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Offended by Christmas???

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Are we sure that Ben Stein actually wrote that? Look at this portion of the Snopes article. You'll notice that some of the exact text that Stein supposedly wrote is actually from a much earlier source:

The following snippet harvested from a 2002 embellishment of the 2001 remarks on the September 11 tragedy offered by the daughter of evangelist Billy Graham provides an example of the context in which this rumor is often promulgated:

Then, Dr Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide) and we said, an expert should know what he's talking about so we said OK.

So either that whole piece quoted in this thread is an urban legend itself and was not actually written by Stein at all, or he was quoting someone else when he wrote it. FWIW.

Or Stein's a plagiarist in addition to being a mendacious cretin, which certainly is not beyond likelihood.

For all their whining about "political correctness," the gang who've developed Taking Offense at Everything almost into a profession in this country are the so-called "cultural conservatives." It's been delightful, in the last decade, to watch their various social causes slip further and further into failure (as even Pat Buchanan has noted: "We've lost the culture wars").
 
I am done arguing in this thread... but I do respond to personal attacks and snarky remarks. One more, and sidious will be the proud winner of a report to the Mods. :)
 
I am done arguing in this thread... but I do respond to personal attacks and snarky remarks. One more, and sidious will be the proud winner of a report to the Mods. :)

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Mod here.

The notification feature is private. Announcing in the thread that you're going to use it in advance sort of defeats the purpose and makes it come across like you're just saying that to cause trouble. It's not the first time you've done this around the board but I suggest it should be your last.

If you have a problem with something someone says, report it, let us discuss the situation in private amongst ourselves and come to a decision on our own without there being extra drama in the thread in the form of threatening to report someone. Many of us weigh in from different forums on these issues, so you don't have to worry about bias from one mod involved in the discussion.

Okay? Thanks. You may now return to your regularly scheduled hoe down. :)
 
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Out of interest - do many people in America know about the Bath School Massacre which occurred more than 80 years ago? It believe it is the worst massacre at a school in American history though the murderer used bombs not guns.
 
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Out of interest - do many people in America know about the Bath School Massacre which occurred more than 80 years ago? It believe it is the worst massacre at a school in American history though the murderer used bombs not guns.

Sadly, some people wouldn't consider the Bath Massacre to be a true Massacre as it was a "tax protest" and anything dealing with the overreaching "gubbmitt" being targeted is fine... :(
 
@ Miss Chicken

Yep, I've heard of it. That was one of the incidents I was referring to earlier when I said school shootings and bombings have long predated the end of mandatory prayer sessions being allowed in schools.

While the frequency of such attacks have certainly gone up (probably in response to the killer(s) getting more media coverage and the chance to become infamous - which is unfortunately largely unavoidable), they're still extremely rare and not in any way a new phenomenon.

Expendable, welcome to the board. :)
 
That's great, and as it should be. Again, I don't know anyone who is actually offended by being genuinely wished a Merry Christmas in good spirit. However, that kind, friendly sentiment of togetherness doesn't go both ways if you also have a problem with people saying Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings, which is the only thing I've ever seen someone (Christians) actually get upset by.

I'm a little bit annoyed by people saying "merry christmas" to me because it kind of feels like someone wishing me "happy birthday" when it's his own birthday and not mine.
 
That's great, and as it should be. Again, I don't know anyone who is actually offended by being genuinely wished a Merry Christmas in good spirit. However, that kind, friendly sentiment of togetherness doesn't go both ways if you also have a problem with people saying Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings, which is the only thing I've ever seen someone (Christians) actually get upset by.

I'm a little bit annoyed by people saying "merry christmas" to me because it kind of feels like someone wishing me "happy birthday" when it's his own birthday and not mine.

Don't blow my anecdotal evidence, man. :lol:

I get what you're saying, but I honestly don't understand why it would annoy you. It's like getting upset that someone wishes you a "good day" because you haven't actually had a good day. Unless there are some obvious clues, they don't know that, so they're just trying to be polite and friendly. Likewise, unless you live in an area where Christmas is rarely celebrated, or have obvious signs that you're not a Christian (and even then many non-Christians like me celebrate Christmas), wishing you a Merry Christmas is just trying to be nice. Take it in the spirit it was given.

The alternative is people not saying it to anyone unless they're absolutely sure of their beliefs, and frankly I like the extra bit of effort that (most) people seem to try and put into being friendly over the holidays.
 
Are we sure that Ben Stein actually wrote that? Look at this portion of the Snopes article. You'll notice that some of the exact text that Stein supposedly wrote is actually from a much earlier source:

<snip>

So either that whole piece quoted in this thread is an urban legend itself and was not actually written by Stein at all, or he was quoting someone else when he wrote it. FWIW.

Or Stein's a plagiarist in addition to being a mendacious cretin, which certainly is not beyond likelihood.

Or, the whole piece could have been *misattributed* to Stein, and thus he never wrote it OR claimed to. :shrug:
someone wishing me "happy birthday" when it's his own birthday and not mine.

Eh? How often do people do THAT? :lol:
 
I'm offended by all this offense at people getting offended. I should complain about it.

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I'm a little bit annoyed by people saying "merry christmas" to me because it kind of feels like someone wishing me "happy birthday" when it's his own birthday and not mine.
Yeah, and I get offended when somebody wishes me a happy Veteran's Day because I'm not a veteran. And I get offended when somebody wishes me a happy Columbus Day because I'm not Columbus. And I get offended when somebody wishes me a happy Halloween because I'm not a Zombie... or something.
 
Do people do that in the USA? I think the only other holiday I've ever heard people wishing me a happy of whatever day except Christmas is New Year.
 
^ No, he's just kidding for the most part. Trick-or-treaters will say say Happy Halloween after you give them candy and adults will say it back to them, and sometimes people will say it throughout the day. And some people will say Happy Valentines/New Years/Easter, but no one says Happy Veterans Day or Happy Columbus Day that I've ever heard.

And before anyone flips out about people not honoring Veteran's Day, I just mean it's not the type of holiday where you gleefully proclaim "Happy Veterans Day!" like you're going to throw a big party or something.

I'm a little bit annoyed by people saying "merry christmas" to me because it kind of feels like someone wishing me "happy birthday" when it's his own birthday and not mine.
Yeah, and I get offended when somebody wishes me a happy Veteran's Day because I'm not a veteran. And I get offended when somebody wishes me a happy Columbus Day because I'm not Columbus. And I get offended when somebody wishes me a happy Halloween because I'm not a Zombie... or something.

Yeah, but when Grape Day rolls around you are all over it.

Bummer that you get the day that's on September 11th though.
 
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