Reasonable compromise ou blind submission?

You know, as much as I hate whiny Jews, I hate Christians who say things like

Originally Posted by Locke

MERRYCHRISTMAS

If you're offended - then get the fuck out.

Great job at missing the point.

The newstory indicated that what we're talking about is Christmas trees. Although I don't see anything wrong with that, it might have been a smart move to make the Christmas trees less, well, Christmas-y. An option I see often is having white and gold Christmas trees, which are beautiful and festive and indicative of the holiday season.

But if you're an airport, an international airport at that, you need to recognize that it is a bad idea to support one group's season. It's great to make this into a huge, "Merry Christmas shouldn't be banned!" debate, but this is more that an international airport shouldn't have a fucking Christmas display and ignore all other religions and idealogies. As that is clearly impossible, to grant something to everyone, they should make it a bit more open (Merry Christmas should be Happy Holidays, etc.)

And if you don't like that idea, having respect for others, then gtfo, plz.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Locke

SeaTac is owned by the ports authority. So the operators of the airport (probably Christian), decided that they wanted a Christmas display in an area THEY OWN. I'm not going to put up Hannukah decorations in my house, because I don't celebrate it: I'm not saying they're wrong, or people are wrong for celebrating it - I would just rather have a christmas tree and some lights. I don't tell YOU what to put up in your house.

No one is arguing that it was illegal to put up a Christmas tree. There is a difference between what is legal and what is ethically proper. I don't care if the Pope owns it; if it's an airport that features international traffic, putting up a display for only a certain number of clients is bound to push the others the wrong way. It's just ridiculous if anything else.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

See, the problem is you're taking this to be some god-damned PC argument, when it really isn't. Was that Rabbi a douchebag? Yes. It's really not a big deal. I hate to break it to you, but the only people in this lame "Merry Christmas" argument are assholes like O'Reilley. We non-Christians could give a shit about being told Merry Christmas. Or at least the majority of us.

But in this specific case, it would behoove a god damn international airport not to have a flagrantly Christmas display when we have come up with a much better term: Happy Holidays. No, to use that term doesn't make you PC. Not necessarily. If you'd rather say Merry Christmas, say it. But the term is a smart move to not offend anyone in particular (except dipshit Christians, as they sometimes are). If you carry international traffic, have a little common courtesy and make the tree yellow and gold, say Happy Holidays, and play generic Christmas music (i.e. not about Jesus). If the Rabbi complains then, well, we talk then.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Because we ARE religious.

In Thailand, those words and phrases and images are a Baptist preacher's worst nightmare; they are crass commercialism. Here, they represent the Birth of Our Lord and Savior who Died on the Cross to Redeem Sin.

I agree that being scared into saying Happy Holidays is pretty fucking trashy. But let Thailand do what Thailand wants; in its international airport, it shouldn't do that, either. As generic as absolutely possible.

While I agree that places around here should be able to have Christmas displays, this display in particular needs to be as completely generic as possible because it caters to many people.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Locke

I still don't see a problem with the displays in airports - It's not like they're hanging ornaments that say "Christmas is the only proper holiday" or shit like that - they're just spreading peace and good will, how can you knock somone for that?

Because they're not saying, "Peace and Good Will". They are saying Merry Christmas, Christmas being the birth of Jesus Christ. But I don't think it was a sign that said Merry Christmas that bothered the Rabbi, but rather that there was a giant Christmas display and nothing else.

Originally Posted by crabman

Well the way i see it is that they are coming over to our land (well technically Canada isn't my land but w/e). They should expect to see our traditions; and our way of life. A majority of Canada celebrates Christmas and therefore it should not be ethically unjust to see a Christmas tree in a Canadian airport. Turn this around; what if you were landing in an international airport in Israel and saw a Menorah? Would you bitch and say this is an international airport; and i demand that you put up a Christmas tree as well! No, because that would be rude and disrespectful for a country LETTING you visit them. Or what if you landed in Singapore and saw something muslim? Would you demand that a cross be placed right next to it? Of course not, westerners would never even dream of doing something like that.

If I went to Israel, I'd expect to see a menorah because it's a Jewish country.

If I came to America, I wouldn't expect a cross because we are not a Christian country. I mean, there might be a lot of religious people, but this is not a Christian society (by law, anyway) and so I would be disgusted to see a cross in an international airport; no Christian should ever consider America 'their land' in a Christian sense.

I was speaking idiomatically.