Mind Over Matter
Registered Senior Member
I never understood why some non-religious people were offended by Merry Christmas. I'm curious if they accept Christmas bonus from employer as well?
Should atheists retain religious holidays (e.g. Christmas, etc)?
- Thread starter Mind Over Matter
- Start date
Why not? Even if u dont accept the beliefs underlying a holiday, its still a part of your culture and tradition. Should u follow it?
Yes one should. Because it's helpful, keeps ur social life healthy and easy. If u can be polite to a person u dislike, why cant u observe holidays of a ideology u disagree with? Why shouldn't u?
Mind Over Matter
Registered Senior Member
Some do not attend Christmas parties. But my guess is they do accept Christmas bonus.
I don't attend the Christmas party, and our bonus isn't on Christmas, so it's not a Christmas bonus. But I do accept that there is a holiday called Christmas, so merry Christmas is a nice thing to say.
In a secular society it would be against the rules to offer a "Christmas" bonus only to one religion. Hence why it is officially not given such a title, or it is considered a secular holiday and acceptable to all.
I'm perfectly happy taking an "End of year" bonus.
The question implies you live in a country where businesses give Christmas bonuses. I will use the US as an example.
Jewish people have some difficulty wading through the plastic manger scenes to find the menorah section. Muslims, Zen Buddhists, Native American peoples, or any of the other hundreds of ethnicities may have a related difficulty.
The glorification of one group's point of view, establishing it as the national identity for celebration, may be offensive to people who believe in the American principle of equality.
Notwithstanding your premise that only non-religious people may be offended, that is.
I suppose you could put the shoe on the other foot and ask yourself how you would feel if your appreciation of Christmas were barely recognized because America had been founded by Israeli explorers, and your family had escaped here during a genocide of Christians, and just now, when you are wanting to sing carols around a manger, you can't even get into the right frame of mind because every audio feed everywhere you go is playing that infernal Dreidal Song and all the fast food joints are substituting latkes for fries.
Presumably you would still take your Hanukkah bonus.
Pretty much what Aqueous Id said.
Also: most non-religious people are not in the least offended to hear Merry Christmas, but do find it a little tedious to be humphed-at when they say Happy Holiday, because they have failed to ascertain the religion of each person they greet over a period of six interminable weeks and don't wish to offend the Muslims, Jews, Cheyenne, Buddhists, Druids and Hindus they may encounter, and more than a little annoying to be constantly upbraided by media pundits for their consideration.... That's on top of being subjected to the barrage of pious television programming, exhortations to spend far more than they can afford on a celebration they don't share, and that inescapable syrupy mall music! So, yes, some of us may get a little testy during this joyous, joyous season.
Also: most non-religious people are not in the least offended to hear Merry Christmas, but do find it a little tedious to be humphed-at when they say Happy Holiday, because they have failed to ascertain the religion of each person they greet over a period of six interminable weeks and don't wish to offend the Muslims, Jews, Cheyenne, Buddhists, Druids and Hindus they may encounter, and more than a little annoying to be constantly upbraided by media pundits for their consideration.... That's on top of being subjected to the barrage of pious television programming, exhortations to spend far more than they can afford on a celebration they don't share, and that inescapable syrupy mall music! So, yes, some of us may get a little testy during this joyous, joyous season.
"Merry Christmas" just reminds me of how the Christian faith hijacked the pagan and secular festivals that celebrated the year's end and the winter solstice to their own ends.
I have no issue with the crass over-commercialisation of the festive period, getting people to spend more money than they actually have and making parents feel guilty for not getting Tommy the new bike he wanted, or the latest game-station and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
I have no issue with the religious aspects of the holiday period (most of the religious claims being far easier to swallow than a jovial portly bearded man visiting every child's house in Christendom over a 24-hour period) as long as it is kept behind closed doors and not thrust upon people... yes - I'm talking to you, carol-singers! Stay away from my door!!!
And of course it is the festive period where you are made to feel guilty if you don't share in the same saccharine and shallow happiness and good-cheer that society seems to insist you should. I'd rather people be genuinely happy throughout the year, rather than have a religion help promote a false "season" for it.
And I do get an annual bonus from work... usually just enough to account for the annual vastly-in-excess-of-inflation increase in costs at the caffeteria (and I use that word loosely!). And the only link to Christmas is that it comes once a year!
I have no issue with the crass over-commercialisation of the festive period, getting people to spend more money than they actually have and making parents feel guilty for not getting Tommy the new bike he wanted, or the latest game-station and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
I have no issue with the religious aspects of the holiday period (most of the religious claims being far easier to swallow than a jovial portly bearded man visiting every child's house in Christendom over a 24-hour period) as long as it is kept behind closed doors and not thrust upon people... yes - I'm talking to you, carol-singers! Stay away from my door!!!
And of course it is the festive period where you are made to feel guilty if you don't share in the same saccharine and shallow happiness and good-cheer that society seems to insist you should. I'd rather people be genuinely happy throughout the year, rather than have a religion help promote a false "season" for it.
And I do get an annual bonus from work... usually just enough to account for the annual vastly-in-excess-of-inflation increase in costs at the caffeteria (and I use that word loosely!). And the only link to Christmas is that it comes once a year!
I'm not offended by 'Merry Christmas' because the time of year has not religious aspect me. It's a break from work, a chance to catch up with friends and family, and have some fun.
We don't get Xmas bonuses, all of my companies' bonuses are purely performance related, but if you want to test your hypothesis about accepting money as purely an Xmas bonus, you can send me some and I'll tell you how I feel about it.
We don't get Xmas bonuses, all of my companies' bonuses are purely performance related, but if you want to test your hypothesis about accepting money as purely an Xmas bonus, you can send me some and I'll tell you how I feel about it.
The wheel of the season's with natural transitions as determined by nature.
All persons should be free to observe and celebrate same,
regardless of their beliefs, lack of faith or given name.
All persons should be free to observe and celebrate same,
regardless of their beliefs, lack of faith or given name.
K
keith1
Guest
It is futile, of low intelligent thought, and of a robot mind as if a follower of a North
Korean cult, to take umbrage of someone who refuses to follow lockstep with the days.
Tho the galaxies do cycle their centers, as a whole, they are moving across the Universe in larger defined cluster groups, in a direction that does not allow them any opportunity to return to any specific position, in any time period, to allow significance to the days beyond a loose local routine seed-casting.
Big Deal. Get your overalls on and move back to the farm, delberts and delbertas.
In the realm of the higher intellects it is labeled a thinking impediment called, "stuck in the hundreds".
Korean cult, to take umbrage of someone who refuses to follow lockstep with the days.
Tho the galaxies do cycle their centers, as a whole, they are moving across the Universe in larger defined cluster groups, in a direction that does not allow them any opportunity to return to any specific position, in any time period, to allow significance to the days beyond a loose local routine seed-casting.
Big Deal. Get your overalls on and move back to the farm, delberts and delbertas.
In the realm of the higher intellects it is labeled a thinking impediment called, "stuck in the hundreds".
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K
keith1
Guest
It's like I said, "stuck in the hundreds".
It really confuses the mind-bots when an and/or-based sub-routine is introduced.
Beep. Where is up? Why can't up just simply stay south? Beep.
It really confuses the mind-bots when an and/or-based sub-routine is introduced.
Beep. Where is up? Why can't up just simply stay south? Beep.
Never known anyone who was offended by Merry Christmas... Although I have heard some people take offense at Happy Holidays...
Never received a Christmas Bonus. I have received many a bonus around the end of the year.