Why is it that I hear more people whining about others being offended by "Merry Christmas"?

Question

then I do people actually being offended by "Merry Christmas"?

Answer 1

Because people have turned it into a kind of political statement. Some people are turning the phrase Merry Christmas into a fetish, something done for its own sake instead of using it as a sincere greeting. It’s an aggressive statement about one’s own identity that is thrown in the face of others as a challenge or even an insult. It’s not about defending religious meaning in Christmas, but defending a religious identity & a set of traditional privileges.

If you say Merry Christmas, you assume that the other person celebrates Christmas — often a fair bet, but not as guaranteed as it once was. As the religious pluralism of America increases, so must the sensitivity of its citizens. The fewer traditional Christians there are around, the less people can assume that everyone is celebrating the usual Christian holidays & doing the usual Christian things. It’s impolite to make assumptions about people you don’t know.

Answer 2

You may not here individuals saying that are insulted by being told "Merry Christmas", but businesses are making it a policy to wipe this phrase from employee/customer interactions. At my bank job we were to say "Happy Holidays" NEVER "Merry Christmas" on the chance it might offend. The idea that someone may get upset had to have come from a complaint somewhere. The ACLU is constantly lobbying and suing when people attempt to celebrate Christmas publicly, so something is going on.

I celebrate Christmas and tell people "Merry Christmas". I do not get offended if a person from another faith wishes me a "Happy XXX (whatever they celebrate). I think that some people are just getting very sensitive. I don't say "Merry Christmas" to push my faith on anyone, but to be polite and friendly.

Answer 3

I actually see and hear more people starting to say Merry Christmas and less and less people offended it by it. And to those who are offended, oh well. This is the most important date in a the religious calendar for Christians. I respect other's religions and I expect the same in return.

Answer 4

Okay, I'm a Christian so you can probably guess what my view is on this. By objectively speaking, I think there is an increasingly large group of people that think we should live in a society where no mention of religion is ever made at all. Because we are a predominantly Christian society, a lot of our culture, holidays, etc. are driven by a Christian holiday and for whatever reason that offends people. You will notice there are a lot of hypocrites on this issue though........ever hear of a non-Christian refusing to take the day off work as a holiday? (for example).

There is a saying I heard a few years ago I really liked. It said "Your freedom ends where mine begins." For those who don't want to celebrate the holiday, fine. But don't get in my way while I'm celebrating it.

Answer 5

Actually, that's what they're usually complaining about. Companies are forbidding their employees to say "Merry Christmas" to customers when nobody is really offended by it. In fact many customers prefer "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays." So why not let employees greet customers in the traditional way?

Answer 6

Because everyone likes to whine I guess..

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Answer 7

I dunno, people seem to be more offended when I say Merry Yule, then Merry Christmas.
so it must be that Other beliefs find more tolerance when Merry Christmas is said to them, then Christians have when another religious holidays are said to THEM....
Regardless, Happy Yule, and Blessed Be!

Answer 8

Because heaven forbid Christmas be affiliated with Jesus.

Answer 9

Funny, I've never come across the problem except here on Answers. In real life, I don't think the problem occurs.

Answer 10

What Zero Cool said.

It's brilliant.

*applause*