08:46:01 · answer #10 · answered by portdoverworm 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋