BeckyHappy HOLIDAYS, Senator Buttars, and I mean that
What pressing matters will take up the valuable time of our busy legislature this session? Taxes? Schools? Roads?
How about war? As in, the war on Christmas.
State Senator Chris Buttars is declaring a war on the ‘War on Christmas’. He’s sponsoring a resolution encouraging retailers to embrace Christmas in their promotions rather than the generic “holidays.”
Sen. Chris Buttars wants Utah’s Legislature to declare its opposition to the “war on Christmas.” [snip]
“It would encourage the use of ‘Merry Christmas,’” Buttars said of the non-binding statement that is still being drafted. “I’m sick of the Christmas wars — we’re a Christian nation and ought to use the word.” [snip]
Now you’re expecting me to make the obvious comment on the “we’re a Christian nation” thing, right? Well, I don’t think I need to. The stupidity of that statement stands all on its own.
Who else thinks it’s a good idea?
“I think Christmas is a wonderful holiday,” said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo. [snip]
While Bramble believes that America is grounded in Judeo-Christian beliefs, part of that thinking involves tolerance of other faiths, he said.
“I don’t find it offensive when someone says ‘Happy Holidays,’ ” Bramble added. “What is offensive is if we’re embarrassed to say ‘Merry Christmas.’ “
I’ll be blunt. It pisses me off that our legislators waste time on such ridiculous non-issues. If they are so lacking in serious issues as to have to resort to this, then maybe we can cut back on the legislative session and save some taxpayer money. Yeah, right.
In fact, is pisses me off that I wasted time writing about this! Bah, humbug!
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:25 am
Nice. I can’t wait to send Sen. Nuttars a “happy solstice” card. A celebration of darkness, that is what I associate Buttars with anyways.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:03 am
Saying “Happy Holidays” when you are generally talking about the holiday season is fine but when retailers resort to referring to a Christmas tree as a “Holiday Tree” then they are showing contempt for Christmas. A Christmas Tree is not a generic holiday item. There are no Hanukkah trees, or Kwanzaa trees, but Christmas trees. When retailers actually have policies forbidding using the term Christmas by its employees then that is an assault on Christianity and should be condemned. Without Christmas many of these retailers could not survive so they they are really biting the hand that feeds it.
I wouldn’t advocate government forcing retailers to say “Merry Christmas” because they certainly have their freedom of speech but I do think it appropriate to take retailers to task and even think twice about doing Christmas shopping at an establishment that displays open hostility towards Christ’s birthday.
So Merry Christmas everyone (anyone offended by that its your problem not mine).
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:17 am
Calling Christmas-themed Oreo’s “Winter Oreos” is asinine.
A legislative resolution urging people to use the word “Christmas” is also asinine.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:51 am
Whoever decided to take offense at Happy Holidays in the first place is an idiot. For decades good Christian people have sent holiday greetings thinking it was the same as saying Merry Christmas. It wasn’t a problem to anyone until someone decided to dream up an imaginary offense where none existed.
Kevin, what’s a Christmas-themed Oreo? What’s wrong with the name Winter if they sell them throughout the season? Why are you offended by such a silly thing? Does everything that happens in December have to be called Christmas-something?
And then there’s the other side of the coin: Merchants just commercialize Christmas, they are all about the money and don’t honor the spirit of Christmas. You Christians aren’t satisfied no matter what the businesses do.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:45 pm
The people supporting this are the same people who supported calling Martin Luther King day “Human Rights Day.” Why don’t we call it what it was originally, the birthday for the Zoroastrian god-man Mithrais.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Using the term “holiday tree” is silly, but so are giant inflatable santa’s.
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Someone should remind Buttars that Mormons are not Christians - it would make his pathetic life so much easier.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
The Winter Oreos are sold in festive red and green packaging. It’s obvious that they wanted a Christmas-themed product, but chose to call them “Winter” instead in order to be politically correct. I think that is pretty lame. I’m not offended by it, I just think it’s asinine.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
It is asinine, but as Becky said before, the commercialization of christmas detracts more from what the holiday is supposed to represent, than what we call the holiday.
I’m sure Jesus would prefer Christmas Oreos.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
What some people call politically correct, other people call simply polite.
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I’ve changed my mind. Winter oreos isn’t dumb. It’s good marketing.
Not everyone who might eat an oreo celebrates christmas, so why would they limit their customer base?
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:10 pm
omh! this turkey was reelected?
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I went to Walmart today (didn’t get trampled), and noticed they were calling Christmas Trees by their proper name. I also noticed Christmas music in the background including “Oh Holy Night”, not just secular Christmas songs. Thank you Walmart for respecting the Holiday and if they happen to choose to play Hanukkah songs in areas that are predominantly Jewish or any store for that matter I applaud that too.
Anyone offended by anyones traditional holiday music or themes needs to get a life and stop their hateful ways, for it is the spirit of hate that causes them to take offense. If someone tells me Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa I will take it in the spirit that the person intended instead of considering an assault on my beliefs. That is because I am secure in my beliefs and am not threatened by others or even have my own challenged, otherwise I would certainly avoid oneutah.org.
Whoever the coward “anonymous” is, you are not the arbiter of who and what a Christian is. Either is any other religion. If someone says they are a Christian and believes in Jesus of the New Testament then they are a Christian, period.
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:07 pm
OTPM, sadly yes. He was losing early on, but finally won in a squeaker.
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Ken, I meant to ask you earlier, do you mean to say that a business that says Happy Holidays is displaying “open hostility towards Christ’s birthday”?
By the way, when I was growing up everyone referred to “the holidays” as encompassing the general time from Thanksgiving to New Years. It’s funny that innocent collective way of speaking has become offensive of late. Talk about PC.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Becky
As I said “Happy Holidays” as a generic term encompassing all holidays is appropriate when they are referring to holidays in general, but when an establishment replaces “holiday” when they are obviously referring to something specific to Christmas like a “Holiday Tree” then I believe they are being openly hostile to Christianity. When someone is offended by being wished a “Merry Christmas” it is because they harbor a hostile attitude towards Christianity, otherwise they would not take offense. By changing Christmas Trees to “Holiday Trees”, or having policies that forbid their employees from even saying the word “Christmas” they are catering and even participating in that persons open hostility to Christmas and thus Christianity itself.
We are getting so PC that some people are even offended when someone wishes them Happiness, because maybe that person does not want to be happy. The only safe thing is to say “Have an emotion of your choice, and a seasonal festival of your choice, or not”.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:34 pm
I am crushed
I feel like my daughters childhood is over. She is eleven years old and tonight we had to break the news that every parent, at least those that celebrate Christmas, dread. We finally told her there really is no Santa Clause. Sure she suspected it and we have told her in the past that Santa Clause is really the spirit of giving, but tonight she asked us if he is a real person, and we told her the truth.
Its always been bitter sweet for me when she has reached a childhood milestone because she is are only child. I felt bad when she stopped drinking from a bottle. When I changed her last diaper I almost cried, and now my little girl is turning into a young woman and has now lost one of the last vestiges of childhood. I always told her she not allowed to grow up but she just doesn’t seem to mind me. It’s like I have changed her last diaper all over again.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 am
Wait until she finds out there is not God. Then she will be truly free.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:23 am
Ken, that is a tender, bittersweet story, and I know how you feel. It served to remind me of another complaint some evangelicals have–that parents who allow their children to believe in Santa Claus are also taking the Christ out of Christmas and replacing Him with the jolly old elf. I’m sure as a parent you have found ways to celebrate both the sacred and the secular in the holiday with your children, and the fun of Santa has not detracted from the spiritual nature of the holiday.
This is my point. It’s not the words used. It’s not even the traditions we follow, Ken. It’s all about the spirit of the season. I’d suggest to Sen. Buttars that to see offense when the word Christmas is not used, seeks to find offense where just the opposite is intended.
Merry Christmas, Ken (meant sincerely).
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:09 am
Ken-
If you spent time in areas with significant numbers of Jewish folks, you would know there is indeed something called a “Hanukah bush”…! (It’s not Orthodox Jewish, though..strictly reformed or ethnic Jewish). Just so you don’t get too upset if you happen to hear this usage…
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:38 am
When we talked to our daughter about Santa Clause last night we made it a point that just because there is no Santa Clause does not mean that other things we believe in like God and Jesus are not real either.
UtahOwl
As for the Hanukkah Bush, I think it would also be disrespectful to call it a “Holiday Bush” to not offend those who hate Jews.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:17 am
Becky
You do have a good point. Being offended by someone saying “Happy Holidays” is as silly as being offended by someone wishing you a “Merry Christmas”.
Just like the proverb “Neither give nor take offense”.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:01 am
Ken:
Just to bring you up to speed, “Oh Holy Night” is no longer a Christmas song. Rather, the song these days refers to the election of Obama. Fall on you knees, dude, and hear the angles’ voices!
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Obama the Paul
Oh Please! He may be your Messiah but not mine.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Just reporting the facts, ma’am!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Of course, everyone knows by now that our own Sen. Buttars was recognized on Olbermann yesterday as the Worst Person in the World.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:39 pm
For years, I (and others) have gone out of my way help Utah voters understand that Chris Buttars is a major liability to Utah.
What does it mean about the voters of South and West Jordan that they just re-elected this bigoted freak?