Be sure to wish people happy Christmas, not happy holidays

[YankeeRose]

Can someone post the article? My computer won't allow me to view it.

Deathmaster, here you go:



Catholic League Calls Off Wal-Mart Boycott



LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A Roman Catholic civil rights group called off a boycott of Wal-Mart on Friday after the world's largest retailer apologized for an employee's e-mail that called Christmas a mix of world religions.



"This is a sweet victory for the Catholic League, Christians in general, and people of all faiths," said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said in a statement on the group's Web site.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Thursday that a customer-service employee named Kirby had written an inappropriate e-mail to a woman who complained that the retailer had replaced a "Merry Christmas" greeting with "Happy Holidays." It also said Kirby no longer worked for Wal-Mart.
Kirby wrote that Christmas resulted from traditions ranging from Siberian shamanism to Visigoth calendars.
"Santa is also borrowed from the Caucuses (sic), mistletoe from the Celts, yule log from the Goths, the time from the Visigoth and the tree from the worship of Baal. It is a wide wide world," Kirby wrote.
Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogleman said Kirby's e-mail — sent without any review by other employees — did not represent Wal-Mart's policies.
"We sincerely apologize to any person or organization that was offended by the inappropriate and inflammatory comments made by this former associate," Fogleman said.
Fogleman said employees will continue to wish people "Happy Holidays" because the greeting is more inclusive.
Donohue said the practice, though "dumb," was never part of his group's complaint.
"We only trigger boycotts when we've been grossly offended," he said.

[songsmith]

I'm with Bassist25 on this. I don't follow Evangelicals on ANY level, but I'm not trying to get In God We Trust off the money, or Under God out of the pledge of allegiance... but only because of tradition, not religion.
I think Christians often confuse tradition with religion. God is God because that's what they've been taught since toddlerhood, and there is NO alternative. They've heard something their whole lives, how can it not be true... why would their parents or grandparents lie? For instance... The Bible says absolutely NOTHING about tobacco use, but who would light up in church? Nothing about rock music, but we all know how Christianity feels about something so threatening. There was no Christian Rock when I was a child, preachers still got a LOT of mileage out of sermons against any popular music newer than Big Band. However, rock's been around long enough to have been part of people's lives for several generations... okay, let's see if we can't work this stuff into our services and get some young people in here to fill the coffers and expand the membership that's been declining since the mid-70's. New tradition.
I say Merry Christmas because that's what I've always said, and if you don't like it... ------->JMS

[JeffLeeper]

To respond to Santa Claus....The name is a derivative of Saint Nicholas...the Dutch pronounciation.

Nicholas is the patron Saint of children , among other things. He was a wealthy man , inheriting his wealth from his parents , but he shared it with everyone in need. Yes , there are people like that.

He has documented miracles to his credit , and the documentation of his good deeds is outstanding.

....but , yeah....it's from St. Nick's name....not a derivative of satan...

...unless you're the Church Lady....

[old Skool]

"Well isn't that special?" Time for a superior dance. Church Lady rocks!

[Jim Price]

I've been known to say "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas;" I don't give it a whole lot of thought nor do I plan to. I explained my whole view on the holiday greetings discussion last year in one of my Final Cut posts:

Guess what? I use BOTH. And I don’t give much thought to – or apologize for – using either one. For me, it’s usually a matter of (A) how somebody greets me first, and/or (B) which greeting pops into my cranium first. Yes, as a believer myself, I recognize and agree that Christ’s birth is the “reason for the season.” But I also realize that there are other holidays celebrated this time of year, too; thus, the designation “holiday season.” So for me, it’s cool if you tell me “Merry Christmas,” “Happy New Year,” or “Happy Holidays.” And likewise, I’m not going to expend a bunch of brain energy deciding which greeting to use when I address somebody. For me, it’s ALL good. And if you get in my face about what greeting I choose to use, you’re likely to hear another greeting from me, and it probably won’t be quite as pleasant!

Suggestion: If you take offense when somebody wishes you a “Merry Christmas” this time of year, try growing some thicker skin and wearing a looser pair of shorts in the morning. And if you take offense when somebody wishes you “Happy Holidays,” you too should grow some thicker skin and switch to a bigger size of underwear in the morning. It will make you less irritable, so you’re not jumping into people’s faces over such trivial bulls**t when they’re extending warm sentiments and greetings towards you this time of year!

Bottom line – before you jump down somebody’s throat about what greeting they use this yuletide season, remember that adage about “peace and goodwill towards men;” and appreciate the fact that somebody is extending pleasantries to you, rather than hostilities.

And by the way…Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays! And have a Cool Yule, too!

[FatVin]

Oh for the love of Mike


People are getting offended by a Greeting? unbelieveable

Look, I say Merry Christmas most of the time because, that's just what I say, The only time I wouldn't say that is if I knew for a fact the person I was speaking to is Jewish or celebrated Kwanza or The Druidic celebration of The Winter Solstice or whatever, and then I would use That specific greeting or just say Happy Holidays, you Know why because I believe it would be polite.

A big Company like Wal-mart has to do not only be polite to Homer and Jethro but to Hershel and Mohammed too. so they things the same way in NYC or LA or Atlanta, the same way that they do them here in Mayberry, and just becasue there aren't that many Jews, or Muslims or Hindus or druids here in Dogpatch, doesn't mean that Wal-mart should piss them off in NY or LA, so they say Happy Holidays to everybody in an temmpt to try to be as non-offensive to everybody, everywhere.

And if you are a Christian and have a problem with that then do the Christian thing and forgive them

and if you can't do that then take a deep knee bend and shut up

Bassist_25 Wrote:

"America is not suppose to be a theocracy......". I'm not out to take God from the Pledge of Allegiance or have the Ten Comandment sculptures striken from court rooms. I just think that theology should not be used as a basis for policy.

That's where I'm at too.

The reason these so-called religious( I say so-called cause they aren't about Jesus, most of them, they are about power and control) knuckleheads have sway these days is becasue A) They Contribute Massive amounts of cash to politicians and B) They Vote.

I saw a "Vote with Jesus" Billboard up last Presidential election and it made me want to wretch.

As to the Santa = Satan thing....If you believe that........Eat me, you're a dumbass

SO Merry Christmas, and if you don't happen to be Christian then Happy Holidays

and if you're offended by anything I posted, then do the Christian thing and forgive me, otherwise blow me

[songsmith]

Yeah, and Happy Festivus to the rest of us! ---->JMS

[JeffLeeper]

Happy Festivus....and now it's time for the feats of strength !

[bassist_25]

And put the stage presents underneath the metal pole.

[WitchChic]

WOW!!! Talk about a debate!!!

Ok I will be honest I didnt read every single post here...I did read most of them tho....

First I work for wal-mart,I find this whole thing silly....Wal-mart is about the family and the ppl....they are very much in to respecting you as well as your religion.... So I can see their reasoning behind the "Happy Holidays" this is to not offend anyone... And I personally dont like being told Merry Christmas....My children celebrate it but *points at screen name* Im Wiccan and I celebrate YULE which comes the week before....I saw the post on if your not celebrating xmas why are you celebrating????

Welll Christmas actually when you research the history...its mostly pagan tradtions....The only real thing that is in CHRISTmas that isnt pagan is CHRIST, who has been rumored to have been born in June and celebrated in december following Yule as a way to presued the Pagans to convert....

DO NOT hold me to these I never have claimed to be right....Just what Ive been told/ or read ....


Heres a lil artical of mine if you truely want the rest of it let me know...I only put the first tiny bit it fits ... Dont anyone get mad at me Just joining in....I dont care what anyone says or does this is me


Christ's Birthday? or Winter Solstice?

To begin, let us look at the actual reason this holiday exists: for Yule and Christmas are not so very different, underneath it all; both celebrate the arrival of the sun/son; or, if you like, the light of the world...

Ronald Hutton, in his excellent book The Stations of the Sun, has this to say about the story of the Nativity: It "makes sense on a mythological level--an archetypal representation of the birth of a hero at the junction of many worlds, (who is) engendered partly of humans and partly of the divine, born in a location that is neither indoors nor in the open air, belonging partly to humans and partly to animals, and adored by those on the margins of society."

Most modern pagans acknowledge Yule as the rebirth of the light half of the year; some traditions perform the play of the Oak King and the Holly King, just as it is done at Midsummer, to mark the change of the seasons as one of them reigns over the other. It is also generally accepted that the date of Christmas is an arbitrary one; that it was chosen to coincide with the pagan solstice celebration, as a way of "converting" the "heathens" (or country folk, heath-dwellers) to the Christian way of life.


Ok thats my lil help along to this topic hehe!!!

[f.sciarrillo]

I used to work for walmart witchchik. It is more for the waltins and how much money they cane make this week, and what businesses they can put out of business. As well as how they can monopolize and get away with it.

Walmart is a joke. The waltins don't care what people say or think, they think they are all mighty holier than though butt heads. I hate each and every one of them ... The schmucks ..

[YankeeRose]

I used to work for walmart witchchik. It is more for the waltins and how much money they cane make this week, and what businesses they can put out of business. As well as how they can monopolize and get away with it.

Walmart is a joke. The waltins don't care what people say or think, they think they are all mighty holier than though butt heads. I hate each and every one of them ... The schmucks ..

Oooh, you "hate" the Waltons? That's not very Christian, is it? It's okay, I think we can all relate. Wal-Mart is a huge monopoly



Raised Catholic, I can still participate in a Mass (So I don't embarrass my mother. ) if there's a reason I have to go to church, but I don't regularly practice any "Religion" that has any rituals. I once said something about eyes and was asked whether I was Wiccan or Pagan.
Neither - as far as I know! I did a bit of research on each, but have decided to just keep being Spiritual...I believe there IS a Higher Power, Great Spirit, "God" if you will, at work in the Universe...I've seen and experienced way too much in my life to believe otherwise...I also do believe Jesus existed, but how can any person who knows about those who actually wrote it (The Essenes), still choose to interpret the Bible totally literally? I suppose they're "happy" people. The disgusting commercialism of "The Season" still makes me say Bah Humbug - "usually" JOKINGLY, but I've also been known to say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, all depending on whether or not I know the person celebrates Christmas.

[tornandfrayed]

I always say "Merry Christmas" Always have and always will! If it offfends someone Oh Well!

[fotonutzSPS]

Everyone has the right to thier own opinion correct?
Wal-Mart Sucks!!!
" Merry Christmas Everyone!"