The war on Christmas meme has started to pop up a bit early this year, even before American Thanksgiving has had a chance to start! I was, however, happy to see a Christian friend post this image on her Facebook page (click to enlarge):
Thank goodness not all Christians are threatened by inclusiveness. I used this image as a response to another image that a Christian relative posted to her Facebook page; I added the comment: Or you can just be inclusive and nice like Christians say they are….
It’s funny to outsiders when they see an atheist calling for unity, fairness, understanding, equality, etc. because we’re seen as evil baby eaters. But we know better; we know we stand up for the religious freedom of everyone, including unbelievers!
Happy Holidays, heathens (and everyone else who wishes to enjoy the season)!
The phrases “happy holidays”, “merry Christmas”, and “have a nice weekend” are all useless phrases. Most people don’t genuinely care if the people they address with these phrases have a happy holiday or a nice weekend. These phrases make me cringe. However, the phrase that makes really angry is when someone ends a conversation with”God bless you.” That’s just arrogance!
Oh you! 🙂
I like this Diana. If I wish someone a good weekend etc, I usually actually do mean it. When I don’t, the expression on my face and sarcasm in my voice give me away I suspect. 🙂 I still say “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” to people. To me, it’s just about being friendly, and genuinely hoping they have a good holiday or whatever.
The kind of people who go on about putting Christ back into Christmas usually turn out to be nasty and judgmental. They’re also the kind of people who say “God bless you”, which, of course, (similar to Veronica) makes me imagine slapping their vacuous visages!
Yeah, I mean it when I wish people happy new year, merry xmas whatever. If I don’t mean it, I either say nothing, tell them off or make a face (or all of the above). 😀
What ever happened to references to the winter solstice? It is a very exiting phenomenon. Most of us think of “Merry Christmas” as the time of the solstice. The darkness comes early. The neighborhoods are lit up with red and green lighting. Sidewalks become furrowed paths through the mysterious lighted pathways. The sky is iron blue.
Christ Mass: I think Christ originally meant messiah. This is a special kind of person who could lead us in battle against the universal enemies: in our case, the cold.
The Christian Christ was more of an acquiescing type of messiah. He probably would recommend we just accept the inevitable discomfort. After all, we probably deserve it.
The former messiah might have dreamed up some highly improbable lunatic scheme to defeat the climate. Like get on a southbound airplane.
Tim Underwood! J’accuse! I’m in New Zealand – Christmas is a time for barbecues, picnics, and swimming in the sea, lakes or rivers!
The whole country virtually closes down for 2-3 weeks from about lunch time on 24 December.
Well it looks like the former messiah got the flight direction correct.
Merry summer solstice.
Perhaps there is some druid ceremony that would be appropriate for the longest day.
I’ll be with family, eating good food, relaxing by my sister’s pool in the sunshine. I doubt any deity will get a mention, and it will be wonderful! 🙂
Nobody knows about Druid Deities. They apparently did some sort of ancestor observances though. There is no mention of any pools but they did have these enormous stone fences.
If you decide to become a Charismatic Druid the religious practices are entirely dependent upon your own imagination.
Whatever you do will be fine.
Same goes for whatever you wear.
So far as anybody knows.
Oh dear, you spoiled it :-). My (late) father will probably get a mention because Christmas Eve was his birthday – I suspect we’ll raise a glass and tell a few stories. No-one would ever be able to confuse those anecdotes with worship though – blasphemy maybe! 🙂 One of his favourite party tricks was putting his shirt on backwards, tucking a dictionary under his arm, and making an extremely irreverent speech! 🙂
I have run into umbrage-takers of all sorts.
My default is:
Happy Turkey Day. (This confuses most people, with the added bonus of annoying vegans)
But I also use:
Happy holidays (to the “jesus is the reason for the season” ppl)
Happy baby Jesus day (to the obsessively PC, and inarticulately angry anti-theists)
And…
Happy Kwanza (to anyone with darker skin than me, and if they look confused, I follow up with a cheerful Happy halal.)
I’ve sometimes said “Happy Jesus Day” if I feel like being accurate though mildly offensive to the Christ-y. 🙂
A coworker of mine, she is terrible sometimes, has used the mildly inappropriate Happy Zombie Jesus Day… For Easter. It always makes me cringe, although in a happy way. As a union steward I have actually had the unpleasant task of explaining to a rabid Anglican that having prayer meetings at his desk during work hours is not appropriate. Yes, people, not me, complained it made them uncomfortable. The irony of having to explain how this was not a violation of his freedom of speech… Was not lost on me.
I’ve said “Happy Nail Day” for Easter. 🙂
I made the nail years back…. Scroll down to the bottom….
http://objectiveministries.org/kidz/crafts.html
Stunning cognitive dissonance to think making a Jesus nail is a suitable activity for kids. SMH.
You did well to escape – you must have been in deep.
Hahah, oh no, It’s an old satire site. I have posted on it before. I’m an atheist from way back… Before the time of the internetz. The site is delightful in a poe’s law kind of way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law
I did wonder if it was real – wish I’d gone with my instinct so as not to embarrass myself! 🙂
I wouldn’t feel bad, I have seen it fool a lot of atheists, but the really funny stuff, IMO, happens when fundamentalist Christians try and defend it. Internet trolling at it’s very best.