This rant is strictly for those that are offended by Christmas cards and Christmas salutations, including those who are offended on behalf of the offended.
It pisses me off that I’m expected to walk on eggshells with regard to my Christmas expressions. Fuck, I grew up in North America, its part of my culture that I cherish and I’m not going to compromise it.
Now if you let me know you’re offended by Christmas cards, you are not going to get one. I won’t say Merry Christmas to you either. I already went through that with my parents who objected to Christmas for a period during my late teens and early twenties for biblical reasons.
But I am going to think less of you. Who the fuck you think you are by telling me you don’t appreciate the expressions of my culture.
If I go to Saudi Arabia, I’m not going to be offended by well meaning cultural gestures, religious or otherwise. In fact I would welcome it. I would deplore any western thinking person that would suggest they were offended by a benign religious or cultural gesture in a foreign land. That includes the Christian missionaries past and present.
Has anyone every told you (outside your family) that they’re offended by a seasons greeting or a Christmas card?
I’m not a believer, but I return any greeting as given. I send and receive Christmas cards. I’ve received very religious cards and I’m touched that the person thought of me.
I have the same question. I’m Catholic, and my family celebrates Christmas. I don’t care if someone gives me a “Happy Holiday” in lieu of “Merry Christmas.” And I have never, not even once, had anyone take offense to a “Merry Christmas” I offered.
Does anyone (i.e., more than the standard number of cranks who are offended by anything) care about this? Really?
I sort of know someone who is offended by Christmas, and cards. It’s a woman I work with who’s a Jehovah’s Witness. Sweet girl, and I actually like her for the most part, but she’s always talking about “[her] religion” and how it’s right, while all the others are obviously wrong without giving any real justification despite weekly bible study classes in addition to actual church meetings.
I do think she would be offended if someone gave her a Christmas card, and I don’t believe anyone in our office has even though I, an open atheist, have received about a dozen, a few of them blatantly religious.
I made jokes about them burning my fingers as I opened them, but still thanked the people who gave them to me…
Absoutely. They are part of our cultural heritage, and I appreciate it when they share it with us.We get plenty of native cultural celebration and expression here on Vancouver Island.
Easy answer. Don’t give anyone on the SDMB a Christmas card and don’t wish them a Merry Christmas. It’s all good. No need to be offended by what probably wouldn’t have happened anyway.
sigh I’m tired of defending my personal feelings in two other threads already. Let’s just say if you are saying Merry Christmas once you know that the recipient doesn’t like it, you’re just being a jerk. If your intended purpose is to share the spirit of the season, why not find a way to do so that is appreciated by the person you are trying to greet?
No one has a problem that you celebrate Christmas. Everyone appreciates that you are trying to share that spirit with others. All I (and others) are asking is that you listen when people tell you that the terms you use makes them feel uneasy or uncomfortable.
I said almost nobody. It’s certainly not any kind of trend. For every individual who’s offended by “Merry Christmas,” there are probably 100 who say they’re offended by NOT being told Merry Christmas.
But even if somebody does get offended – so what? What do you care? How does it do you any harm? It’s their hangup, not yours.
I’d also like to point out that this thread doesn’t demonstrate your point. I’d only be offended if I’d already told a person that I don’t wish to celebrate Christmas and they continued to send Christmas cards. All the people who know me well enough to send me cards, send me Holidays or Hanukkah cards.
It’s not the greeting, I could give a fuck about that. It’s not considering my feelings and desires that offends.
Wishing someone a merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukka, a happy or merry anything, is a gesture of friendly good will. Anyone who tries to make a big deal about being offended by a gesture of good will and who uses it to start an argument or make you feel bad, is an asshole.
There is no war on Christmas, but there are assholes.
And all I’m saying is get the fuck over yourself. When you tell me that offering you a “Merry Christmas” offends you, then you are offending me and my culture.
