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Old 12-15-2007, 10:38 PM   #1
xoxoxoBruce
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Muslims say: Put Christ back in Christmas

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london - Muslim leaders joined Britain's equality watchdog Monday in urging Britons to enjoy Christmas without worrying about offending non-Christians.

"It's time to stop being daft about Christmas. It's fine to celebrate and it's fine for Christ to be star of the show," said Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Mr. Phillips, reflecting on media reports of schools scrapping nativity plays and local councils celebrating "Winterval" instead of Christmas, worried the unintended consequences of secularizing the holiday would "fuel community tension."

So he joined forces with minority religious leaders to put out a blunt message to the politically correct: leave Christmas alone.

Muslim Council of Britain spokesman Shayk Ibrahim Mogra said, "To suggest celebrating Christmas and having decorations offends Muslims is absurd. Why can't we have more nativity scenes in Britain?"

"Hindus celebrate Christmas, too. It's a great holiday for everyone living in Britain," said Anil Bhanot, general secretary of the UK Hindu Council.

Sikh spokesman Indarjit Singh said: "Every year I am asked 'Do I object to the celebration of Christmas?' It's an absurd question. As ever, my family and I will send out our Christmas cards to our Christian friends and others."

More than 70 percent of Britons – some 41 million – are Christian, according to 2001 census figures. Muslims are the second-largest religious group with about 1.6 million in Britain.
It nice to see some people thinking clearly.
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Old 12-16-2007, 01:17 AM   #2
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squeaky wheel theory. bout time they came to their senses.
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Old 12-16-2007, 10:02 AM   #3
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Wait...this was an issue? How?
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Old 12-16-2007, 10:57 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
It nice to see some people thinking clearly.
Yes, now if the secularists could just relax a bit we could all sing kumbaya as one big happy family.
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Old 12-16-2007, 12:16 PM   #5
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Wait...this was an issue? How?
It certainly has been for the PC police.
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Old 12-16-2007, 02:03 PM   #6
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Another IMO excellent take on the subject.
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Old 12-16-2007, 02:44 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
It certainly has been for the PC police.
Sounds like its time for the "war on Christmas" to heat up, again.

Let's see some examples, then, of the "PC police" forcing people stifle their merriment. I haven't seen anything that leads me to believe people are scared into this stupidness.
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Old 12-16-2007, 03:11 PM   #8
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I suggest you call the schools in your area, or any major corporation, and ask them what they plan on doing for Christmas. I'm willing to bet every one will tell you they are having a winter break... or some such euphemism.

@ SD, excellent link.
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Old 12-16-2007, 03:53 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
I suggest you call the schools in your area, or any major corporation, and ask them what they plan on doing for Christmas. I'm willing to bet every one will tell you they are having a winter break... or some such euphemism.
Taxpayer funded public schools not endorsing a religious holiday? This is not a surprise and certainly has nothing to do with people being "afraid" to wish people a Merry Christmas or "offending others". (Hint: public schools are secular.) Private schools, I'm assuming, would have a different answer.

The major corporation I work for has "Christmas Day" marked as an employee holiday this year (as they have for as long as anyone can remember), although that will change in the future -- we will not be given the day off. In its place, all employees will be given an extra floating holiday off to do with as they please. In my work environment in which a very large portion of the company doesn't celebrate Christmas, the change makes excellent business sense. For all the people that feel the need to complain about this, anyway: they'll get over it, their religion doesn't change, they still get the day off, the gifts will open the same, etc, etc.

And, yeah, I've heard all about how [major box store name here] is selling "Holiday Trees" this year or that [other major box store name here] has their employees say "Happy Holidays" to customers. In a population with varied beliefs, making your business appeal to everyone is good for money. What do you think December 25th really, honestly means to major retailers in this country? It's about selling as much crap to as many people as possible and that is no different than even fifty years ago. But selling Christmas decorations to people that don't even celebrate it? Pure business genius. My officemate started buying presents for her kids and putting up lights on her house but has no inkling of what the holiday means to Christians. They do it "because everyone else does" and don't feel any real religious attachment to giving their kids video games or putting a inflatable Santa in their yard.

So, really, the whole "Christmas fear" -- are you or anyone you know afraid to wish people "Merry Christmas" for fear of offending someone? Know anyone that is? I don't and I'm fairly certain the idea is made up to scare all the people that, for some reason, feel the need to have their most sacred beliefs validated by the wording on department store advertisement fliers.

In the end, no one is really being pressured by the "PC police" to keep their religious ideas away from others -- everyone is just as religiously free, in this country, as they ever were. Nothing the media has reported on in this "war" can change that.
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Old 12-16-2007, 04:22 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitsune View Post
Taxpayer funded public schools not endorsing a religious holiday? This is not a surprise and certainly has nothing to do with people being "afraid" to wish people a Merry Christmas or "offending others". (Hint: public schools are secular.) Private schools, I'm assuming, would have a different answer.
They closed for Christmas, they will close for Christmas, but they are not allowed to say so any more. Closing for Christmas is hardly endorsing a religious holiday in the USA... ask your officemate.
Quote:
The major corporation I work for has "Christmas Day" marked as an employee holiday this year (as they have for as long as anyone can remember),
They are far behind the curve
Quote:
In my work environment in which a very large portion of the company doesn't celebrate Christmas, the change makes excellent business sense.
Who are they doing business on Christmas Day?
Quote:
My officemate started buying presents for her kids and putting up lights on her house but has no inkling of what the holiday means to Christians. They do it "because everyone else does" and don't feel any real religious attachment to giving their kids video games or putting a inflatable Santa in their yard.
Exactly, without changing the name.
Quote:
So, really, the whole "Christmas fear" -- are you or anyone you know afraid to wish people "Merry Christmas" for fear of offending someone? Know anyone that is?
Yes, every manager at work, unless they are particularly good friends with the employee.
Quote:
In the end, no one is really being pressured by the "PC police" to keep their religious ideas away from others -- everyone is just as religiously free, in this country, as they ever were. Nothing the media has reported on in this "war" can change that.
Not true.
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Old 12-16-2007, 07:02 PM   #11
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I for one am celebrating Washington's Ambush on the German Hessians in Trenton, his first real victory in the American Reolution.
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Old 12-16-2007, 07:11 PM   #12
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This seems like an issue where the extremes on both sides end up ruining Christmas (The Holidays) for everyone when the majority of people could really give a shit. If a company starts selling "Holiday Trees" instead of "Christmas Trees", Christians really need to shut up and deal with it. America will not be solely Christian influenced forever. If people are offended by Christmas lights and decorations on people's houses, non-Christians really need to shut up and deal with it. America has and always will have a strong Christian influence.
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Old 12-16-2007, 07:24 PM   #13
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At Lowe's we have "Holiday Decorations" but "Christmas Trees" really...it's funny.

Oh, and Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are the only two paid holidays where the store is closed in the year.
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Old 12-16-2007, 07:45 PM   #14
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Elspode, where are you?

I say it's time to reclaim the Yule time and take the Christ OUT of the midwinter's feast!
Green trees, holly, mistletoe, red-and-white clad dude climbing down your chimney - these are vestiges of various European pagan ceremonies and celebrations.
Lets put the emphasis back on the winter solstice, have a bit of sun-worship, maybe a few blood sacrifices (I'll use some tofu and a nice red wine sauce) and some good celebratory sex.
Then on the 25th we can just sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and wish the Christians well.

Oh and let me add
Do not take this post more than 1/4 seriously.
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Old 12-16-2007, 08:59 PM   #15
Kitsune
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
Closing for Christmas is hardly endorsing a religious holiday in the USA... ask your officemate.
Okay, so if it isn't endorsing Christmas, then why are people so offended when they don't call it "Christmas"? What's the big deal?

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Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
Who are they doing business on Christmas Day?
Customers in need of phone support, billing support, service outages, etc. Business doesn't stop on the 25th.

Quote:
Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
Yes, every manager at work, unless they are particularly good friends with the employee.
Really? Why?

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Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce View Post
Not true.
Alright, I'll bite. How has anyone's religious freedom been violated because of The [supposed] War on Christmas?
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