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poltr1...is the incessant injection of religion around the holiday. Yes, Jesus' birthday may be the reason for the season, but it was some pope back in the 4th century that decreed that it be celebrated on December 25th. It's purely an arbitrary date.
Last night, I had a conversation with my dad. He seems to think that I'm still Catholic, and dismisses any talk from me that I've left the faith. But after reading messages from Catholics United for the Faith, I get the impression that 99% loyalty is 100% disloyalty. If I can't be Catholic and pro-choice at the same time,as the bumper sticker says, I guess I'm no longer Catholic. Plus, in the last few years, I didn't really feel like I was a part of the church community.
Then there was an online discussion of the greeting "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays". I get irritated when people wish me a merry Christmas. I want to say "How dare you presume I'm Christian!" or "Thanks, but I don't celebrate the holiday". But I'm polite and respond "Thank you."
And then today, L from Florida sent me a highly religious card, and included a tract. I want to send it back to her, with a note saying "Please don't send me any more religious tracts".
It's as if people have no clue that I'm pagan, or dismiss that aspect altogether. It's December, and the whole world is Christian. Feh.
Last night, I had a conversation with my dad. He seems to think that I'm still Catholic, and dismisses any talk from me that I've left the faith. But after reading messages from Catholics United for the Faith, I get the impression that 99% loyalty is 100% disloyalty. If I can't be Catholic and pro-choice at the same time,as the bumper sticker says, I guess I'm no longer Catholic. Plus, in the last few years, I didn't really feel like I was a part of the church community.
Then there was an online discussion of the greeting "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays". I get irritated when people wish me a merry Christmas. I want to say "How dare you presume I'm Christian!" or "Thanks, but I don't celebrate the holiday". But I'm polite and respond "Thank you."
And then today, L from Florida sent me a highly religious card, and included a tract. I want to send it back to her, with a note saying "Please don't send me any more religious tracts".
It's as if people have no clue that I'm pagan, or dismiss that aspect altogether. It's December, and the whole world is Christian. Feh.
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Date: 2006-12-22 01:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-23 01:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 02:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 02:31 am (UTC)I understand this, from having primarily practiced in my lifetime two different non-Christian religions. The best response I've found, if I'm getting really annoyed with it -- and I try not to, with strangers; they don't know me and so can't be expected to understand my reaction -- but with people who should know better, is "Thank you. Blessed be." It's as much a goodwill wish as they're offering (if they're sincere), and they are welcome to accept it or get irritated because someone overlooked their faith.
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Date: 2006-12-22 03:23 am (UTC)Casual "Merry Christmas" wishes are likely to be well meaning.
I was raised Unitarian (sort of ;-) and not Christian. We did celebrate "christmas" but not "Christmas" exactly. Still I am not offended, even as a UU pagan taoist-wannabe, when someone wishes me Merry Christmas. I try to just say something like "thank you, you too" or "Happy Holidays" or sometimes I say "Glad Yule!" But I like "blessed be". Works nicely.
:-) So Hey, Happy Holidays Jim. :-)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 03:32 am (UTC)With all that, though, I don't think I've ever been offended that someone has wished me a merry Christmas or felt that by saying merry Christmas they're assuming I'm Christian. Most of the time it's an empty politeness and bothers me much less than people who don't actually want to know asking how I am, and the rest of the time it seems to be an honest wish to enjoy the time. If someone with Jewish roots wishes me a happy Channukah, I don't take offense or assume that they think I'm Jewish. If a pagan were to say Blessed Be, I might be thrown off a bit because I'm just not used to it, but I wouldn't be offended or think they were assuming I was pagan. I feel the same way about merry Christmas. Frankly, it bothers me more when people make a point of saying happy holidays because that feels so artificial, santitized, and politically correct.
Maybe I'm just screwed up. I want "under God" out of the Pledge and "In God We Trust" off our money and I find preachers in the public square offensive, but I can't get worked up over people saying merry Christmas.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 04:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 04:35 am (UTC)Christmas has become so secularized that the word "Christmas" has lost most of it's religious significance. I think that is why there is a moderate sized segment of the Christian population that has become so militant about "keeping Christ in Christmas". They know that the cause is already lost, but they can't stop fighting the battle.
I'll take Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, Happy Holidays, even Happy Hogwatch from the Pratchett fans. :-) I draw the line at "Cower foolish mortals" though. };->
I'm sorry you dislike the holiday
Date: 2006-12-22 09:51 pm (UTC)Weary cashires only say what managment tells them to. Trust me most retail store staff truly come to hate the platitudes of the holiday and would really like to tell you to go straight to hell.
I enjoy Xmas even when I worked retail. Given a persoanl preference I'd rather spend Xmas at the movies and see my family on Memmorial Day. I have no relationship with my brothers' kids and even less with my sister in laws. One truly despises me and the other one simply doesn't get me. My mother has taken it upon herself to tell me I spend too much on my ferrets and not enough on me.
KG