I grew up in a small town in California. It's not very diverse there. It's quite closed off from the outside world; there are people who've never left California, though it's two hours away. This town is extremely Christian, God fearing, that sort. You know to what I refer. I am not religious. If you've spoken to me on the subject of religion, you'll note that I'm closer to being Jewish than Christian, and that's a pretty long shot. I wanted to give that as background so the following won't seem confusing. Well, it might, but I've done something to avoid that.
Yesterday, I was talking with a friend of mine about going home. I asked when she was heading home for Christmas break. She got highly offended. Apparently it's not "Christmas break." Winter break is appropriate, as is holiday break. It's the whole Jesus birthday thing. I promptly let her know that I'm not a Christian, and that I find her claim that Christmas break is offensive to be complete and utter crap. My evidence is as follows.
All people in the world live on December 25th. Well, some die, but that doesn't matter for this point of argument. Assume that 1/2 of the population is Christian: it's an exaggeration, but assuming that helps both sides because one is further the minority and oppressed and one is further the majority and thought correct. So 1/2 of the world is celebrating Christmas. Happy birthday, big J! The other half isn't. Are they not alive on that day? No, they're alive, they go about a daily routine, get up, brush teeth, shower, eat, do stuff, that sort of thing. Do Jews picket Christian houses saying that the day shouldn't be called Christmas? Do you see Muslims outside of K Mart trying to get a petition signed to have the store stop carrying Christmas items? No. No you do not. It's semantics; I call it Christmas, you call it December twenty-fifth.
How about Easter? Does it boil your buzzard when that day comes around, Jews? How about you, Muslims? Hindus getting bothered by the day being called Easter? I dunno about you, but I find calling something that's not the Christian calender's new year a new year is offensive; Chinese New Year is out! Down with holidays! Religious freedom my ass!
When I said this to her, she said that I should consider what I say; some people aren't as tolerant of offensive things as she. Well, aren't I lucky! I'm so lucky that people are bothered when I call a break an arbitrary name! Habit from my youth comes and bites me in the ass, and I'm lucky!
If you feel offended that somebody calls the break "Christmas break," I ask you to please keep your opinion in your head. I don't say don't voice it, I just ask that you consider what you're really protesting. If you're Jewish, you can get a couple of days off school every day due to religious holidays. If you're Muslim, same thing. If you're Christian, you don't get squat. I'm apathetic in terms of religious; what do I get? Crap, that's right, nothing! If you don't like it being called "Christmas break," then stop taking days off for your own holidays. Is it the fault of anybody who celebrates Christmas that you don't? No. Is it the fault of anybody who celebrates Christmas that the holiday falls on a break, due to the schools in our system being based on a Christian background (I won't deny that there is strong Christian influence in the world).? Nope, again. So, how about those offended realize that what they're protesting is stupid, in and of itself.
Religious tolerance is lacking in our world. Start small; if somebody celebrates Hanukkah and you celebrate Christmas, give them what you think of as a Christmas gift so they can open it for Hanukkah. If you are a Hanukkah celebrator, give your friends their Hanukkah gift for Christmas. If you don't celebrate either, give as your friends would want. Say it's a gift for their chosen holiday, even if you don't follow that belief. It's not too hard to do.
Oh, and if any Jews are staking out Christian homes or Muslims are planning a K-Mart petition, let me know. That stuff would be awesome on Youtube.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment