| ▲ | SpicyLemonZest 7 days ago |
| [flagged] |
|
| ▲ | mrguyorama 7 days ago | parent | next [-] |
| >Would you be willing to defuse it by instituting a policy of always saying "merry Christmas" instead of "happy holidays"? This is nonsensical. This isn't "defusing" it, this is authoritarianism and literal capitulation to the absurd demands that are meaningless People say "Happy holidays" now because they know some people don't celebrate Christmas and they want to be nice, friendly, and pleasant to them as well. If you have a problem with people saying "Happy holidays" in place of "Merry Christmas" you are a fucking baby. |
| |
| ▲ | throwaway5752 7 days ago | parent [-] | | Don't get mad about it. That is the definition of victory for the groups creating these issues. Just ignore it and go about your day as much as possible. Don't comment about it online. They are only industrial strength memes to create anger and distrust, thereby placing people in more manipulable mental states. You starve them by ignoring them, regardless of the merits. Most of all, don't react with anger. |
|
|
| ▲ | throwaway5752 7 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| You can't "defuse" a wedge issue, you can only decline to be manipulated. That is an individual act. There is no "side" to a wedge issue, it is a false dichotomy crafted to create maximal division. They are focus group tested and refined to do so. The "War on Christmas" effects a greater sense of persecution while framing it as a nonexistent conflict. There is no War on Christmas. I can say Merry Christmas or not, and it will not effect the wedge issue because it is and never was about saying Merry Christmas to others. |
| |
| ▲ | SpicyLemonZest 7 days ago | parent [-] | | I agree with most of what you're saying except for the contention that the dichotomy is false. It's a good wedge issue precisely because it's a true dichotomy. Even when attempting to dismiss the debate as fabricated and pointless, you end up taking a side on accident, flatly stating that there's no War on Christmas and that it doesn't really matter whether you say Merry Christmas to others. On the other side of the wedge, people believe that Christmas is quite literally the second most important day in the world, and fear that we might put our immortal souls at risk if we don't properly commemorate it. | | |
| ▲ | amanaplanacanal 6 days ago | parent | next [-] | | Everybody likes to think their religion is more important than everybody else's, I get it. But there are a lot of holidays around mid-winter, and I wouldn't try to guess which ones another person might celebrate. People maybe should worry about their own immortal souls rather than mine, if that is their concern. | |
| ▲ | throwaway5752 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] | | I don't say Happy Holidays in a negative way, and I've always been happy to hear a sincere Merry Christmas. The idea of "war" has no business being anywhere near that day. Choose to be the peace on Earth that we all want and need. Merry Christmas to you. | |
| ▲ | 6 days ago | parent | prev [-] | | [deleted] |
|
|
|
| ▲ | lupusreal 7 days ago | parent | prev | next [-] |
| > Would you be willing to defuse it by instituting a policy of always saying "merry Christmas" instead of "happy holidays"? I'm an atheist and this is my approach. I think their religion is complete nonsense but Christmas is a wholly inoffensive Holiday, which is celebrated in a fashion by many secular people anyway. I think the "Happy Holidays" thing is needlessly antagonist. In principle it should be fine but a lot of people take it the wrong way, it is known that many people take it the wrong way, and therefore if I said it then I would be saying it with the knowledge and acceptance that it's going to bother a lot of people (hence, antagonistic.) |
| |
| ▲ | amanaplanacanal 6 days ago | parent [-] | | You aren't worried about folks of other religions that don't celebrate Christmas? Only about those that do? Is this some sort of Christian privilege thing? | | |
| ▲ | lupusreal 6 days ago | parent [-] | | I've never had members of other religions get upset about me wishing them a Merry Christmas, so no I'm not worried about it. If Jewish people started whining to me about it or something then the equation might change, but in fact those that I know are usually more perfunctory about wishing me a Merry Christmas than I am to them. As to privilege.. whatever man. The simple fact is that Christians are the predominant religion where I live and they are touchy about this matter in a way other people aren't, so why should I go against the flow? Just to spite people I feel no real animosity against? To undermine a holiday I enjoy? Literally why. |
|
|
|
| ▲ | 7 days ago | parent | prev [-] |
| [deleted] |
