Political Correctness gone mad

[Ocelot]

D:

[Dradis]

Being of no religion i just pick the holidays i like throughout the year. I have to admit that Christians do a good job with the holidays, i like both the Santa holiday and the chocolate holiday.

What i call the "Jewish holiday" (Hannukah) is also good, but i'm looking for a better name for it. Suggestions?

Americanism isn't a religion but i'll also take a dose of Thanksgiving too thank you very much.

 

I feel i'm a bit light in the non-Christ-type religious celebrations. I'm not interesting in fasting, that isn't fun. Also, all my holidays come late in the year. Work in progress

[Rookiebeotch]

Celebrating trees at this time of year goes back longer than Christianity, there is a tree dressing ceremony near here which takes place without cutting the tree down - people just go and hang stuff on it. Its an ancient tradition, and not invented by celebrators of Christmas.

 

While we're talking about 'political correctness gone mad' (aka 'I can say whatever I want and you are not allowed to be upset') I'm pretty sure the title of your battle log is offensive to quite a few people. I know it's pretty much accepted in American English but in the UK its still remembered that its a pejorative term for the disabled and could be quite offputting to some. Obviously you can call your thread whatever you want, just wanted to point it out as I keep seeing it and wincing.

 

Who me?

[Dradis]

Who me?

 

Razzy i'm guessing. I dunno if it means something else in places other than the UK. Almost certainly not meant to offend, i'm guessing

[Rookiebeotch]

Ah. I thought someone was taking offense to my favorite quote from my favorite comedy. Farva is one of the most offensive characters ever made. Its a shame no one was offended by it.

[Hit]

Chrismukkah is the only holiday.

[Rookiebeotch]

Chrismukkah is the only holiday.

 

This not true, and I am offended at your mockery of the untouchable thing that is religion. Especially the two best ones. Am I a good patriotic american yet?

[Hit]

I got the power of jesus and moses on my side, i aint afraid of you!

[Grazer]

Won't someone think of the poor trees.

 

Now this is a holiday sharing tree we can all agree on:

 

[Toxophilite]

Celebrating trees at this time of year goes back longer than Christianity, there is a tree dressing ceremony near here which takes place without cutting the tree down - people just go and hang stuff on it. Its an ancient tradition, and not invented by celebrators of Christmas.

I much prefer to see people decorating trees without chopping them down. Looks nicer and less messy afterwards.

[Lalie Fanyarendil]

The thing that really bugs me is political correctness for the sake of political correctness--that is, rephrasing things/whatever to be politically correct in a situation where it's unlikely that anyone would be offended. Most conversions of religion-specific holiday things to general holiday things (like "holiday tree" instead of Christmas tree) I get. There's a specific situation I'm thinking of here--last year I was reading an article about an American company that decided that "Happy New Year" was politically incorrect and that everyone had to use "looking forward" instead. I'm guessing that they were trying to be aware of the fact that not all cultures see January 1st as the first day of the year, but when the entire country operates with a calendar that starts on January 1st I think it's probably okay to wish people a happy new year. I've never met or heard of ANYBODY who was offended by "Happy New Year."

 

I guess it makes me sad when entities (I say this because usually I see these decisions being made by companies or something, not individual people) do holiday celebratory things and remove all connotations to any kind of religion from it. I feel differently when people make holiday celebratory things more general in order to try to celebrate all the religious traditions. That's reasonable and can often be quite fun. So, like...are we calling this a "holiday tree" because we want to try to make it celebratory for all the Jewish, Christian, and Pagan people in our community who are celebrating something in December? Cool! Or are we calling it a "holiday tree" because we want to seem like we're contributing to the celebratory atmosphere but we don't want to acknowledge any of the religions in our community?

 

I'm Catholic, but if someone wishes me a happy Hanukkah or Happy Yule, etc. I can still appreciate the kind and cheerful sentiment that someone is trying to communicate to me. There are definitely ways to wish people a happy whatever-religious-holiday-you're-celebrating-here in a snarky and mean way, and this is not acceptable. When people do that they're probably going against the spirit of the holiday they're celebrating. It serves no purpose except to be hurtful. If I KNOW that a person belongs to a certain religion I will try my best to remember to wish them well for the holidays of their religion, not mine, but my memory isn't perfect.

 

I guess I also feel confused sometimes by political correctness because I enjoy respectful discussion of religion. I love talking religion with people who understand that we're all having this conversation in order to learn more about each other, and a question is not an attack. I've belonged to some wonderful multi-religious groups where we'd all wish each other a happy ____ and try to remember when each other's holidays were coming up. But I know there's a lot of people out there who AREN'T able to discuss religion without it turning into a fight.

[Roldanis]

Getting offended by stuff is the latest thing in the uk .... We have professional offendees who spend 24/7 getting wound up and complaining about "top gear", children having fun, sugar, peoples gardens, unexpected floods, price of popcorn .... Anything really

 

I love how Jeremy Clarkson isn't afraid to rustle some jimmies when giving his opinion.

 

 

The thing that really bugs me is political correctness for the sake of political correctness--that is, rephrasing things/whatever to be politically correct in a situation where it's unlikely that anyone would be offended.

 

"The greatest enemy of clear language is insincerity." - George Orwell

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

While we're talking about 'political correctness gone mad' (aka 'I can say whatever I want and you are not allowed to be upset') I'm pretty sure the title of your battle log is offensive to quite a few people. I know it's pretty much accepted in American English but in the UK its still remembered that its a pejorative term for the disabled and could be quite offputting to some. Obviously you can call your thread whatever you want, just wanted to point it out as I keep seeing it and wincing.

 

It isn't used like that at all in American English. A spaz is someone who is over reacts and freaks out about minor things, or is clumsy. But like you said, most people don't realize that it was originally short for spastic (someone with cerebral palsy).

 

Chrismukkah is the only holiday.

 

Yeah, we use Chrismachanukwanzakah.

[Oramac]

Won't someone think of the poor trees.

 

Now this is a holiday sharing tree we can all agree on:

 

 

This just baffles me.  Please note: I'm not offended, just honestly curious. Also, I'm not trying to start yet another debate.  

 

Now, I'm no environmentalist or anything, but I'd be willing to bet this is far more harmful than cutting down a tree.  How much fuel (oil, natural gas, etc.) does it take to supply electricity to something that massive for the several weeks it'd be up before/during the Christmas season?   I haven't done the math, but I'd guess it's more detrimental to burn that much fuel for electricity than to cut down one tree.  

[Eleanorsbee]

Screw te environment ... The devout religious .... The pagans .... A giant illuminated pac-man festive decoration is epic !!!! ... I hope it has 8bit sound output waka waka waka

[Grazer]

Screw te environment ... The devout religious .... The pagans .... A giant illuminated pac-man festive decoration is epic !!!! ... I hope it has 8bit sound output waka waka waka

This.

[BarloTardy]

As a devout apatheist (don't know, don't care.), I still say Merry Christmas. Because when in rome....

[kaelvan]

I'm personally offended that it is a tree. It should be a Gift Sharing Flying Spaghetti Monster, wearing a santa hat, and holding a menorah in one of its noodly tentacles.

Thank you. Also, he should have yule log. As well as, Kikombe cha Umoja (The Unity Cup) for Kwanza or just this

I'm kidding or AM I.....mahahaha

[starsapart]

In Russia it's a New Year's tree.  Still decorated, mind, with all the lights and so on, but not linked to Christmas at all.  I don't celebrate Christmas, but I have a tree, because my cultural tradition appropriated the tree..................

 

...which was originally appropriated from the pagans (among whose number I actually also count myself, but that's a chat for another day).  So really, the tree isn't about Jesus at all, so why does it have to be called a Christmas tree?  I'm not saying the name they picked isn't a bit odd, but they could do worse.  As a religious minority living in the US where Christianity is all but shoved down my throat on a daily basis, I am always grateful for gentler, more inclusive language, and attempts from organizations to invite people of various faiths to participate in something in good spirit without bringing a particular religion into the equation at all.  Though at this point it's been talked to death, obviously.

 

I guess for me, the difference is, if it's called a holiday tree and there's an activity associated, I'll happily participate.  Whereas the moment you link it to a religion by naming it after a religious holiday, you're effectively telling me, "this is not for you, you are not welcome here, go away."

[erosan]

As an atheist, I have absolutely no problem whatsoever wishing 'merry xmas', 'happy hannuckah', 'happy festivus', 'happy holidays', etc. depending on who I am talking to.

I don't believe in any of those, but I can respect and understand that some people believe in stuff, and wishing or receiving the good intended wish to have a happy day cannot be bad so why get angry?

problem? having to say the non-secular 'bless you' to sneezing people. So I instead wish my english-speaking friends good health by using 'salud'.

[Stonefist]

As an atheist, I have absolutely no problem whatsoever wishing 'merry xmas', 'happy hannuckah', 'happy festivus', 'happy holidays', etc. depending on who I am talking to.

I don't believe in any of those, but I can respect and understand that some people believe in stuff, and wishing or receiving the good intended wish to have a happy day cannot be bad so why get angry?

problem? having to say the non-secular 'bless you' to sneezing people. So I instead wish my english-speaking friends good health by using 'salud'.

 

 

I agree. No need to be a jerk, if someone wishes me happy Christmas/Hannuckah/Noodleday, it just seems rude for me not to return the favor.

 

When it comes to the blessing people alternative, I usually go with "Gesundheit" (literally wishing them good health, which they clearly are not in), but then again my native tongue belongs to the Germanic line, rather than the latin.

 

PS: Yes, christians being outraged about other people "hijacking" what they consider to be "their" traditions, does strike me as....odd, considering they themselves did just that, right up to juggling around the birth of their own savior figure. Then again, not much about religion makes much sense to me, so I just file it with the rest of the stuff like transubstantiation, virgin birth etc.

[Grazer]

having to say the non-secular 'bless you' to sneezing people. So I instead wish my english-speaking friends good health by using 'salud'.

 

Despite having no religious beliefs I feel utterly compelled to say "bless you" after anyone sneezes after that scene in Dogma......

[- Will -]

Really, I don't care what it's called one way or the other. I call it Christmas or X-mas (or Santa day) out of habit, because I was brought up Christian. But I'm not now. I'm a "Soft Agnostic Atheist" technically, but Atheist for short.

 

But even so, I still wouldn't have been offended before, maybe just mildly confused, because it had just always been called "Christmas" around me.

 

And I see nothing wrong with people making the holidays more inclusive to everybody. Like starsapart said:

As a religious minority living in the US where Christianity is all but shoved down my throat on a daily basis, I am always grateful for gentler, more inclusive language, and attempts from organizations to invite people of various faiths to participate in something in good spirit without bringing a particular religion into the equation at all.

 

So I see nothing wrong with the "Holiday Sharing Tree" other than the silly name choice (just "Holiday Tree" would have been fine). I'd rather have more people join me in whatever the hell I'm doing, than exclude them because we aren't part of the same club. It's not like people are taking away Christmas or something, just trying to make something new, yet familiar, for everyone. So I wouldn't call it "hijacking;" it's not like Christians are the only ones allowed to put wrapped gifts under a pine tree.

 

Besides, I like Christmas, it's always been a fun time of the year for me, spending time with family and friends, and it's nice being able to celebrate it without the religious overtones. And I feel that your university has done the same: gotten that same feeling of togetherness that comes about from this time of the year, without shoving religion down peoples throats.

 

So with that, I wish you all a...

... In the northern hemisphere, of the third planet from the sun: Earth. Yaaay

[kaelvan]

Really, I don't care what it's called one way or the other. I call it Christmas or X-mas (or Santa day) out of habit, because I was brought up Christian. But I'm not now. I'm a "Soft Agnostic Atheist" technically, but Atheist for short.

 

But even so, I still wouldn't have been offended before, maybe just mildly confused, because it had just always been called "Christmas" around me.

 

And I see nothing wrong with people making the holidays more inclusive to everybody. Like starsapart said:

 

So I see nothing wrong with the "Holiday Sharing Tree" other than the silly name choice (just "Holiday Tree" would have been fine). I'd rather have more people join me in whatever the hell I'm doing, than exclude them because we aren't part of the same club. It's not like people are taking away Christmas or something, just trying to make something new, yet familiar, for everyone. So I wouldn't call it "hijacking;" it's not like Christians are the only ones allowed to put wrapped gifts under a pine tree.

 

Besides, I like Christmas, it's always been a fun time of the year for me, spending time with family and friends, and it's nice being able to celebrate it without the religious overtones. And I feel that your university has done the same: gotten that same feeling of togetherness that comes about from this time of the year, without shoving religion down peoples throats.

 

So with that, I wish you all a...

... In the northern hemisphere, of the third planet from the sun: Earth. Yaaay

I'm agnostic and still celebrate since it's fun sharing presents and spending time with people I love. I could care less what it's call.

[Lalie Fanyarendil]

problem? having to say the non-secular 'bless you' to sneezing people.

 

That annoys me too, but (as someone who is religious) because it comes from a superstition that nobody holds anymore. (Well, there's varying theories about what superstition and how, but I don't think anyone who says "bless you" in response to a sneeze believes any of them.) "Salud" or similar at least make conceptual sense to me, especially as someone with allergies that can get out of control fast.

 

I'd also like to second the "I had absolutely no idea that 'spaz' was derogatory in origin." It's not a word I've ever used much, but I am very glad I know this now so that I can make sure NOT to use it. Thank you, hitlionsoul.