We should continue to say Happy Holidays in public events, not Merry Christmas

"I see no reason why you should feel offended if you say happy holidays to people." For the same reason you want me to say Happy Holidays in the first place. Your idea is to say Happy Holidays because saying 'Merry Christmas' might offend someone. Well saying, or implying that you are saying "Merry Christmas, and Happy Hanukkah, and Happy birth of Buddha, and Happy Eid al-Adha" might be offensive to the person having to say it. It's offensive to them to say for the same reason it is offensive for the other person if they do not say it (even though very few people care if the person says Merry Christmas.) If it's offensive for a Muslim to hear "Merry Christmas," it's obviously going to be offensive for a Christian to have to say "Happy Eid al-Adha." ------------------------------------------------------------- "It's not really about saying thank you to every god, it's more about including people who want to be part of this time, but not be part of Christmas." You need to understand when I'm using an analogy. The only way for everyone to be apart of this time is to let them come to celebrate their own holiday separately at the same place and time. Not in separate parties either, and not by having their holiday left out because not everyone celebrates it. The concept of Happy Holidays isn't really about 'accepting' every holiday, it's about leaving the holiday out. The only way to accept Christmas is to let people come out of their own homes to celebrate it. Same with Hanukkah. You never truly accept or include it if you do not let them celebrate it as it's own. I am not here to celebrate the birth of Buddha, I'm here to celebrate Christmas. If you tell me I can not celebrate Christmas outside my house because it's offensive, than you aren't 'accepting' of my holidays or religion. ------------------------------------------------------------- "The holidays aren't just Christmas you know." The Holidays are what ever that person celebrates. To most Jewish people, it's just Hanukkah, and to most Christians, it's just Christmas. ------------------------------------------------------------- You need to understand that every decision is a gateway to others. I've studied enough history (you'd love my library) to understand how one decision can lead to a potentially deadly intake of others (deadly not because of the amount of decisions, as the amount won't be that large. It's deadly because of the standard of decision you've set.) We are having a discussion on whether or not it is offensive to say Merry Christmas, and whether or not we should be allowed to say Merry Christmas in public. If it is decided that saying Marry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah at public events is not allowed, than how long before the overly-sensitive decide no religion should be expressed in public at all. Many can speculate this being a 'possible outcome,' but they do not have to because it's already a live topic for many. After we conclude that it is inappropriate to say Merry Christmas in public, it wouldn't take long for people to begin discussing whether or not it's appropriate to say anything religious at all in public. Although the discussion already loosely exists, you would fuel it by concluding on a discussion that is loosely the exact same. ------------------------------------------------------------- Like I said. Freedom of Speech cannot be waived for the overly-sensitive. It is not the "Freedom to speech so long as everyone around you approves." You can say Happy Holidays, anyone can. If you like Happy Holidays, then say it. But do not demand everyone say it back because you get easily offended by people celebrating their own holiday and not yours.