Perspective (believe, Christians, religious)

[rosends]

It seems that a large part of Judaism is explaining Judaism to others. Some people have trouble understanding that their perspective is a centrist one but that others exist which don't have their focus at the center.

Here are some social-media instances which might help point that out:

www.gregcal.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@spacevinci/v...50739803688235

I saw the tik tok through https://www.facebook.com/JewWhoHasItAll
but that facebook identity has a lot of other stuff

[Rachel NewYork]

Originally Posted by rosends

It seems that a large part of Judaism is explaining Judaism to others. Some people have trouble understanding that their perspective is a centrist one but that others exist which don't have their focus at the center.

Here are some social-media instances which might help point that out:

www.gregcal.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@spacevinci/v...50739803688235

I saw the tik tok through https://www.facebook.com/JewWhoHasItAll
but that facebook identity has a lot of other stuff

Her tweets are hilarious!

https://babka.social/@jewwhohasitall/109388024769902194

Wishing all our Jewish and non-Jewish friends a very happy Yom Hodu! ("Turkey Day")

[Coney]

That was a very funny video. I often hear the "it's so sad that you don't celebrate Christmas" as if we are deprived. I also hear a lot of people using the euphonism "the holidays." "This would be nice to wear during the holidays." I always reply "what holiday?" Also the "Christmas is not a religious holiday" nonsense. Last year, I almost lost a friendship with a non-Jew when we got into an argument over decorating a community Christmas tree. I think a lot of older people have this attitude that Christmas is very universal, while younger people are more open-minded and have more understanding of multicultural holidays and celebrations.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Coney

That was a very funny video. I often hear the "it's so sad that you don't celebrate Christmas" as if we are deprived.

Oh yes. It’s a rather silly notion, although, to add ironies upon ironies, many of the modern commercialized trappings that people associate with Christmas were created by Jews (including most of the iconic 20th-century Christmas songs and even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer).

Originally Posted by Coney

I also hear a lot of people using the euphonism "the holidays." "This would be nice to wear during the holidays." I always reply "what holiday?"

This, I don’t have a problem with. In fact, I think it invites people to discuss how they approach their respective holiday traditions without necessarily favoring one over the other.

Originally Posted by Coney

Also the "Christmas is not a religious holiday" nonsense. Last year, I almost lost a friendship with a non-Jew when we got into an argument over decorating a community Christmas tree.

Oh, for sure. Certainly, not everyone approaches Christmas in a religious matter, but it is, at the end of the day, a fundamentally religious holiday (which I’ve observed on this forum before is the one thing Evangelical Christians and Jews of most any denomination agree on).

Having a community Christmas tree is fine as long as everyone can agree that if Christmas and Christmas trees aren’t ubiquitous with religion, then the same goes for Chanukah and menorahs, and any number of other holiday traditions practiced by people of non-Christian faith backgrounds (whether or not they do so in a religiously observant fashion).

If a person has no qualms with erecting a Christmas tree on public property but feels uneasy about placing a Chanukah menorah on the same property, they’re stupid, ignorant, and/or anti-Semitic.

Originally Posted by Coney

I think a lot of older people have this attitude that Christmas is very universal, while younger people are more open-minded and have more understanding of multicultural holidays and celebrations.

I think this is fair to say. Being someone who does not look Jewish in terms of garb of physical features, people will sometimes wish me a Merry Christmas, and I take no issue with that if they’re doing so in a friendly way, as opposed to in obnoxious edge-lord fashion in opposition to the (nonexistent) “War on Christmas.”

I think that in the absence of personal knowledge of what individual people believe (or when addressing a potentially or likely mixed crowd), saying Happy Holidays is a more inclusive and respectful way to go.

[Coney]

Like in the video, I realize that when people refer to "the holidays," they are referring to Christmas and New Year's. When I tell ask them what holiday (are you referring to), i am just trying to bust their chops, knowing full well what they mean. But some very innocently reply what they mean and it's never "Chanukah." It could be, but the ones who refer to it as "the holidays" do not include Chanukah. When someone wishes someone else "have a happy holiday" that usually does include Chanukah and Kwanza. But it is subjective. It depends on who is speaking.

In general, I find that many (but not all, of course) Christians are arrogant because they just presume that Everyone celebrates Christmas. In New York City, most people are exposed to many different religions so there is less of this type of attitude there. I'm sure in Philly and the suburbs, it's the same. However, in other locations, especially in the middle of the country or in the southeast, this type of arrogance prevails, again as I mentioned before-especially people in the older generation.

In my immediate area, demographics have changed. When I first moved here, in my heavily Catholic neighborhood, almost every home had Christmas decorations. With the influx of Muslims and Asians, there is approximately 50 percent fewer homes with Christmas lights.