Wisconsin Capitol Building's "Holiday Tree"

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

If "Christmas" is so offensive for whoever out there, I fully expect them to be at work on December 25th.

Yes because everyone controls whether or not their workplace is open based on their own personal beliefs.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Yes because everyone controls whether or not their workplace is open based on their own personal beliefs.

I see that you've met them already.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

I see that you've met them already.

Thanks for the non-response. It was useful.

[kstar]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

If "Christmas" is so offensive for whoever out there, I fully expect them to be at work on December 25th.

I will be. Just as I expect off for Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Purim, et cetera, the Christians can expect Christmas, Easter, Epiphany... The Muslims for Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha...

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

If "Christmas" is so offensive for whoever out there, I fully expect them to be at work on December 25th.

If they find it "offensive" then they can go soak their heads.

[skylark]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

If "Christmas" is so offensive for whoever out there, I fully expect them to be at work on December 25th.

I think you're missing the point. I don't think anyone is out there saying "christmas is offensive." They just don't want it being sponsored by government by being in a public building. I certainly hope you can appreciate the important distinction... and if you can't maybe you should ask yourself if it would offend you if you lived in a middle-eastern country, paid taxes, but were part of a christian minority... and the government put up non-christian religious symbols around the holidays, refusing to honor a christian minority with a christmas tree? Would that make you feel like your beliefs were being judged.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by skylark

I think you're missing the point. I don't think anyone is out there saying "christmas is offensive." They just don't want it being sponsored by government by being in a public building. I certainly hope you can appreciate the important distinction... and if you can't maybe you should ask yourself if it would offend you if you lived in a middle-eastern country, paid taxes, but were part of a christian minority... and the government put up non-christian religious symbols around the holidays, refusing to honor a christian minority with a christmas tree? Would that make you feel like your beliefs were being judged.

If I lived in a predominatly Jewish/Muslim/etc country/area, I would fully expect to see decorations up for their religious holidays, and I wouldn't find it offensive. And if I did, I suppose I would leave or get over it. (Yeah, that's oversimplified, but whatever).

[skylark]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

If I lived in a predominatly Jewish/Muslim/etc country/area, I would fully expect to see decorations up for their religious holidays, and I wouldn't find it offensive. And if I did, I suppose I would leave or get over it. (Yeah, that's oversimplified, but whatever).

Would it matter if you and your family were born there v. you as a foreigner moving there?

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by skylark

....if you lived in a middle-eastern country, paid taxes, but were part of a christian minority... and the government put up non-christian religious symbols around the holidays, refusing to honor a christian minority with a christmas tree? Would that make you feel like your beliefs were being judged.

No matter where I lived, I would go by the "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" philosophy.

[RACooper]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

No matter where I lived, I would go by the "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" philosophy.

It's a shame that more don't follow that philosophy, and accept a pluralistic view of faith in society... of course I suspect that wasn't your point.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by skylark

and if you can't maybe you should ask yourself if it would offend you if you lived in a middle-eastern country, paid taxes, but were part of a christian minority... and the government put up non-christian religious symbols around the holidays, refusing to honor a christian minority with a christmas tree? Would that make you feel like your beliefs were being judged.

No, I would be happy just to be alive. Besides a lot of those countries ban Christianity anyway.

[southernfrat]

happy...wait i mean MERRY CHRISTMAS yall

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by southernfrat

happy...wait i mean MERRY CHRISTMAS yall

Amen, same to you sir.

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by southernfrat

happy...wait i mean MERRY CHRISTMAS yall

That's worth repeating Hope everyone had a great day!

[skylark]

I guess I am just really sympathetic to religious minorities, especially around the holidays when everyone tends to get so "in your face" about celebrating christmas and if you don't celebrate it, then your lives should revolve around others who do. I mean, I certainly there are definitely worse things in the world, but I think it wouldn't kill us to make our society a little more friendly to people of any religion simply because that is what we would want if we were in their position.

Some factors I think that would make me feel isolated, uncomfortable, and just more difficult as a religious minority would be:
- having to use half my vacation time every year to celebrate my own religious holidays, while having to take random days off to honor religions that I don't celebrate.
- working or having to frequently visit a government building and listening to religious songs by carolers and having to walk by christian religious symbols every day.
- watching the media honor christian religious holidays with special programming every year while ignoring minority religions.
- being told "merry christmas" by every sales person for about a month every year and having them look offended at me if I don't return the sentiment or (gasp) say something like "happy hannukah" or "happy kwanzaa."
- watching my tax dollars spent on things that honor christian holidays (vacation of government employees, government christmas trees and nativity sets, government statues and other decorations that display christian biblical things, etc.)

(note: not all of these things I think can be solved, but I think that they are things to consider in possibly doing something symbolic that might really make someone feel more included ... like putting up a friggin menorah or other religions' symbols as ornaments on a "holiday" tree that taxpayers of all religions pay for.)