Secular groups in the US have fought to remove Christian images from Christmas and it is because of this fear of being [insert whatever you think it is] that we find this weak, wishy-washy, naff expression! There are groups in the US who have organised boycotts of retailers who use the word Christmas and the US corporate world appears to struggle at the word Christmas lest they offend anyone. An interesting aside is that the 'Liberty Councils' latest poll as part of its 'Friend or Foe' campaign found that 69% of the people polled preferred 'Merry Christmas' over 'happy Holidays'.
Using the word Christmas does not offend members of other faiths, it only offends secularist who create cock and bull stories about being offensive in the hope that fear will drive stores (and others) to water Christmas down for fear of losing sales. Look at Wal Mart, a company who sell 'holiday trees' and (reputedly) staff are not allowed to respond to 'Merry Christmas' in case it offends other shoppers!
But they do offend, they offend me greatly because the celebration is called CHRISTmas and the Coca Cola icon of Santa Claus, AKA Father Christmas (FC), Chris Cringle or whatever is of course - St Nicholas. Gosh! Two Christian personalities (assuming we take Christ as Christian too!) fighting to be the 'reason for the season'.
We have the films which tell us that we'd lose Christmas unless we save FC and presents are the meaning for the season. Well, near enough - PRESENCE is the meaning for the season, the presence of Jesus Christ, born in a manger in Bethlehem (so the Bible story says), Mary's boy-child, Jesus Christ, waas born on Christmas Day (I'll leave you to sing the rest).
It isn't Winterval, Winteride, Argostide, Chanukah (1-9th December this year) or anything else - it's CHRISTMAS.
Mind you, it's Adventide at the moment and so I'll hold back on the 'Merry Christmas' for a few more days if you don't mind and leave you with this bumper sticker:
2 comments:
I have worked in retail for a good 10 years of my life and I always wish people a Merry Christmas around this time of year. As far as I can remember, I have never once had anybody show offence, and I am honestly now speaking about multitudes of peoples.
If in the near future, people do start showing offense, I don't think it would be because they naturally find it offensive, but rather because the secular world is telling them that they should, and they are slowly ingraining it into their minds.
That's the problem isn't it?
When living in an extremely left-wing borough, the council decided to abandon the Christmas tree lights because they felt it might offend the other faith groups. Ironically, it was them who fought to get the lights put up, not the Christians!
Bit like Birmingham and its foolish attempts at 'Winterval' in the late seventies.
It's not the faith groups, it's the secularists who spread the 'offended' rumour in the hope that some will panic and stop Christmas happening.
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