Dreaming of a (Secular) Christmas

[The Mad Viking]

Everyone, have a Merry Christmas, whatever that means to you and your family.

And, to the few who can read this message but do not celebrate at Christmas, I do hope you enjoy some quality time with your family and friends.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by MikeH
Why do people keep trying to ruin christmas with religion?

I dunno. Why do people seek to ruin it with commercialization?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by molly bloom

And in other news, my Jewish friends will be getting their birds from the KOSHER butcher's in north London, who will just coincidentally be getting them in at this time of year too.

Here in G-ds country one gets Kosher Turkeys for Thanksgiving. Buying Kosher Turkeys for "Yule"? Silly English Jews. But each to his own goo, i suppose.

I still like Chinese food on Christmas.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by molly bloom



Don't forget the three wise men, who after having brought their cheery gifts were then stoned to death for being astrologers, as the Bible advises that astrologers are an abomination.

Actually the Jewish views on astrology were pretty mixed - theres a tradition that Abraham was able to read the Zodiac. Many ancient synagogues have mosaics of the Zodiac - theres one ive seen in Jericho - IIUC this was reconciled with the biblical injunction by saying that the biblical injunction was directed at evil or idolatrous uses of astrology. So unless theres actually something in the NT saying the wise men were stoned to death, you cant assume they were based the biblical verse. Aside from which, IIRC theres also evidence he DP was used pretty sparingly, essentially only for murders, and maybe not even for all of them.

People trying to understand 1st century Judaism by reading the bible and not looking at actual rabbinic sources

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by The Mad Viking
Everyone, have a Merry Christmas, whatever that means to you and your family.

And, to the few who can read this message but do not celebrate at Christmas, I do hope you enjoy some quality time with your family and friends.

Thank you. May you have a lovely holidy, and know peace.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly


My point is that, of those, only one is American -- and I'll bet you can't tell me which one it is. American carols don't have no stinkin' Savior in 'em!

Why do you hate freedom, Zkribbler?

So anything that came over on the boat isnt American? As Molly tells us every Thanksgiving, that means virtually the entire Thanksgiving feast isnt American.

[Last Conformist]

Well, thanksgiving is just yet another version of the traditional European harvest festival, near as I can tell.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
Well, thanksgiving is just yet another version of the traditional European harvest festival, near as I can tell.

One of the things I dont like about the rampant commercialization of Christmas, is how the "christmas season" now starts at the beginning of November, and so lessens the impact of Thanksgiving, a truely ecumenical , and generally non-commercial, holiday.

[DRoseDARs]

Beautiful letter to the editor:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/letters_to_editor/article/0,1426,MCA_538_4336118,00.html

I would like to thank conservative Christians for doing their best to destroy the joy of the Christmas season. Those of us who felt that "Happy Holidays" was an innocent way of being inclusive to those who hold different beliefs were greeted with vitriolic attacks. Petulant self-pity and paranoia seem to have become the hallmarks of the "modern" Christian. To use the phrase of one writer, no pagan, atheist or unbeliever could have done more to undermine the meaning of Christmas.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
Why do you hate freedom, Zkribbler?

If Bush is for it, then I'm against it!

[Last Conformist]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


One of the things I dont like about the rampant commercialization of Christmas, is how the "christmas season" now starts at the beginning of November, and so lessens the impact of Thanksgiving, a truely ecumenical , and generally non-commercial, holiday.

In the parts of the world with sensible weather, the harvest festival isn't in November.

But it's pretty much dead here, except among religious rural folks.

[GePap]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I dunno. Why do people seek to ruin it with commercialization?

How could you ruin a commercialized holiday with MORE commercialization?

Many stores make up to 25% of their profits or more in just the week before Dec 25. ARE YOU COMIE BASTARDS SEEKING TO DESTROY THE AMERICAN ECONOMY!!!

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by lord of the mark

Buying Kosher Turkeys for "Yule"? Silly English Jews. But each to his own goo, i suppose.

'British', if you please.

I'm assured that even Jews in Wales and Scotland happen to find kosher turkeys coincidentally at this time of year...

I still like Chinese food on Christmas.

So does our local Muslim community- the local halal Chinese Restaurant does a very good trade this time of year, as does the kosher Chinese place in Golders Green apparently.

As Molly tells us every Thanksgiving, that means virtually the entire Thanksgiving feast isnt American.

I do nothing of the sort, thank you very much, nor have I done so in the past.

Definitely feeling the spirit of good will to all men from you- not.

People trying to understand 1st century Judaism by reading the bible and not looking at actual rabbinic sources

People not being able to understand when I'm not making serious well-researched points about minor aspects of Jewish culture, but instead poking fun at Christian misconceptions about who the magi (Iranian astrologer/astronomers, not KINGS FERCRISSAKES) were.

Sometimes, you're just too po-faced and literal for your own good.

Perhaps Sanity Clausewitz will bring you a senzahuma for Hanukkah...

[beingofone]

I have to agree that we should restrict ALL religious ideas from each other. It could destroy the fabric of civilization itself.

I have been traumatized for most of my life by the names of the days in the week. Sunday through Saturday each day named after some ancient god. It offends me deeply and I am unable to function in a society that refers to the days of the week and months as oppressive and intolerant of other religious views.

Join me in a crusade to rid the world of this narrow minded attempt to turn us all into victims of the establishing of religion by and through the names of days and months.

We shall not rest until we are all FREE FROM OPPRESSION. Do away with the names of days and months now. I deserve freedom to not refer to - dare I say it?
AHHHH - MOONDAY - what horror.
You will never know how hard that was to type.

[Az]

Sometimes, you're just too po-faced and literal for your own good.

well, he is MrSarcasm, after all...