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"I find it offensive when people wish me Happy Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.."

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Orbis said:
If I'm honest, I've never heard someone actually say they are offended by something like 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Easter'. I've only heard people tell me that they've heard someone else say they're offended.
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Agreed. Some people preface like "are you christian?" Then say happy Easter. Everyone says merry Christmas.
 
When religions have been these super oppressive and often shitty things, I can understand why someone might get upset. The holidays are so disconnected from their religion origin now, and we live in a multicultural society, I'd support a name changes
 
I'm not religious, but I work in retail in the Bible Belt. I hear things like "Have a blessed day" or "God bless you" and of course today "Happy Easter" all the time. It bothered me at first but now I know everyone is just trying to be nice so I just smile and say "You too" or whatever. I'd rather just return their goodwill. Saying something like "I don't believe in that" doesn't accomplish much besides maybe ruining someone's good mood.
 
a quick and resonant "sorry, my bad, dog!" as I smile and walk away with a nod, not giving a single fuck.

if they say anything other than thanks or reciprocate in kind, they already want to extend the interaction far longer than I might.
 
I'm anti religion, but don't feel the need to tell those that are religious about it.

Even the dreaded knock on the door from the local Jehovah's witnesses. Yes, they're knocking on my door whilst I'm upsatairs masturbating to True Detective season 1 episode 2, and okay I'm right on the edge, but they're trying to save my soul after all. They're trying to do me a solid.
 
I don't think 99% of the people who wish someone a Merry Christmas/Happy Easter/Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holidays are even thinking or inserting their religion (or lack thereof) into the phrase. It makes any anger even goofier.
 
We've had this conversation before - around "happy holidays".

Basically, if you're offended by someone's genuinely pleasant greeting because they're of a different faith, that's on you.

"I'm too pedantic to accept your good will" makes you a bit of an asshole.
 
ChrisD said:
I don't think 99% of the people who wish someone a Merry Christmas/Happy Easter/Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holidays are even thinking or inserting their religion (or lack thereof) into the phrase. It makes any anger even goofier.
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I honestly don't even associate that holiday with a religion. My family wasn't really religious growing up and Christmas was always just a fun time when everyone is happy and gives gifts.

I understand the origins of it obviously, I just think it's become this thing most people celebrate because it's a time to be happy and be with family and all of that.
 
riotous said:
I'm drawing from thousands of anectdotes over decades. Other people have way more experiences or way less or about the same.

You are basically denying the concept of knowledge and wisdom. I consider my experience as far as this conversation goes difficult to pass off as merely anecdotal. If we were talking about comic book conventional I'd call my experience very anectdotal since I've only been to one.

I never said a word about vast knowledge of human beings; I said I've worked dozens of places over decades and have never had a single person tell me they were atheists whereas I could relay 100s of conversations or mentions of religions or churches.

You are just being snarky for no reason.
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Yes perhaps we should attach a file of our job, age, and life experience when offering an opinion in the future, where then we can crunch the numbers and determine the anecdotal or experience based value of the opinion. I am being snarky, because you're presenting a qualification that isn't tenable in life, let alone a message board.
 
I'm a Christian and I'm offended when people say "Happy Easter."

How is THE LORD YOUR GOD dying and resurrecting for YOUR sins an occasion for happiness? Easter should be a somber day in which we honor the sacrifice made my the LORD Jesus Christ.
 
Mineshaft_Gap said:
I'm a Christian and I'm offended when people say "Happy Easter."

How is THE LORD YOUR GOD dying and resurrecting for YOUR sins an occasion for happiness? Easter should be a somber day in which we honor the sacrifice made my the LORD Jesus Christ.
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Obviously an egg hunt is in order to commemorate the occasion.
 
Fortunately I haven't encountered any of these people. But, if I were in another country around people of another culture wishing me a happy local holiday, I certainly wouldn't bat an eye. I don't understand people who would be offended by this. They need to assimilate. Yes, they need to assimilate.

Acknowledge that you're on someone else's turf.
 
Zen Aku said:
Experiencing other people culture is never a bad thing. It help bring people closer through food, music, tradition and history.

If anyone know how to celebrate Boxing Day in Canada let's me know. Do I need to bring my own gloves? Is it like Fight Club style? *hush hush*

in all seriousness, I would be incredibly if a friend invite me over to their family holiday gathering, especially for a celebration I have never experienced before.
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I mean, it's really not the same thing. If you're in the majority, then experiencing the culture of the minority is new and exciting. If you're in the minority, you've grown up submerged in the majority's culture. You already know all about eggs and chocolate rabbits and lip service to a reborn Messiah.

Furthermore, if someone in a minority invites you to their celebration, they probably know you're an outsider and want to include you anyway. When someone in the majority does so, it's because they assume you're celebrating the same thing, because 'everyone' celebrates that thing (except those weirdos who don't).

I'm not saying it's justified to go apeshit on a random "Merry Christmas" by any means, but it is a microaggression worth being mindful of. Especially to individuals in particularly fervent areas (eg the Bible Belt).
 
vasametropolis said:
Fortunately I haven't encountered any of these people. But, if I were in another country around people of another culture wishing me a happy local holiday, I certainly wouldn't bat an eye. I don't understand people who would be offended by this. They need to assimilate. Yes, they need to assimilate.

Acknowledge that you're on someone else's turf.
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While I understand where you're coming from, there isn't an official religion or language, because that was the point of America.

I think this thread has misrepresented people as being "offended" by such things when, in my experience as someone who spent a godawful three decades in the Bible Belt, greetings like "Merry Christmas" can be weaponized. Not responding to such a thing or responding incorrectly will make the Christian very quickly not-Christian in their behavior.

As always, none of our perspectives on this are objective, as shown by the multiple sides of people being like "I've never heard about people like that" while others say it's a common problem for them.
 
vasametropolis said:
Fortunately I haven't encountered any of these people. But, if I were in another country around people of another culture wishing me a happy local holiday, I certainly wouldn't bat an eye. I don't understand people who would be offended by this. They need to assimilate. Yes, they need to assimilate.

Acknowledge that you're on someone else's turf.
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The US believe it or not is in fact not a Christian Nation.
 
It's pretty obnoxious, yeah. It's really no big deal. Especially given that so many religious holidays really do not require religious practice anymore.

I bet there's a fair few people who make fun of people on the left though for these kinds of sentiments, completely ignoring that it literally makes the news that the right are upset by the opposite occurring. :v
 
highrider said:
Yes perhaps we should attach a file of our job, age, and life experience when offering an opinion in the future, where then we can crunch the numbers and determine the anecdotal or experience based value of the opinion. I am being snarky, because you're presenting a qualification that isn't tenable in life, let alone a message board.
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You are being obtuse.

If a person says they've never heard anyone say something at work; you don't think how long they've worked or how many places or how many people they interact with is relevant information?

When someone is expressing what they've experienced then yes, how much experience they have on the topic should be indicated. You boiling this down to "a resume for all opinions" is obtuse as hell.
 
If people say something that's intended to wish you well, they wish you well. I've dealt with far worse things in my life than to analyse something that someone said to me in good faith as an act of good will.
 
"How dare you try to be nice to me!"

Personally I am a atheist but I don't get upset at these type of comments. Since to me, these religious holidays represent a more culture thing disconnected to the original religious meaning. More in the commercial aspects Such as easter bunnies, santa, giving gifts, turkey. Black Friday, etc.

Of course some people do intend it in the original religious meaning, which still doesn't bother me.
 
iRAWRasaurus said:
"How dare you try to be nice to me!"

Personally I am a atheist but I don't get upset at these type of comments. Since to me, these religious holidays represent a more culture thing disconnected to the original religious meaning. More in the commercial aspects Such as easter bunnies, santa, giving gifts, turkey. Black Friday, etc.

Of course some people do intend it in the original religious meaning, which still doesn't bother me.
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look at you telling people you're an atheist
 
Cyan said:
Do you ever hear this from actual people? I'm trying and failing to think of a time I've heard someone actually say this even on this forum, let alone real life. It seems like I've heard a lot more "I find it offensive when people say Happy Holidays," though that's probably from lots of watching the Daily Show.

I did once have a friend explain to me that they got mildly irritated when people said "bless you" if they sneezed, which mainly involved them being a member of a small minority religion and feeling like people were assuming they were Christian, which bugged them. I don't think they cared about Happy Easter or whatever though.
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I have, often actually.

I GM a restaurant and wish people happy Easter and Merry Christmas along with the standard happy new year have a nice 4th etc. People tend to get the most offended by Christmas. I get told "thanks but we are atheists" or "we don't celebrate Christmas" which is odd to even "its happy holidays, Christmas is just for christians". Sometimes it's in a nice way sometimes it's in a rude way but every time it's awkward because I'm really just wishing you happy holidays or a nice day.

I'm sure this happens more to me since I probably do it 50 times a day minimum during holidays but yeah it happens.
 
riotous said:
You absolutely DONT tell anyone at your job that you are atheist randomly*, and loads of people never tell their parents for fear of repercussion or judgement. That's how most atheists thing and act; the people that will go out of their way to tell people they are atheist are the rarity, and most of them are quite young.

* for the record I'm an office worker, a software developer.. it's not smart to get into office politics wars, it might be fine to bring up your atheism in other work environments but in the general office culture in America, you don't.
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Exactly. Atheists are the most disliked group in the U.S. (Even over Muslims last I checked). So until you know people well you generally keep your mouth shut.

Even then I try to avoid the topics if at all possible or divert to something safer.

Because honestly when I hear Christians lump all Muslims together or make fun of their religion, I'm thinking "I feel the same way about your zombie savior and the partaking of his flesh and all the other stupid nonsensical stuff in your religion, but I don't spend time ripping into your religion."
 
Smellycat said:
I always hear people saying that they find it offensive when others wish them well on a holiday that they don't celebrate. I have always wondered, why does that bother some people? I don't celebrate any of the Christian holidays but if someone wishes me a "merry Christmas", I smile and wish them well too. I don't get upset or anything. That is the least of my worries. I move on with my life..

What do you guys think?
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those people are dicks. Live and let live. takes almost zero effort to say "thanks, happy whatever day to you too" and keep it moving
 
riotous said:
You are being obtuse.

If a person says they've never heard anyone say something at work; you don't think how long they've worked or how many places or how many people they interact with is relevant information?

When someone is expressing what they've experienced then yes, how much experience they have on the topic should be indicated. You boiling this down to "a resume for all opinions" is obtuse as hell.
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If you are unable to concede this is a common human experience with anyone that has a social life, I don't see the out for me.
 
As an atheist I've never gotten it either, I also have a strong dislike of zealotry, fanaticism and militant thinking... There's more important shit to worry about than someone wishing you well on a holiday you don't probably care about, it's such an insignificant thing to take offense to that you may want to take some time, reflect and reexamine whatever your priorities are. I pretty much feel the same way on cases of groups (or a person) suing local governments to remove religious symbols city property, I mean yeah it shouldn't be there but all going after that stuff does is create more and more bad PR that feeds into persecution complexes and fuels the zealots on the right. Pick your battles better.
 
I seriously don't care even if I don't celebrate those holidays. I usually wish my friends a happy new year, but that is it.
 
highrider said:
If you are unable to concede this is a common human experience with anyone that has a social life, I don't see the out for me.
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I never said it wasn't; I said in my experience as people get older and enter the workforce it pretty much disappears. Even added a caveat that my experience is purely white collar.

I'm addressing a stereotypical joke as well; excuse me if I explain that my experience doesn't fit the stereotype at all. It's also a joke about a group of people that experience being ostracized by their family and society. These jokes stop being funny when your own mother stopped talking to you for a year when she found out you were atheist.
 
riotous said:
I never said it wasn't; I said in my experience as people get older and enter the workforce it pretty much disappears. Even added a caveat that my experience is purely white collar.

I'm addressing a stereotypical joke as well; excuse me if I explain that my experience doesn't fit the stereotype at all. It's also a joke about a group of people that experience being ostracized by their family and society. These jokes stop being funny when your own mother stopped talking to you for a year when she found out you were atheist.
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You called me out. Why am I suddenly attacking you?
 
Eh. I wouldn't be an asshole about it but these days don't mean shit to me so it would be weird. Thankfully I live in a country with a majority of non religious people so no one I know even celebrates Easter and people certainly don't assume everyone around them is Christian. They can wish me a good 3-day long weekend though.
I've never heard anyone actually get mad about this irl. At most a "I don't celebrate this but thank you".
 
Ri'Orius said:
I mean, it's really not the same thing. If you're in the majority, then experiencing the culture of the minority is new and exciting. If you're in the minority, you've grown up submerged in the majority's culture. You already know all about eggs and chocolate rabbits and lip service to a reborn Messiah.

Furthermore, if someone in a minority invites you to their celebration, they probably know you're an outsider and want to include you anyway. When someone in the majority does so, it's because they assume you're celebrating the same thing, because 'everyone' celebrates that thing (except those weirdos who don't).

I'm not saying it's justified to go apeshit on a random "Merry Christmas" by any means, but it is a microaggression worth being mindful of. Especially to individuals in particularly fervent areas (eg the Bible Belt).
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I can see this. But as someone who is Asian, born into a Buddhist family. My family and I still celebrate Lunar New Year and as a Christian and an American, I still celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving (I've been trying to include my parents in Thanksgiving celebrations the last few years and it's been successful)
 
So I'm one of those people who gets really pissed off when you tell me "Merry Christmas." I don't care about literally any other holiday, but when I get "Merry Christmas" I go through the fucking roof, even if it's said in earnest. It's a learned behavior after working nearly a decade in retail. So many assholes who say "Merry Christmas" like it's meant to be an insult, like they're sticking it to you for saying it to you when it's company protocol for you to not say it to them. Now every time it's said to me, I just have this kneejerk FUCK YOU TOO reaction, even though I know I shouldn't. Probably doesn't help that I'm Jewish, so when people said "Merry Christmas" to me to be an asshole it was like a one-two punch of "Fuck you" and "Don't forget who's in charge here."

I also have a lot of personal reasons for hating Christmas. A lot of bad memories, to the point where I associate that entire time of year with death and tragedy and loneliness. If I could, I'd leave the country every year from mid November to early January and go somewhere where Christmas either isn't a big deal or isn't celebrated at all.
 
Smellycat said:
I always hear people saying that they find it offensive when others wish them well on a holiday that they don't celebrate. I have always wondered, why does that bother some people? I don't celebrate any of the Christian holidays but if someone wishes me a "merry Christmas", I smile and wish them well too. I don't get upset or anything. That is the least of my worries. I move on with my life..

What do you guys think?
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The automatic assumption that I've bought into Christianity is annoying, but I don't get offended so much as aggravated to be reminded that such mythology still runs so many people's lives in 2017. I don't even think about it until someone assumes I'm of their mindset and expect the same back from me.
 
Zen Aku said:
If anyone know how to celebrate Boxing Day in Canada let's me know. Do I need to bring my own gloves? Is it like Fight Club style? *hush hush*
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If it's anything like the British Boxing Day, it's mostly spent nursing a post-Christmas hangover. Or going to the shops because the Boxing Day sales are on.
 
I've heard stuff like this only when I worked in a large government facility. These environments are basically like a high school though with cliques and gossip and drama.

I don't get it, if someone wished me happy x and I wasn't associated with w/e they were referring too i would just say "you too" and keep walking. People who get offended don't have enough going on.
 
AcademicSaucer said:
1162015232191.jpg
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This joke is so annoying. I'm an atheist and I don't parrot it out to everyone I meet. What's more, I've never seen a vegan standing on a street corner with a megaphone yelling at everyone to stop eating meat. I see Christians doing that like every other week (or hear them from my apartment).
 
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