Well, we lost, because it came anyway.
Anyway, someone sent a bulk email at work wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, then bragging parenthetically that they were "not politically correct".
I forget where I heard it, but I heard a comic say once that complaining about being politically correct is basically saying, "I want to be rude, and I don't want to be called on it."
The recipients of that email don't all celebrate Christmas. That's just a fact. Saying "Merry Christmas" necessarily excludes people who don't celebrate that particular holiday. It's inappropriate. It's rude. If you want to show off your freedom of speech, start a blog.
(It shouldn't be sent on a work email system anyway, but that's an issue for management to ignore, not for me.)
(Also, that being said, in the United States in 2009, if you're honestly offended by the use of the phrase "Merry Christmas", you really have to learn to pick your battles.)
It's not rude at all. People should grow up and not get in a snit because people express beliefs and celebrate like this. Those who object have a major problem with lack of maturity and social skills.
ReplyDeleteNow, this is just about saying "Merry Christmas". Nothing wrong with that. But what is wrong is sending spam: that's rude no matter what is in it.
I don't get offended in the least if someone says Merry Christmas, mentions Kwanzaa, Happy Hannukah, Fun Festivus, or anything like that. Well, at least if it not in spam.
Political correctness is a funny thing. It can throw me off. But generally, I take well wishes of all sorts with the intent they are sent with.
ReplyDeleteI myself have strong sense of faith on this matter. Christmas has a true meaning for me. The most important part of that word being "Christ" and the one thing that bothers me is when people remove Christ from the word. But that is me. I just dislike the term x-mas.
But again, that is my bug-a-boo. I understand that many people celebrate the giving of gifts instead. As for me and my household, we celebrate Christ and the gift that His birth meant to the world. Those who choose not to understand that mystify me, but I forgive them. But I am grateful for that gift.
Being no longer Christian, I do my best to appreciate the sentiment in which religious things are said. If someone says they'll pray for me, I'm good with that. I'd like to have as many gods as possible looking out for me. Increases my odds. If I'm wrong about things, then someone has already put in a good word for me with different gods anyhow.
ReplyDeleteI had people who did not know my religious background tell me Merry Christmas all over the place. I smiled brightly and said Merry Christmas right back. If someone said it pointedly to me and waited to judge my reaction, I smiled and said, "To you too!" They weren't actually wishing me a Merry Christmas. They were testing me and that ticks me off.
To me, Happy Holidays is not a PC alternative to Merry Christmas. It is just larger and encompasses the entire holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's.
I don't get why people get upset about X-mas though. X is the Greek symbol for Christos and means Christ. X-mas is in fact just as accurate as Christmas.
As for the "War on Christmas", let me tell you that it is just crap. Christmas got here before Halloween was even done. Christmas starts earlier and lasts longer than ever.
Everyone just needs to suck it up and deal. We all come from different backgrounds with different beliefs and hopefully we can all keep better control over our own crazies.
Oh... and I don't need to be forgiven for not believing that Jesus is saviour and king. Now, that I would consider rude.
I'm not Jewish, but if someone said "Happy Hannukah", I'd say "Happy Hannukah" right back. Unless it turns out that Jewish people are offended or something like that at non-Jews saying it. That'd be a good reason not to respond.
ReplyDeleteAs for "The War on Christmas", it's real and there were growing examples of censorship of Christmas all through the last decade. This last year it got much sillier, with academic "intellectuals" publishing touted calls to ban Santa Claus and gift-giving.
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ReplyDelete