should christmas be removed from the list of federal and state recognized holidays?

[bodecea]

exactly why I think all leaders should actually participate in their war.
All their children of draftable age should serve in the war as well.

Lets make war personal to them as well as to us out there in the trenches.

Have you ever been to war?

And i'm not talking about your lil' war against innocent cats.

Yah, got the purple heart, etc too.

do you take that liking a little pussy a bit too far?

The topics he keeps trying to steer these threads to.....quite telling, don't you think?

 

[Rinata]

I don't think that I have ever, in my life, seen anybody get upset because they were wished a Merry Christmas. But along the way we were told it was offensive to people.

Really??? I don't think so. If someone expressed to me that they were offended, I would just apologize and remember not to do it again. Otherwise, I am not going to wish people a happy holiday. It will continue to be, "Merry Christmas"!!!

Good for you!

Santa will most likely be very good to you this year.

On a side note, if someone tells ME they were offended, i'd continue to wish 'em a merry christmas just to piss 'em off!

Wow!!! This may be the only time we will ever agree on anything!!! So let's make it last a little longer.

This afternoon I had to take care of some business at B of A. I've been going to this particular branch for years. When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was that there was not one decoration in the entire bank. They used to put up a huge tree and the whole bank was decorated.

It wasn't busy so I was able to ask the bank manager why there were no decorations. He said that they did not want to offend non-Christians so they were stopping the practice. I told him that sucked. It was really depressing. I love Christmas trees and decorations. They make me feel mellow and happy. What a drag.

 

[Mr. Peepers]

"piss atheists off"....and bragging about doing it ONLY to piss people off.

Funny thing is, atheists don't think anything about it and could give one rat's ass less. I'm a non-believer and it doesn't bother me one bit... I don't even THINK about it. It's generally issued as a salutation anyway. Only the xtians get their granny panties in a wad about "happy holidays", which isn't a new term by the way, it's the traditional way of combining xmas and new year's.

 

[Emma]

NO, for one it would companies an excuse not pay employees time and half if they have to work on the Holiday.

But as an employer it would seem to be an Establishment Clause violation cause they now have to pay people time and a half because its a religious holiday. Christmas shouldnt be a federal holiday just like Eid al-Adha or Hanukkah shouldnt be. Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, etc are a different story and perfectly acceptable.

If people actually celebrated Christmas as Christ's birth, you'd have a point.

 

[ihopehefails]

We have no actual proof that the Jesus mentioned in the bible was ever born or existed.

A whole bunch of people said that someone named Jesus said this, did that, and this happened which makes it just as reliable as any other historical text that exist since those text say that a man named <insert person here> said this, did that, and this happened.

 

[ihopehefails]

NO, for one it would companies an excuse not pay employees time and half if they have to work on the Holiday.

But as an employer it would seem to be an Establishment Clause violation cause they now have to pay people time and a half because its a religious holiday. Christmas shouldnt be a federal holiday just like Eid al-Adha or Hanukkah shouldnt be. Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, etc are a different story and perfectly acceptable.

If people actually celebrated Christmas as Christ's birth, you'd have a point.

This may not apply to your post but it is a federal holiday where federal employees get the day off. The private sphere is not forced to recognize christmas as a day-off holiday and many do not since so many are open on that day.

 

[Againsheila]

"piss atheists off"....and bragging about doing it ONLY to piss people off.

Funny thing is, atheists don't think anything about it and could give one rat's ass less. I'm a non-believer and it doesn't bother me one bit... I don't even THINK about it. It's generally issued as a salutation anyway. Only the xtians get their granny panties in a wad about "happy holidays", which isn't a new term by the way, it's the traditional way of combining xmas and new year's.

Really? Is that why the atheists put up that sign in Olympia WA that announced the it was winter solstice and that religion was only for the superstitious and ignorant? Seems to me if they didn't care, they would have ignored it rather than insulting every religious person on earth.

 

[Againsheila]

But as an employer it would seem to be an Establishment Clause violation cause they now have to pay people time and a half because its a religious holiday. Christmas shouldnt be a federal holiday just like Eid al-Adha or Hanukkah shouldnt be. Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, etc are a different story and perfectly acceptable.

If people actually celebrated Christmas as Christ's birth, you'd have a point.

This may not apply to your post but it is a federal holiday where federal employees get the day off. The private sphere is not forced to recognize christmas as a day-off holiday and many do not since so many are open on that day.

Thanksgiving is a religious holiday as well, we are suppose to be giving thanks to God. Many religious people who do not celebrate Christmas, celebrate Thanksgiving as Harvest Day and exchange presents at that time.

BTW, the origin of the term holiday came from "Holy Day". Perhaps if we want to be non-religious we should get rid of ALL holidays?

 

[Emma]

But as an employer it would seem to be an Establishment Clause violation cause they now have to pay people time and a half because its a religious holiday. Christmas shouldnt be a federal holiday just like Eid al-Adha or Hanukkah shouldnt be. Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, etc are a different story and perfectly acceptable.

If people actually celebrated Christmas as Christ's birth, you'd have a point.

This may not apply to your post but it is a federal holiday where federal employees get the day off. The private sphere is not forced to recognize christmas as a day-off holiday and many do not since so many are open on that day.

Yes, I know.

I am rather torn over this; I do believe it was unconstitutional at the time it was passed.

 

[Againsheila]

If people actually celebrated Christmas as Christ's birth, you'd have a point.

This may not apply to your post but it is a federal holiday where federal employees get the day off. The private sphere is not forced to recognize christmas as a day-off holiday and many do not since so many are open on that day.

Yes, I know.

I am rather torn over this; I do believe it was unconstitutional at the time it was passed.

If Christmas is unconstitutional, aren't all holidays unconstitutional, since by definition they are "holy days"?

 

[Emma]

This may not apply to your post but it is a federal holiday where federal employees get the day off. The private sphere is not forced to recognize christmas as a day-off holiday and many do not since so many are open on that day.

Yes, I know.

I am rather torn over this; I do believe it was unconstitutional at the time it was passed.

If Christmas is unconstitutional, aren't all holidays unconstitutional, since by definition they are "holy days"?

No. That's a bit of a stretch lol.

I don't think it would be considered unconstitutional now, though. For many, it's as much a secular holiday as a religious one. Sad to say...

 

[ihopehefails]

If people actually celebrated Christmas as Christ's birth, you'd have a point.

This may not apply to your post but it is a federal holiday where federal employees get the day off. The private sphere is not forced to recognize christmas as a day-off holiday and many do not since so many are open on that day.

Yes, I know.

I am rather torn over this; I do believe it was unconstitutional at the time it was passed.

I agree with you mean that passing official national holidays is unconstitutional because it does not fall within the 17 powers of the federal government. On the other hand, state constitutions are perfectly capable of having an official state holiday if they want.

 

[Emma]

This may not apply to your post but it is a federal holiday where federal employees get the day off. The private sphere is not forced to recognize christmas as a day-off holiday and many do not since so many are open on that day.

Yes, I know.

I am rather torn over this; I do believe it was unconstitutional at the time it was passed.

I agree with you mean that passing official national holidays is unconstitutional because it does not fall within the 17 powers of the federal government. On the other hand, state constitutions are perfectly capable of having an official state holiday if they want.

The 14th incorporated the 1st onto the states, however...

But be that as it may, I think this is appropriate:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJZjR7xyyWE[/ame]

 

[ihopehefails]

Yes, I know.

I am rather torn over this; I do believe it was unconstitutional at the time it was passed.

I agree with you mean that passing official national holidays is unconstitutional because it does not fall within the 17 powers of the federal government. On the other hand, state constitutions are perfectly capable of having an official state holiday if they want.

The 14th incorporated the 1st onto the states, however...

But be that as it may, I think this is appropriate:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJZjR7xyyWE[/ame]

Are you talking about the first amendmnt? if so then how when the first amendment starts out with "congress shall pass no law..."? Who's congress were they referring to?

 

[CurveLight]

Even one successfully argues it does not violate the establishment clause it still violates the Equal Protection Clause. It is irrelevant non-Christians receive the same paid holidays as Christians for Christian holidays. The violation of equal protection is not recognizing the religious holidays celebrated by non-Christians. Atheists could also argue they deserve to have a holiday celebrating their lack of religious affiliation.

 

[Emma]

I agree with you mean that passing official national holidays is unconstitutional because it does not fall within the 17 powers of the federal government. On the other hand, state constitutions are perfectly capable of having an official state holiday if they want.

The 14th incorporated the 1st onto the states, however...

Are you talking about the first amendmnt? if so then how when the first amendment starts out with "congress shall pass no law..."? Who's congress were they referring to?

I'm talking about the 14th incorporating the BoR onto the states.

Incorporation (Bill of Rights) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Amendment I

Guarantee against establishment of religion: This provision has been incorporated against the states. See Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 (1947).[14]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everson_v._Board_of_Education]

Guarantee of free exercise of religion: This provision has been incorporated against the states. See Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296 (1940).

Guarantee of freedom of speech: This provision has been incorporated against the states. See Gitlow v. New York, 268 U.S. 652 (1925)(dicta).

Guarantee of freedom of the press: This provision has been incorporated against the states. See Near v. Minnesota, 283 U.S. 697 (1931).

Guarantee of freedom of assembly: This provision has been incorporated against the states. See DeJonge v. Oregon, 299 U.S. 353 (1937).

Right to petition for redress of grievances: It appears that no one case incorporates this right individually. However, dicta in Edwards v. South Carolina, 372 U.S. 229 (1963) suggests that this right is incorporated along with all the other First Amendment guarantees.

Guarantee of freedom of expressive association: This right, though not in the words of the first amendment, was first mentioned in in the case NAACP v. Alabama, and was at that time applied to the states.

 

[bodecea]

This may not apply to your post but it is a federal holiday where federal employees get the day off. The private sphere is not forced to recognize christmas as a day-off holiday and many do not since so many are open on that day.

Yes, I know.

I am rather torn over this; I do believe it was unconstitutional at the time it was passed.

If Christmas is unconstitutional, aren't all holidays unconstitutional, since by definition they are "holy days"?

By golly, you are right!


Who took the "Holy" out of my Holidays?!?!?!?!?!?!?