The Wrong Message
When I lived in Tennessee, I expected to see billboards advertising the word of the Lord. In Akron, it catches my attention--I guess that's the point.I've rewritten this post over and over--it gets longer every time. I guess I'll settle with this single let down: I just wish that if you're gonna spend $2,000 on a billboard promoting Jesus' word, you'd select a life-changing parable.
I really don't think anything will change whether I say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. This billboard is a product of frustration, not love. Five ladies from Ohio were so frustrated with the greeting "Happy Holidays" that they raised money to spread these words and signed it Jesus. In these Christian days, I'd rather see this sign: "Stretch out your hand."--Jesus
Here's the story on the semantic five. In the meantime, here's the lyrics to Irving Berlin's Happy Holidays from 1942.
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By Greg - Friday, December 04, 2009
34 Comments:
As a Christian, this billboard really frustrates me for a number of reasons.
I hate when people attach the name Jesus, God, the Lord, or even Him to anything as a quote. In my opinion, they've cunfused a message, and flaunted their mistake by shoving it in everyones faces. It should be illegal to "quote"** Jesus, or any other living, dead, or as some of you see this, fictious character if it can't be proven that He/She/It said those things. Oh wait. . . it is.
For the record. I love the phrase, "Merry Christmas," if I know the recipient of my good tidings is either Christian, or non-committed in any other direction. I have no problem with, "Happy Holidays," from strangers, as they have no idea if they'd be affending me by saying anything else.
If you are going to preach, please preach love, compassion, understanding, and good will. Not pettiness and divisiveness.
So I say to you, "Merry Christmas to some, and Happy Holidays to others." - BenW
**First time I've ever quoted the word quote.
I am a Catholic School Grad...and Never had any problem with any holiday greeting. I have said "Merry Christmas" "Peace on Earth" "Happy Holidays" "Happy Chanukuh"......"Semper Fidelis" ....You name it ....
Its the thought that counts - I am NOT hard, at all, to please when it comes to wishing my fellow man well.
As I heard Kinky Friedman once say - Its just fine to him when someone wishes him a Merry Christmas....he LOVES Christmas trees and Santa too
Santa- thats a whole nuther story
From the House of Petey to all friends and family, passed and present, on land or at sea:
MERRY CHRISTMAS
(to those not comfortable with that: SEMPER FI - CARRY ON!)
Putting your repressed thoughts into the words of others is called projection. Is projecting unto Jesus-Astral Projection ? Woo Hoo!!!
Happy Holidays from the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
(I'm projecting)
These ladies apparently envision a needy, melancholy Jesus who wants nothing more than his birthday greeting to be properly rendered. Over 2000 birthdays and Jesus still doesn't have enough presents?
$6,000 would have filled a lot of empty bellies with pasta and meatballs.
Here is a billboard that I pass ever day on I 480 in Parma. My opinion is that this group has the intention to rain on the majority of their neighbor's Haoliday Season Parade.
& Yes, they say that they do not believe in GOD ---which sets up the chicken and egg cycle---how can you NOT believe that something exists after you state that you don not believe that IT exists.
For the record, I still believe at my age, that there IS a Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Chris Kringle and the Wizard of Oz.The "Tooth Fairy" may have, in reality been my uncle Leo - who we wer not too sure about????
I do NOT, however, believe that Congress is NOT a bonifide physical or spiritual entity, at least in this universe.
Click Rain on the Holiday Season Parade
Mencken: I have always believed in these two items:
Kindness to animals is the purest form of charity (Jewish teaching)
A large warm plate of Spaghetti and Meatballs prepared and served up with care and love is the ULTIMATE god-will toward man (Mrs Chiappone - God Bless You wherever you are)
Yes the FSM - Whatta Guy----when my partner at work started telling me at lunch about two years ago about the Monster, I was willing to drive him over to Windsor Hospital.
Now, I fully understand the theory behind the number of Pirates on earth.
God, how and open mind can be so damn debilitating
Don't forget Petey, Kinky Friedmann was responsible for " Lord They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore".
Truly the most offensive and/or hysterically funny song ever written.
First of all, I know Greg and Ben would agree that we completely respect the right of these fine ladies to purchase these billboards and for Clear Channel to put them up. Cheers to the First Amendment and the free market.
And speaking of the First Amendment, Happy Holidays. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." That is why the made up Jesus quote is on a billboard and not printed on the money spent to buy it. I think our founding fathers would be happy holidays guys if they were still around. I am cosidering making up a quote and buying a billboard on their behalf.
And speaking of the free market, Happy Holidays. If retailers thought they could sell more widgets by saying "Merry Christmas," then they would. But, they know that it is better to offer a message that includes all shoppers so they can get everyone's business. If there is a business that wants to go the Merry Christmas route, then that is their option.
Good post Greg.
I'm glad you pointed out that the song "Happy Holidays" is from 1942. To me the Holidays are the time from Thanksgiving until New Year's - "Season's Greetings"
Also - I think the "War on Christmas" is funny because its not MoveOn.org that puts up "Happy Holiday" signs - its huge conservative corporations that don't want to offend people(and lose business).
There was one billboard I loved on Brookpark Rd in Parma, a few yrs. back, sponsored by the Humility of Mary Sisters, who taught me my smart-ass ways.
It said:
DONT MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!
GOD
Does GOD really look like George Burns?
Someone forward this to the billboard ladies:
Aint making Jews
Looks like i posted the same thing at the same time as you, Kyle.
I just got back from www.merrychristmasbb.com where I sent them a lovely "Season's Greetings" message.
Feel free to do the same:
merrychristmasbb1225@yahoo.com
Menck,
on Kinky: Sometimes it takes a blindside razzberry to the bigoted
& You absolutely summed it up with the comment about how 6000 buck would fill a lot of empty tummies with pasta
Kyle, Tim, Ben: Oorah to Free Speech
Kyle, I think it has as much to do with John Adams' statement in Article 11 in the Treaty of Tripoli:
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
Also Kyle, does the First Amendment allow for putting words into the mouths of others? i.e. projection.
Mencken, I think this billboard is directed at political correctness here at home as opposed Mussulmen, although I'm sure they've got plenty of print materials in the hopper for that topic.
Yes, I do think the first amendment allows for projection, misrepresentation, and making stuff up, with the exception of libel and slander.
So if I put up a billboard that read:
" If Jesus was armed, he wouldn't have had to die for your sins".
- Kyle Kutuchief
You wouldn't do anything to get it taken down?
I mean it's not libelous.... just projection on my
part.
Mencken,
If you're gonna spend all that money how about:
"If it wan't for Pontius Pilate you wouldn't be getting a new IPod."
- Kyle Kutuchief
Remove the quotes and say KK believes... and there probably isn't much I could do about it. Because you have the entire statement in quotes, I'd think I could get it taken down under libel protection.
Back to the real example, these ladies don't have the statement in quotes and I could see how it might be considered satire.
The quotation marks are immaterial to the argument,
I just put them there for emphasis.
There's no libel because the statement is just an opinion. Even so, your position as well as Jesus' should be " I never said that".
More projection.
Tim, you lost me on that one.
I feel sorry for these women. They are CHOOSING to be offended by something that doesn't affect their lives. That sounds like a sad life.
I cant help thinking that while Jesus was having his coffee and readind the Canton Rep this morning, HE was thinking - what a bunch or retards
During the 1600's. "English Parliament banned the celebration of Christmas entirely, considering it "a popish festival with no biblical justification", and a time of wasteful and immoral behavior".
Does Bill O'Reilly know about this ?
that is very interesting. In fact Jesus' birthday (who reaslly knows when?) has been kicked around for 2009 years. I guess its the biggest news item in history. & we didnt even touch into the fact that much of it is based in pagan ritual (misteltoe) and Roman Saturnalia
Even so :
Merry Christmas from Gene Autry, Menck
Check this out:
Dreaming of a WHITE Christmas
I just read about the Puritans. Whatta bunch of holes who needed some beer and sex.
How about the recent association of Christmas season and beer: eg "Christmas Ale"
Good vid Petey.
I hope you get the Kenner Girder and Panel kit for Christmas.
how bout the politically uncorrect "Erector" Set
Rockem Sockem Robots or a Chemistry Set for you. Larry, my neighbor actually made a smoke bomb...also loved those plastic rockets that you filled with water and then pumped up to 100psi - just enough to waste the neighbor's cat
Anyhow:
Holly Jolly Christmas to All
BTW
6 December is the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas
One of MY heroes
Wow, guess this is a hot button issue.
As far as the freedom of speech goes, I have to agree with Mencken on this one. You can't quote others if you can't prove your quote. Kyle asks the question, is it a quote? I feel it is an implied quote by both context, and the fact that the words are followed by a dash and a proper name.
For instance, Kyle, do you feel differently about the following two billboards?
"I love George W. Bush"
- Kyle Kutuchief
or
I love George W. Bush
- Kyle Kutuchief
Of course you don't differentiate. They are both implied quotes from you. The freedom of speech, and the rest of the first amendment, is essential to this country being truly free. However, don't forget that there are limits to freedom of speech. Just as you're not allowed to yell "fire" in a crowded theatre, you can't intentially misquote someone to further you own agenda.
I wish I'd have been around for the original chiefsource.
Ben, the Political TCS was an amazing forum that I loved.
Freedom of speech does NOT relieve the user from discretion in his application of the freedom nor from the reactions that it may cause.
When I hear "free" speakers say things like "I have the RIGHT to yell K&%$ at a Jewish Temple....So WHY did the Jewish Defense League Goons show up at my house???" ...I wonder just what do these persons believe that the right includes?
Of course a flip side is the reponsibility inherent in the right to NOT abuse it by lying, propaganda, inciting to riot etc.
And of course one should not be afraid to speak up when duty calls - regardless of the aftereffects
I think Mencken touched into this idea earlier with his "projection" examples and where exactly is the legal line drawn between free speech and , say defamation.
The Bush admin seemed to wear out the use of "Projection" (Blame Projection)
Below are the basic elemants of propaganda, that in my opinion, everyone should be well aware of
Free speech - Yes, but still Propaganda
Repetition - owing to the infantile limitations of collective memory, a message must be continuously propagated in order to take hold within the collective consciousness.
Simplicity - The message must be designed in such a way that it appeals to or is quickly understood by the lowest common intellectual denominator of the collective. This is not only true because of the vast ignorance of the masses, but also because the collective attention span is virtually nonexistent. We now live in a world of sound-bite discourse. The simple lie always conquers the complex truth.
Imagery - The most powerful propaganda is embedded within appealing imagery. This imagery could be pictorial or descriptive. This is why movies and music are such potent forms of pr propaganda.
Sentiment - The message must contain as little detail as possible, and instead be designed in such a way that it appeals to some strong emotion or sentiment—such as sex or sympathy.
The exclusion of detail allows for the quicker processing of the message, while the underlying sentiment reinforces it. The message need not be logically or factually based, this only clouds the affective force of the message. If any logic or fact is included, it must be very simple and plain, requiring virtually no processing time — the use of cliches and platitudes is quite effective.
Merry Christmas to all!
Merry Christmas Russ!
From me and Jesus.
Tell Jesus I said hello and that I've been a good boy all year. Oh wait...I'm getting mixed up...
Jesus loves You Russ
Have a Gene Autry Christmas
Jesus loves You Russ
Have a Gene Autry Christmas
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