First person that tells me that we need to 'Keep Christ in Christmas', will get punched in the face

wait no fair.... I can't punch you??? how about this instead?

I just ignore people who have to make a big deal about saying Christmas. I notice most people (and I'm in the south) say Happy Holidays anyway.

So, happy Thanksgiving to you, and a Happy Holidays (all 7 or 8 of them)!!

I get gift cards for the grandkids. Period. No tree. No decorations. No travel. No huge meal(s). I got weary of all the hassle, so I decided not to it anymore.

http://www.cresourcei.org/symbols/xmasorigin.html

Abbreviations used as Christian symbols have a long history in the church. The letters of the word "Christ" in Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written, or various titles for Jesus early became symbols of Christ and Christianity. For example, the first two letters of the word Christ (cristoV, or as it would be written in older manuscripts, CRISTOS) are the Greek letters chi (c or C) and rho (r or R). These letters were used in the early church to create the chi-rho monogram (see Christian Symbols: Christmas Ornaments), a symbol that by the fourth century became part of the official battle standard of the emperor Constantine. >snip<

The exact origin of the single letter X for Christ cannot be pinpointed with certainty. Some claim that it began in the first century AD along with the other symbols, but evidence is lacking. >snip<
In any case, by the fifteenth century Xmas emerged as a widely used symbol for Christmas. >snip<

In religious publications, the church began to use the abbreviation C, or simply X, for the word "Christ" to cut down on the cost of the books and pamphlets. From there, the abbreviation moved into general use in newspapers and other publications, and "Xmas" became an accepted way of printing "Christmas" (along with the abbreviations Xian and Xianity). >snip<

So there is no grand scheme to dilute Christianity by promoting the use of Xmas instead of Christmas. It is not a modern invention to try to convert Christmas into a secular day, nor is it a device to promote the commercialism of the holiday season. Its origin is thoroughly rooted in the heritage of the Church. It is simply another way to say Christmas, drawing on a long history of symbolic abbreviations used in the church. In fact, as with other abbreviations used in common speech or writing (such as Mr. or etc.), the abbreviation "Xmas" should be pronounced "Christmas" just as if the word were written out in full, rather than saying "exmas." Understanding this use of Christian symbolism might help us modern day Xians focus on more important issues of the Faith during Advent, and bring a little more Peace to the Xmas Season. >snip<

Happiness from Solstice to Solstice, and to all a good night!

Hekate

PS Please excuse me from entering the argument pro and con with "Xmas".

I was painting a picture in 2nd grade with Merry Xmas on it, and she huffily informed me that I was "Crossing out Christ". I was little -- it put the fear of God in me.

Fortunately my mother was an ex-Catholic instead of an ex-Protestant, and she knew her Latin and the bits of Greek that are in the Mass. Mom told me the X came from the Greek Chi in Chi-Ro, and that it wasn't "crossing out Christ" at all.

I only bothered to Google it for the sake of the current argument -- no need to apologize! The fundies in this country have done a good job muddying the waters for quite awhile, because there's nothing like being holier-than-thou that tells Jesus what a good Christian you are.

Happiness from Solstice to Solstice, say I!

Hekate

Or on top of...or under...or...

Although I guess "more" is totally appropriate for this holiday.

That's it! Let's just call it "MAS!"

HAPPY MAS, EVERYBODY!!!

is secular, years ago when a postal employee wanted to work on Xmas?

I received my first one today. What happened to waiting until after Thanksgiving to be a right-wing whack job?

Otherwise, how would Christmas be spelled? mas?

KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!

please stop it!!!

Jesus X.

Or neither.

Toga parties,but of course we were too young for alcohol. I got to college & decided I didn't like alcohol anyway.

...everyone to go back to celebrating that instead of Christmas.

After all, Christmas didn't exist till around the fourth/fifth century. That's when Christ was introduced into Saturnalia. I think we should take the Christ back out of Saturnalia and really enjoy ourselves.

--And yes, I totally agree with you--the arrogance of people who want to put the "Christ back in Christmas" bugs the shit out of me. Mainly because they don't mean "let's be kind and charitable and remember to think of the poor and homeless--as Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus were at this time of year..."--they mean, "let's make December 25th a holiday exclusive to Christians as we imagine it once and always was...." Because, gosh, that's so "Christian"--to tell all non-Christians that that there is "no room at the holiday inn..." for them on this particular day

I hate to agree with the Mormons and that book by Moroni ( have a difficult time not to say, "Boney" Moroni), that JC was probably born around the first part of April. Any coherent reading would tend towards that date and not December.

especially a fundie, ask them why it's not equally important to keep Mass (the Catholic worship ceremony) in Christmas.

It's fun to mess with their little brains. Sort of like watching a bug wriggle on it's back in a jar of turpentine.

Yep, tell the Protestants to go to Mass

So, I suppose that answer negates celebrating Christmas on the 25th of December as well

Hadn't thought of that! Cognitive dissonance. They made need to rename it "Christbirth" or "Christservice."

I lose patience with the people (Bill O'Reilly) who take retailers to task for calling it a "Holiday Sale" because invoking the name of Jesus Christ in your marketing plan is a sign of the one true faith.

"The Festival for the rest of us." Especially the "airing of the grievances."

"holidays" LOL

go to church!

I am a progressive Christian and I absolutely hate the highjacking of my faith by these right wing twits. And we all know that this "insistence" on keeping Christ in Christmas, or this BS about the so-called war on Christmas, and this refusal to politely wish people "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," is all just right wing posing. Ughh.

Maybe remind them that Jesus was actually born in September and that the December 25 date is pagan. See their heads spin.

The day that I have to get my theology from the likes of Bill O'Reilly I will have to convert to another religion. Hmm, Scientology looks good.

Dec. 25 is how bad they messed up the calendar since Roman time.

If you're not Christian, say any bloody thing you want. The holiday season has been Nationalized, and turned into a festival of money changers. These same Christians hate others for not being freedom-loving capitalist Americans. How ironic.

And start a thread on it! Thank you!...you know, those born-again, missionary types sent to knock on doors are told to pretty much run from atheists. Why? Because there is a belief that atheists want to convert everyone to secularism and if the door-knockers stick around they may be the ones converted. So, no engaging the atheists.

Thus, I think if we start to wish everyone who wants to argue to put Christ back in Christmas a happy "Atheistmas" they might well run away. (One can only hope).

Good thing that won't be my response. (I don't care).

The day Santa gave his life to save Jesus in Iraq

The day Santa gave his life to save Jesus in Iraq

I swear to Dog I've seen this as a cartoon or something... It's needs to be a macro at least.

only because I'm too damn lazy to type "christ" every freaking time I want to type out the entire word.

IMO.

I baffle the fundy natives with my posters of Isaac Newton, Christmas baby, the cover of Principia Mathematica, 2 of the equations ( helpfully provided by physicist hubby).
I also painted AXIAL TILT IS TE REASON FOR THE SEASON. Those are fairly large as that is a 6 foot high privacy fence so we don't have to look at crosses in the neighbor's yard or the church across the street.

The county courthouse has a nativity scene on the grounds. The railroad right of way in our little town has a lighted Jesus is the reason for the season sign.

<a href="http://imgur.com/tEnrO"><img src="" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>

husband are awesome.

Those signs would make my right wing fundy relative's heads explode!

too 80's?

The emphasis on gifts and the presumption of the gathering of families, those are relatively recent. If you actually read Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol you'll see a world in which the celebration of Christmas was part secular, and part religious. And at that time, December 25 was simply an ordinary day that happened to be Christmas. Our current huge celebration, overladen with consumerism, is relatively recent.

Indeed, the piling on of purchasing stuff, especially as exemplified by "Black Friday" is a very recent phenomenon.

I am personally a non-religious person. I enjoy the secular aspects of Christmas, while acknowledging and understanding the religious aspects. I enjoy getting together with family and friends, I love giving and receiving gifts. If you are one for whom the religious aspects are paramount, I would say, That's wonderful! I know enough about the religious meaning of Christmas to think that it's truly wonderful for those who believe that way. But I don't have to share that belief to participate in the celebration of Christmas.

And any time anyone wishes me Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays, I am genuinely appreciative. There are other times when peoople say things to me like God Bless You, or some other such overtly religious thing. I try very hard to appreciate the sentiment ant express my thanks and gratitude. My personal beliefs don't matter here. It's the appreciation of the other person's belief that matters.

Chestnuts nipping at your nose....

Although it's been said, many times, many ways...

Merry Atheistmas to you!

Koch brothers questioning what he knows...

Although it's been said, many times, many ways...

Merry landslide to you!

Don't let him escape!

And think of how much harder it would be to rouse the troops for the 'War on Mas.' It just doesn't have that...je ne sais quoi.

But most of them do very little to actually follow the teachings of the one they claim to follow.

My Christmas wish is to get trail a guest spot on O'Reilly's show. I've been pretty good, this year.

Then Bill can wish for his two front teeth.

Happy Solstice.

A calendar belonging to the culture that couldn't keep their calendar in line with the Heavens says something about their God's lack of knowledge of the Heavens.

Or.... More xmas?

Actually if your question was serious, no one wants to remove it.... Christians just east everybody to say merry Christmas instead of happy holidays.... That's the big war?

People who celebrate Hanukkah? I only say "happy holidays" to people I don't know that well, because I'm not sure which holiday they're celebrating. I think the whole thing is rather silly. It's about being respectful towards other people IMO.

It was a Festival of Lights and Yule. That would be more effective than punching them.

the "gifts" we liberals are getting... now that he's been re-elected.

...for the disadvantaged instead of having a feast and gifts for the extended family.

As long as you don't try to drag me to church, I'm cool!

"I'll keep Christ in your Christmas, if you keep him out of my government."

THE TITLE IS TOO FUNNY

...I had to add a note to the op since people thought I was really going to go out and start punching people

It is a Christian holiday. So what is the problem? Let all religions have their holidays and their deities. Damn. This is the problem. Freedom of religion and from religion. They must exist together. Time for this country (it's peoples) to grow up and comprehend the meaning of the constitution. Want Christianity back in schools? Then you will have to allow all religions being taught in schools along with atheism and Satanism. It's not freedom of Christianity. Grrr....