IslamiCity Forum - Islamic Discussion Forum: 'Merry Christmas' got her fired

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mariyah

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Posted: 28 December 2008 at 6:45pm

Originally posted by Shasta'sAunt

Originally posted by abuayisha

"I hold my core Christian values to a high standard and I absolutely refuse to give in on the basis of values. All I wanted was to be able to say 'Merry Christmas' or to acknowledge no holidays," she said Tuesday. "As a Christian, I don't recognize any other holidays."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081226/ap_on_re_us/happy_holidays_firing

I think people should be allowed to say Merry Christmas at their place of employment. Along with Eid Mubarek, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Lohri and the other 10,000 Hindu holidays, Happy Visakah Puja, etc.....

I have to say I agree on this one

"Every good deed is charity whether you come to your brother's assistance or just greet him with a smile.

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abuayisha

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Posted: 28 December 2008 at 8:50pm

PAUL PAYACK: "What we're finding is that there's, it's kind of like there's a backlash where people are trying to say 'Merry Christmas' where they normally might say 'Happy Holidays,' because they see it as what's called the 'war against Christmas,' as some of the commentators are calling it. And there's not really a war against Christmas, but it's the idea that many major companies just take the name Christmas out of everything.

"OK, in Boston, this was an interesting one, that a farmer, a tree farmer in Nova Scotia, donated this large, magnificent tree as the Christmas tree for the Boston Common. So the mayor sends out something that says, we're going to have a holiday tree-lighting ceremony. Well, people went berserk, and the fellow that donated the tree said, I want it back if it's not a Christmas tree. It's not a holiday tree, it's a Christmas tree."

http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2005-12/2005-12-20-voa1.cfm

Edited by abuayisha - 28 December 2008 at 8:52pm

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abuayisha

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Posted: 28 December 2008 at 9:02pm

Originally posted by Hyposonic

"I agree. What's the big deal - especially in America."

I don’t know if this was a joke or a sincere replay, but as Shasta mentioned, there are many holidays that many different cultures celebrate many of whom reside in the U.S. To be fair not to offend others in a place of work people ought to be neutral.

Very sincere - seeing that America is mainly a Christian country; so if you can’t say ‘Merry Christmas’ here, where can it be said?

81% of American adults identify themselves with a specific religion: 76.5% (159 million) of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Source: <http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_prac2.htm>

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mariacanadiana

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Posted: 29 December 2008 at 1:49am

Ben Stein, an american actor, wrote this about christmas. It seems to me the only people insisting on not calling Christmas "Christmas" are the people who celebrate it.

I thought it was insiteful so I'll post it here

"Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart:

I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important? I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is, either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.

Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are. Is this what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.

Next confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?

I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to."

Edited by mariacanadiana - 29 December 2008 at 9:53am

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Author	Message
mariyah Senior Member Joined: 29 March 2006 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1283	Posted: 28 December 2008 at 6:45pm
	*Originally posted by Shasta'sAunt* *Originally posted by abuayisha* "I hold my core Christian values to a high standard and I absolutely refuse to give in on the basis of values. All I wanted was to be able to say 'Merry Christmas' or to acknowledge no holidays," she said Tuesday. "As a Christian, I don't recognize any other holidays." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081226/ap_on_re_us/happy_holidays_firing I think people should be allowed to say Merry Christmas at their place of employment. Along with Eid Mubarek, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Lohri and the other 10,000 Hindu holidays, Happy Visakah Puja, etc..... I have to say I agree on this one
	"Every good deed is charity whether you come to your brother's assistance or just greet him with a smile.
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abuayisha Senior Member Joined: 05 October 1999 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3994	Posted: 28 December 2008 at 8:50pm
	PAUL PAYACK: "What we're finding is that there's, it's kind of like there's a backlash where people are trying to say 'Merry Christmas' where they normally might say 'Happy Holidays,' because they see it as what's called the 'war against Christmas,' as some of the commentators are calling it. And there's not really a war against Christmas, but it's the idea that many major companies just take the name Christmas out of everything. "OK, in Boston, this was an interesting one, that a farmer, a tree farmer in Nova Scotia, donated this large, magnificent tree as the Christmas tree for the Boston Common. So the mayor sends out something that says, we're going to have a holiday tree-lighting ceremony. Well, people went berserk, and the fellow that donated the tree said, I want it back if it's not a Christmas tree. It's not a holiday tree, it's a Christmas tree." http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2005-12/2005-12-20-voa1.cfm Edited by abuayisha - 28 December 2008 at 8:52pm
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abuayisha Senior Member Joined: 05 October 1999 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3994	Posted: 28 December 2008 at 9:02pm
	*Originally posted by Hyposonic* "I agree. What's the big deal - especially in America." I don’t know if this was a joke or a sincere replay, but as Shasta mentioned, there are many holidays that many different cultures celebrate many of whom reside in the U.S. To be fair not to offend others in a place of work people ought to be neutral. Very sincere - seeing that America is mainly a Christian country; so if you can’t say ‘Merry Christmas’ here, where can it be said? 81% of American adults identify themselves with a specific religion: 76.5% (159 million) of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Source: <http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_prac2.htm>
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mariacanadiana Newbie Joined: 05 December 2008 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 38	Posted: 29 December 2008 at 1:49am
	Ben Stein, an american actor, wrote this about christmas. It seems to me the only people insisting on not calling Christmas "Christmas" are the people who celebrate it. I thought it was insiteful so I'll post it here "Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important? I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is, either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife. Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are. Is this what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad. Next confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to." Edited by mariacanadiana - 29 December 2008 at 9:53am
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