I LOL'd.

 

I missed this post. The OBAMA Diwali message and the Obama Ramadan messages are also violation of church and state. I find it as wrong if Obama wished me Happy Diwali as merry christmas. Here's the thing.

How about we stop celebrating christmas as a national holiday and instead celebrate Diwali. Then you might take offense seeing an elephant with a million arms.

 

Not to be on the other side of the table again, but if someone wishes me a happy (insert holiday celebrated by a select group of individuals, that I don't celebrate) I say thanks and wish the same back.

If Pres wants to wish me a Happy Diwali, I'm more inclined to say thanks and leave it at that. Hell, I know people in Canada who celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Why? Who knows! An excuse to party together and feel a sense of comraderie.

I'll welcome any opportunity people choose to well-wish eachother.

 

Side-note: This thread is a one for the books, a great example of how discussions or debates should (and sometimes do) take place here. Good core group of people in the OT!

 

Mike, it's hard I believe for people who weren't an oppressed minority to understand the significance of such things.

It's different when you are a child and told by everyone, you will celebrate our holidays, the government vacations will be on those days. Additionally at public school you'll be in our holiday plays, learn and sing our holiday songs.

Also we'll ridicule your religion and your billion armed elephant god. We won't stop making comments like this as kids. When we are 40 years old we'll still make comments like this.

Since we are the religion that is the most prevalent if you complain or try to take away the dominance of our religion we'll ridicule you more. Additionally since Sunday is our Sabbath we'll make sure you are forced to have stores close early that day.

 

So you're saying that Barack Obama cannot refer to anything religious, simply because he's president?

Or you're saying that president Obama's comments somehow establish a (national) religion, or prevent the free practice of a religion? Those practices are the only two prohibited by the constitution.

 

On an interesting note, most of the stores in Frankfurt are closed on Sundays. I'm pretty sure, however, that it's not because of blue laws.

 

No, I'm only saying that it's as wrong as it is for him to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. My statement was mirroring Vader's post. I am trying to say that no religion should take precedence over another when it comes to government because of separation of church and state.

 

Fair enough. I understand where you're coming from. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like there's been progress to recognize everyone from anywhere with any beliefs. But for simplicity and alignment of holidays and days off from work, we celebrate a shared list of days. The only way around it that I see, is a numbered set of days off, on which you celebrate whatever you want.

Perhaps I'm a sheep, but I'll take holidays whenever someone tells me to. I'll be aware of the significance of them but it won't have any personal meaning to me, regardless of what religion the roots or the significance of the holiday stem from.

Maybe the difference is I've never felt that I nor my culture/religion have been neglected, hence my having no need to be recognized and not discriminated against. Alright, I think I get it.

 

We shop like maniacs on Sundays, and eat any food without restriction We be sinners!!!!!