Hypocrisy?

[bighart]

Had a very interesting conversation with an old friend last night. He is a self-described "true conservative" but not a whack job or fundie. He and I have been friends for most of our lives, since second grade, and as adults have always had very frank and honest discussions about political and social matters. He is a Christian, and for the purposes of full disclosure so am I. We both hold that our political views are deeply rooted in our morals and faith. I believe that is part of the governments responsibility to care for the poor, the oppressed and the needy in whatever form that may take. He believes that it is the responsibility of each of us as individually to do so.

Now to the conversation:
We were discussing the false outrage over the so-called war on Christmas, and yes we both feel that this the whole claim is bogus. Then he started talking about his disgust with the tea party and the hypocrisy of railing against "big government" while at the same time being outraged at potential cuts to social security and or medicare, couldn't agree more as you can't have it both ways. Then he said that he is also sick of hearing democrats and progressives slamming Christianity and then seeing them demand off on Christmas or be pissed off when their Christmas bonus is not as big as they wanted. He a mid-level manager for a major corporation that has the need for staffing 365 days a year. He told me he makes it a point to ask those he knows are not Christian's to work on Christmas and Easter first and he told me that they often get pissed at him when he does. I protested that it is unfair to only ask non-Christians to work on the holidays to which he replied he feels like it is giving them the opportunity to stand behind their convictions. He told most of the people that end up volunteering are the ones that are self described Christians. His take is that this kind of situation is essentially the same as those tea party folks complaining about "big government" while cashing in on the benefits it provides.

I have been thinking about this ever since and I think he has a valid point. The Christmas and Easter holidays on our calendars say just that, Christmas and Easter, and as such are "religious" holidays. Taken advantage of them while mocking the religion they are based on is hypocrisy in my opinion.

Interested to hear your views.

[dkf]

1. What we have done to Christmas is turned it into a completely commercial orgy.

I don't see it as a Christian holiday, just more American excess.

[Skinner]

2. "most of the people that end up volunteering are the ones that are self described Christians"

The reason this happens is because most people in the United States (and at his company) are Christians. It's not because Christians as a group are more self-sacrificing than anyone else.

(As for the alleged hypocrisy: I don't see any examples of people "mocking the religion" in your post.)

[bighart]

6. He did describe some situations that have occured where he has

had a couple of individuals making comments or forwarding him and others cartoons that contain phrases like "sky daddy" and "make believe friend". According to him they don't originate on company time or come from work computers but are sent to him by athiest coworkers. He called me a couple of years ago when he was passed up for a promotion and was pissed, not because he didn't get it but because the guy that did ridiculed him about his faith after the announcement was made. I told him to print the email and take it to his boss, which he refused to do, he just wanted to vent.

[Jim__]

3. I don't think it's hypocritical.

It would be hypocritical to go to a christian church on Christmas and pretend to be christian on that day and then deny it for the rest of the year. But, Christmas is not only a christian holiday, but a huge cultural holiday. Many people are openly not christian and openly celebrate Christmas. I don't believe those people are being hypocritical.

[Stevenmarc]

4. Except that Christmas is a Federal holiday

[Edweird]

5. I like Christmas, Thanksgiving and New years. I don't care about Easter.

I'm an atheist, but I don't mock Christians wholesale. I respect others right to believe as they choose - so long as they respect mine.
Christmas is as much a secular holiday as a religious one. I'm only in it to spend time with people I care about.

[TexasObserver]

7. It's not difficult to understand. Christmas is a social day, not a religious one.

For most Americans, it's an end of year time for socializing. It celebrates the solstice. That's its real purpose - its historical purpose - and that purpose predates Jesus by many centuries.

Tell him it's not Jesus' birthday. It never was. It's a pagan holiday celebrated by Christians. Jesus never said "remember my birthday!" It's yet another example of people inventing dogma that Jesus never said, never approved, never suggested, and stand in opposition to his teachings.

Tell your misinformed conservative buddy that. Tell him he's celebrating winter solstice, something his Christian forebears stole appropriated from the Romans, who worshipped the sun and memorialized its journey this time of year with a holiday marking the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

[monmouth]

8. My single son always volunteers to work so the guys with families

can be off..BUT, he also gets double-time and a half so there's his catholic school ed mindset...HA!

[Bandit]

9. I don't think the Government should have Religious Holidays but it does.

The Government has to treat everyone equally no matter what their religious beliefs might be. It is wrong for your friend to discriminate in this manner but he could ask for volunteers. It is more likely those folks that are not Christian might take advantage of the double time in pay without being forced to do so because of their Religious beliefs.

[Nye Bevan]

11. Why do so few people understand that Christmas is not necessarily a "Religious" holiday?

As I pointed out in my other post, millions of non-Christians celebrate Christmas as a secular non-religious event.

[Nye Bevan]

10. Many, many non-Christians celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday.

I have many atheist, agnostic and Jewish friends who put up Christmas trees and have Santa visit. None of these folks would want to work over Christmas.

[Motown_Johnny]

12. Double standard

Christmas is a legal holiday. It is unfair to consider it only a religious holiday. Everyone has the same right to a legal holiday off.


Easter is a bit different as it always falls on sunday. I don't have as much as a problem with Christians wanting part or all of Easter off due to their faith. I would need to know the corporate policy toward Jewish (and other religions) holidays before I could form an opinion on the fairness of this policy.