Why no war on christmas this year?

I withdrew my troops

I put up a nativity scene in spite.

God bless the italians...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071219/film_nm/compass_vatican_dc

In the fantasy world created by Pullman's trilogy, 'His Dark Materials', the Church and its governing body the Magisterium, are linked to ... attempts to suppress facts movies for the whole family that would undermine the Church's legitimacy and power.

The war on Christmas was a one-off. No pics, no excitement. But, as soon as Fox News can get a juicy video of someone taking a fire axe to a nativity scene off youtube, we'll see it flare up again.

Mission Accomplished

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/garrett-eisler/the-war-on-saturnalia_b_77535.html

From this week's Private Eye:

In early December, Healey Primary School in Rochdale sent a note home to parents of 4 to 7-year-old pupils: "Please could parents just send one Christmas card to the whole class rather than asking school for a whole class name list. This is to avoid tears and tantrums which often occur when Christmas cards are distributed."

When an outraged parent contacted the Rochdale Observer claiming that this was "political correctness gone mad", her comments were promptly reported beneath the headline: "School bans Christmas Cards".

A spokeswoman hastened to point out that cards were "in no way banned" from the school, which was currently preparing no fewer than three festive productions and a carol service. "The cost of so many cards is prohibitive for some families and we feel that children are often pressurised to act in the same way as their peers," she explained. "In addition, some children are missed out and feel very upset when this happens."

He was this reported when it reached the national press the following week? "Furious parents and campaigners last night slammed the politically correct brigade for spoiling the true meaning of Christmas," roared the Express. "Festive cards are being banned in schools... the season of goodwill is being ruined by Scrooge-like officials fearful of offending other faiths or worried about health and safety rules." Its sister paper the Daily Star, meanwhile, kept up its own tradition of ignoring all the facts with the front-page headline: "Ban on Christmas cards in case they upset Muslims!"

The Daily Mail has found a school in Wales that has baned xmas cards for ecological reasons but I've lost the story.

No, I haven't - here it is...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=494049&in_page_id=1770

Mr Daniels claimed that most parents and pupils supported the move.

But one parent said: "A lot of us feel the school is taking a politically correct decision but it is just a once-a-year occasion and the kids love taking cards for their friends.

You gotta say the headteacher sounds like a dick.

No I don't! He sounds like a teacher trying to run a school.

I rest my case.

Meanwhile, lol stereotypical C of E bishop

followed up by

This type of statement is fodder for the secularists and Islamists who infest Britain.
Posted by Billy on December 20, 2007 2:37 PM

Next year, we should have a War on Stupid.

They wanted to ban Christmas as it might offend other religions.

Now they want to ban it to save the world.

Wasn't that the role of Jesus?

Oh, the irony.

- Tim W, Bolton

Well, teachers did always tend to be petty-minded! Ridiculous!

- Lisa, London, UK

^^^ is that you, blue green world?

It should be illegal to prevent Christians in this Christian country celebrating Christian events, such as Christmas.

- Arthur Storey, Manchester

Not Arthur "likely" Storey?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17416043&ft=1&f=2

Telling kids they can't exchange Christmas cards is some petty bullshit, but hey ho, maybe I'm just not environmental and moral enough to understand.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17416043&ft=1&f=2

That's more like it. This is WAR.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7156783.stm

The old 'winterval' chestnut chucked on the fire once more. Along with other rumours and innuendo.

Good show from the church of england dude... I may be an athiest but I like my Christians like that!

uh atheist

Yeah I completely respect what Rowan Williams was saying, it just makes me lol because the CofE seems to thrive on pissing off its core customer base like that.

Talk about biting the hands that feed you. Next he'll be saying there's nothing in the Bible telling middle-aged women to bake cakes for their religious leaders.

I went to the drive-through liquor store to get some cigarettes yesterday, and the dude at the window said "Merry Christmas" in the most threatening way possible, as if to challenge me. "Yeah, go ahead, say Happy Holidays, see what happens..."

I've been doing that too

http://www.vinyltap.co.uk/gallery/ra/radions4970692206153700.jpg

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22373762/?GT1=10645

BREMERTON, Wash. - Art Conrad has an issue with the commercialism of Christmas, and his protest has gone way beyond just shunning the malls or turning off his television.

The Bremerton resident nailed Santa Claus to a 15-foot crucifix in front of his house.

"Santa has been perverted from who he started out to be," Conrad said. "Now he's the person being used by corporations to get us to buy more stuff."

A photo of the crucified Santa adorns Conrad's Christmas cards, with the message "Santa died for your MasterCard."

The display is also Conrad's way of poking fun at political correctness. He believes people do not express their feelings because they are afraid of what other people might think.

His neighbors found the will to express their feelings this past week. Some were offended but many were just curious.

Jake Tally walked by on Friday and chuckled, but did not pretend to understand the message.

"I don't really know what to think. I know it's about God but Santa has nothing to do with it," he told the Kitsap Sun newspaper.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/cl7cg9

Merry Christmas Guys!! I'm off home now and doubt I'll be on ilx until Thursday, but y never know.

Everyone have a good un!

no one's mentioned the huckabee commercial?

"You can find Santa at every mall. You can find discounts in every store," Huckabee said from the pulpit of Cornerstone Church. "But if you mention the name of Jesus, as I found out recently, it upsets the whole world. Forgive me, but I thought that was the point of the whole day."

These fuckers, always ruining Christmas by bringing religion into it.

Looks like Huckabee is the new writer of B.C. comics.

Four Christmases (2008)
Also Known As (AKA)
Four Holidays Australia / New Zealand (English title)

HEATHEN JUMBUCKS

my mom told me that yesterday

She told me too.

Next year, we should have a War on Stupid.

― The blue-green world is drenched with horse gore, Thursday, December 20, 2007 9:08 AM (11 months ago)

It's time!

There is a jewelry store in town that is advertising with the phrase: We're NOT afraid to say, "Merry Christmas!"

"four holidays" sounds a lot better than "four christmases," which is pretty much the clunkiest movie title ever

^ But you could be talking about Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day!

not only that, holiday in australia = US vacation. Youre listing "public holidays" there.

so it could just be about some guy going to the gold coast a bunch of times

Two morons in the Cleveland Plain Dealer battle it out:

Count.

Pointercount.

(Note: Moron #2 is married to Senator Sherrod Brown.)

"I find I frequent the store less and less frequently."

I left a comment for Moron #1:

There's so much muddled thinking and ahistoricity on display here, I guess maybe the best way to address everything it to bullet-point:

-- The physical signifiers of the Christmas season -- light, trees, etc. -- including the date itself, are not only non-Christian but pre-Christian in origin. So before you complain about people hijacking your culture, you might want to consider giving paganism back to the pagans.

-- Biblical historians pretty much agree that based on the descriptions in the Gospels, ain't no way Jesus was born in December, so, again, the entire premise is based on hijacked culture.

-- Contrary to what a lot of people probably believe, many of the early American colonies banned the celebration of "the Christ's mass," not just because it was too much of an excuse for drunken revelry, but because the day was irrelevant. Easter was and remains the most important holiday on the Christian calendar.

-- The use of "Happy Holidays" (and its corollary, "Season's Greetings") dates back to AT LEAST the 1930s. You know, the "good old days" many of you probably pine for when you complain about today? It's really simple: "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" is six words, while "Happy Holidays" is two.

-- The song "Silver Bells" actually contains the word "Christmastime," while "Silent Night" does not. Pick better examples next time, Ms. Brett.

-- The place to have your Christian values affirmed and relayed back to you is church, not Wal-Mart. If you're so insecure about your values and beliefs that you need to have them MORE commercialized, you may want to re-examine what you really believe.

I don't want to call the police, but if you continue to disturb our holiday season, I will. Please leave.

Pancakes u r a hero in this vv important war and I commend you for valor for being OTM.

also: wow...

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=2222347664

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=2217922548

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=224729783451

Best Buy, give glory to the one who has allowed and attributed to your success…Jesus Christ, not Mohammed!

mohammed was a circuit city dude iirc

I love that those facebook groups are full of old people

OTM

http://media.avclub.com/images/articles/article/36328/crucifix-christmas-tree-31447-1260820591-18_jpg_595x1000_q85.jpg

That is grim and gruesome. Like being buried alive, ffs.

excellent job Pancakes. we shall not flag or fail. we shall fight them in the fields and in the streets. we shall fight them in the big box stores. we shall fight them in the op ed pages, etc.

judge ruled yesterday here in little rock that the secretary of state must give space on the state capitol grounds for the local freethinkers society's winter solstice display alongside the usual nativity scene. it's about as unattractive as the nativity scene, but put one in the win column! the local news was funny about the whole thing last night. the spokesman for the family association was all "they're trying to remove the nativity!" and then they cut to the freethinker guy, who was standing just five feet away, watching the other guy say this, and he practically has to shout "no, that's not what we're trying to do at all!" i wish they would've let them go at it.

CRAFTY illegal immigrants are sneaking into Britain hidden in trucks full of imported Christmas trees.

The festive season is being exploited by thousands of foreigners, who find new ways to break our border restrictions.

Immigration officials have found dozens of illegals in one truck - tucking into wine and cheese party treats being delivered to a major supermarket.

Another search uncovered five people hidden among 2,500 boxes of Ferrero Rocher chocolates bound for Wolverhampton.

A UK Border Agency source told The People that more than 10,000 immigrants could try to get into the country over Christmas, taking advantage of the increase in cash-in-hand jobs available.

Our source said: "We have increased random searches at ports to combat the problem. We've found people in the most bizarre places.

"Several were being hidden by a Christmas tree. They were covered in pine needles."

Those immigrants are so sneaky! I'll show them!

Bleedin' boxes of Ferrero Rocher, coming over here and stealing jobs from boxes of Dairy Milk.

more interested in "the increase in cash-in hand jobs" over here tbh

War is over so says Eric "Strawman" Pickles.

But the DM commenteers are unimpressed.

Plenty of talk but let's see some action Mr Pickles. How about ABOLISHING PC laws altogether?
- Terence, Norfolk, 27/11/2010 17:1

"Shoppers want to see Christmas lights, Christmas trees, carol services and nativity scenes, and councils should not hesitate in supporting them."

Needs to get called out by the JW's and other ueber-Puritans on the pagan basis of Christmas and how it's an affront to all right-thinking Christians.

Even better:

This is the time of year that Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, not dulale or delala or who ever. Taking Christ out of the picture and adding these other dolalies is insulting ,offensive and insensitive that only some ignorant, arrogant official would do.

that fucking winterval canard again

The council responded that "Christmas is the very heart of Winterval", saying that Christmas-themed events were prominent among those included in Winterval, and that Christmas-related words and symbols were prominent in its publicity material.[4] While the Winterval season was longer than the Christmas season, Christmas was the focus of the relevant portion of Winterval. A statement from Birmingham Council explained:[2]

"there was a banner saying Merry Christmas across the front of the council house, Christmas lights, Christmas trees in the main civil squares, regular carol-singing sessions by school choirs, and the Lord Mayor sent a Christmas card with a traditional Christmas scene wishing everyone a Merry Christmas"

D'you think the Mail employs any Hindus or Muslims? It doesn't strike me as being a very welcoming environment.

As London’s prime shopping destination, Oxford Street might be expected to offer a dazzling display of traditional Christmas icons. But this year, the £330,000 mile-long canopy of illuminations is dominated by images of . . . umbrellas.

[three paragraphs pass...]

In contrast, Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd’s Bush offered much more glamour: its lights were switched on by singer Rihanna. Her best-known hit, ironically enough, is Umbrella.

think I actually hate the person who wrote that

these are all great

Plenty of talk but let's see some action Mr Pickles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xayDw2gS7-0

Finally! The Archbishop of Canterbury speaks out in support of Christmas

Daily Mail fails to mention Winterval in 'war on xmas' article shocker.

I lived in Indonesia for a number of years, they have a population of approximately 240 million with 10% other faiths. They don't have a problem with xmas their malls, shops and streets are heavily decorated with xmas lights, trees etc. every year. Why should it be a problem here ??

- franko, edinburgh

Yep, no heavily decorated trees here, no siree.

http://www.sidratulilm.com/images/muslim_tree_cute_ie08.jpg

should i watch 'avatar' when it's on sky?

Harrods and Selfridges are to open their Christmas shops this Thursday, July 28th.

EEK! I can never think of Christmas until September.

EEK! I can never think of Christmas until September December

EEK! I can never think of Christmas until September December I step out of the house and see the world of sin that jesus has saved us all from.

I think you mean Santa

So I just read that 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas. That is, when Gallup asked "do you celebrate Christmas?" 95% of Americans said "yes." Some 75% of Americans identify as Christian. Some 85% of non-Christians claim to "celebrate" Christmas. What the fuck? How is that even possible? What do they mean by "celebrate?" Someone make sense of this for me. Is this some sort of conservative scheme, where they give you the day off, and when you stay home, they get to count you as "celebrating Christmas?"

"Celebrate" means you eat better than usual, maybe get together with other people you are related to or else are friends with, possibly give and receive some gifts, and generally make with the merriment. The whole birth of baby christ and go to church business is optional to all that other stuff.

fire! it! up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCIdhg0APRM

creepy!

love the shock scare at the end tho. i can't quite tell if these guys are parody or just that inept.

shots fired

http://gawker.com/salvation-army-bell-ringer-assaulted-for-saying-happy-1484844453

i'm ok w/ christians wishing me merry christmas since i live in a christian majority country and i feel gratitude i can practice my religion publicly here (and light those big chabad menorahs pretty much everywhere) so it would be really shitty to begrudge the majority that made that possible their own religious joy. otoh i do feel sympathetic to pre-17th century puritans since it does seem to be pretty much pagan nonsense.

i do have one complaint which is that while almost all my neighbors have very tasteful lighting and decoration one of my neighbors has a huge inflatable christmas minion, an inflatable santa and his dog in a helicopter, an inflatable spiderman climbing up the side of their house holding a christmas present, and the worst more sloppily hung lights on the block.

pics pls

i snapped this while walking my dog the other night you can't see the spiderman sadly bc he's on the right side of the house

https://imgur.com/sgMIFWW.jpeg

one of our orthodox jewish neighbors has blue "channukah" lights out w/ menorah streamers. no pics sorry.

leaving mass this morning we walked through the phalanx of soldiers guarding our church. tbh the building is shared by a Coptic community who don’t celebrate until January but it’s not like the moron murderer would-bes would know that. So, war on Christmas

okay the xmas minion is hilarious

I've taught a few hundred Muslim and Hindu kids the past 20 years--the last 10, almost exclusively Muslim and Hindu. I doubt there have been more than two or three families that whole time push back against Christmas-related things going on in my school. (I can't even remember specific examples.) The idea that Christmas is under assault or whatever is--no revelation here--a complete fabrication. My students participate in Secret Santas and Christmas concerts, they watch Christmas movies, the whole nine yards. As with any other kid, it's just a time for fun activities and free stuff.