Meh, no need to lock it, but it could be in Off Topic.

[Moved]

Ah the holidays. And all those people who say "This event important to our religion happened her and then" blah blah blah. All a load of crap, perptrated by reliogious scholars to A) Bring in more to the religion and B) correct any inconsistensies there are in the "backstory" of the religion, Bible, Torah etc.

Getting sorta back to the thread topic, screw the religious meaning. Go for all the secular sentimental junk during the holidays. I mean, really, how many people think "Hmmm, I can't wait to go to midnight mass and praise God for bringing Christ into this world all those years ago" or "I wonder what that present is *shake* *shake* *shake*". I mean, really. be jolly, kind to your fellow man, etc. That's what it's all about anyways.

This season is much better sans religion anyway. Being nice is not tied to any religion, while if you go and do nice stuff in the name of one religion or other some idiots will get offended. Lose the religions, people, and we'll have lost a bunch of excuses for people to kill other people. Now that ain't bad, is it?

I'll pray for all of you.

>:P

Fat good that'll do to anyone.

Thanx FM, for saving me the time typing all of that. Right on !!!!

Jexkerome, you too are right ON !!!!

Happy Days everyone. No matter what day it is.

Jex: You will inevitably ALWAYS end up pissing off some people. It's the human nature to bicker, whine and nag (this post being a great example). The best you can do is to ignore them (unless they intend to kill you, then you should avoid them).

How 'bout killing them back?

Or better yet, preemptively kill them?

Oy, vay. We don't have a gaming community, we have a theological seminary.

We have the Catholics to thank for Christmas December... We also have them to thank for "Halloween" (oh sweet irony...) seems they could never get their holidays figured out (Samhain?)

At least they're not wholly responsible for the commercialization of either.

Personally, I have no respect for the PC "Happy Holidays". If someone wants to wish me a Merry Christmas, or a Happy Hanukkah, or what-have-you, I'm fine with that. But if you're so against a holiday as to refuse to call it by its name, why the hell are you wishing me a happy one anyway?

Oh, and as a side note, anyone who celebrates Halloween is - in my book - an idiot. It's not even a real holiday... just some stupid bastadization of Samhain, which virtually nobody in contemporary society cares to or has a right to celebrate anyway.

I feel the same way about people who are neither Irish nor Catholic celebrating St. Patrick's day...

Even if there are people offended by the small phrase, "Merry Christmas" I find it unnecessary to say 'Happy Holidays'. I could understand if the person is using using derogatory statements about their holidays, and despise everything about them, and say them to the person's face. But if you are just saying 'Merry Christmas' as a nice gesture I do not see the problem in doing that. Saying 'Happy Holidays' may cover every holiday to come, but you are being a bit indirect. Christmas is a religious belief by many religions for example, Catholicism, and Christianity, but on the other hand Judaists may say 'Happy Haunukka'(By the way I am Jewish).
My point is that is being sort of Hypocritical, but that is just my belief. I respect everyone's religion, but I do not respect people saying their religion is better. For example the last paragraph. Saying 'Happy Haunukka' also a holiday showing you are paying your regards for the men who lived by the light projected from the menorah for eight days when it was mean't to last for one, but still is a phrase that represents the Jewish holiday. We cannot simply say 'Merry Christmas' another holiday representing the birth of Jesus which is equally important to both of the religions.
I just do not understand what is so prejudice about spreding the joy of your holiday. If you disagree with the holiday I don't see why you can't just simply take the compliment and just smile back, and forget about it. I hope I have not offended anyone by that, but I just find it easier than arguing the point of whether to say 'Happy Holidays' or 'Merry Christmas' or any other holiday you want.

I think it's more an issue of exclusion than a "problem" with any particular holiday.

People always get pissed when they feel excluded, even if the exclusion is fairly minor. Whenever there is a majority, defaults will shift to reflect the preferences of the majority - and the minority will feel resentment.

"If all sides involved feel equally shafted, it means the deal is fair".

Theretofore, turning the holidays 100% secular and ignoring any and all attempts by any one religion to give them their own spin, everyone's being treated the same, and we all can whine about our particular pet peeves to our hearts' content.