Interesting - 'Christmas is winning'

[PaceAdvantage]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40260889/ns/business-consumer_news

NEW YORK — The War on Christmas may be in its final days.

This season, merry Christmas — not happy holidays or season's greetings — will dominate retailer's marketing messages. There will be Christmas sales and Christmas trees and Christmas carols galore.

~~the rest at the link above~~

[JustRalph]

Bill O is smiling

[wisconsin]

Amen already. I'll go on and keep saying "Merry Christmas" and if someone says they're Jewish, then I'll say "Happy Hanukkah" then. Milwaukee used to have the "Holiday Tree", and that has fallen by the wayside and it's once again called a Christmas tree. This is good. Kwanza, on the other hand, well that was invented by some guy in California in the '60's.....not the same.

[GaryG]

Bill O is smilingMe too.....this is Christmas, a Christian holiday. We do not need to be inclusive of any other groups. If they want to celebrate their holdays they can do so with whatever greeting they use. Hanukkah is not too important to Jews that I know, at least not compared to Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

[FantasticDan]

http://ubereye.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/happy-festivus.png

[PaceAdvantage]

Hanukkah is not too important to Jews that I know, at least not compared to Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.Was this actually necessary?

[GameTheory]

Was this actually necessary?If there was something offensive about that, I missed it. It is true -- it is a relatively minor Jewish holiday. My friends that are Jewish have complained about the same thing -- lumping them together just cause they happen to be close on the calender, although I suspect even Thanksgiving is supposed to be included in the "holidays" also. That's why it is so stupid -- a phrase like "Happy Holidays" has no meaning. But then it has never been religious Jews that complained about "Merry Christmas" in the first place, but mainly ACLU secular types (of all backgrounds)...

[PaceAdvantage]

If there was something offensive about that, I missed it. It is true -- it is a relatively minor Jewish holiday.I didn't say it was offensive...I asked if it was necessary?

A lot of people are probably under the false impression that Christmas is the most important Christian holiday, but that's not really what this topic is about...ranking the importance of various religious holidays.

[jballscalls]

I always say Merry Christmas to people and they almost look happy to say Merry Christmas back instead of having to say happy holidays.

[GameTheory]

I didn't say it was offensive...I asked if it was necessary?Which usually means it is offensive or at least obnoxious, but it seems wholly on-topic to me.

If some other major religion (or several, even better) had a major holiday (i.e. high holy day) around the same time as Christmas, then it would all make more sense. Since Hanukkah is one of the "holidays", but pales in the importance to Christmas within each tradition, it makes statements like "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah" rather silly. So the relative importance of the holidays is absolutely relevant to the topic since it is a major reason why it is silly, and makes one wonder how such nonsense gained traction in the first place.

[jballscalls]

I didn't say it was offensive...I asked if it was necessary?

A lot of people are probably under the false impression that Christmas is the most important Christian holiday, but that's not really what this topic is about...ranking the importance of various religious holidays.

what are the other big Christian holidays? Easter and what else?

[boxcar]

I didn't say it was offensive...I asked if it was necessary?

A lot of people are probably under the false impression that Christmas is the most important Christian holiday, but that's not really what this topic is about...ranking the importance of various religious holidays.

Just curious...what, in your opinion, is the most important Christian holy day?

Boxcar

[PaceAdvantage]

Just curious...what, in your opinion, is the most important Christian holy day?

BoxcarIs this a trick question? It has nothing to do with opinion.

[boxcar]

Is this a trick question? It has nothing to do with opinion.

Why not? Were you not of the opinion that a lot of probably people have a false impression about the importance of Christmas when you wrote?:

A lot of people are probably under the false impression that Christmas is the most important Christian holiday, but that's not really what this topic is about...ranking the importance of various religious holidays.

You call into question their opinion about the importance of Christmas, so I logically assumed that you must have one that differs. This is why I asked.

Boxcar

[PaceAdvantage]

Yes. Easter is the "most important," most holy day on the Christian calendar.

Do you have a different answer?

And I didn't call into question the importance of Christmas. I provided the quite accurate observation that many non-Christians probably think (and wrongly so) that Christmas is the most important holy day for Christians. Just like it was stated earlier that some non-Jews might be under the mistaken impression that Hanukkah is the most important Jewish holy day.

[JustRalph]

Just curious...what, in your opinion, is the most important Christian holy day?

Boxcar


The First Day you signed into this board!!!!!! ;)

[johnhannibalsmith]

I always say Merry Christmas to people and they almost look happy to say Merry Christmas back instead of having to say happy holidays.

If you really want to wow them with anti-PC sentiment, go for the old stone faced "BAH HUMBUG!" straight out of the blue like a total maniac outside of a store. That brings back memories, people love it.

[johnhannibalsmith]

The First Day you signed into this board!!!!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Okay here's some text so moderators don't hate on the emoticons only.

[boxcar]

The First Day you signed into this board!!!!!! ;)

Even I AM too modest to recognize that as being the day. :lol:

Boxcar
P.S. If you missed the "nuance", 'cap will fill you in. :D

[boxcar]

Yes. Easter is the "most important," most holy day on the Christian calendar.

Do you have a different answer?

And I didn't call into question the importance of Christmas. I provided the quite accurate observation that many non-Christians probably think (and wrongly so) that Christmas is the most important holy day for Christians. Just like it was stated earlier that some non-Jews might be under the mistaken impression that Hanukkah is the most important Jewish holy day.

No...but you did call into the question the relative importance of it. And originally, you didn't qualify your statement with any spiritual or religious status of the people who had this "false impression".

But to answer your question, no I don't have a different answer. Easter is the most important because the doctrine of the Resurrection is the cornerstone to the Christian Faith. Right behind Easter, I would say Good Friday and then Christmas.

Boxcar

[GameTheory]

No...but you did call into the question the relative importance of it. And originally, you didn't qualify your statement with any spiritual or religious status of the people who had this "false impression".

But to answer your question, no I don't have a different answer. Easter is the most important because the doctrine of the Resurrection is the cornerstone to the Christian Faith. Right behind Easter, I would say Good Friday and then Christmas.
Who gets to set the rankings? Seems like Good Friday really ought to #1 in terms of religious import, but it isn't a "happy day" (death) like Christmas (birth) and Easter (rebirth). Incidentally, what IS the importance of Easter from a theological Christian perspective? Jesus died for the sins of man, so that's important, and he had to be born and live as a human so he could do that, making his birth important as well. But his rebirth -- it is a great symbol, a metaphor; but as a literal event, why? To put it more crudely -- what does mankind get out of it? (Why did it have to happen? God just showing off doesn't seem a satisfactory answer.) I mean, would Christianity be fundamentally changed if there was no resurrection? Seems like I should know that. Maybe I've forgotten...

[boxcar]

Who gets to set the rankings? Seems like Good Friday really ought to #1 in terms of religious import, but it isn't a "happy day" (death) like Christmas (birth) and Easter (rebirth). Incidentally, what IS the importance of Easter from a theological Christian perspective? Jesus died for the sins of man, so that's important, and he had to be born and live as a human so he could do that, making his birth important as well. But his rebirth -- it is a great symbol, a metaphor; but as a literal event, why? To put it more crudely -- what does mankind get out of it? (Why did it have to happen? God just showing off doesn't seem a satisfactory answer.) I mean, would Christianity be fundamentally changed if there was no resurrection? Seems like I should know that. Maybe I've forgotten...

Good Friday was good for sinners. The spotless Lamb of God offered himself up for the sins of his people. So, Good Friday is actually a "great" day for all repentant sinners.

I don't know who makes the "rankings", but the Resurrection is truly the cornerstone to the Christian Faith. I can say this confidently because the apostle Paul told the Corinthians in his first epistle that if Christ be not [physically] raised from the dead then we're still in our sins and our faith is worthless, and that we are to be most pitied of all (1Cor 15:17-19). And Paul wasn't talking about a mere spiritual resurrection because this kind of resurrection wouldn't conquer the last enemy which is physical death. Death is our enemy. We were not created by God just so we could die and get buried in the ground. Death is really abnormal. It wasn't meant to be. That wasn't God's intent. But Jesus was God's remedy for all this.

As human beings we are very unique creation because we're the only beings with bodies. Christ came to not only redeem us spiritually but to reverse and conquer the full effects of death which, in the case of physical death, is the separation of body and soul and, in the case of spiritual death, it is the separation of the soul from God. When a Christian, dies his or her spirit is received by God in heaven immediately. Even Paul said that to be absent from the body (physical death) is to be home with God (2Cor 5:8) Plus when Christ returns on the last day, he returns with all the OT saints -- the souls of all the OT believers who have been in the presence of God ever since Christ's atoning death on their behalf (IThes 4:14). Since this is the case, then what is the resurrection on the Last Day all about? What is being raised on the last day, if it's not the bodies of all the dead?

Finally, Christ became one of us (a human being) to redeem fallen human beings. He suffered the pains of physical death so that his people would overcome all the effects of death (physical and spiritual). If our bodies aren't important, why did Christ take on a body? He did so to conquer Death in its entirety. And he has proven this to us by rising up on the third day, as all the OT scriptures predicted.

As Paul went on to say to the Corinthians in his first letter, if Christ not be raised, then they're all false witnesses. Everything is a sham because the witness of the apostles was to Christ's physical resurrection (1Cor 15:15). We might as well toss the entire bible because the entire bible is Christo-centric since its focus is on the life and redemptive work of Christ. But Christ failed dismally in that work if there's no physical resurrection. This is why the Resurrection is the cornerstone to the Christian Faith. If there's no resurrection then we're still in our sins -- every single one of us!

Boxcar

[lamboguy]

i am glad christmas is winning, because my horses sure aren't today

[Tom]

The way I understand it, Jesus was crucified and died and laid to rest.
On the third day, he rose from the dead, rolled back the stone that sealed his tomb, and stepped out into the sunlight.












If he he sees his shadow, it's 6 more weeks until Easter.

[jballscalls]

The holidays don't have any religious significance to me or my family, they are all about gathering around with our family, enjoying one anothers company, creating memories, and enjoying great meals together.

my grandma does insist on atleast blessing the food with a "Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub"

[rastajenk]

For some reason the Scriptures left out his most pertinent observation.

"I can't believe the Derby is less than a month away."

[TJDave]

But then it has never been religious Jews that complained about "Merry Christmas" in the first place

Chicken Dinner. ;)

BTW, Hanukkah is an important holiday. But, just like the way Christmas is celebrated by most Christians...

Most Jews haven't a clue. :rolleyes:

[GameTheory]

Chicken Dinner. ;)

BTW, Hanukkah is an important holiday. But, just like the way Christmas is celebrated by most Christians...

Most Jews haven't a clue. :rolleyes:Well, if it had no importance it wouldn't be a holiday at all. It is a holiday celebrating an important event after a revolt against the Greeks. But it isn't nearly as important as Yom Kippur and Passover as it doesn't have any great religious or personal meaning. Rosh Hashanah is probably the most "popular" (Jewish New Year), as it is their major "happy" holiday...