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UL, it's not about anyone's ink job or the clothing that might be offensive, it's not about anyone's cultural clothing or jewellery, or their baseball hat or turban or scarf, it's the words that are expressed either in printing or vocally that can be offensive.
When someone displays or speaks the message to me "Jesus is the reason for the season" they could just as easily be saying "Shiva is the reason for the season" or "Great Thunderbird is the reason for the season" and I will be equally offended and become angry by either one of those statements because I know they are not true statements, they are lies. If that person wants to believe that lie then that's fine by me, they can believe whatever makes them happy, but I want them to keep it to themselves and not confront me with their lies because when they confront me with their lies it means they are trying to corrupt me to their own way of thinking.
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I think you might be too hung up on words.
Symbols can evoke messages as well.
Most of us are familiar with the fish symbols that Christian charismatics often display on the back of their vehicles. There is also another symbol that basically takes the fish and puts legs on it, often but not always accompanied by the word DARWIN. Even without the word DARWIN, the fish with legs is clearly making fun of charismatics and other Christian believers. I tend to believe that this should be OK in society - some people don't and that's their view. But one thing is clear is that if it's OK to make fun of some beliefs, then it's OK to make fun of all of them. And if we can't make fun of one, then all of them should be off limits.
And if it's OK to have a Diwali celebration in a public school (because we think it's cool and it might open up little minds) then that's perfectly fine. But it should be OK to have Christmas-themed stuff in that school as well.
And still with symbols, even if there are no words associated with it, certain forms of religious garb definitely send the not-so-subtle message that the onus in society is on women to cover up in order to not "provoke" men.
Yeah but again how is expressing that with words on a t shirt any more offensive than some one letting you know they believe Allah created the world and created you? Religious clothing are also symbols that are meant to convey a message, its no different really.
People only wear religious symbols or clothing for their selves, they do not wear them for me or for other people or to convey any message to other people. They wear them for them selves to reinforce their own faith and religious beliefs for themselves and their cohorts who are of the same faith as themselves. It could be a rosary and cross, or star of David, or pagan pentagram, or yin-yang symbol, it could be a nun's habit, a Native's sacred pipe or breast shield. Etc. etc. I don't care about what other people's religious symbols or clothing convey to their ownselves because those symbols don't speak to me and are meaningless to me. I have my own symbols that have meaning to me but would be meaningless to you if you saw them. And you shouldn't care if you saw me wearing my symbols because they would be meaningless to you.
Symbols are meaningless, of no importance to anyone who isn't of the faith that is bolstered by those symbols ....... but the messages of WORDS are understood by everybody and have some kind of meaning to everyone who hears them spoken or sees them written.
So symbols and words are not the same things and they do not convey the same messages.
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People only wear religious symbols or clothing for their selves, they do not wear them for me or for other people or to convey any message to other people. They wear them for them selves to reinforce their own faith and religious beliefs for themselves and their cohorts who are of the same faith as themselves. It could be a rosary and cross, or star of David, or pagan pentagram, or yin-yang symbol, it could be a nun's habit, a Native's sacred pipe or breast shield. Etc. etc. I don't care about what other people's religious symbols or clothing convey to their ownselves because those symbols don't speak to me and are meaningless to me. I have my own symbols that have meaning to me but would be meaningless to you if you saw them. And you shouldn't care if you saw me wearing my symbols because they would be meaningless to you.
Symbols are meaningless, of no importance to anyone who isn't of the faith that is bolstered by those symbols ....... but the messages of WORDS are understood by everybody and have some kind of meaning to everyone who hears them spoken or sees them written.
So symbols and words are not the same things and they do not convey the same messages.
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You need to read up on proselytism, showing the flag, marking your turf...
Why do you think the church steeple historically was always the tallest structure in town? Those towns and streets were named for saints? Crosses were placed by the roadside on the outskirts of villages?
....But "the reason for theseason" is about so much more than Christmas and is a time of celebration for everyone of any culture or religion, it's not just for Christians and not only about the Christian god. Many of the reasons and traditions for the season already existed and were being celebrated long before Jesus was even born.
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This comment may be trotting off-topic, but trip-trop-trip-trop here goes.
My experience in the U.S. (in days of yore) was that I only encountered the reminder about "the reason for the season" (and it wasn't often that it happened) in print or by verbally by Christians reminding people that it was first and foremost a religious celebration about the birth of Jesus.
A twin of "Keep/put Christ in Christmas."
Is it likely to be different in Canada. (My mother's half of our family is Canadian, and I spent a decent amount of time there, but never around the Christmas period brrrrrrrr.)
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Christianity in Canada has been drastically eroded for at least a decade, when students in turbans or long black gowns with slits for eyes first protested against Christmas music and easter bunnies in public schools. How boring when Christmas and Easter holidays are not allowed to have cultural or religious meaning?
Duh, call me pagan, but what is Christian about the Easter Bunny? It wasn't the Easter Bunny who popped out of the tomb with a basket of eggs, so why would the bunny dude be anathema?
Duh, call me pagan, but what is Christian about the Easter Bunny? It wasn't the Easter Bunny who popped out of the tomb with a basket of eggs, so why would the bunny dude be anathema?
I suppose it's a bit different for "Santa" Claus and the fact that he is the personification of St. Nicholas.
I would disagree. Merely seeing someone wearing a hijab or a turban is no more "in your face," than wearing a crucifix around your neck or a yarmulke on your head. ....
And R.C. and Orthodox Christian nuns and monks have worn their religious habits on the streets too, and these religious costumes are no less in-your-face, i.e. visible.
If I may:
Christianity is bad, in 2019.
Islam and Sikhism are good.
It's as simple as that.
that is only true if you want it to be true. Nobody can tell you not to celebrate Christmas according to traditional Christian beliefs, if that is what you want to do...not in the US nor in Canada, in Iran and in China and North Koreaa maybe but not in N America
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