Re: Holiday Greetings
DA Morgan wrote: > Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > >> The thing is, being "the Christ" has a very specific meaning and since a >> (serious) Jew doesn't believe "the Christ" has come yet, a Jew can't >> wish someone "Merry Christ-mas". > > So if it isn't your birthday you can't say "Happy Birthday" either I > presume. But everybody has a birthday. There is no belief required. > Now that you've excluded 67% of the people on the planet from saying > those words. Next, no doubt, you should start a discussion of which > denominations are "REAL" Christians and can say the two words and > which are not. Well, ALL Christians believe in "the Christ", so there should be no doubt that they would say the words. Also, some other faiths regard (Islam, for instance) regard Christ as a prophet, so they would be cool with saying Merry Christmas, too. And some people just don't care. > You cast the first stone so it seems only fair to let you cast the > second and the third. Since you're at a University, perhaps you could get yourself a free course in logic. You seem to need it rather desperately. -- Cheers, Obnoxio The Clown http://obotheclown.blogspot.com
Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > DA Morgan wrote: >> Obnoxio The Clown wrote: >> >>> The thing is, being "the Christ" has a very specific meaning and >>> since a (serious) Jew doesn't believe "the Christ" has come yet, a >>> Jew can't wish someone "Merry Christ-mas". >> >> So if it isn't your birthday you can't say "Happy Birthday" either I >> presume. > > But everybody has a birthday. There is no belief required. Almost everyone, except you perhaps, is willing to express a nice thought to another person. You seem always far to quick to resort to the level of discourse generally seen among 13 year olds. Most of us wish people a good time when they go sky diving though we may not do so ourselves. Wish people an enjoyable time at the opera though we might not personally buy season tickets. And, similarly, wish every Jew a Happy Hanukkah and every Christian a Merry Christmas. Bah, Humbug Mr. Clown. Wallow in your misanthropy. -- Daniel A. Morgan
"Obnoxio The Clown" <obnoxio@serendipita.com> wrote in message news:mailman.92.1230376761.1831.informix-list@iiug.org... > DA Morgan wrote: >> Obnoxio The Clown wrote: >> >>> The thing is, being "the Christ" has a very specific meaning and since a >>> (serious) Jew doesn't believe "the Christ" has come yet, a Jew can't >>> wish someone "Merry Christ-mas". >> >> So if it isn't your birthday you can't say "Happy Birthday" either I >> presume. > > But everybody has a birthday. There is no belief required. Well, by "birthday" I guess you mean the "anniversary", according to a somewhat arbitrary measure, of the approximate time it takes the earth to circle the sun (assuming you believe it does!), which you believe is worth celebrating? How is that much different from "Christmas", a holiday period based originally upon the celebration of a historical figure who, if He existed at all, is of messianic significance to many people, but which has now vastly expanded its influence to be almost secular (*see below)? Is an observing Jew (or Sikh, or Muslim) really conceding the whole validity of Christianity just by wishing me a Merry Christmas? I can't speak for others by somehow I doubt it. If the opportunity arises I'll readily wish a practicing Jew a Happy Hanukkah or whatever, even though I know virtually nothing about Judaism and don't believe in it. Anyway, I thought there might be a politically correct element to the Happy Holidays thing, but it seems not, just a genuine desire not to offend. Well, we can all support that, can't we? Happy New Year! * In the north of England a boy was not allowed to attend his school's Christmas party because his parents had insisted, ever since he joined the school, that he should not be required to attend lessons in Religious Education. The school presumably thought that they were being scrupulous in abiding by the wishes of the parents - but apparently not. The boy's mum, a Ms Dawn Riddell, was incandescent at the 'cruelty' inflicted upon her poor son. Christmas parties, she said, have got 'absolutely nothing to do with Jesus'. I think that's one of my favourite quotes of this year or any year ... [The Spectator Magazine, December 2008]
On 27 Dec, 14:48, DA Morgan <damor...@psoug.org> wrote: > Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > DA Morgan wrote: > >> Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > > >>> The thing is, being "the Christ" has a very specific meaning and > >>> since a (serious) Jew doesn't believe "the Christ" has come yet, a > >>> Jew can't wish someone "Merry Christ-mas". > > >> So if it isn't your birthday you can't say "Happy Birthday" either I > >> presume. > > > But everybody has a birthday. There is no belief required. > > Almost everyone, except you perhaps, is willing to express a nice > thought to another person. You seem always far to quick to resort > to the level of discourse generally seen among 13 year olds. > > Most of us wish people a good time when they go sky diving though we > may not do so ourselves. Wish people an enjoyable time at the opera > though we might not personally buy season tickets. And, similarly, wish > every Jew a Happy Hanukkah and every Christian a Merry Christmas. > > Bah, Humbug Mr. Clown. Wallow in your misanthropy. > -- > Daniel A. Morgan http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cMuyQ7JVzeQ "..was the night before a non-denominational winter holiday....the neutral gift sacks were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that a non-specifc holiday figure would soon be there.." Celebrate or rest or not...whatever..I'm still working...