10 Major Retail Stores Take A Stand & Say “Merry Christmas"

Sorry for the long quote. I'm using my my phone and can't figure out how to edit.

At any rate, I have no idea why you seem to think that there has been a huge push to eradicate Christmas. I feel like it's Christians like Skypea and rainbow who turn this into a big deal. I'll be 40 in a few months. I don't know one non-Christian person in my life who has ever expressed outrage over this issue. Wish my Jewish friends a Merry Christmas and I'm sure they'll smile and return your pleasantries with warmth and kindness. Likewise for this big fat atheist, my Muslim friend and her family, the Sikhs, the Pagans and the people of other faiths that I know well. I will repeat: the only people who seem to have this problem are Christians. 

I'm curious as to the kind of people that you and Rainbow hang out with since this outrage from Non-Christians is so commonplace in your world and yet virtually non-existent in mine. 

"Happy Holidays" includes Christmas. When someone says "Happy Holidays" one of its obvious meanings is "if you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas to you."

Just like "congratulations" means "congratulations on whichever event you are celebrating." If you simply say "congratulations," without saying "congratulations on your wedding," you aren't making some political statement that you are against marriage and trying to stamp it out.

But you can also say "congratulations" and have it cover graduations, engagements, new baby, promotion, etc. If you use it in its expansive/inclusive sense, it doesn't somehow slight the other instances.

Only people who are easily led by the nose to help Fox News celebrities' book sales think there is an effort to stamp out Christmas in the United States.

This is a really good point. Why now is it accepted to ridicule those that are offended? Including responding in such a way designed specifically to "annoy" those people that are offended. Why is it okay when you don't agree with the offense, but not okay when you do?

This whole discussion reminds me of one of the nicest compliments I ever received. I was at a gas station, and I don't remember the details as this was 20-25 years ago, but I did something nice or said something nice or whatever. And the clerk said to me, "You must indeed be a delight in the eyes of Allah and your parents!" As evidenced by the fact I still remember it, it really touched me - and guess what? I'm not Muslim! I found that to be a lovely compliment.

My kids' school (and so, by extension, I'll assume the neighborhood as it's the neighborhood school) is 40% first generation families from China and India, who probably mostly haven't been celebrating Christmas. There are also a ton of other first generation families - over 1/3 of the elementary school kids speak a language other than English at home. Overall, the school is about 40% white, most - but not all - of whom are Christian with some Jewish. I will gladly take whatever happy greetings I receive, as I work on planning my son's "Winter Holiday Party." If I know what holidays someone celebrates, I'm perfectly happy to say happy ________ to you. Otherwise, I am aware that probably less than half the people in my neighborhood celebrate Christmas. (There is also circumstantial evidence when you look at the percentage of houses with decorations.)

So happy holidays to all, merry Christmas if you celebrate, and safe travels.

I think you are equating "happy holidays" with hate speech, and I think that is absolutely batshit crazy and asinine. When the evil liberals point out speech that is offensive, it is usually in reference to issues of race and sexuality. It is usually in an attempt to stand up for marginalized groups.

The Liberal American War on Christians exists only in your head. Where are American Christians being attacked/harmed for daring to wish someone a Merry Christmas? How does "happy holidays" in any way harm Christianity?

I think the real problem is that you, like many Christians, mistakenly believe that your religion gives you the right to dictate how everyone else should live, and it chaps your hide that a growing number of people are rejecting this.

Perhaps this ad is more to the OP's liking? Hey, it says Christmas. I'm sure Christ would be thrilled that he was being press-ganged to hock assault weapons.

I believe this pic is from last year, but, whoops, they did it again.

This. Exactly this. So many religions "of the book" - whichever book it be - and, of course, theirs is always the RIGHT book, need to tell their adherents not only, "hey, YOU believe and live like this", but rather, "hey, YOU believe and live like this AND MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES TOO". And therein lies much of the misery and hatred in the world.

You must have missed my previous post on this thread to come to that conclusion. Everything I said in it contradicts your conclusion about me and my my feelings on this subject.

Not to mention this was from what I was responding to:
So no. I'm not "equating "happy holidays" with hate speech". Nothing in what I said anywhere. ever. backs up your conclusion about me.

Nah, the word applies to anyone, of any color, who acts like a destructive/violent criminal and I've never thought or said any differently. 

But, it is sad to see you jump to another topic in order to throw the "racist" label at me in some sort of pathetic attempt to demonize me because I asked why it's okay to ridicule others when they get offended about something you don't think they should be offended about. Because previously it has been the stated standard here to err on the side of caution if someone tells you something offends them, then you do your best to make sure you don't offend. You certainly don't resort to ridiculing them. 

I've been civil and respectful in my discussions. The only time people are offended by what I say is when I point the mirror back at them AFTER they resort to personal attacks and insults. 

Um, YES.
You must have missed where I said that isn't what I'm talking about. Just because someone else asserted that was what I was doing, doesn't mean that's what I was doing. I specifically pointed out the words that showed it doesn't apply. If you want to ignore them to prove your point, you haven't really proven your point. 

A thousand times this.  

"Happy Holidays" is actually short for "I wish you Happy Holidays." It is a statement that reflects on the person saying it. And it includes Christmas, amongst other holidays.  I'm not sure how/why someone would get offended by someone saying something that reflects on the sayer all the while positively including whatever holiday the listener celebrates. 

Choosing words to label or refer people who belong to groups (racial, religious, political, ses, etc.) that the speaker does not belong to, and which the speaker has been told are offensive to those people they are talking about, is something completely different. The speaker is not talking about herself, she is talking about other people.  And those people have a right to be offended by someone calling them names they find offensive.