US Forest service issues "Christmas Tree" tags...not holiday tree tags

[Predicto]

once again, I'm waiting for someone to quote me, especially in this thread, that I mention ANYTHING about "How unfairly they(Christains) are being treated."

PLEASE show me where I have posted that. Otherwise, :stfu:and stop mis representing me. thank you!

You will forgive me, I hope, for thinking that you might have some purpose in starting this thread other than idle curiosity. Perhaps it was your signature that gave me that impression. Or the other threads you have started regarding this general subject.

You might also be aware that you are not the first poster to start a thread on the Tailgate, and some of the earlier ones were much "whinier" that you. I apologize if that carried over to you unfairly.

[BigMike619]

You will forgive me, I hope, for thinking that you might have some purpose in starting this thread other than idle curiosity. Perhaps it was your signature that gave me that impression. Or the other threads you have started regarding this general subject.

You might also be aware that you are not the first poster to start a thread on the Tailgate, and some of the earlier ones were much "whinier" that you. I apologize if that carried over to you unfairly.

so you assumed she was doing this for negative purposes.

then you say she is whiny but not AS WHINY as others.

yeah, live and let live. peace and all that good stuff, right?

come on man, you are being just as antagonizing as you are accusing her of being. stop trying to point fingers unless you have one going right back at yourself for doing the same thing.

[ljs]

You will forgive me, I hope, for thinking that you might have some purpose in starting this thread other than idle curiosity. Perhaps it was your signature that gave me that impression. Or the other threads you have started regarding this general subject.

You might also be aware that you are not the first poster to start a thread on the Tailgate, and some of the earlier ones were much "whinier" that you. I apologize if that carried over to you unfairly.

thank you for your apology...we normally get along on here. Please trust that what I say/post is what I mean. There is no underlying tone or agenda. The purpose of my sig is 1.) because I do say Merry Christmas 2.) becuase I LOVE the holidays and it makes me happy.

And i really really did only have curiousity...like I said, due to some other discussions on here. Seriously, when I saw that tag, ES was the first thing I thought of. (that may be an indication that I have no other life...but that's another thread altogher)...and the other posts about Christmas that I started was the news about the Athiests sign on my state capital.

[Predicto]

so you assumed she was doing this for negative purposes.

then you say she is whiny but not AS WHINY as others.

yeah, live and let live. peace and all that good stuff, right?

come on man, you are being just as antagonizing as you are accusing her of being. stop trying to point fingers unless you have one going right back at yourself for doing the same thing.

C'mon Mike, the white knighting is a little misplaced. I didn't start this thread - she did. Look at the thread's title.

If you don't want to admit that she was stirring the pot here, fine. I think you are kidding yourself.

[Predicto]

thank you for your apology...we normally get along on here. Please trust that what I say/post is what I mean. There is no underlying tone or agenda. The purpose of my sig is 1.) because I do say Merry Christmas 2.) becuase I LOVE the holidays and it makes me happy.

Sorry, I don't buy it.

You sig does not say "Merry Christmas" or "I wish everyone a Merry Christmas" or "I love Chistmas."

Your sig says "WE SAY Merry Christmas." You are making a intentional statment there, and you know what it is. That statement is entirely consistent with the threads you have started, and with comments that you have made in your posts. Why are you trying to pretend otherwise?

ps - I love the holidays too. I say Merry Christmas all the time.

[BigMike619]

C'mon Mike, the white knighting is a little misplaced. I didn't start this thread - she did. Look at the thread's title.

If you don't want to admit that she was stirring the pot here, fine. I think you are kidding yourself.

anyone that has been in the tailgate longer then a day knows im no white knight nor do i ever try to come across as one. i am merely turning the mirror back on you and asking you to see that you do the same things but want to call everyone else out as being at fault.

and if you dont want to listen to what she has said several times about it being a serious and legit question in her mind thats you just being disrespectful to what she has to say.

[Bang]

ok once AGAIN...I will state that no where in this thread did I say, complain or whatever, that athiests were trying to antagonize anyone, or that they were stealing my christmas. I honestly and sincerely wanted to know how people felt. I find it interesting, because I've never talked to so many 'non believers' as I do on ES.

I equate it to when I was in highschool and a lot of my friends were Morman. I was honestly curious about the religion becuase growing up all I heard was that it was a crazy cult. So I would ask them stuff all the time, debate and such. We never fought, even though we would disagree. They fully understood that when I asked them something, it wasn't becuase I was trying to be an *******, but I sincerely wanted to know.

Maybe it's because you can't "hear" tone on here, mabye because there are some(many?) who post threads TO start an argument, or antagonize. But again, that was not my intention.

ok...now about that pudding....

Peace. I'm not having a hissy or anything. Even if I may have something to say I always try to respect those I'm debating with.

Ok, so not always, but those who I don't respect, I make sure I tell them pretty specifically. No sense beating around the bush.

Merry Christmas!

~Bang

[BigMike619]

Sorry, I don't buy it.

You sig does not say "Merry Christmas" or "I wish everyone a Merry Christmas" or "I love Chistmas."

Your sig says "WE SAY Merry Christmas." You are making a intentional statment there, and you know what it is. That statement is entirely consistent with the threads you have started, and with comments that you have made in your posts. Why are you trying to pretend otherwise?

ps - I love the holidays too. I say Merry Christmas all the time.

yet I dont see you having the same issue when Bang spoke for all athiests in the "we" tone.

[Predicto]

anyone that has been in the tailgate longer then a day knows im no white knight nor do i ever try to come across as one.

Bwahahahaahha. :laugh:

i am merely turning the mirror back on you and asking you to see that you do the same things but want to call everyone else out as being at fault.

and if you dont want to listen to what she has said several times about it being a serious and legit question in her mind thats you just being disrespectful to what she has to say.

Dude, that last sentence is the definition of White Knighting.

[Predicto]

yet I dont see you having the same issue when Bang spoke for all athiests in the "we" tone.

I'm not sure I understand your point here.

[BigMike619]

Bwahahahaahha. :laugh:

Dude, that last sentence is the definition of White Knighting.

so, if I come out and tell you that you are missing her point then I am now trying to grandstand as some white knight?

i knew youd like the first part. :finger:

I'm not sure I understand your point here.

Bang...saying "we" when he was speaking about athiests. you didnt have a problem but you do with her sig saying "we". why is that?

[Predicto]

so, if I come out and tell you that you are missing her point then I am now trying to grandstand as some white knight?

i knew youd like the first part. :finger:

Bang...saying "we" when he was speaking about athiests. you didnt have a problem but you do with her sig saying "we". why is that?

Ok. I'll play.

What do you think her signature means, in your own words?

[BigMike619]

Sorry, I don't buy it.

You sig does not say "Merry Christmas" or "I wish everyone a Merry Christmas" or "I love Chistmas."

Your sig says "WE SAY Merry Christmas." You are making a intentional statment there, and you know what it is. That statement is entirely consistent with the threads you have started, and with comments that you have made in your posts. Why are you trying to pretend otherwise?

ps - I love the holidays too. I say Merry Christmas all the time.

this is my argument.

you seemed to take homage to her having this sig but not this:

It is ****y, Mike, and i get ****y because I'm quite confident that my claim is backed up by the behavior of the overwhelming majority of we atheists.

Obviously there's going to be the militant few, but they are a vast minority.

Most of us do indeed want to simply be left alone and out of all the crap.

And yeah, if that mjeans I feel as though I would like to stay above the arguinhg fray, sue me for being tired of the same old crap.

This thread was started with a chip on it's shoulder, and now the answers have been given.

I didn't see any atheists starting any threads about the evils of Christmas, no I see Christians starting threads about this stuff. This thread could be viewed as a challenge to atheists to be stupid and petty, and thankfully it doesn't seem as if any have taken the bait.

Yes. Live and let live. I can guarantee you this, I would have said none of this had this shoulder-poke of a thread not been made. It simply isn't something I go around obsessing over. If it gives you peace, so be it, it's not something I concern myself over.

However, I hope it's clear by my first post that i don't take this thread so seriously, either. I meant to play back with some fun.

~Bang

why did you question her but not Bang? shouldnt it be equally done if it is going to be done at all?

I am not saying Bang can't or doesnt speak for most athiests but that doesnt mean you should criticize LJ and then say that Christians are usually the antagonists.

[Capt Rich Fla]

A lady from the hardship department at capitol one called today to mess with me and at the end when I was hanging up I could have sworn she said, "sir, you have a happy festiv-----." The phone was leaving me ear, but I believe she said Festivous.

[ljs]

Sorry, I don't buy it.

You sig does not say "Merry Christmas" or "I wish everyone a Merry Christmas" or "I love Chistmas."

Your sig says "WE SAY Merry Christmas." You are making a intentional statment there, and you know what it is. That statement is entirely consistent with the threads you have started, and with comments that you have made in your posts. Why are you trying to pretend otherwise?

ps - I love the holidays too. I say Merry Christmas all the time.

My sig is a copy of a bumper sticker you can buy...and the 2 threads I started, one was a news article, and the other was in response to what I saw posted in response to the news article. Take it as you wish, I know my intentions, I know what it means, I know why I have it there. I need to make a firewall for my brain cause some of you seem to think you know exactly what thoughts I have in my head. kinda creepy.

[ljs]

A lady from the hardship department at capitol one called today to mess with me and at the end when I was hanging up I could have sworn she said, "sir, you have a happy festiv-----." The phone was leaving me ear, but I believe she said Festivous.

My company is a customer management group. Meaning, our entry level employees field customer service calls for various companies such as ATT, Bank of America, Citi corp, American Express, Toys R Us and many more. Do you know that NO ONE is allowed to say Merry Christmas? And some companies banned us from saying Merry Christmas, even when the customer says it first.

And if you read my update on the Athiest sign on my state capital, there is an article about people putting up other signs, including the Sienfeld Festivous pole.

[Predicto]

this is my argument.

you seemed to take homage to her having this sig but not this:

why did you question her but not Bang? shouldnt it be equally done if it is going to be done at all?

I am not saying Bang can't or doesnt speak for most athiests but that doesnt mean you should criticize LJ and then say that Christians are usually the antagonists.

Look at her signature, and focus on the word "say" not the word "we."

It would be the same situation if Bang had a signature that says "We say Happy Holidays (not Merry Christmas, dammit!!!"

But he doesn't. Bang is responding to her thread, to her issues. LJ is the one who appears to have the issue about what this season is called. It seems to be a big deal to her, big enough to make it the theme of her signature and the subject of a thread.

I don't think it is that complicated.

[ljs]

um...I'm pretty sure my sig doesn't say....We say Merry Christmas, NOT Happy Holidays"....unless you are going to break into my account and change it.

Again, interpret how you wish. It's ok, I have the other side telling me I'm a sexual deviant and going to hell....so whatever.

[Predicto]

My company is a customer management group. Meaning, our entry level employees field customer service calls for various companies such as ATT, Bank of America, Citi corp, American Express, Toys R Us and many more. Do you know that NO ONE is allowed to say Merry Christmas? And some companies banned us from saying Merry Christmas, even when the customer says it first.

Yes. That is called marketing. The companies want to make sure that they are inclusive of all people, even those who are celebrating different religious holidays or no religion at all. It is their right to do so, but no one is FORCING them to do that, and it's not taking away anything from you, as far as I can see.

[rincewind]

But he doesn't. Bang is responding to her thread, to her issues. LJ is the one who appears to have the issue about what this season is called. It seems to be a big deal to her, big enough to make it the theme of her signature and the subject of a thread.

Kind of like stabbing tigers in the head is a big deal to Predicto.

[ljs]

Yes. That is called marketing. The companies want to make sure that they are inclusive of all people, even those who are celebrating different religious holidays or no religion at all. It is their right to do so, but no one is FORCING them to do that, and it's not taking away anything from you, as far as I can see.

Yikes why is everyone putting words in my mouth??? I was only stating a fact, in response to Capt Rich. NO WHERE in that post did I say someone was trying to take anything away from me. wow.

And I know what it's called duh..there's a reason I'm a corporate boss. :doh:

[Predicto]

My sig is a copy of a bumper sticker you can buy....

Of course it is.

http://www.zazzle.com/we_say_merry_christmas_bumpersticker-128590509566275463

What do you think the point of this bumper sticker is?

From the site: "A Subtle Design, with a Profound Message.... This bumper sticker reads, "we say Merry Christmas". A simple way to express the importance of keeping "Christ"...in Christmas."

What do you know - the bumpersticker is listed on the site as a "Bill O'Reilly Bumpersticker"

http://www.zazzle.com/bill+o%27reilly+bumperstickers

IN fact, you can buy it on O'Reilly's own website.

http://www.billoreilly.com/p/Car-and-Truck/We-Say-Merry-Christmas-Bumper-Sticker---Pack-of-5-stickers/24701.html?dispid=204

Do you really not see what statement you are making?

[Predicto]

um...I'm pretty sure my sig doesn't say....We say Merry Christmas, NOT Happy Holidays"....unless you are going to break into my account and change it.

.

That is the ENTIRE point of the bumpersticker, and the slogan. If you didn't understand that, then I apologize for putting words in your mouth - but dang, it seems utterly obvious. It's part of Bill O'Reillys "War on Christmas" schtick.

[Jumbo]

ok, that is funny, you call it a crusade...it's not a crusade, but then again, you don't live in my state and don't have to see/hear about the whole stupid mess going on at our capital building.

My post is more of an FYI, question. I thought I made that clear, that I was asking a quesiton. If I was on a crusade, I would have driven my happy ass over to Olympia and protested.

****, you don't live in "our state" either.

You're on the opposite end of the place. I live 10 minutes from the dome. I've been there more than once a day almost every day since this "****" started. You don't see/hear anything except through whatever you're reading/hearing/watching at a distance. O'Reilly was the only one all over this yesterday, screaming about all the attention the athesists were getting when he was the only one nationally covering it yesterday. You're making a bigger noise in this forum about all this than anyone I talk to in town that isn't actually at the dome protesting or in the media smacking the storyline.

If you did live here, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be one of those obsessed enough with this stuff to really be down there, though, after readng your posts on these matters. And you keep negatively generalizing about "this area" and when you do, all I can think of are similar types in "the real WA" who laugh at the Spokane area as the home of rednecks, serial killers, and secretly gay republicans. Like they say, "there's a reason they put Spokane next to Northern Idaho." See how well that crap works?

And as a non-Christian, I will keep saying Merry Christmas to you anyway

[Bang]

I can see what you are saying, IF it was the "little tree tag" ONLY. But when you add it to the other church/state issues, such as the pledge, the money, the capital displays, and so on...it was just one MORE example I wanted to bring up. Seriously...

But it's not an applicable example, because what they are selling is actually called a "Christmas Tree" used to decorate for Christmas.

If anyone tries to call it something else, it's akin to attempting to convince everyone the sky is pretzel, because you've decided you don't like the word "blue".

It's entirely different then decorating public property with religious symbols.

Same as I really doubt anyone rational is going to pitch a fit if there's a "Merry Christmas" wreath on the door of the courthouse, but they might object to the crucifix.

~Bang