Happy Hanukkah to all of my Jewish readers and to those who celebrate with them.
posted by Helen at 2:20 PM
Friday, December 15, 2006
Contributors
Previous Posts
- Lethal Lady
- Podcast on Male Suicide
- Dr. Sanity's practical guide to victimhood. Sorry ...
- How Academe Shortchanges Conservative Thinking (Ha...
- There is a lot of controversy in the news about wh...
- The Scarlet R
- Who Says Boys Don't Like to Read and Write?
- Question and Answer Podcast
- Do Antipsychotic Drugs Control People?
- Request for Questions
16 Comments:
Good for you, Helen.
I'm glad that somebody has the courage to voice their benevolent holiday sentiments without fear of criticism, revenge, or reprisal.
I do not subscribe to theism, yet I still say Merry Christmas to my family and friends, and to my customers at my restaurant, in the spirit of brotherhood.
With the exception of government sponsored religious displays and acts, there is nothing wrong with people and businesses expressing their beliefs in a non-confrontational, non-converting, non-condescending manner. I enjoy the Christmas season very much, as I have since my childhood (I'm nearly 50). Easter really doesn't move me. Yet, when somebody says, "Happy Easter" to me, I reply, "Thank You" because I correctly interpret their message as one of benevolence. If somebody said "Happy Hanukkah" to me, and I interpreted their intent as peaceful and benevolent, I would smile and say "Thank You". I don't wish to hurt non-Christians when I say "Merry Christmas", and yet I am not hurt when Christians say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Easter" to me.
My $0.02 cents worth.
true.
I can't stand when people get PC with "Happy Holidays." The holiday is Christmas, or in the case of Jews, Hanukkah. Say one or the other.
Happy Hanukkah to you, Dr. Helen, and to your Jewish readers.
Thanks everyone, I agree that we should not get so caught up in the PC language that we forget how to be nice to one another. Frankly, I am just happy if someone says something polite. Anyway, tonight is the first night of Hanukkah and while it is not a big Jewish holiday, it is nice to acknowlege it.
Reminiscing: I remember playing Dreidle with some Jewish friends of mine; a simple enough game but I found it so nerve racking that I could hardly keep still. I even remember some of the song:
I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay.
When it's dry and ready, with dreidel I shall play.
I can't stand when people get PC with "Happy Holidays." The holiday is Christmas, or in the case of Jews, Hanukkah. Say one or the other.
Hmm, did I make a mistake in picking cards to send out this year that say "Happy Holidays"? But they have these cute lil penguins in santa hats on them! I do add "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Chanukah" when I'm sure what the recipient celebrates.
In stores, I dunno...they can say whatever they want or nothing at all. It's really nice when someone says something (anything) to me with genuine warmth, but I'm not expecting it. If they're gonna say "Merry Christmas" like a cold robot, I'll prefer a "Happy Holidays" from someone who really means it.
When the Salvation Army dudes say "God Bless You" to me (as one did an hour ago at the gorcery store), even though I don't believe in god it makes me feel good and get more into the spirit of the season. It's sincerity that touches someone.
Happy Hanukkah, and may love and blessings light your life.
so long as any well wishing, is taken in the spirit of whats said, i dont mind, i wish jewish friends the same thing, and they even wish me it, and muslim friends, in the uk is a non religious celebration.
the people who get so upset, they are the ones with the problems.
so i still wish everyone a happy xmas (which to me includes every other festival at this time of year)
so Happy Hanukkah, happy kwansaa, happy hogswatch( from terry practhett), happy saturnalia, happy.. everything.
and happy Lenaea, the Festival of the Wild Women, happy belated Bodhi Day, happy winter solstice, happy the Festival of the Sun where the god of the Sun, Wiracocha, is honored." happy Shabe-Yalda (a.k.a. Shab-e Yaldaa),
Yes, Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate it.
All Jewish holidays remind me of the Holocaust, and how careful we as a society must be to ensure that nothing like that is allowed to happen again, which will take constant vigilance - forever.
But a friend of mine posed an interesting question the other day. What if Hitler had not been anti-Semitic. German Jews fought for Germany during WWI. How would the outcome of WWII changed had Hitler not used vast resources in his insane attempt to wipe out what could have been one of his greatest resources, i.e. the German Jewish population?
Tomcal,
Then would we really have had a Hitler at all? His fight was in part about hatred for the Jews, if he had no hate, perhaps he would not have felt the need to murder so many people. It is like saying, could extremist Muslims who want to wipe out infidels not use those same infidels to become a resource? Uhh, no because the hatred of the people that one wants to kill is at the root of why you attempt to kill them, i.e. the reason for the Hitler's war was because of his hatred, not in spite of it.
i personally dont think he could connect to people, he was a great speaker, but he had no human feeling, he was upset that his dog was killed, but he wasnt too bother by people dying.
he was a split personality, his hatred of the jews,
http://www.kimel.net/hitjew.html **In 1939 Hitler personally permitted Dr. Bloch, an Jewish physician to emigrate from Austria. Dr. Bloc was the gentle physician who provided intensive care for of his ailing mother, and on several occasions Hitler expressed his gratitude. Another Jew, who played a positive role in Hitler's life was his World War I commanding officer, who recommended Hitler for the Iron Cross.
In anti-Semitism Hitler found an explanation for his failures, a rationalization for his sufferings - the Jews and their conspiracy. The Jews were the single cause of his tensions and humiliation. Hitler adopted the crude simplistic outlook on life: the Jews are the source of all evil in this world. Hitler found a purpose in life, cleansing the German race from the clutches of the Jews. Hatred of the Jews became his obsession, his creed, faith and religion.
**
some jews did fight for germany, i lost an entire branch of my family in the pogroms, they were sent to dachau and aushwitz. i have a tape (converted to mp3) spoken by the survivor.
i think xmas at least in the UK sense, is more about peace between everyone, it shouldnt be about religion, it should be about peace. different religions working together in a week. perhaps some will work for peace longer.. thats my xmas
Helen:
Probably this particular thread wasn't the best place to start pondering "what if?" scenarios about Hitler. I was contemplating an answer for Assistant Village Idiot's question about changing the outcome of World War II at the time.
I agree with you that Hitler had to hate, and without that hate we would not have had a Hitler in the first place.
In regards to Muslim "extremists", they use the expertise and technology of we the infidels all the time. They would be nowhere without our airplanes, communications systems cell phones, computers, internet, etc. They need our technology to wipe us out. It's a fine line for them, I'm sure that their strategy for wiping us out involves the calculus of keeping enough of us alive for long enough to ensure that we keep developing the technology they need until their job is done.
I probably should have asked "what if Hitler had funneled all of his hatred against those of the Islamic faith, or any other scapegoat group, (interesting to ponder Islam though)instead of Jews?".
I agree that we allow Muslim extremists to use us, even psychologically through use of the media who seems to take pleasure in spreading the Islamic extremist message. Perhaps world domination was just a secondary goal of Hitlers, while eliminating those he hated was the first. I wonder what would have happened if the goals were reversed? Who knows? It is interesting to ponder "what if" questions though. Good question posed by AVI.
i had latkas : )
視訊做愛視訊美女無碼A片情色影劇kyo成人動漫tt1069同志交友網ut同志交友網微風成人論壇6k聊天室日本 avdvd 介紹免費觀賞UT視訊美女交友..........................
Post a Comment
<< Home