Does Christmas offend you?

[Dentafrice]

Does it offend you when someone says "Merry Christmas", or does it offend you when someone says "Happy Holidays" instead of Merry Christmas.

And why?

[Caution]

Not at all, they all mean the same thing.

[GommeInc]

Both mean the same thing :/ But some people ahve been known to get offended (mainly middle to late generations).

The only annoying thing about Christmas is that it's advertised waaaaay too early making it the year's most boring holiday. November should be the earliest Christmas is advertised, not August and/or September :/

[Dentafrice]

Both mean the same thing :/ But some people ahve been known to get offended (mainly middle to late generations).

The only annoying thing about Christmas is that it's advertised waaaaay too early making it the year's most boring holiday. November should be the earliest Christmas is advertised, not August and/or September :/
But some people get "offended" when someone says "Merry Christmas" because they "don't celebrate Christmas" or are not Christians.

[Niall!]

If someone says Happy Holidays to me I kill myself and respawn because I've somehow wondered into America.

[Misawa]

"Happy Holidays" is pathetic. "Merry Christmas" is what it is and will always be.

[Dentafrice]

If someone says Happy Holidays to me I kill myself and respawn because I've somehow wondered into America.

+REP for making me LOL.


"Happy Holidays" is pathetic. "Merry Christmas" is what it is and will always be.

I agree :]

[GommeInc]

But some people get "offended" when someone says "Merry Christmas" because they "don't celebrate Christmas" or are not Christians.
Ahhh, the question is clear to me now :P I thought you meant "do you find it offensive when someone says Merry Christmas to you instead of Happy Holidays or vice versa :P

[Lost]

I wouldn't really care if someone said Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, because either they're too obsessed with what they believe in or they think Happy Holidays sounds better than Merry Christmas. I don't think saying Happy Holidays instead of saying Merry Christmas should be taken that seriously, and I don't really think it justifies in what you believe in either.


But some people get "offended" when someone says "Merry Christmas" because they "don't celebrate Christmas" or are not Christians.

Who are they to say that we can't celebrate christmas because we're not Christians? Aren't they contradicting themselves since "God" said that we should all be one and enjoy christmas together?

[Dentafrice]

Ahhh, the question is clear to me now :P I thought you meant "do you find it offensive when someone says Merry Christmas to you instead of Happy Holidays or vice versa :P
Haha I worded it wrong.

[Mentor]

Both are good, Christmas rocks :p Gotta do somthin for the solace :p

Can't really see why any well ajusted human would be offended by ether name though o.0

[Technologic]

It offends me just as much as somebody saying "Eid Mubarak" or "Gmar chatimah tovah"

[VirtualG]

why would it?

[UKIP]

I'd ask, if Christmas offends you; what are you doing in this country?.

[NIKKEE]

No, and it shouldn't offend others. Why would anyone say Happy Holidays? The whole point of the time of year is that it's Christmas, other religions have times of the year when they celebrate, which I'm sure is widely known in their countries. This is a Christian country, so why would you be offended. I wouldn't be offended if someone was enjoying their religions holiday, such as Hanukkah, if someone said Happy Hanukkah, I'd just think it was nice someone was trying to spread the joy of their own belief. There's loads of atheists who celebrate Christmas and don't see it as a religious celebration, but it is, and they don't get offended by that.
Oh and God didn't say we should all celebrate Christmas together, since Christmas isn't mentioned in the bible, Jesus' birth is, but they don't call it Christmas in the bible. Christmas was made much later, and now we have Santa and all the rest as well.
But really, all in all, I couldn't care less, I just like Christmas and I hope no-one ever ruins it for me.

[Neversoft]

People who are offended by 'merry christmas' make me sick. Even if you don't celebrate christmas, the phrase has been said to you with good intention... why so offended?

[Kieeran]

Both mean the same thing :/ But some people ahve been known to get offended (mainly middle to late generations).

The only annoying thing about Christmas is that it's advertised waaaaay too early making it the year's most boring holiday. November should be the earliest Christmas is advertised, not August and/or September :/

Yeh you see these xmas catalogues advertised in jan n feb is a bit of a joke

[Ardemax]

no it doesn't offend me
*REMOVED*

Edited by invincible (Forum Super Moderator): Please do not make racist remarks.

[VirtualG]

Christmas (like many other christian holidays) is a replacement of a pagan holiday. If you believed that Jesus would have been born at that time you would be wrong (that is if you even believe in Jesus, I believe there was a jesus but I dont htink he was a son of god, mainly coz I dont think theres a god) as he would have been born in september, the reason for it being celebrated at that time of year is because the roman emperor at the time that christianity all of a sudden became popular (right after the age of the martyrs) is so that they could keep the calender ver similiar, with holidays being in the virtual same position.

[Ardemax]

@above jesus existed, fact

[VirtualG]

@above jesus existed, fact@above How do you know he existed? Theres no actual proof, a lot of people would go against you there and would most likely win. (although I do believe there was a jesus, I just dont think he was the son of god and performed fictacious miracles, he would just have been another great prohpet who's stories had Chinese Whispered themselves throughout the land and all of a sudden he's a God, either that or he was a looney who thought he was the son of god and got lucky. Although you can have your own beliefs.)

[J0SH]

No it don't I don't see why I'd be offended, Christmas is just a holiday and we get presents, so it's profit.

[Jssy]

Nope It doesn't, But I have a friend that is a Jehova's witness so I have to be careful what I say

[RandomManJay]

No it don't I don't see why I'd be offended, Christmas is just a holiday and we get presents, so it's profit.

It's in respect of it being a Christian holiday, although you have proven a point that its just a normal holiday now that Christianity has commercialised it.

[Ardemax]

@above How do you know he existed? Theres no actual proof, a lot of people would go against you there and would most likely win. (although I do believe there was a jesus, I just dont think he was the son of god and performed fictacious miracles, he would just have been another great prohpet who's stories had Chinese Whispered themselves throughout the land and all of a sudden he's a God, either that or he was a looney who thought he was the son of god and got lucky. Although you can have your own beliefs.)


jesus existed, it's fact

seriously mate that's not an opinion, an opinion is saying he performed miracles, you don't have to believe that bit but jesus did exist

[VirtualG]

jesus existed, it's fact

seriously mate that's not an opinion, an opinion is saying he performed miracles, you don't have to believe that bit but jesus did exist
Facts need proof, proove it!

[xxMATTGxx]

Christmas doesn't offend me one bit.

[GommeInc]

It's in respect of it being a Christian holiday, although you have proven a point that its just a normal holiday now that Christianity has commercialised it.
... How? Not being gnit picking but Christianity hasn't commercialised it? Not in a money making sense at least, only spiritualised it. In fact, churches lose alot of money during the Christmas period because of the holiday. The money spent on heating, decorations, electric and lighting is money saved up from the year to use for Christmas. If Christianity had commercialised it, they'd be rolling in money, when really they're not :/ It's the commercial sector that has commercialised it (duh), because it's an easy way to make money because it's unwritten law to buy presents for children and others, while with a church it's just an optional pass around a plate or money sack, which only regulars usually are the only ones that have to donate :/

Not that I've been looking at church accounts :eusa_whis

Unless you mean Christianity indirectly commercialised it by believing it was the birth of Jesus Christ, and shops looked at the gift giving side of things and went crazy on that area? Then you'd be more along the right lines :P Churches are quite poor really, it's a huge misconception that they make alot of money on the religion front.


jesus existed, it's fact

seriously mate that's not an opinion, an opinion is saying he performed miracles, you don't have to believe that bit but jesus did exist
You've made a claim now prove it, thus the point of the argument put forward by VirtualG that he didn't exist :/ How did he exist? When did he exist? What did he do? What physical prove is there? Jesus' exist, but THE Jesus, the one that's talk about (though possibly over-exaggerated in terms of ability), did HE exist?

[RandomManJay]

... How? Not being gnit picking but Christianity hasn't commercialised it? Not in a money making sense at least, only spiritualised it. In fact, churches lose alot of money during the Christmas period because of the holiday. The money spent on heating, decorations, electric and lighting is money saved up from the year to use for Christmas. If Christianity had commercialised it, they'd be rolling in money, when really they're not :/ It's the commercial sector that has commercialised it (duh), because it's an easy way to make money because it's unwritten law to buy presents for children and others, while with a church it's just an optional pass around a plate or money sack, which only regulars usually are the only ones that have to donate :/

Not that I've been looking at church accounts :eusa_whis

Unless you mean Christianity indirectly commercialised it by believing it was the birth of Jesus Christ, and shops looked at the gift giving side of things and went crazy on that area? Then you'd be more along the right lines :P Churches are quite poor really, it's a huge misconception that they make alot of money on the religion front.

When I say commercialised I'm referring to the amount of Christain religious holidays which are in mainstream society. Most of the religious holidays which are fundamental to Christianity are now holidays celebrated by nearly everyone in western and eastern society, they were commercialised to make people want to convert to Christainity, why else would Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ be related to getting presents unless you wanted someone to believe in it for that reason? And where does Santa Claus fit into Christianity, he isn't mentioned in the Bible, but he is the main icon of Christmas instead of Jesus Christ (for both the religion, media and retail market). The same has happened for Easter as well. Now I can get how an egg can be related to the resurrection of Christ, but how did they come to be chocolate? Commercialisation was one way how Christianity achieved their high status as one of the most believed and powerful religions in mainstream society, by selling out their holidays as something where you get free stuff as a reason to look forward to it.

It is true that the media and retail market has now taken control of the glorification of Christmas, but you don't see the religion fighting back saying 'nope, you can't have santa, you must have Jesus' or a sign saying 'Xmas is for Christians only'. You can see the effect this commercialisation has had because children nowadays aren't even brought up knowing what Christmas or Easter is about, all they know is that either their parents get them anything they want over Christmas or a fat guy in a red suit does and that they get to collect chocolate eggs and then get to scarf them down till they throw up.

This is my belief in why Christmas doesn't offend anyone, because the most important events ever to occur for Christianity are now nothing more than events where you get presents or chocolate eggs.

[GommeInc]

That's not commericialisation. That's just converting a holiday from one purpose to another e.g. Christmas the Pagan holiday to Christmas the Christian holiday. Commericialisation is using an event, object or person to maximise profit, which Christmas doesn't actually do in terms of Christianity in religion. Although they are commercialised through Christian holidays, they're not actually commercialised by Christianity itself - though Christians find sharing their beliefs with newcomers, they don't really intend to maximise profits at the end of the day, especially when it's the relgious holidays themselves which tend to cost the church more than any other day (Christmas costs alot, and the money spent on it usually comes from non-religious, community events).

So yeah, what you're saying makes sense, but it's not commercialisations because Christians didn't steal the Pagan holiday for profit margins, they just stole it for religious reasons to convert non-believers which isn't commericialisation (as commercialisation is about money, not people). Not sure what word can actually be used though in its place :/ It's like Pagans had their holiday stolen by Christians, and Christians had their holiday stolen by capitalists (is that the word?).

I tend to hate mainstream events now, I hate things going on sale way before the event. I'd support any government in one way or another if they brought up the idea of banning shops from advertising mainstream events over 1 or 2 months in advance. It's stupid and makes the event dull and boring. Christmas will never be the same now :(

[Ardemax]

ok here's your proof:

http://www.sowhataboutjesus.com/existed.php

i didn't say you have to believe he performed miracles, im just saying the actual human being Jesus, existed

[RandomManJay]

That's not commericialisation. That's just converting a holiday from one purpose to another e.g. Christmas the Pagan holiday to Christmas the Christian holiday. Commericialisation is using an event, object or person to maximise profit, which Christmas doesn't actually do in terms of Christianity in religion. Although they are commercialised through Christian holidays, they're not actually commercialised by Christianity itself - though Christians find sharing their beliefs with newcomers, they don't really intend to maximise profits at the end of the day, especially when it's the relgious holidays themselves which tend to cost the church more than any other day (Christmas costs alot, and the money spent on it usually comes from non-religious, community events).

So yeah, what you're saying makes sense, but it's not commercialisations because Christians didn't steal the Pagan holiday for profit margins, they just stole it for religious reasons to convert non-believers which isn't commericialisation (as commercialisation is about money, not people). Not sure what word can actually be used though in its place :/ It's like Pagans had their holiday stolen by Christians, and Christians had their holiday stolen by capitalists (is that the word?).

I tend to hate mainstream events now, I hate things going on sale way before the event. I'd support any government in one way or another if they brought up the idea of banning shops from advertising mainstream events over 1 or 2 months in advance. It's stupid and makes the event dull and boring. Christmas will never be the same now :(

It's true that the market now holds full control of the holiday seasons, but just think how exactly that came about, the market didn't just think to exploit any random holiday otherwise almost every single holiday to ever exist in modern tradition would be exploited. In the past while Christianity was essentially the most dominant religion in the western world, the religious leaders held the priority positions within the government as well as the highest financial status as the religion at this time was all ready 'commercialised' to increase the image of the religion itself to gain more followers and power, this was done by the religion itself not the market, it would be impossible in those times as the mass media wouldn't have existed.

That's how I see it, whether the religion sold itself out 20 years ago or 300 (random numbers btw) it doesn't matter to me, that's what the religion did and that's why it's commercialised today, basically the religion sold out and now it can't do anything about it, why do you think they don't disagree with the commercialisation, because they were the ones who caused it, and the religions followers today are those who would go against the religion if they spoke out and as a result, they would lose more followers and what power they have left because a majority of the followers today are only interested in what has been commercialised and not about the true meaning behind the holidays.


ok here's your proof:

http://www.sowhataboutjesus.com/existed.php

i didn't say you have to believe he performed miracles, im just saying the actual human being Jesus, existed

I don't think anyone would disagree that there was a man named Jesus in the past and that he may have done great things. I think people disagree with the idea that he was the son of God, born by a virgin, performed miracles, died, then resurrected himself, then ascended into Heaven.

[Pixet]

I do think it's offensive to Christians (and other Jesus believers) that we all forget about why it's even here and things. But then I'm being a hypocrite because I'm an atheist and I LOVEEE christmas presents. ;)

[alexxxxx]

no, and anybody that finds christmas offensive needs to get their head's checked.

[Ardemax]

I don't think anyone would disagree that there was a man named Jesus in the past and that he may have done great things. I think people disagree with the idea that he was the son of God, born by a virgin, performed miracles, died, then resurrected himself, then ascended into Heaven.

Exactly, there was a human called Jesus, it's been proven, but some people just keep denying it!!

[RandomManJay]

Exactly, there was a human called Jesus, it's been proven, but some people just keep denying it!!

Lol. It isn't hard to imagine considering Jesus was actually a popular name during those times :P.

[anonlmous]

Lol. It isn't hard to imagine considering Jesus was actually a popular name during those times :P.
Exactly my point. There would have been many Jesus' like smiths and johns. It would have been very common, Im sure a lot of them would have come from Nazareth too, so how do we know they are all talking about the one person.

ok here's your proof:

http://www.sowhataboutjesus.com/existed.php

i didn't say you have to believe he performed miracles, im just saying the actual human being Jesus, existed
Im not sayind I dont believe he was a person, Im just prooving taht a lot of people dont and they have a good reason for it. That site just proves that people were tlaking about someone named jesus. There would have been many Jesus' at that time. It was thousands of years ago. You cant always believe what someone says, like someone clamming to be the son of god.

Exactly, there was a human called Jesus, it's been proven, but some people just keep denying it!!
Give me some actual proof, a link to a site where it has people talking about someone called Jesus is not proof, no where near enough anyway. Proof would be something like a photo, but that aint gonna happen... I cant really see how your gonna proove it.

[ifuseekamy]

Give me some actual proof, a link to a site where it has people talking about someone called Jesus is not proof, no where near enough anyway. Proof would be something like a photo, but that aint gonna happen... I cant really see how your gonna proove it.
The Shroud of Turin? lol, nevertheless it is widely accepted by historians and scientists, atheist or not, that the hebrew Jesus of Nazareth existed. Who he was and what he did is debated.

[Ardemax]

agreed with ifuseekamy

there wasn't many Jesus's at the time, as Jesus's meaning is unique.

[Accipiter]

but jesus probaly only meant unique after.

He was probaly just a doctor, or slit poorly peoples throats and put them in pies to feed the malnourished society he lived in.

[RandomManJay]

but jesus probaly only meant unique after.

He was probaly just a doctor, or slit poorly peoples throats and put them in pies to feed the malnourished society he lived in.

LOL, so Jesus was Sweeney Todd xD!

[Accipiter]

Or david tennant in disguise