Republicans Blast Obama Over "Happy Holidays" Cards

It's that time of year, where the President sends out "Happy Holidays" cards out to dignitaries, people of power, family, and friends.
The Republican Party is blasting Obama for sending "Happy Holidays" cards to people, and not Christmas cards.

Funny, that when "Dubya" was in office, and he sent out "Happy Holiday" cards as well, it was okay, but not for Obama? Really? Hypocrytical, don't you think?

On top of that, Republicans are making Obama appear as if he could not care less about the Jewish, because unlike "Dubya", Obama's Haunnica(sp?) gathering was half that the size in attendance. If Obama didn't care about the Jewish faith, would he NOT have the party at all? Could Obama simply not know as many Jewish people Bush did? I could see that, and that's all there is to it.

You saw it here, folks. I am ragging on the Republican Party for being dumbasses, and being total hypocrytes.

*clap* *clap* *clap*

ib4ph

Georgef551 said:

You saw it here, folks. I am ragging on the Republican Party for being dumbasses, and being total hypocrytes.

The irony is indeed obvious, and I'm glad you see it as well. You're still an idiot, though.

How the hell can you in 2009 not have the means to spell check?

Nomad said:

The irony is indeed obvious,

Yes.

and I'm glad you see it as well.

Indeed!

You're still an iAWGA/...WEGTFEWRG...

-weak signal-

DAMN!

FYI NOBODY CARES

What Bank said.

People are indeed hypocrites these days.

Look dude, I've never talked to you but I know you have a storied history of being a huge retard around these parts and I'm really happy that, despite these trying times, you've found a way to keep up that tradition.

Really my man, you rock

And now, I would like to present a dissenting opinion on this issue.

Holy fuck! The Trashmen were red shirts.

mammajamma said:

And now, I would like to present a dissenting opinion on this issue.

HEH

http://mediamatters.org/research/200512100005

Yes it was a big deal when the Bush's switched to Happy Holiday's on their Christmas cards. But I hope you have fun being wrong and having reactionary views without researching anything.

This is a silly political game that only seems to occur in America. The rest of us just couldn't give a damn.

What does bother me, and I do see it here, is this notion that the policies of a country should be based on some kind of democratic idea centered around what religion has more people in it. Apparently we should put up with freedom-restricting laws just because most people are Christian. Does that mean they don't believe in freedom outside their belief system? Looks like it! REoL doesn't seem to suffer from that one. Good on him! Letting people say things their way is important.

Aliotroph? said:

This is a silly political game that only seems to occur in America.

Don't count on that. Such idiocies happen everywhere when one political party sees itself on the losing side and tries everything, regardless how pathetic, to discredit the opponent.

It's a truly sickening game where I really fail to see the point. I am wondering how this could change anyone's voting behavior. The true followers approve of these actions like mindless drones, the followers of the opposing side discount it as the bullshit it is and the ones caught in the middle scratch their heads in disbelief how anyone could vote for these idiots.

I thought Georgef551 wouldn't care a damn for Obama's errors, because he had better make them.

Also, I think things were much more serious in Bush's case for anyone to criticize him for petty stuff like birthday cards.

Too bad that democratic (as in nondictatorship, not as in that specific American party) politics is the same crap everywhere, everytime

I'm not in America and I don't care in the slightest about this "issue" but even I remember Bush getting criticised for the same thing.

As the wheel of the year turns and we see the birth of a new sun, I wish you all a happy mid winter festival. Now, go out and celebrate that solstice. :P

Our winter solstice isn't for another six months and doesn't have any holidays associated with it. I feel cheated. :(

On a side note, I am really getting sick of this annual "War on Christmas." You'd think there are roving bands of atheists going around and beating up anyone who says "Merry Christmas," the way some people go on. Actually, I'm half-convinced that's the whole point of the thing - to make atheists look bad.

geekmarine said:

You'd think there are roving bands of atheists going around and beating up anyone who says "Merry Christmas," the way some people go on.

That would be awesome.

geekmarine said:

Actually, I'm half-convinced that's the whole point of the thing - to make atheists look bad.

It mostly makes the religious right look like a bunch of whiny pricks.

Of course, they only look like that because that's what they are.

GreyGhost said:

Our winter solstice isn't for another six months and doesn't have any holidays associated with it. I feel cheated. :(

In that case, celebrate the summer solstice instead. The weather will be better anyway. It's frickin' freezing here Mr Bigglesworth.

Come to think of it, what's the deal with the lack of solstice-based holidays anymore? I mean with Christmas, you kinda sorta have a solstice connection, in that it borrows some elements of pagan traditions associated with the winter solstice, but that's only indirectly related, and we just simply don't have anything remotely associated with the summer solstice. And those really seem like natural times to have holidays, so I just don't get it.

Well, that's been addressed already; the summer solstice festivity is for us southern people :p

geekmarine said:

I mean with Christmas, you kinda sorta have a solstice connection, in that it borrows some elements of pagan traditions associated with the winter solstice, but that's only indirectly related

It's actually more the other way around. The mid winter festival - as celebrated by many cultures - was the original celebration at this time of year. The solstice even used to be on the 25th of December before the change to the Gregorian calendar messed it up. There used to be loads more festivals all year round and it was the Christian establishment that outlawed many of them. For what ever reason, they didn't outlaw the mid winter festival but merely hijacked it and changed it to be a celebration of something else.

That's why it amuses me when I hear people talking about remembering the true meaning of Christmas. They are, of course, invariably referring to the Christian meaning. Yes, perhaps the true meaning of the festival called Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ and God made flesh etc etc but the original meaning and purpose of the celebration at this time of year was quite different.

Some have even argued that it really isn't a Christian festival but a Catholic one (and there are plenty of examples throughout history to back that up - some protestant churches and regimes outlawed it). It is, after all, the Mass of Christ and Mass is a Catholic thing.


[edit]
Just found this:

http://www.c.s.e.freeuk.com/XmasWithoutheNativity.htm

Clearly the site has an agenda but it does summarise a few of the commonly raised points quite well.
[/edit]

Traditional holidays are all bundled up in the dark of Winter because:
1. Days are short and cold, everything outside is frozen, hidden, dormant or dead. As a result, you can't do much work, so there ain't much else to do than party.
2. It's dark and cold, so people tend to go on depression, so some festivities help bring morale back up.

Indeed.

One thing that I have never really seen discussed properly: how offensive do non Christians find Christian festivals to be? I mean, if I wish a Jew happy Christmas, is he going to go postal on me? If a Muslim witnesses me wishing a Christian a merry Christmas, will he get upset?

How much of this really matters to the people who might be "offended" and how much of it matters to the people who are worried that they might be doing something that could be regarded as offensive?

Georgef551 said:

You saw it here, folks. I am ragging on the Republican Party for being dumbasses, and being total hypocrytes.

Well, you've certainly convinced us now. Now we know that you really are "fair and non-biased" and not a foaming-at-the-mouth right wing extremist after all.

Just like Fox News.

I'm a pretty outspoken atheist, and I do in fact celebrate Christmas, albeit in the secular manner it has become anyway. I generally don't say "Merry Christmas" to people on the grounds that I'm not out to assume everyone does celebrate it. "Happy Holidays" is neutral and gets the sentiments across without assumption.

Basically it sounds like you're asking about the whole "War on Christmas" bullshit that has been spreading like a tumor the past few years. There is no war on Christmas. There is a fundamentalist Christian war on the acknowledgment of the celebration of other holidays, maybe.

Nomad said:

Basically it sounds like you're asking about the whole "War on Christmas" bullshit that has been spreading like a tumor the past few years. There is no war on Christmas. There is a fundamentalist Christian war on the acknowledgment of the celebration of other holidays, maybe.

Perhaps. It's a little difficult to tell from here. It's far less of an issue in the UK where it is my impression that making the word Christmas taboo just seems silly to most people. Pretty much most things/organisations still mention Christmas and are happy to do so. At the school I work at, as they have done since 1839, we all walked down to the local Church for the annual Christmas service on Friday afternoon. And, yes, we have Muslims, Jehovah's witnesses, atheists and all manner of people in the school.

I like saying "Merry Christmas" to people just because it might offend them! :D Lots of people are are simple and easily offended. It's fun to root them out with a simple greeting.

What bugs me most (and I suspect atheists get to see more of this) is the people who have a total freak out when they find out you haven't read the Bible cover to cover and don't have Jesus in every thought. Some people just get so into a certain mode they forget other ones even exist. That's disturbing no matter what they believe. Hehe, I once even had a southern couple asks, "so what kind of music to you listen to -- country or Christian?" WHAT? I only get two options?!? Usually when I meet people like this they really are too nice for it to be fun to pop their bubble too suddenly.

As for holidays, no I don't care who celebrates what. I've been in on some from other religions too. They're still bs, but they're fun. :)