The War on Christmas: 2K8

[Big Ol' Smitty]

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Muslim man jumped to the aid of three Jewish subway riders after they were attacked by a group of young people who objected to one of the Jews saying "Happy Hanukkah," a spokeswoman for the three said Wednesday.

 

The New York Police Department's Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating Friday's incident on the Q train.

 

Friday's altercation on the Q train began when somebody yelled out "Merry Christmas," to which rider Walter Adler responded, "Happy Hanukkah," said Toba Hellerstein.

 

"Almost immediately, you see the look in this guy's face like I've called his mother something," Adler told CNN affiliate WABC.

 

Two women who were with a group of 10 rowdy people then began to verbally assault Adler's companions with anti-Semitic language, Hellerstein said.

 

One member of the group allegedly yelled, "Oh, Hanukkah. That's the day that the Jews killed Jesus," she said.

 

When Adler tried to intercede, a male member of the group punched him, she said.

 

Another passenger, Hassan Askari -- a Muslim student from Bangladesh -- came to Adler's aid, and the group began physically and verbally assaulting him, Hellerstein said.

 

"A Muslim-American saved us when our own people were on the train and didn't do anything," Adler said.

 

Adler pulled the emergency brake and the train stopped at DeKalb Avenue station, where police came on board.

 

The 10 suspects, ages 19 to 20, were taken into custody, said Brooklyn district attorney spokesman Sandy Silverstein...

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/12/12/subway.attack/

 

(oops, I guess it's 2007, please change thread title mods)

[2GOLD]

I wonder what they would have did to him if he said Happy Kwanzaa?

And this story is proof the Holidays bring us all together...well not all of us, but for one brief moment the Jewish community and the Muslim community were one! And you had a group of 10 Jewish haters find each other.

 

It's like some kind of deranged FX holiday original movie special.

[Nightwing]

Bah. It's just a stupid roster upgrade.

[Big Ol' Smitty]

haha

 

I'm thinking about waterboarding an elf this year. Ya know, just to do my part.

[Big Ol' Smitty]

From the NRSC (Natl. Republic Senate Cmte.)

 

http://wonkette.com/politics/war-on-christ...p?autoplay=true

 

*kills self*

[Gary Floyd]

Good God, did South Park teach us nothing?

[Retard Girl]

is this a good time/place to get into my anti-santa and anti-over-consumerism rants?

[Maztinho]

is this a good time/place to get into my anti-santa and anti-over-consumerism rants?

 

Start with column A and tie in column B a bit.

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

Actually, don't. I prefer the idea of a completely secular Christmas, in which we just celebrate the end of the calendar with our families, eat a lot of food, buy lots of shit, put lights in our windows (tastefully, of course), and stick a fake tree in the family room. Intrinsically, it's all a bunch of co-opted nonsense, but I love it. I find all that to be vastly more palatable than anything regarding the birth of Christ. I can't even imagine having to go to Midnight Mass or whatever it is they do. That's not fun at all! Christmas is supposed to be fun, not Christian. I just like the idea of everything being different and special for a month or so out of my dreary bleak winter. Special music, special food, special lights, all of that. Every tired old screed on consumerism has been done before, and I doubt you have much to add to the discourse. Christmas should be for overconsumption, dammit.

[Dobbs 3K]

I think it's only Catholics who go to midnight mass.

 

Anyway, as for the rest of your comments: "God Bless America!"

[Nightwing]

haha

 

I'm thinking about waterboarding an elf this year. Ya know, just to do my part.

 

Just waterboarding? I believe the US Government is okay with that.

 

As long as you don't do any lasting psychological damage or some such thing. But hey, what are the chances of that happening?

[NoCalMike]

I just like to observe during the holidays who is pretending that they actually celebrate anything other then the pagan rituals. Where they spend an obscene amount on presents, christmas decorations etc etc etc.....and then find some cheezy 30 seconds out of the day to acknowledge this jesus guy that "made it all possible"

[Cowboy Battlenuts]

I'm a buddhist, and I celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, just because I like decorations.

[Dobbs 3K]

I just like to observe during the holidays who is pretending that they actually celebrate anything other then the pagan rituals. Where they spend an obscene amount on presents, christmas decorations etc etc etc.....and then find some cheezy 30 seconds out of the day to acknowledge this jesus guy that "made it all possible"

 

Why? Do you hate Christians? Asking an honest question. Because, yeah, that is the stereotype, but I don't know anyone actually like that. Either they go to church somewhat regularly and acknowledge Christ at Christmas, or they don't at all, from what I generally see.

[NoCalMike]

I just like to observe during the holidays who is pretending that they actually celebrate anything other then the pagan rituals. Where they spend an obscene amount on presents, christmas decorations etc etc etc.....and then find some cheezy 30 seconds out of the day to acknowledge this jesus guy that "made it all possible"

 

Why? Do you hate Christians? Asking an honest question. Because, yeah, that is the stereotype, but I don't know anyone actually like that. Either they go to church somewhat regularly and acknowledge Christ at Christmas, or they don't at all, from what I generally see.

 

No. I am indifferent to Christians, just like any other religious people/religion. I guess my point is that with this entire "War on Christmas" thing, there are a boatload of people who really seem to all of the sudden be christian when it comes to "protecting christmas" even though what they are engaging in and/or celebrating on Christmas has hardly anything to do with Jesus or Christianity. If people were just more honest with themselves and what they really believe instead of having a pack mentality, then maybe people would stop wasting time and energy on nonsense such as "The War on Christmas"

 

"Don't you dare call my holiday where I out and break the bank trying to buy everything in the store for my child, something OTHER THAN Christmas"

 

I sometimes almost feel that what 90% of people do on Christmas should be a entirely different holiday in itself. I am not sure how they blended, or if it was always a blended holiday between christians and secularists, if so, then so be it. Like I said, I am indifferent to it all really, but it is the "War On Christmas" rhetoric that bugs me.

 

And for the record I am not someone who believes "Merry Christmas" should be banned. I think those folks are just as nutty as the ones ready to have an ulcer over "Happy Holidays"

[Guest panthermatt7]

Actually, don't. I prefer the idea of a completely secular Christmas, in which we just celebrate the end of the calendar with our families, eat a lot of food, buy lots of shit, put lights in our windows (tastefully, of course), and stick a fake tree in the family room. Intrinsically, it's all a bunch of co-opted nonsense, but I love it. I find all that to be vastly more palatable than anything regarding the birth of Christ. I can't even imagine having to go to Midnight Mass or whatever it is they do. That's not fun at all! Christmas is supposed to be fun, not Christian. I just like the idea of everything being different and special for a month or so out of my dreary bleak winter. Special music, special food, special lights, all of that. Every tired old screed on consumerism has been done before, and I doubt you have much to add to the discourse. Christmas should be for overconsumption, dammit.

 

*bangs head against wall*

 

"Christmas is supposed to be fun, not Christian!" ?? But without the Christian basis of Christmas, there wouldn't be a holiday for us to misunderstand the meaning of in the first place!

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

I hate being one of those people who's always talking about pagan rituals and Christ's birth not coinciding with the winter solstice, so I'm not going to explore that further. I'll just leave it at "secular Christmas is most funnest."

 

I like that my family took the Christ out of Christmas, as well as day-to-day life. Have you ever been in somebody's house where they have a giant crucifix on the wall in the family room or something? Isn't that shit just creepy? I don't think we even have much Christian imagery on our tree. My favorite ornament is a black Santa my grandmother got in Aruba. It basically looks like Al Jolson, in blackface, as Santa. It's the cutest thing.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I like that my family took the Christ out of Christmas

 

Czech celebrates Mas- it's Spanish for "more"!

[Big Ol' Smitty]

I like that my family took the Christ out of Christmas, as well as day-to-day life. Have you ever been in somebody's house where they have a giant crucifix on the wall in the family room or something? Isn't that shit just creepy? I don't think we even have much Christian imagery on our tree.

 

Hilariously, I think this is how many Americans view their religion. It's great so long as it doesn't interfere with their interior decorating or lead to slightly uncomfortable moments.

[Jingus]

I hate being one of those people who's always talking about pagan rituals and Christ's birth not coinciding with the winter solstice,

I don't. In terms of the literal birth of Christ, Christmas has nothing to do with it. According to the Bible's account of Jesus carving his bloody way out of Mary's tiny virgin cooter, he wasn't born in the winter. The general scholarly consensus is that he was probably born in the spring. And not in 1 AD, more like 3-6 AD. The Catholic church basically made the whole holiday up. Why, you might reasonably ask? Because the early Christian church was pretty brilliant at incorporating aspects of other religions into itself in order to get the pagans to be more cooperative with the converting (like recasting the Germanic horned god into being the Devil). Christmas was originally the very pagan holiday of Yule, held at the same time (winter solstice), with many of its traditions still around today (the Yule log). So basically Christmas might as well be about reindeer and polar bears drinking Coke as be about Jesus, since the entire holiday is a human invention.

[Twisted Intestine]

since the entire holiday is a human invention.

 

Which makes it different from the rest of the religion?

[Slayer]

The general scholarly consensus is that he was probably born in the spring. And not in 1 AD, more like 3-6 AD.

"So, Christ was born six years after Christ?"

[Smartly Pretty]

Czech's post about secular Christmas is my favorite Czech post of all time. 100% accurate.

 

I went to Publix today, and I gave the salvation army lady my change, and she wished me a "Happy Holidays". As she did this, a woman walking into the store yelled at her and shouted "It's CHRISTMAS!". Now, I know Chanukkah's over, and I have no idea when Kwanzaa is, but that's painfully rude. This woman takes time out of her day to do charity work for a nice organization, and you need to find a way to yell at her? I wish I had said something, but I didn't.

 

Oh, and Jingus, question, I thought that early Christians celebrated Jesus' birth around the solstice so that it wouldn't appear they were celebrating Jesus' birth. Or something. I don't really know anything, I think someone told me that once though.

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

I like that my family took the Christ out of Christmas

 

Czech celebrates Mas- it's Spanish for "more"!

Appropriate, given the general excessiveness of it all. I fully support "Mas."

 

I like that my family took the Christ out of Christmas, as well as day-to-day life. Have you ever been in somebody's house where they have a giant crucifix on the wall in the family room or something? Isn't that shit just creepy? I don't think we even have much Christian imagery on our tree.

 

Hilariously, I think this is how many Americans view their religion.

Presbyterians: people who sorta want to be Christians, but not really.

 

I hate being one of those people who's always talking about pagan rituals and Christ's birth not coinciding with the winter solstice,

I don't.

Yeah, I know, that was kinda my point, Jingus.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Czech's post about secular Christmas is my favorite Czech post of all time. 100% accurate.

 

I went to Publix today, and I gave the salvation army lady my change, and she wished me a "Happy Holidays". As she did this, a woman walking into the store yelled at her and shouted "It's CHRISTMAS!". Now, I know Chanukkah's over, and I have no idea when Kwanzaa is, but that's painfully rude. This woman takes time out of her day to do charity work for a nice organization, and you need to find a way to yell at her? I wish I had said something, but I didn't.

 

Oh, and Jingus, question, I thought that early Christians celebrated Jesus' birth around the solstice so that it wouldn't appear they were celebrating Jesus' birth. Or something. I don't really know anything, I think someone told me that once though.

Inquire about why they don't wish for you to have a Happy New Year.

[Hogan Made Wrestling]

Czech's post about secular Christmas is my favorite Czech post of all time. 100% accurate.

 

I went to Publix today, and I gave the salvation army lady my change, and she wished me a "Happy Holidays". As she did this, a woman walking into the store yelled at her and shouted "It's CHRISTMAS!". Now, I know Chanukkah's over, and I have no idea when Kwanzaa is, but that's painfully rude. This woman takes time out of her day to do charity work for a nice organization, and you need to find a way to yell at her? I wish I had said something, but I didn't.

 

Oh, and Jingus, question, I thought that early Christians celebrated Jesus' birth around the solstice so that it wouldn't appear they were celebrating Jesus' birth. Or something. I don't really know anything, I think someone told me that once though.

Inquire about why they don't wish for you to have a Happy New Year.

 

Exactly. "Happy holidays" has been used as a shorthand for "merry Christmas and a happy new year" for as long as I can remember, certainly long before someone came up with the "War on Christmas".

[Hogan Made Wrestling]

I hate being one of those people who's always talking about pagan rituals and Christ's birth not coinciding with the winter solstice,

I don't. In terms of the literal birth of Christ, Christmas has nothing to do with it. According to the Bible's account of Jesus carving his bloody way out of Mary's tiny virgin cooter, he wasn't born in the winter. The general scholarly consensus is that he was probably born in the spring. And not in 1 AD, more like 3-6 AD. The Catholic church basically made the whole holiday up. Why, you might reasonably ask? Because the early Christian church was pretty brilliant at incorporating aspects of other religions into itself in order to get the pagans to be more cooperative with the converting (like recasting the Germanic horned god into being the Devil). Christmas was originally the very pagan holiday of Yule, held at the same time (winter solstice), with many of its traditions still around today (the Yule log). So basically Christmas might as well be about reindeer and polar bears drinking Coke as be about Jesus, since the entire holiday is a human invention.

 

If you believe the Star of Bethlehem aspect of the story, then sometime around the spring of 4 or 5 AD (can't remember which) is considered a strong candidate. Chinese astronomical records indicate that they observed a fairly large, bright nova star in appoximately the location where the Star of Bethlehem should have been located.

[Big Ol' Smitty]

*edit*

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

Mary's tiny virgin cooter

 

The Face I Made

 

Roll your lips inward ever so slightly.

Clench your jaw a little bit so you're almost biting your lips but not really.

Turn your head down and to the left a bit, maybe like 5 degrees. Lots of subtleties to this.

Close your eyes, but not tightly. Just do so in a relaxed fashion.

Exhale through the nose in an exasperated manner while shaking your head left to right, but again, not very far either way.

When you're done doing that, keep the head down, then run your hand through hair and exhale again, this time through the mouth.

 

Now you can react how I reacted.

[snuffbox]

A lot of effort goes into some posts.