to hate it when people write "Xmas"?

[LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary]

It is, after all, a festival about Christ.

Putting an "x" instead of His name is lazy and disrespectful.
If you don't want a Christian Christmas, refer to the "holidays" instead.

You are allowed to call it what you like.

& if you were some slightly odd acquaintance/distant relative that I had to write an Xmas card for, I'd probably try to remember to write 'Merry Christmas!' in it to be polite because 'crop has a thing about Xmas....'

Other than that, I'll call it what the chuff I like. So long as I don't call it anything offensive, which Xmas isn't.

I know this because I did rather a lot of ancient Greek at uni & know all about the 'Chi' shorthand. As widely used by Xtians, in fact.

Are we not due the annual OCC bunfight round about now? Strewth (now that one you can object to...)

Sod it.

We're having Hogswatch this year

Praise be to Mr Pratchett.

Yesss! Robots and pork! mrsterrypratchet as the founder of festivus, do we send meat products to you as offerings?

Is this actually a joke?[santa]

No, most people don't write "xmas" because they are theologians, they write it because they are lazy and disrespectful.

Blanche - just as well Christians follow the New Testament then, not the Old Testament, hey?

Ok, I'm a practising Christian.

Who isn't offended by Xmas...

... And joyfully participated in guising and all things Halloween at the weekend.

I'm a Christain who thinks it's important to know your cultural history.

And value it.

And celebrate it.

There was no "devil worship" in the 100 happy children who came to my door on Saturday evening, sharing jokes and poems and songs with my family and the community. I didn't see anything to offend God in an ancient celebration of the end of harvest.

If non Christians can find some peace, goodwill and fellowship with their families and communities during the festive season and bring some light and happiness to a dark time of year then I like to think God will be pleased with that.

If we are reading our Bibles left it is worth remembering that Jesus was the one standing with society's outcasts not with all the self righteous people in the Temple.

No, it's not a joke. I also wish people wouldn't take the Lord's name in vain but that's a separate thread (hope you're looking forward to it).

Actually, I'm with raptor let's change it to Hogswatch and honour my namesake's DH.

I will take any amount of meat products and Baileys to organise it.

Um, no. I don't respect your religion. It's codswallop. I do however respect your right to believe whatever shite you like. It must be hard work having to keep your 'offendometer' so finely tuned. YABU.

Yes, Anna, but Jesus wasn't sinning alongside the outcasts.
Hey, I'm the first to admit I'm not perfect, I've made loads of mistakes, but can't I just ask for a little respect for our religion once in a while?

As MrTP would say, "It takes a very special and strong-minded kind of atheist to jump up and down with their hand clasped under their other armpit and shout, "Oh, random-fluctuations-in-the-space-time-continuum!" or "Aaargh, primitive-and-outmoded-concept on a crutch!". That's why us atheists take the Lord's name in vain. I try not to around actual religious people.

Christ op you're very unreasonable altogether about Xmas. I think the Christian takeover of the original festival is more disrespectful....but to each her own eh.

awaits op brandishing a crucifix and roaring "REPENT, HEATHEN!"

Ooh I didnt think that'd go into bold font. Oopsy.

I enjoyed the irony of your opening words, Iora!

I respect human beings, not religions. Hence why I try not to blaspheme around believers. But why should I 'respect' religion?

YABU

It's to celebrate the birth of Jesus X.

...but it's always nice to welcome prolific & opinionated new posters, I must say

I've never actually worked out what his name is...

Lord is his title,

God is his job.

Is his name Bob?

Surely most people writing Xmas know that the X stands for Christ? Or at least that it's an acceptable shortcut for it, regardless of whether they know the derivation? I've never heard of a Christian being offended by it or thinking people were just being lazy. Yes, it's easier to type, but if it were just that, people would use Cmas or some other abbreviation. Xmas is perfectly valid, and a lot of people will know that.

Ah but left what constitutes 'respect' is subjective. Personally I'm extremely grateful (especially given the current world situation) to live in a country that allows me to practice my religion unhindered, supported even.

I think Christianity would be a fairly puny religion if it can't take a little (Linguistically sound) shortening of its name.

As for 'sin'. What sin do you refer to? Other MNers lack of belief? Of my guising on Saturday night?

Again I would send you back to scripture - I see no sin in either of those.

You can ask for respect for your religion, it doesn't mean you will get it especially when what you are claiming to be disrespectful isn't at all.

You have too much time on your hands.

Sorry, raven, should I not post and not have an opinion? Do you want to go over the concept of AIBU again?

What about 'holibobs'?

Must admit that makes my teeth itch

But Christianity was born out of it. Many still do, as it is all part of God's Word and I think you'll find that it was the Protestants who proclaimed that the sinner is accepted by God on the basis of what Christ alone has done, leading to the disavowal of the Old Testament.

They are not the only Christians! The Reformers certainly allegorised the history of the Old Testament and recovered the gospels the basis of our salvation and reiterated the objective importance of Old Testament history.

Know your history!

Left erm Raven was complimenting you I do believe...