Merry Christmas Card

[TheDoctor]

Merry Christmas! Love your buddy, "The Force from the North" Kubby. GO SUE!


www.und.edu/greeting

[NDSUguy]

Merry Christmas! Love your buddy, "The Force from the North" Kubby. GO SUE!


www.und.edu/greeting




best Christmas card ever. How creative.

[BisBison]

Here's the one from NDSU

http://www.ndsu.onlinecommunity.com/mw_go.asp?l=237&g=4C9EED00-2FBA-432A-A8E3-C5FA4FB1B633

Nice, but I wish we could just say Merry Christmas. All this Happy Holidays PC crap irritates me.

[bisonaudit]

Here's the one from NDSU

http://www.ndsu.onlinecommunity.com/mw_go.asp?l=237&g=4C9EED00-2FBA-432A-A8E3-C5FA4FB1B633

Nice, but I wish we could just say Merry Christmas. All this Happy Holidays PC crap irritates me.

Get a grip. If you want to send a X-mas card then do it. Don't get after other people for taking a more inclusive view of the season. FYI, every President from WWII through Clinton sent Holiday cards to their supporters. Suddenly, in the year 2000, with fundamentalist christian power on the rise, it's a problem that Bush sent Holiday cards not X-mas cards?

Matthew 6:5 - 7 [Jesus said]
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Lock it for politics if you must, that's on BisBison not me.

[IowaBison]

who pissed in your cheerios audit?

BisBison stated his opinion.

You bring up politics and Christian fundamentalism. WTF?


Whenever I hear 'Happy Holidays' I always say 'Merry Christmas' and wink. I almost always get a smile back.

Of course I'm a handsome Bison fan. :)

[bisonaudit]

BisBison is suddenly outraged by what has been standard opperating procedure since the 1950s because an evangelical preacher went on FOX news two years ago and said what on affront it was to the christian community that the President sent a holiday card.

That's who pissed in my cherioos. I'm not the one politicising this, I'm just pointing out it's political nature. No one in the religious community had a problem with holiday cards until they had an opportunity to push their agenda in the political arena.

It's praying on a street corner and it's a discrace. Holiday cards should be recieved in the spirit that they are given, one of joy and togetherness, not used as an opportunity to promote a particuar point of view.

Do you think it's a coincidence that every major society in human history has celebrations of one sort or another for 1) the winter solstice, end of dark days (x-mas) 2) rejunivation rights in the spring (easter) 3) harvest festival in the fall (thanksgiving). Some are religious some are secular some chage over time but they always occure at the same time in all societies throughout time. There's something bigger than religion working here. These celebrations are universal to all humans through all time and space. No one owns them and it pisses me off when some group asserts that they do.

If you want to send x-mas cards go ahead, if you don't you shouldn't have to suffer the slings and arrows of fundamentalists over it.

[Junior]

Here's the one from NDSU

http://www.ndsu.onlinecommunity.com/mw_go.asp?l=237&g=4C9EED00-2FBA-432A-A8E3-C5FA4FB1B633

Nice, but I wish we could just say Merry Christmas. All this Happy Holidays PC crap irritates me.

Get a grip. *If you want to send a X-mas card then do it. *Don't get after other people for taking a more inclusive view of the season. *FYI, every President from WWII through Clinton sent Holiday cards to their supporters. *Suddenly, in the year 2000, with fundamentalist christian power on the rise, it's a problem that Bush sent Holiday cards not X-mas cards?

Matthew 6:5 - 7 [Jesus said]
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Lock it for politics if you must, that's on BisBison not me.

I'm more irritated by people who write x-mas rather than Christmas. *
Geez, settle down.

[tcbison]

Maybe they should have sent this out. A politically and legally(und is a law school) correct Christmas(Holiday) card:

A Politically & Legally Correct Christmas Greeting
"Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere , And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes. By accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher."

[IABZN]

You guys are missing the big picture!!!! That little snowman in the green hat would nake a great new mascot for the school up north ;)

[bisonaudit]

TC Bison,

It that's what works for you go ahead and send it to your friends and neighboors, I'm sure they'll get a kick out of it and recieve it in the spirit it was intended.

What kind of person gets upset over recieving a holiday card rather than a christmas card? Who's twisting this season of joy and family and manipulating it for their own purposes?

Send whatever card you want. Recieve what ever cards you get with an open heart.

[tcbison]

TC Bison,

It that's what works for you go ahead and send it to your friends and neighboors, I'm sure they'll get a kick out of it and recieve it in the spirit it was intended.

What kind of person gets upset over recieving a holiday card rather than a christmas card? *Who's twisting this season of joy and family and manipulating it for their own purposes?

Send whatever card you want. *Recieve what ever cards you get with an open heart.

My family and friends thought it was hilarious. The Christmas card I send out said Merry Christmas on them.

[IowaBison]

BisBison is suddenly outraged by what has been standard opperating procedure since the 1950s because an evangelical preacher went on FOX news two years ago and said what on affront it was to the christian community that the President sent a holiday card.


I must have missed reading that in BisBison's post.

You don't think that BisBison could have formed his own opinion? Nah, it's because he's a tool who watches Fox News.......

[bisonaudit]

BisBison is suddenly outraged by what has been standard opperating procedure since the 1950s because an evangelical preacher went on FOX news two years ago and said what on affront it was to the christian community that the President sent a holiday card.


I must have missed reading that in BisBison's post.

You don't think that BisBison could have formed his own opinion? *Nah, it's because he's a tool who watches Fox News.......






I don't think very many people had on opinion on 'holiday cards' at all (I know I didn't) until the religious community decided they were offended by the white house card a couple years back despite the fact that every white house since Eisenhower had been sending 'holiday' cards to their supports without incident. 50 plus christmas's went by, without incident untill suddenly...

I guess he could be a curmudgon from birth, who's and been throwing away 'holiday' cards for years, secretly, or not so secretly lothes, anyone who's opinion differs from his own, and has been working actively all this time against the secularization of a celebration that he believes belongs exclusively to those of a particular religious persuasion. I guess I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[IowaBison]

I don't think very many people had on opinion on 'holiday cards' at all (I know I didn't) until the religious community decided they were offended by the white house card a couple years back despite the fact that every white house since Eisenhower had been sending 'holiday' cards to their supports without incident.

and there you go.

it may surprise that many people can form opinions on their own.


you weren't giving him the benefit of the doubt, you were lazy and cast him into a little box labeled "Christian Fundamentalist Crazies who Can't Think for Themselves."

[ccrider]

Don't replace "Christ" with "X"..........Jesus is the reason for the season!

Happy Holidays.

[bisonaudit]

I don't think very many people had on opinion on 'holiday cards' at all (I know I didn't) until the religious community decided they were offended by the white house card a couple years back despite the fact that every white house since Eisenhower had been sending 'holiday' cards to their supports without incident. *

and there you go.

it may surprise that many people can form opinions on their own.


you weren't giving him the benefit of the doubt, you were lazy and cast him into a little box labeled "Christian Fundamentalist Crazies who Can't Think for Themselves."


Don't pull this kind of garbage, making that look like a direct quote when I wrote nothing of the kind. This is an issue because the religious right decided to make it an issue.

I didn't have an opinion on it prior because, there was no issue to have an opinion about. I sent christmas cards, I still do, and I didn't think about whether they said merry christmas or happy holidays or had a santa or a snow man or tree or a penguin or a manger scene on the front or whatever I just picked what felt right that day wrote my letter and sent them to the people I care about. That's all, no issue, simple holiday fun. Now it's a whole big thing, who's fault it that...

Christmas shouldn't be this hard. I'm not trying to convince anyone to send non-religious cards. I'm asking why do people get upset when they recieve a card that doesn't explicitly conform to their concept of the holiday? This doesn't make any sense. Who do you get cards from? People that you know and love and have a relationship with, right? Do real people really get upset when someone they have a relationship with sends them a 'holiday' card? No, I don't think that they do. The only people who have a problem with 'holiday' cards are those with an agenda to push.

Recieve the wishes of your friends and neighboors with the spirit of the season regardless of the package. It's the thought that counts, after all.

[bisonaudit]

Don't replace "Christ" with "X"..........Jesus is the reason for the season!

Happy Holidays.



BTW, that's not just an 'x' it's typesetter short hand for The Cross.

Text messageing isn't soley responsible for all revolutions in how we use our language.

Merry Christmas.

[Junior]

I don't think very many people had on opinion on 'holiday cards' at all (I know I didn't) until the religious community decided they were offended by the white house card a couple years back despite the fact that every white house since Eisenhower had been sending 'holiday' cards to their supports without incident. *

and there you go.

it may surprise that many people can form opinions on their own.


you weren't giving him the benefit of the doubt, you were lazy and cast him into a little box labeled "Christian Fundamentalist Crazies who Can't Think for Themselves."


Don't pull this kind of garbage, making that look like a direct quote when I wrote nothing of the kind. *This is an issue because the religious right decided to make it an issue.

I didn't have an opinion on it prior because, there was no issue to have an opinion about. *I sent christmas cards, I still do, and I didn't think about whether they said merry christmas or happy holidays or had a santa or a snow man or tree or a penguin or a manger scene on the front or whatever I just picked what felt right that day wrote my letter and sent them to the people I care about. *That's all, no issue, simple holiday fun. *Now it's a whole big thing, who's fault it that...

Christmas shouldn't be this hard. *I'm not trying to convince anyone to send non-religious cards. *I'm asking why do people get upset when they recieve a card that doesn't explicitly conform to their concept of the holiday? *This doesn't make any sense. *Who do you get cards from? *People that you know and love and have a relationship with, right? *Do real people really get upset when someone they have a relationship with sends them a 'holiday' card? *No, I don't think that they do. *The only people who have a problem with 'holiday' cards are those with an agenda to push.

Recieve the wishes of your friends and neighboors with the spirit of the season regardless of the package. *It's the thought that counts, after all.

Please stop. This is just silly

[ccrider]

Don't replace "Christ" with "X"..........Jesus is the reason for the season!

Happy Holidays.



BTW, that's not just an 'x' it's typesetter short hand for The Cross.

Text messageing isn't soley responsible for all revolutions in how we use our language.

Merry Christmas.


It's laziness. *Merry x-mas to you, Bisonaudit.

[IowaBison]

Don't pull this kind of garbage, making that look like a direct quote when I wrote nothing of the kind.

That would be the label for the box, I think that is pretty obvious from the context.



I didn't have an opinion on it prior because, there was no issue to have an opinion about.

That's shear bs.

Concern about the secularization of Christmas is recent phenomena? Recent meaning the past 2 years!

C'mon. Upon reflection, even you can't believe that.

[bisonaudit]

It's laziness. *Merry x-mas to you, Bisonaudit.

Tell that to the church.

From American Heritage Dictionary:

"Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writing, where the X represents a Greek chi, the first letter of , “Christ.” In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, “Christian.” But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly interpret Xmas as an informal shortening pronounced (ksms). Many therefore frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas."

[IowaBisonToo]

Everybody needs to chill (ha ha) and take the advise of Clark W. Griswold:

"Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your own ass. Happy Hanukkah."

[tony]

The major reason we have frowned on letting partisan politics (or partisan political agendas) inject themselves into threads is that they are so divisive and folks just don't seem to have any concept of respect once they turn on the partisan switch. And For Christ's sake, it's Christmas - lighten up and enjoy the holiday!

However, I'm checking with the other moderators to see about allowing political stuff on the Bison Commons board. If allowed, it will still have to meet a minimum standard for discourse (i.e. no name-calling, can't carry the fight to other boards, and no Michael Moore/Bill O'Reilly dumbassery). I sure don't want to be reading the football board and start seeing the political disagreements carrying over (e.g. "Of course you'd think that Johnson should be RB, you American-hating PC commie.")

:D

[IowaBison]

Everybody needs to chill (ha ha) and take the advise of Clark W. Griswold:

"Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your own ass. Happy Hanukkah."

Trust me, IowaBisonToo. I'm stone cold.

[TriCollegeBison]

und's song is "Deck the Halls," NDSU's is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Piss and moan all you want, but they're Christmas songs in these online greetings.

[IowaBisonToo]

Everybody needs to chill (ha ha) and take the advise of Clark W. Griswold:

"Merry Christmas. *Merry Christmas. *Merry Christmas. *Kiss my ass. *Kiss his ass. *Kiss your own ass. *Happy Hanukkah."

Trust me, IowaBisonToo. *I'm stone cold.
Is that stone cold or stoned cold? ;D ;D ;D

[bisonaudit]

Don't pull this kind of garbage, making that look like a direct quote when I wrote nothing of the kind.

That would be the label for the box, I think that is pretty obvious from the context.



I didn't have an opinion on it prior because, there was no issue to have an opinion about. *

That's shear bs.

Concern about the secularization of Christmas is recent phenomena? Recent meaning the past 2 years!

C'mon. *Upon reflection, even you can't believe that.


You act like these are matter and anti-matter and that they're the only two possibilities. Not only can Christmas and a secular holiday co-exist, they can and have for thousands of years. They've also co-existed with many other religious traditions which occupy more or less the same space on the calendar. You've got to allow for more than one view of the world, man.

I'm willing to bet that most of the folks leading the charge to 'take back christmas' put up a tree and decorate it and exchange gifts, all secular, not religious, traditions. What you've presented is a false choice, there's room for all of it as long as there's enough room in people hearts and minds.

[IowaBison]

I haven't taken the position to which you refer.

I've just pointed out the errors in your posts.

[bisonaudit]

und's song is "Deck the Halls," NDSU's is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." *Piss and moan all you want, but they're Christmas songs in these online greetings.

Who's complaining?

This issue didn't start because someone was upset that they recieved a Christmas card it started because someone was upset that they didn't recieve a Christmas card, but a holiday card instead.

I'm not saying that UND and NDSU or anybody else should be prohibited from using Christmas music in their online Christmas greetings, I'm glad that they have and I hope that they continue too. If organizations or people want to send more inclusive holiday greetings as the White House has been doing since Eisenhower then they should be able to do that as well without having to hear about it from the fundamentalists who are unwilling to accept anything that doesn't conform to their standards.

[bisonaudit]

I haven't taken the position to which you refer. *

I've just pointed out the errors in your posts.


OK my prior position was that I was unconcerned about the secularization of Christmas because I believed that there was enough room for everyone. My current position is that there are fundamental forces attempting subvert what America stands for by telling us what we can and can't think and do despite the fact that those thoughts and actions harm no one. Their interest is not combating the secularization of Christmas their interest is in creating a defacto state religion for the purposes of their own power and greed.

[BisBison]

OK OK already, I'm sorry I started this. Happy Holidays to all of you Bison Fans out there. It's a great time to be a Bison, (can we agree on that at least?) My only thought was we can wish people happy Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Easter, but when it comes to Christmas suddenly it's a generic "Happy Holidays". I don't get the PC crap, never will. Who really gets offended when someone wishes them a MERRY CHRISTMAS??

[IowaBison]

Who really gets offended when someone wishes them a MERRY CHRISTMAS??

Fortunately not a lot of people in North Dakota.

[bisonaudit]

OK OK already, I'm sorry I started this. Happy Holidays to all of you Bison Fans out there. It's a great time to be a Bison, (can we agree on that at least?) My only thought was we can wish people happy Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Easter, but when it comes to Christmas suddenly it's a generic "Happy Holidays". I don't get the PC crap, never will. Who really gets offended when someone wishes them a MERRY CHRISTMAS??

Agreed, right up to the end.

No one got offended because they were wished a Merry Christmas. A religious leader got mock offended because they weren't, and that's what started this for me anyway, not you BisBison.

A Merry Christmas to you and yours. Have a happy and prosperous New Year. Go Bison!

We need a smiley with a Santa hat.

[bisonaudit]

Or buffalo horns.

Or both.

[IowaBison]

I've always wanted one with a pistol that shoots himself in the head.

[Junior]

I've always wanted one with a pistol that shoots himself in the head.

We could use one that holds up the off topic sign like other boards I have seen. (yes, I'm guilty too.)

[Herd_Mentality]

I better get my comment in before this gets locked....


Did I hear in the background some song about "wear our gay apparel"?

[IowaBison]

what a queer thing to write. :)

[bisonaudit]

Fa, la, la
la, la, la
la, la, la

[TheDoctor]

What constitutes gay apparel? A shirt that says, "Don't Mess with The FORCE From the NORTH"?


;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[IowaBisonToo]

What constitutes gay apparel? *A shirt that says, "Don't Mess with The FORCE From the NORTH"?


;D *;D * ;D * ;D *;D * ;D
Anything that's green, white, black with an optional hint of pink. ;)

[GFBisonFan]

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!

[BisBison]

Thank you Carrington!!!

[NDSUFREAK10]

Don't replace "Christ" with "X"..........Jesus is the reason for the season!

Happy Holidays.




actually, it is alright to replace it with an "X". It is an "X" because I heard somewhere that "X" actually means fish in the language of CHRIST. And, you all should know, that a fish is one of the symbols of CHRIST.
So either CHRISTmas or X-Mas will do.

[56BISON73]

And to think Ive always thought that the term "Happy Holidays" Was an all encompassing term to mean Christmas and New Years.
Or was it a fruedian political thing and I really didnt know it at the time??? Shit now Im really confused. LOL LOL PL

[sambini]

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!
++++++++++++++++++ Hope everyone has a great holiday season.

[TransAmBison]

I have always stayed away from saying "Happy Holidays." I don't really care for it, and pay attention when my wife and I pick out Christmas cards. Mine always say Merry Christmas. What other people choose to do is their business, and I appreciate getting the card no matter what it said.

On a side note, when I was an RA at NDSU we were told not to have "Merry Christmas" anywhere, so as not to upset any non-Christians. I don't remember if it was just my dorm, or not. I, not really liking the idiotic ideas of PC police, made sure MERRY CHRISTMAS was very prominent on my floor, and my door. I probably wouldn't even have decorated otherwise.

[insane_ponderer]

Who really gets offended when someone wishes them a MERRY CHRISTMAS??

Fortunately not a lot of people in North Dakota.


This could be severely taken the wrong way...you might want to clarify.

[insane_ponderer]

I have always stayed away from saying "Happy Holidays." *I don't really care for it, and pay attention when my wife and I pick out Christmas cards. *Mine always say Merry Christmas. *What other people choose to do is their business, and I appreciate getting the card no matter what it said.

On a side note, when I was an RA at NDSU we were told not to have "Merry Christmas" anywhere, so as not to upset any non-Christians. *I don't remember if it was just my dorm, or not. *I, not really liking the idiotic ideas of PC police, made sure MERRY CHRISTMAS was very prominent on my floor, *and my door. *I probably wouldn't even have decorated otherwise.


Boy, I bet some of the students that lived in your dorm sure felt welcome around the holidays. I hope someday you get the opportunity to have someone shove their beliefs down your throat.

I understand that you probably wouldn't care if someone came up to you and said happy Chanukah, but theres a big difference between expressing your holiday beliefs and being a jackass about it. Say merry christmas all you want, but if it bothers someone, put yourself in their shoes, and try not to act like a spoiled six year old that has to get his way.

[kchats]

There are a bunch of things worse than Merry Christmas that someone can say to someone. Being offended by someone saying Merry Christmas to you takes the cake. I just celebrated Christmas at my Jewish brother-in-laws last night. He also attended Midnight mass with my other brother-in-laws girlfriend. He agreed with me that the best service in a Christian church is the midnight Christmas Eve service because of the Christmas hymns and of course the candlelight. Having a Christmas tree or other Christmas items in your dorm room, apartment, home or yard is your right. If I can be waited on by a middle eastern man with a turban on his head (a display of religious faith) at my local Home Depot here in Olathe, Kansaa, USA, everyone of a different religious choice can put up with Christmas for one whole month. Christmas is a time where people think of Jesus Christ, peace on earth and goodwill towards man, if people have a problem with that they need to look at themselves and figure out why?

I hope you all had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and I hope you all also remembered that Jesus is the reason for the season.

[sambini]

Well said KC tis the season+++

[56BISON73]

""""Boy, I bet some of the students that lived in your dorm sure felt welcome around the holidays. I hope someday you get the opportunity to have someone shove their beliefs down your throat. """"

Very hypocritical as we are having it shoved down our throats by the dicks that say "Merry Christmas" offends them. Actually it offends me that I am supposed to watch out that I dont hurt their feelings. LOL Sorry---aint going to happen!!!! Merry Christmas PL

[TransAmBison]

I have always stayed away from saying "Happy Holidays." *I don't really care for it, and pay attention when my wife and I pick out Christmas cards. *Mine always say Merry Christmas. *What other people choose to do is their business, and I appreciate getting the card no matter what it said.

On a side note, when I was an RA at NDSU we were told not to have "Merry Christmas" anywhere, so as not to upset any non-Christians. *I don't remember if it was just my dorm, or not. *I, not really liking the idiotic ideas of PC police, made sure MERRY CHRISTMAS was very prominent on my floor, *and my door. *I probably wouldn't even have decorated otherwise.


Boy, I bet some of the students that lived in your dorm sure felt welcome around the holidays. *I hope someday you get the opportunity to have someone shove their beliefs down your throat.

I understand that you probably wouldn't care if someone came up to you and said happy Chanukah, but theres a big difference between expressing your holiday beliefs and being a jackass about it. *Say merry christmas all you want, but if it bothers someone, put yourself in their shoes, and try not to act like a spoiled six year old that has to get his way.
See, that is the problem with the world...just because it bothers "someone" everybody should stop doing it. Christmas is a holiday. It has a name. It gets decorated for. I didn't shove it down their throats. You are the one who went overboard. Reread what I wrote, and then read what you wrote. Look in the mirror.

[bisonaudit]

This didn't get rekindled because someone was offended by being wished a Merry Christmas. It got rekindled because someone was offended that they weren't.

It's cheap political hackery that should be beneath us all. Use whatever phrase you feel is appropriate.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[TheDoctor]

This didn't get rekindled because someone was offended by being wished a Merry Christmas. *It got rekindled because someone was offended that they weren't.

It's cheap political hackery that should be beneath us all. *Use whatever phrase you feel is appropriate.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


You too! :D ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[tony]

I'm kind of with bisonaudit on this. Christmas is supposed to be about joy and love, but some demagogues want to make it into a political issue. Why make this into some litmus test or shove stuff down people's throats? If you aren't saying "Merry Christmas" out of joy or love but rather as an expression of defiant political righteousness, then that's a perversion and borders on blasphemy (hehe, of course, that's only my opinion so you probably aren't any danger of being struck by lightning).

That said, I can't see why folks would be upset with a hearty, good-natured and joyful "Merry Christmas!" - er, until it was made into a political slogan, that is. It's not like lots of atheists and agnostics and non-Christians don't celebrate Christmas - at least the Santa, Christmas tree, yule log, holly, mistletoe, stringing up lights, giving gifts, and having a party part - heck, pagans did almost all that stuff. Sure, a veneer of Christianity was slapped on mid-winter pagan festivals so that folks could go on having their mid-winter celebrations but that was done to make the transition from paganism to Christianity that much easier, and if the early Church had had their way, we probably wouldn't be celebrating Christ's or anybody else's birthday at all (that might be why folks in some countries celebrate the feast day of the saint they are named after rather than their actual birthday).

Heck, if folks were really so determined to make Christmas all about Christ, then they could probably celebrate it on some other date - it's not like there aren't plenty of other days in the calendar to choose from that are just as likely to be right as December 25. If you are interested, Catholic authorities (who, imo, do the best research on this kind of thing) have published this:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm

If you don't want to read the whole thing it boils down to this: The earliest date Christ's birth was celebrated was May 20th but "there is no month in the year to which respectable authorities have not assigned Christ's birth."

For myself, I am used to dealing with folks from a wide variety of backgrounds so I use "Happy Holidays" on a lot on cards because the last thing I want to do is have somebody misinterpret my expression of joy as me rubbing political/religious beliefs in their face. That is a direct result of folks making "Merry Christmas" et al into a strident political issue. Yuck. It makes me want to switch to Festivus.

[TheDoctor]

Thanks Tony! Well said. :D

[SDbison]

Hmmm, can't tell who the liberals and conservatives are on this board. Funny how the liberals always twist things around to make them seem most acceptable to as many people as possible. Yes, there was Christmas and then there was New Years. If you are a liberal it was the Holidays so things can be most PC. If you are a conservative you are firm in your beliefs and don't waver to please others.

[tony]

Please, partisan politics is really not appropriate to the board. For one thing, it's extremely divisive - and isn't one of the good things about sports is that it brings disparate folks together? For a second thing, it's never seems to lead to a discussion and just turns into a contest to see who can demonstrate the most hate, kind of like discussions about UND :)

I had my doubts about allowing this topic to go on because it would probably end up badly (and so it has).

[TheDoctor]

Please, partisan politics is really not appropriate to the board. For one thing, it's extremely divisive - and isn't one of the good things about sports is that it brings disparate folks together? For a second thing, it's never seems to lead to a discussion and just turns into a contest to see who can demonstrate the most hate, kind of like discussions about UND :)

I had my doubts about allowing this topic to go on because it would probably end up badly (and so it has).


I origninally posted the card in fun. Seasons greeting to you from Kuppy. ;D I NEVER though it would snowball into this, or I never would have posted it. >:(

[imported_admin]

I origninally posted the card in fun. *Seasons greeting to you from Kuppy. *;D I NEVER though it would snowball into this, or I never would have posted it. *>:( *

I hold you personally responsible for me locking the thread then, B1SON :)