Stop being so offended

This is copy/pasted from a thread on ProBoards Support’s General Talk board.
Everything in quotes was posted by someone other than me, things not in quotes were my replies.

Well, at my school, I’ve heard things about the administration trying to say that it’s not proper to say ‘Merry Christmas’; and instead offerring the phrase ‘Happy Holidays.’

Now, I’m pretty liberal, and I’m first generation Chinese, and I have no racial or religions conservations- but I think this is going way overboard. Minorities are supposed to assimilate to /our/ culture, not the other way around.

I would personally say ‘Happy Holidays,’ because it is ridiculous to refer to a whole two-week holiday as Christmas. Also, most people appreciate the holiday for the temporary relief from reality, not the religious segment. But the administration going /out of its way/ to accomodate minorities is stupid.

Christmas is about Christs birth. We don’t know when he was born, but Christian’s celebrate it. That’s what Christmas is about. That’s where it originated from, Ben.

Actually the reason for Christmas is because Catholicism took over the Pagan holiday of Winter Solstice.

You don’t get it either. No one is trying to stop you from saying “Merry Christmas”. A public school (meaning principle, teachers, staff, etc. ) cannot say “Merry Christmas”, because it violates separation of church and state.

Would “have a happy December 25th” be better? Would people be less offended if I started saying that instead? It’s meant as a well wishing, take it as that or leave it, I don’t care, but either way no one should be offended. I’m not catholic (beside the point imo). But yet I still wish people a merry Christmas, even my friends (some of whom are atheist).

WHAT holiday are you talking about??? CHRISTmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by a virgin mother. Christ lived a perfect life and didn’t sin. He then died on the cross to take the punishment for sin so that we dont have to be punished. It has nothing to do with ‘Catholicism took over the Pagan holiday of Winter Solstice.’

Actually, Christ’s birthday isn’t recorded. Most historians trace it to be sometime in the Spring. However, the Catholic Church was fighting against many “pagans” so they decided to try and fight them by taking away their holidays so they decided to declare the holiday to celebrate Christ’s birth near the Winter Solstice festivals of the “pagans”.

The date is what the Catholic Church took over. The spirit of the holiday is not in question.

And yes, I’m a Christian. It’s just historical fact.