Question:
Why are people trying to censor Christmas?
Tyler C
2007-12-03 10:24:56 UTC
Ok so I really just want to get some good comments from people. The reason I bring this up, is due to the fact that in America we really have censored Christmas. People get yelled at in stores for saying Merry Christamas rather then happy holidays. Also Santa now has a new slimmer image, due to the fact that being jolly or plump is a bad image for kids. So please sound off on this. really I am sad that Christmas is not what it used to be, and I respect other cultures and religions and there beleifs, so why can't they respect the fact that I celabrate Christmas? Please all comments welcome.
21 answers:
geniepiper
2007-12-03 10:34:32 UTC
I always considered "Happy Holidays" as a well of including all the holidays that come around this time of year from Thanksgiving to New Years and that includes Christmas. I am an Atheist, never have got upset when someone said Merry Christmas to me. Don't know of anyone who has got upset over such a thing.



From where I sit, it seems to be the Christians who are making an issue of this Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas thing; and, I suspect it is because they want us all to say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays which is generally what I do out of habit, but I don't think Christians respect others right to do things differently even though they expect others to respect them.



The Santa Claus thing is crazy. I agree.
anonymous
2007-12-03 10:39:20 UTC
Who got yelled at for saying Merry Christmas? I disagree that there's a war on Christmas, it's absurd. You can say whatever you want, and it's not going to offend anyone. Stores try to cater to the diverse crowd that shops there because we live in a diverse country. They have a right to use whatever slogan they want in their advertising. But if you go into those stores, how many menorahs do you see? Any Kwanzaa decorations or cards? How about any Islamic holiday items? I see Santa Claus, Christmas trees, Christmas cards, Christmas wrapping paper, candy canes, lights, etc. So what holidays are being censored?



They can say anything they want in stores, and you can say anything you want when you go home. It's called freedom. Isn't that what we celebrate in this country? I think there's more important issues to worry about.





P.S. I think stores have done more to ruin Christmas with their over-commercialization of it than anything else. I'm sick of seeing Christmas decorations at Halloween. The holiday is all about buying stuff, and that's it. How can Christians be so concerned about semantics, but not want to fight a "war" against stores that are trivializing this most holy of holidays??





EDIT: I want to thank you for your comments, you seem intelligent and like you've thought this out, and I respect that. But if we don't censor Hannukah or Kwanzaa or Eid-al-Adha, we definitely don't censor Christmas! When was the last time someone wished you a happy Eid-al-Adha or a kwazy Kwanzaa? :-)



We don't have a state religion and we never have. That's a very dangerous thing - ask Iran and their morality police.
Persephone
2007-12-03 10:33:30 UTC
I don't know why people get upset about "Merry Christmas," because the intentions behind it are good. And it doesn't make sense that they want to change Santa's image, since about 1/3 of the American population is now overweight. I've heard people get upset about "Happy Holidays," too, saying it's too PC. The only thing I actually disagree with is having religious symbols in public places, and even then, I'm not going to have a fit about it if I see it...although I know a lot of people would. I agree with you, Christmas isn't what it used to be....
anonymous
2007-12-03 10:30:34 UTC
Nobody's trying to censor Christmas, and nobody is disrespecting the fact that you celebrate Christmas. In the United States, not everyone is Christian. We are a non-denominational country. Imagine how you would feel if you celebrated Hanukkah, for example, but everyone was always wishing you Merry Christmas? Wouldn't you feel like you were not being respected? Showing sensitivity and respect to other religions and celebrations takes nothing away from your own.

And, actually, Martin, Jesus was probably born in March of 4 BC, given reference to the "star" which was probably a comet.

Let me add to your additional comment: We did used to "censor" Hanukkah (in the sense that it was just ignored), and Kwanzaa has only existed for about 40 years. The "happy holidays" stuff that has some of you in an uproar is an attempt to undo that "censorship," which isn't really the correct term for this, anyway.

I'm just over 50. When I was in elementary school--a public school--we actually sang a Latin song at the Christmas assembly: Panis Angelicus. We'd sing religious carols, etc. I had several Jewish classmates. How were they supposed to feel about that? Like their holiday didn't count and wasn't as important? That's simply not fair.

BTW, Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday. Many of you don't seem to know much about it--which kind of proves the point, doesn't it?
robert
2016-05-28 04:16:05 UTC
Why are Christians so offended about censoring Christmas? Freedom of religion also means freedom to celebrate your religion. What is wrong with censoring Christmas, especially in public??? Ugh freedom of speech perhaps. Don't Christians realize that not everyone wants to believe a 2000 yearold book compiled by men.... OK if you say so Wouldn't Christians get offended if cities started celebrating Muslim holidays and putting up Muslim decorations??? No that's your bigoted statement to slant the argument in your favor. I for one would love to see more public displays of Jewish and Muslim holidays where there are significant populations of there religions.
khard
2007-12-03 10:45:26 UTC
I don't think Christmas should be censored, but I also don't think other holidays should be left out. You'll always have people who get offended, even though saying "Merry Christmas" is out of good intentions. I suppose it endorses one particular belief system or culture somewhat, but I'm an atheist and this sort of thing doesn't bother me. It's not nearly as bad as reading Bible prayers in a public school.



I always thought a fat Santa made people more tolerant about obese people. We make sure our models are annorexic, now Santa!?
hi_im_hanny
2007-12-03 13:51:43 UTC
I am not a Christian so I do not believe in Christmas. But i do think they are going overboard with censoring the word Christmas because there are non believers such as myself.



But you have to look at it from another standpoint, it is almost as if America is selling and advertising Christianity. Also, at times is seems as if America is trying to convert people to Christianity. I'm not saying that they are, but it's just something to think about.
Pretty Woman
2007-12-03 10:37:29 UTC
Know what I say to the censorship: screw that!! Christmas has been around far LONGER than all the numb skull atheists and censorship! I am NOT going to let that spoil my holidays and you can bet your a** I'm one of those people who say "Merry Christmas" to others on the streets. Why? because I'm not letting anybody tell me how to celebrate a holiday I love!!!!! And someone else said, but the only people who get offended by "ho ho ho" are the actual ho-ho-hoes!



The person above me says its the Christians making an issue of it. I have to disagree. Its the atheists and other non-Christians who are making it an issue. The atheists are offended by the Pledge of Allegiance and now Christmas! Gues what!? Christmas has been around longer than their twisted beliefs, or lack there of, and I'm certainly not going to let a bunch nutters destroy Christmas for me. This is America we are all allowed to our own beliefs and to celebrate our own holidays and what have you. This is the land of the free, so while all the atheists are free to rant about and be PETTY dumb f*cks, we who love Christmas should be allowed to continue with our traditions.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

HAPPY HANUKHA

HAPPY RAMADAN

HAPPY KWANZAA
darbygirl
2007-12-03 10:40:44 UTC
Thank you. it's time someone else spoke up. There was nothing wrong with Christmas the way it was and to all those right wingers who are slowly taking the fun away BAH HUMBUG.
snowie
2007-12-03 10:40:04 UTC
Omg! I'm really not liking this whole "Santa has to be skinny" thing. Its so sad. They're pretty much ruining Christmas :[. There also trying to change "ho ho ho" into "ha ha ha" I think Christmas was around before "hoes" so they should change their name.
null
2007-12-03 12:28:33 UTC
I think it's the opposite. People are obsessed with Christmas. I myself find it annoying and over-commercialized.
anonymous
2007-12-03 10:30:07 UTC
This is an example of how America is obsessed with image and the "new" trend of staying thin.....we have the biggest population of obesity in the world and the U.S. is trying to get rid of it with images through the media...."Oh santa claus lost weight...if he lost some weight....maybe I should too!!! Its bullshit!
GUARD DOG
2007-12-03 10:28:52 UTC
I have also heard that Santa is refrained from bellowing out the traditional " Ho Ho Ho " because of it's similarity to ( "hoe" )---the slang term for a prostitute..........
david B
2007-12-03 10:31:32 UTC
because of the whole "Politically correct concept"... People who celebrate Hannakah (wrong spelling) and Kwanzaa (probably wrong too) might be offended... too protest this like i do, shop at stores that have merry x-mas signs instead of happy holidays... censorship is bad... its a shame that todays kids can't celebrate it like we used too... hope this helped...
mtchndjnmtch
2007-12-03 10:29:41 UTC
Because its a religious holiday and they are the far left. They do not believe in such things and think it bothers other non belivers, hinse the aclu. Dung.
martin
2007-12-03 10:28:26 UTC
xmas is really a pagan holiday, Jesus was born in the fall not the winter
B Rizzle
2007-12-03 10:29:42 UTC
I guess people just dont want to offend anybody, even though it offends us who do celebrate Christmas
anonymous
2007-12-03 10:29:45 UTC
People who are non religious are jealous because they dont celebrate christmas. and they dont want other people to if they dont.
anonymous
2007-12-03 12:24:46 UTC
minorities are always b*tch*n
anonymous
2007-12-03 10:29:03 UTC
they also want santa to say "ha ha ha" instead of "ho ho ho" because they say it offends women. "ho ho ho" doesn't offend me, "ho ho ho" offends ho-ho-hos.

instead of ha ha ha "oh oh oh" sounds like "ho ho ho" why not say that?
calliepuff
2007-12-03 10:28:12 UTC
i know how you feel they just..............


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