i think they'll want those rights back sooner or later.






kidding~~

THATS DUMB. I like Christmas! Even if they change it, people won't stop sayin it.

I know that at Target and Lowes they sell Holiday Trees.
Also, at Starbucks, the employees can't say Merry Christmas to their customers, but they play Christmas music.

I don't really see how Buddhists get to celebrate Christmas. They don't believe in the concept of God, they don't believe Jesus really had powers, etc. And yet they consider themselves part of the festivities of Christmas. I'm not saying this to put anyone down, but it was a point my Sunday school teacher was trying to make. Sorry if it's kind of off-topic.

Christmas is a National Holiday, so anyone can celebrate it, just without the religious roots tied to it.

Tell me exactly how Buddhists celebrate Christmas. Do these Buddhists go to Christians' church for Mass and/or pray to God or thank the Christian Lord? No, they don't. Obviously, you're not "seeing" anything at all. Buddhists do not celebrate Christmas in the same sense that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. If they do celebrate, the purpose in which they hold celebration has NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING to do with religion, but more so of a time for togetherness, of family and friends. Your Sunday School teacher MUST learn to get over the fact that Christians DO NOT own the month of December. One more thing, learn the facts and not just hear them from a very, incredibly biased Sunday School instructor, who owns no knowledge of religion outside of Christianity. Thank you.

It's also very hard not to be offended by what you said, and the thought that an educator could mislead his pupils in defense of an inadequate claim scares the heck out of me. Why? One word: Brainwash.

*Whew* Just had to get that off my chest.

This post has been edited by Spirited Away: Dec 13 2005, 08:09 PM

This was on the news today.

This really pisses me off because people CAN'T BE MAD that people are selling "Christmas trees", "Christmas decorations". Or that we have "Christmas colors" or have "Christmas specials" on TV. Christianity is the most wide-spread religion in America, what do you expect?

I do agree though, that we should say Happy Holidays to people that we don't know of their religion.

EDITEDITEDITEDIT



This is an extremely good point. People shouldn't be getting mad/upset because Christmas is a Nationl Holiday and can be celebrated by anyone without being religious about it. It's like (St.) Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's Day. You don't see non-Christians getting mad that stores are selling things related to these CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS, plus most non-Christian celebrate these holidays, too.

as a buddhist (well, family is) who celebrates christmas, i'll tell you how i celebrate christmas.

we believe in the concept of jesus as having reached enlightenment.

we do not celebrate his birthday. we do not attend christmas mass or set up naivity scences.

we celebrate christmas, the season of giving.

yes, christmas is all about the gifts. it's about giving the perfect gift to your family members. It's about putting money in the salvation army pot. Its about helping out those whose christmas would have sucked. It's about acting the way people should all year round.

that is what christmas is about. that is what my christmas is about.

you can keep your christmas mass, and your scenes of jesus. You can keep your christmas.

let me keep my christmas as i wish.

So it's okay for Christians to be angry at people for using terms like "holiday trees", but it's not okay for non-Christians to be mad that people sell "Christmas trees"? Is that what you're saying? I am a little confused since you're pissed at only one group of people even though both sides are guilty of the same sentiments.


Okay, now that you've edited, I see your point, but very vaguely.

See the bolded words? That's what I'm confused about still. You said people, non-Christians, get mad about "Christmas trees" and now you're saying that they don't? What did you see on the news exactly as everything I've read is contradicting.

This post has been edited by Spirited Away: Dec 13 2005, 08:06 PM

Christmas isn't a national holiday. It's a federal holiday, meaning that federal employees get off for it, but it's not nationally recognized.

A minor point, though, that isn't crucial to the discussion. Just a factoid.

Your "teacher" completely missed the mark. I'd look for a new teacher if I were you. Those comments are inaccurate to say the least.

I don't really see how Christians get to celebrate Christmas. I mean, all they really did was hijack Saturnalia and other Pagan Festivals marking the winter solstice. It isn't like anyone honestly knows when Christ was born, or even that he was for sure. Christmas is just borrowed tradition, and pagan festivities.

Christians aren't pagans, so... why are they hijacking their festivals?

Hah, my Catholic teacher is a sixteen year old kid with acne. =x Well, I tried arguing it with him but he's like.. always burning me and everything. rofl

uh... what? A sixteen year old Sunday School teacher? Who did the hiring? It makes no sense at all.

Our church isn't exactly the richest church in the world.

In fact, it's one of the poorest in America. Sorry, church. >_<

The teachers aren't even payed they just volunteer. o_o

Might I suggest independent study?

First, what is your church called and where is it located. Even if these teachers are volunteers, they must have been screen through for credentials, as is the normal process for accepting volunteers. This teacher seems so ridiculous that I'm sure any sensible pastor and/or clergyman would not allow him/her to instruct Sunday School goers.

Second, to blame that your church is one of the poorest and thus cannot provide a decent teacher is absolute nonsense, in my opinion. Even the poorest church can afford to educate its staff by means of a Bible—they're free, and hire staff or accept volunteers that show common sense and tolerance, not ones that are illogical and discriminating. If your pastor or clergymen cannot provide this, then do not hold Sunday School. A simple solution to a BIG problem—one that creates unnecessary ill-wills towards other religions.

Monsieur illumineering got to you before I can but I would like to second what he said. It's not all that hard to learn about other religions. How do you suppose that, lets says an agnostic, once Buddhist, like me know things about Christianity that quite a number of Christians do not? A lot of Christians have argued in this forum that Christ was born on December 25th, however, we non-Christians know better. How do you think we know that? We certainly do not go to any agnostic or atheist school.

i dont have a problem with it. there are many other holidays for other religions during the time. i mean, wouldnt you be a little bit aggrivated if right next to your "christmas trees" they were selling other religious items for the winter time? many things happen in winter
christmas, kwanzah, hannukah, new years, etc
so why shouldnt they just refer to them as "winter holidays"? they are.
and i know plenty of jewish kids who want a "winter holiday tree" to decorate themselves!

Yea, I heard that Dec 25 wasn't his exact birthday.

I only finished half of First Communion anyway.

My church is called St. Athanasius and I don't know if I should tell you where it's located. Even though it is pretty poor, I still love it and everything.

I dont think the teachers don't really go through any screening or anything. Maybe they didn't have a lot of instructors to choose from. I didn't like it a lot because one of the teachers kept spelling everything wrong and it was so effin annoying. The students are pretty much all into gangs. I didn't fit in.

If you were to see the campus itself, you'd be really blown away. There's soo many wear and tears. The cafeteria is the office and the auditorium put into one. The parking lot is the recess area and the basketball courts.

Unfortunately, that's the nearest church that provides Sunday School. It was my only option.

I do concur. Poverty should never excuse a lack of wisdom or tolerance. The misinformation accepted under the guise of "without resources" is far more damaging that accepting the void. Maybe the church should ask itself why there are so few resources. An honest look in the mirror may do the congregation some good.

Yeah, I kind of contradicted myself, sorry.
I meant that you don't see the non-Christians getting upset over other Christian/Catholic holiday traditions.

No it's not. You're better off looking online, going to the library and checking out books or starting your own study group. There are other options. None of your comments about that church or the congregation have been positive. Why do you need all that negativity?

I said that even though it was poor, I still love it.


If you think I'm lying about the school being poor then it's ok.

We're not talking about whether your school is poor or not. That doesn't matter. You can still do independent study if the information you get at your church is unreliable.

Christmas tree's are christmas tree's not winter trees...wtf. The occasion is called chistmas not winter, so I see what you're saying, why must they change it. I have a chistmas tree, tisel, lights, ornaments, etc and I get presents, I don't celebrate the birth of christ or whatever b.c I'm not catholic which is totally understandable, but when people get offended my one religeons occasion then f!ck them. Chistmas has been around for a long time, it's just an occasion, I don't see what's so offending about it, nobodys asking them to buy the christmas trees. I don't find any occasion of any religeon offending, except halloween, but that's a whole different story. My point is, some people are just making up excuses, to the best of my knowledge christianity is the/one of the most popular religeons, it's only a few decorations, it's not as if it's saying f!ck -insert religeon here-'s. Shops can't sell decorations for every single religeon. America, I think, is a Christian continent/country/whatever the hell america is, UK is a Protestant country, India I think is muslin I THINK, you get the idea right, what shops sell is based on what that country's main religeon is. It's not meant for offense.