Re: Holidays
James Hermann (jhermann@AIS.NET)
Mon, 26 Dec 1994 17:20:58 -0600
On Mon, 26 Dec 1994, Carey Probst wrote:
> I was just sitting here in my office working this Monday,
> the day after Christmas wondering how many of you who
> were offended by seeing Merry Christmas wishes on the
> list were also working away.
Some of you guys (and maybe gals, too) just don't get the point, do you?
No one is especially offended by your wish of "Merry Christmas", just
annoyed. Since you intend to wish people, _all_ people, in a diverse
group a happy holiday, you will _not_ achieve your wish, if you limit
yourself to simple greetings of "Merry Christmas".
If you wish to appear that you are trying to belittle other beliefs, by
making jokes about others who do not celebrate the birth of Jesus, then
you are doing an _excellent_ job. It is no wonder that BSA Scouting does
such a poor job gaining recruits from non-Christians, expecially children
who are of asian descent. "You'll can join, as long as you celebrate all
the same holidays as me and my buddies, worship a single god, and are
willing the take an oath to make sure that you follow my beleifs."
> I would assume that you are also offended by a day of
> for a holiday you don't celebrate and volunteered to work
> today or yesterday rather than be offended.
Actually, I thought that my employer gave me Friday and Monday off to
celebrate the Yule. Don't bother to look it up, all your Christian
dictionaries will (incorrectly) call it the "Feast of Christmas".
In fact, the celebration of Yule predates Christianity. The early
Christian Chruch decided arbitrarily to celebrate the birth of Jesus at
the same time, so they could convert more pagans to Christianity. So the
converted pagans could continue to celebrate at the same time of year.
The early chruch leaders didn't think that Christianity was powerful
enough to compete with the ancient pagan customs, unless they could offer
the same kinds of holidays.
All your Yule Trees, holly branches, Yule logs, Twelve days celebration
come from the ancient pagan celebrations.
Without the pagan rituals, you are left with nothing but the celebration
of the birth of Jesus, and you can't even get the date right! Ask any
good Eastern Orthodox Christian when Christ was born. The Jewish
calendar might be able to tell the correct date, since the date of
Jesus's death can only be known by following that calendar.
> Anyway, for those who will not be offended, I hope you all
> had a happy holiday from work. For those who celebrate,
> I hope you all had a Merry Christmas.
Hope you had a nice holiday, working.
Jim
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
