So we can't call them CHRISTMAS trees anymore?

Amen. We don't live in Mayberry anymore, where we all celebrate Xmas except for the one jewish family down the street who has no wreath on their front door.

If you know someone celebrates Xmas, say "Merry Christmas!" If you know someone celebrates Hannakah, say "Happy Hannakah," if they celebrate Ramadan say, "You want me to sneak you a cookie?"

If you're not sure what persuasion folks are say, "Happy Holidays!" 'Tis the spirit in you that counts!

Although I have to agree with other folks; Lowe's should call them Christmas Trees. Christmas is not a dirty word.

 

Well put.

 

It apparently IS a dirty word and offensive to some. Because, of course, it's all about "tolerance" and not offending anyone anymore. That's what caused 9-11, after all, us not understanding other people. We've become such a whimpy nation. Bleh.

 

I think that they do not call them christmas trees so they can sell even more of them........ to the Hindu, hopefully to the Jewish People, Kwanza, etc..... They take away the tie to religion and suddenly the item becomes a decoration for the holidays....... They have now expanded the pool of people who might buy them.

Just my thoughts..... as far as holiday parties in school - the title seems reasonable - but I do agreee there is nothing wrong with saying Christmas or singing a christmas song

 

Was this a joke? Mill Run has "Book Character Dress-Up Day" every Halloween. Why? I'm assuming so as not to offend fundamentalist Christians.

Woops! Wrong, KD. Lots of non-Christians put up Christmas trees. I know of 4 off the top of my head. But I've met a lot along the way.

BTW, did anyone catch the irony that the American Family Association was the one in the uproar about Lowe's labeling a page with lit trees as "Family Trees"? Shouldn't they call themselves the American Evangelical Christians Who Respect No One Else's Values Association? I mean, that'd be the appropriate term.

 

Maybe to give it an educational twist? Halloween isn't exactly a historical custom that needs to be taught in school...

LOL. That is hysterical... Do they need to define "family" before they use the term, wouldn't want anyone to misinterpret that name and think they are sticking up for all of us...

 

Joy, you know what they say about assuming. As a teacher, I've gleaned from conversations that many of my Muslim, Hindu, Catholic (etc.) students do not celebrate Halloween, so in my experience, your comment seems small-minded and not considerate of other cultures' influence on how things, such as holidays, are handled in schools today.

 

Interesting. In my opinion it is perfectly acceptable for them to stand up for their values, just as any other religious or ethnic or cultural group should do. The difference as I see it is that it is socially acceptable to ignore or disregard the values and beliefs of Christians but if any one of us were to devalue the traditions or beliefs of any NON-CHRISTIAN group we'd be flamed and boo'ed into next week.

 

Having worked with native american indians i can tell you that for the most part they do not participate in halloween either.

 

Funny it's the "tolerant" crowd who finds it so easy and fashionable to denigrate Christians...apparently only those with the right and socially acceptable views are allowed to express their values...

 

Wow. How intolerant and bigoted. Apparently they are not the only ones who do not respect others' values? I love hypocrisy.

 

Steve Snow was great at this tactic. Take your worst traits and pin them on your opponents. Someone who opposes intolerance isn't intolerant.

For you to imply that non-Christians think their own views are 'socially acceptable' here in the USA is beyond moronic. That's like saying Christians in Iran think their views are socially acceptable.

And sharse, that comment you made which Baywatch applauded is also pretty lame by the same reasoning. Do Christians really think that non-Christians find their views around this time of year socially acceptable?

Attacking a retailer for being 'non-Christian' is stupid unless that retailer is a Christian book store. So what's next? Are we going to have a Christians-only water fountain and Christians -only bathrooms? Are non-Christians just being 'uppity?'

Take a step back and see what it is you are really defending against. No one is attacking Christians by calling them 'Holiday' trees. It is an attempt to show that people are not EXCLUDED from this season because they are not Christian. I don't see how a Christian's beliefs are attacked because someone who is not a Christian buys a tree and gives their kids gifts at the same time they do.

If you stop long enough to listen, non-Christians are not intolerant of Christians. They are tired of intolerant Christians. There is a BIG difference. The former would be manifested in mass protesting outside of all Christian churches. The latter manifests itself on public forums where non-Christians have to defend a retailer for trying to make them feel like they belong amongst a Christian majority.

God works in mysterious ways. What if Jesus comes back as an atheist? You gonna crucify him for putting up a Holiday Tree?

 

Your arguments were fine up until this point. Sure, non-Christians can have a holiday tree and the gift-giving...whatever floats their boat. As a Christian, that's not the relevant or important parts of Christmas for me anyway. In fact, take away all that stuff and I'll still have a wonderful, meaningful, joyful Christmas because the celebration of the birth of my Savior is so much more than trees and presents. It really breaks my heart that non-Christians have no real understanding of what Christmas truly means.

BUT your logic broke down when you start talking about Jesus the way that you did. All I can say is you have no clue, and it's a shame that your argument devolved into a ridiculous statement like that.

 

Heh??? I don't think it's fair to categorize "tolerant" folks as Christian-bashers.

To all concerned-- check out Michael's (craft store) circular this week. On the front page are "Christmas Trees" for sale!

 

Calling that statement ridiculous is offensive. It was a 'what-if' scenario asking how YOU would react. What is ridiculous is that you say everything I said was logical and then say I have no clue. Where is the logic in that?

Why is it okay to tell someone they are doomed to eternal damnation because they don't share the same beliefs as you but it is not okay for that person to tell you there is no heaven? Why should your belief have more weight than anyone else's beliefs? Christianity is NOT the predominate religion on the Earth.

I was raised Christian so I do have a clue. More so than you since I don't think it is a shame that you believe in a supreme being.

What is a shame is that some Christians think it is impossible to be happy without Jesus in their lives. What is a shame is that some Christians define 'family' values in solely Christian terms. THAT is offensive to any non-Christian family.

If there is one thing I learned in my time as a Christian it was calling yourself a Christian and living as one were two VERY different things.

I like my odds of getting into heaven much more than many of the Christians I know.

And - any good Christian should not be offended by anything I said because nothing I said would apply to them, right?

 

So I guess since you were offended, you are not a good Christian.

 

T8 looks like the little devil is coming out in you again

Lee j

 

I've read this a few times and I'm really not sure what you're asking, so I don't know how to respond. Do I think that non-Christians find the views of Christians as socially acceptable? If that's the question then my answer is, "No I do not, otherwise we wouldn't be discussing the issue of secularizing a religious holiday so as not to offend those who do not believe in that particular religion."

It's all about tolerance. You do your thing, I do mine, neither one of us should yap about how the other person's thing isn't all inclusive. You like the it? Celebrate it. You don't like it? Then don't. But don't ask me to change my gig, and I won't ask you to change yours. THAT, to me, is tolerance.

 

I think you need to go back and reread my post because you’re attributing statements to me that I never wrote. I never told you or anybody else that they were doomed to eternal damnation. I never wrote it was a shame that you don’t believe in a supreme being. What I said was, this Christian thinks it’s fine for people to have their holiday trees and gift-giving time when I celebrate Christmas. I also wrote that you have no clue when you wrote such a ridiculous question…specifically, what would happen if Jesus came again as an atheist, and would I crucify him for having a holiday tree.

Surely you realized that it was a ridiculous hypothetical. For myself and other Christians I know, it’s utterly impossible that Jesus would come back as an atheist. It’s an absurd proposition. I frankly don’t understand why you threw that “what if” question into your post. Perhaps you were trying to get at something deeper, such as what would I do if I found out that everything I believed in was false. Was that your underlying question?

It’s also a ridiculous question to pose to non-Christians because if they don’t believe in Jesus, would they really care:
A) if He came back, and
B) what He thinks.

You rolled a lot more into your response than just addressing what I wrote. You brought up a lot of baggage about Christians that you know, have known, think you know, whatever. I’m not biting. Maybe somebody else will.