Recent Comments

1. almost 15 years ago on For Better or For Worse

   Newsflash, Roger: Just because someone disagrees with you, it doesn’t make them biased or dishonest. But thanks for the insults, even if that’s not what Christianity’s supposed to be about either.

2. almost 15 years ago on For Better or For Worse

   Maybe John hasn’t started his midlife crisis railroad hobby yet. I like getting shirts and ties from my wife. I don’t particularly care what colour or style my shirts are, and it makes her happy to pick that stuff out for me. If she didn’t, I’d just wear a shirt until it fell apart, then think, “I guess I need a new shirt,” walk into a store, think, “There is a shirt. I shall buy that shirt” and that would be it.

3. almost 15 years ago on For Better or For Worse

   Thanks for the link. I’ve seen that one. The fact that you had to go back until last year to find a case of a worker supposedly losing her job because she said “Merry Christmas” only indicates to me that this is a completely overblown threat. And this story is exactly like any other of the rare stories I’ve heard, in that all we have is what one person claims happened. How do you know she’s telling the truth? And let’s say, for the sake of argument, she IS telling the truth. Isn’t she being fired not so much for saying “Merry Christmas” but for not following instructions from her employer? Let’s say she’s supposed to say “thank you very much” to customers, but instead decides to say “up yours” to customers. She’s probably going to get fired. Does that mean her right to freedom of speech is being violated? Of course not. Don’t get me wrong — I think it’s foolish for companies to avoid referring to Christmas in advertising or to instruct employees to do the same; just as I think this threat to Christmas is overblown, I think companies are more worried about offending people with “Merry Christmas” than they really need to be. I see far more outrage from Christians who hear “happy holidays” than I see from non-Christians who hear “Merry Christmas.” Read the comments in this thread; no one has been annoyed by the idea of people saying “Merry Christmas,” but several are annoyed by the idea of people saying “happy holidays.” But that’s why it’s silly that anyone looks to a business for guidance on celebrating the holidays. Businesses exist to make money. That’s it. What does that have to do with Christmas? If your Christmas is affected in any way because a Wal-Mart clerk said “Happy holidays!” instead of “Merry Christmas!” then, again, I feel sorry for you. People in North America are going to enjoy their national holiday in their houses festooned with wreaths and lights, opening Christmas gifts, watching the Christmas movies that have been playing on every television station for the past few weeks, listening to the Christmas music that’s played on the radio for weeks — all the while grumbling that they’re supposedly not allowed to celebrate Christmas anymore.

4. almost 15 years ago on For Better or For Worse

   Has anyone here actually gotten in trouble for saying “Merry Christmas” to anyone? Were your decorations and tree ripped down because someone said “happy holidays” to you instead of “Merry Christmas”? Didn’t think so. Every year I hear far more complaining from people who are offended because someone said “happy holidays” than I hear complaining from people who are offended because someone said “Merry Christmas.” Freedom of religion means you’re free to practise whatever faith you wish; it does not carry an obligation for everyone you meet for a month to acknowledge your Christianity. And if a clerk not wishing you “merry Christmas” is really such a drag on your celebration, then I feel very sorry for you, and I suggest you’re the one who doesn’t understand the spirit of the season. I say “merry Christmas” at this time of year, and I’ve never had anyone get upset, just like I don’t get upset if my Jewish friends wish me a happy Hanukkah. But I also say “happy holidays” and that’s when people start whining about “political correctness” and talking about how “this is a Christian country, and if you don’t like it, you can leave,” never minding that America was founded by people who wanted, among other things, freedom from having a religion imposed upon them. Meanwhile, Christmas decorations go up earlier and earlier every year, before Thanksgiving, before Remembrance Day, before Halloween in some cases, so something tells me Christmas can take care of itself. And not for nothing, but the word “holidays” comes from “holy days.” And the X in “Xmas” comes from the Greek spelling of “Christ.”

5. almost 15 years ago on For Better or For Worse

   It’s possible he’s hiring a sitter. He told Elly she’s taking the day off tomorrow, so maybe that’s exactly what he means. I must have missed the panel all of you seem to have read where he says, “I REFUSE TO HIRE A SITTER.”

6. almost 15 years ago on For Better or For Worse

   I’m not sure the Metric system was invented back then. And it’s definitely not H1N1. Probably the Spanish flu.