"Happy holidays" is bullshit Christian normativity.

[Majiffy]

When you say happy holidays, what you are actually saying is "I think everyone should be celebrating Christmas right now, and I will make you celebrate it with me with a thinly veiled code word for Christmas."

[Majiffy]

If someone were to wish you happy holidays on January 9th

Did they finally make my birthday a holiday? I'm getting tired of waiting.

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I'll take "Things Most People Have Known For Years" for 500, Alex.

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^ what's playing in my head when I say "Happy Holidays"

You gotta listen to the Travolta/Newton-John cover, it's even creepier than the original.

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People are going to be offended at Happy Holidays = Happy New Years because you're ignoring non-solar-based calendars.

I also don't really believe in calendars or birthdays, so...

I don't believe in hatchbacks but every time I get on the road, there's another goddamn Golf GTI.

[Majiffy]

HOLY FUCK I REFRESHED AND IT ALL CHANGED

WHAT IS THIS

[Majiffy]

[Majiffy]

More interestingly, why don't we have New Years on a Solstice? It would make sense to mark the year starting at either the closest or furthest we are from the sun in our orbit.

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The shit hasn't even yet begun to hit thine fanblades, mortal.

[Majiffy]

We really, really need to address your errant and wanton use of the word "oppression."

From the OED: "Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority, control, or power; tyranny; exploitation. Also: an act or instance of this...The action of forcibly putting down or crushing."

Wishing someone "Merry Christmas" may normalize a particular religion, but I fail to see how it involves forcibly suppressing the beliefs of others or how it is cruel or unjust treatment. Wishing someone "Merry Christmas" does not inherently prevent that person from believing whatever he wants, nor does it constitute any exercise of formalized authority or control in an unjust or cruel way, assuming benevolence.

Even establishing an official state religion does not inherently constitute religious oppression so long as freedom to practice other religions is present.

The perpetuation of

dated, unjust schemas or memes in our culture

that

either overtly assert or even subversively imply

any

dominance of one person over another

is oppression.

And as the adage goes, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good [people] to do nothing"

[Majiffy]

I have an incredible range of issues with the religion of Islam, but suffice it to say I don't endure sleepless nights thinking of "persecution" they endure when persecution is now classed as not having YOUR religious ceremonies celebrated with the enthusiasm of the widespread religion.

You do realize that Muslims are probably one of the most persecuted groups in the Westernized nations right?

[Majiffy]

Not particularly - Christians are hyperpersecuted in Arabia, Muslims are micropersecuted in the West. It doesn't seem like they have it unfair to me.

Please stop trying to compare atrocities being done in less free nations to marginalize the issues in our own culture(s).

If you shoot 10 people or 1 person you're still committing murder. Less does not mean better.

And as far as the "micropersecuted" statement... wholly inaccurate. Sure, we don't have public beheadings or stonings etc. but if you are a Muslim, or

look

Arab, you stand to find yourself the victim of harassment by police, TSA, and other forms of authority on a daily basis. And even mentioning to someone that you are Muslim may cause others to react in discomforting ways.

This is not a

micro

persecution. It's just

less overt

. That doesn't make it any

better

.

I also feel it's a militant, proselytising religion based on falsehoods more blatant than any other religion.

I've spent a good period of time discussing with non-militant fundamentalist Muslims. The type of stuff that is pervasive in our media demonizing Muslims is akin to saying all Christians are like the Westboro Church.

And unlike other religions, it doesn't have mad subcults who want to return civilization to the 7th century.

Every beliefset has extremists. Islam is just more publicized as of late.

[Majiffy]

Actually, can you explain how Muslims are unjustly persecuted?

Look at your own description of the religion. Now consider that you are wholesaling an entire peoples based on their belief set that you probably admittedly don't really know much about. Have you read the Koran? When's the last time you picked up the Old Testament? There's an awful lot of heinous shit in there, too.

But because you don't care to inform yourself and would prefer to marginalize an entire peoples based on wherever you got your ill-informed notions from, you cast a blind eye to the fact that Muslims are heavily underwritten in Western society.

[Majiffy]

I also feel it's a militant, proselytising religion based on falsehoods more blatant than any other religion.

that's Mormons you're thinking of

Fucking lol

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In Ireland, the Islam minority are attempting to ban percussion instruments in national schools because it is "against their beliefs."

If they succeed, they discriminate against my children and their right to play percussion instruments.

True or false?

False. Actually, they want to ban the performance of music using MELODIC instruments, not percussive instruments.
Some of the more fundamentalists beliefs ascribe to the argument that music is a lesser sin. Presumably, that's where this is based off.

Furthermore, chances are that the majority of Muslims in Ireland don't support this reading of the hadiths.

But your argument has a few holes;
One - The overarching argument here is for a more religiously inclusive perspective in the Irish school system. This isn't an outright attack on music in schools. You appear to be setting up a strawman.
Two - Not encroaching on someone's beliefs in a public setting that is inescapable? How horrible. Imagine

having

to go somewhere every day knowing that your personal belief schema is disrespected or you are otherwise made to feel very uncomfortable. That's what these kids have to deal with on a daily basis. They are actively being told that their religious beliefs are wrong because it isn't what The Majority Wants.

PEdit: Actually, I have read the Koran. Not all of it, and not studiously, but I have.

Then I'm curious where you get your perspective of Islam as being any more radically militant than many portions of the Old Testament.

[Majiffy]

I mean, your justification for "Muslim persecution" is "They get more hassle from law enforcements sometimes and when they proclaim they are Muslim some people may be creeped out."

Really? This is persecution in the West at its most dastardly?

Imagine everywhere you go, your personal right to privacy is invaded by the people sworn to protect your rights.
Imagine everywhere you go, people react with fear, disgust, or hatred, just because of your personal beliefs.

If you believe in the right to free practice of religion, you can't pick-and-choose which religions you support that right for. It has to be across the board.
If you believe in the right to privacy and the freedom from unlawful searches, you can't pick-and-choose which racial profiles you support that right and freedom for. It has to be across the board.

Don't try to write this off.

The perpetuation of

dated, unjust schemas or memes in our culture

that

either overtly assert or even subversively imply

any

dominance of one person over another

is oppression.

Then any system whatsoever is oppressive because any sort of societal organization implies a superiority of that organization. We are a democracy? Monarchists are oppressed. We are socialists? Capitalists are oppressed.

Your definition of oppression is so absurdly broad that literally any belief about anything is oppression because as soon as there is disagreement, both parties obviously feel their own points of view are superior, and hence in some sense dominant. I really just do not see that is an issue. Your definition is far inferior to the ones I posted.

My statement was broad to include the many forms of persecution that go on daily in the Western world. It is not meant to be a definition. And if you read carefully, I think you'll find that everything I said fits within your "far superior" definition of oppression.

I was clarifying why your statement about a lack of oppression was incorrect.

The difference between the Koran telling Muslims to cut people's heads off and the Bible doing whatever you throw back at me is that one is being metaphorically taken up and the other literally taken up. And that stems from Jesus Christ preaching peace and Mohammad being a warlord who performed incredibly questionable acts for all his life.

You should read Leviticus sometime.

[Majiffy]

I have no idea why this is questionable - 80% of the 9/11 bombers were Saudi Arabians.

I mean, sure, they could be completely neutral. That's the price you pay for a 9/11 style catastrophe.

Ah yes, "the price" every Muslim should pay for a few brainwashed extremist fundamentalist kids being manipulated by crazed, power-hungry terrorists.

Because that's fair.

[Majiffy]

Can you tell me what shariah law is called in the Bible?

"The Ten Commandments".

You realize that Shariah is strictly defined as the law given from Allah to Muslims to follow on a daily basis? And that it shouldn't be (but, in the loosely-defined state-sanctioned Shariah, is) forced upon non-Muslims?

You get that, right?

False. Actually, they want to ban the performance of music using MELODIC instruments, not percussive instruments.
Some of the more fundamentalists beliefs ascribe to the argument that music is a lesser sin. Presumably, that's where this is based off. Furthermore, chances are that the majority of Muslims in Ireland don't support this reading of the hadiths.

Presumably is a guess you know nothing about.

No, being a non-Muslim living in America, I don't personally know the motivations behind a single advocate's position in another country about one issue regarding their school system.

I guess you should take me out back and shoot me.

The top imam in Ireland sent his kids to Egypt to fight for the Muslim Brotherhood and complained when they were jailed for inciting violence.

I think I said something about brainwashed kids and power-hungry terrorists somewhere earlier...

Religiously inclusive my fucking hole - Selim is advocating that girls and boys should not be together, for example. He's discriminating against the 99%, but because he is a minority, you are backing him.

Which religion, exactly, does the separation of sexes in school violate?

What do you advocate here? Banning melodic instruments? Because that's what The Minority want, and if they don't get it, it's discrimination, right?

I certainly don't support praying in public schools.

They aren't going into peoples' houses and telling them they can't play a cello. They're saying that the presence of melodic music is against their religious beliefs, and since they have no option to leave the situation, they would prefer the situation didn't exist.

I think it's where groups advocating jihad spring up every day whereas the Crusades sprang up a century ago. Clearly, both books are equal and fairies are making the Muslims war.

None of that has to do with the religion itself. Thanks for admitting you have no idea what you're talking about.

And while we're at it; do you think maybe these issues are happening now because that is what stage the region is at, in regards to social and civil development? The region is littered with monarchies and dictators, while the youth want democracies. When you have such extreme clashes of ideologies, things will get violent.

[Majiffy]

Christians should be routinely strip searched because abortion bombers are Christian.

*Everyone should be routinely strip searched so we have a good reason to get naked in public regularly.

[Majiffy]

But you also don't seem to want suicide bombings, or phone calls informing you your uncle is dead because he was in a cafe in New York and boom. You don't want to watch TV news bulletins which detail the biggest buildings in the country collapsing and everyone in them dying with planes stuck in the sides. And again, that's great.

But you can't have both. That's the thing. This isn't a two-choice question. Either you get your equality, and periodically people blow themselves up as martyrs - or you get discrimination, and you get to meet up with your family and ask them how their children are.

Which do you want?

You realize that almost all the attacks on the west by extremist Muslims have been retaliatory to their perception of how they are viewed by us?

After WWI the Allied Nations divvied up the Middle East across religious and ethnic borders to further oppress the peoples, taking advantage of their natural resources and keeping them in-fighting for decades.

After WWII the Allies claimed a piece of land from this region, and made it a foothold of the West; already-perceived oppressors furthering their oppression.

During the Cold War the Soviets invaded the region. Insurgent cells were created with the aid of the CIA, with the spoken aim to "free the land". After the Soviets were pushed out, the Americans stayed. More oppressors replacing the old oppressors.

Some of these aforementioned insurgents retaliated by attacks on the West. 1994 and 2011 were two notable instances.

We go to war in the region many times as interventionists. We support the perceived Zionist nation of Israel that the Muslims view as the West's prison guard. More continued oppression on the region.

Meanwhile, any Muslims who left the poverty, war and disease-ridden region to seek shelter in the Western nations were treated as outcasts, social invaders and eventually a serious threat. Merely because of how they look, dress, or what religion they prescribe to.

And you wonder why we haven't made any friends.

[Majiffy]

I do not agree with anything in #559, least of all you justifying sex separation because it does not specifically violate a religion.

I don't agree with your anger over the notion of sex separation on the grounds of it being religiously violating.

[Majiffy]

Well I'm about tired of this conversation. Pick up a history book sometime TSO. And maybe find out about things from more than one source.

Going back to watch Wolf on Wall Street goddamnit.

[Majiffy]

People don't hate you TSO. (or at least I don't). I'm sad that you hold the views that you hold though. In expressing them I assume you were hoping to convince other people, is it asking too much for us to hope the same for you?

[Majiffy]

Just imagine his blood pressure when someone likes you walks into the room and hasn't passed through a metal detector.

[Majiffy]

Nope, just a terrorist because my family's from the Middle East.

We'll ignore that my Christianity is older than all of yours.

Oh, that's fine, I had a dream I lived in an ISIS frathouse last night so it's cool

10:00 - Beer Pong
11:00 - Flip Cup
12:00 - Beheading western swine
1:30 - Back to Beer Pong

[Majiffy]

Oh god we gotta do it again in 365 days?

This is really starting to feel like Christmas now...

[Majiffy]

I'm glad to have the seal back

I do what I can to appease my fans.

[Majiffy]

the only day i still remember is national butterscotch pudding day


it is now my favourite holiday.

I will help you co-found a religion around this.

[Majiffy]

That is fantastic.

[Majiffy]

Things just got more complicated. Us cis-races have to start respecting the trans-races.

Dibs on trans-martian.

[Majiffy]

that seems to me like a whole new brand of special

And race is largely about how others categorize and treat you. If that weren't the case, well, I'd be called a terrorist a lot less.

Just start telling them you don't self-identify as an Al-Kayder.

[Majiffy]

/Buddhism

[Majiffy]

I was thinking about this thread more and I've realized that I'm actually pro oppression of religion, and always have been. They aren't some sacred thing that I don't argue against or don't think negatively of. The only thing that mitigates how actively I fight religion is how ingrained a problem it is, which makes it only worthwhile when they are actively doing negative things to others.

This is the crux of the issue. "Inclusion" and "tolerance" are ultimately self-contradictory because every formal system ever necessarily involves excluding certain behavior.

that doesn't even follow

He's taking another tautological argument to the extreme.

By doing X, you necessarily can't do ~X.

[Majiffy]

Good point.

Zombies, those fucking boolean logic breakers.

[Majiffy]

The simplest and most basic solution is increasing the number of vacation days and not having any default holidays be religious ones.

Happy May 3rd Everyone!

I support this position. Plus it'll be easier to remember all the dates if they're named after the days they fall on.

[Majiffy]

Was Shea in NY yesterday?

Ugh. I hate pudding.

It's only because you haven't experienced the truly divine gift of butterscotch pudding.

[Majiffy]

As a New Yawkah, anything south of northern Pennsylvania is hillbilly southernland.

[Majiffy]

And even the Pennsyltuckians aren't all there.

[Majiffy]

Diabeetus

[Majiffy]

I hope one day as a society we can all sit down for thanksgiving dinner and eat nothing but stuffing.

[Majiffy]

And I'm talking the cheap delicious boxed shit.

[Majiffy]

It's not about promoting any type of stereotype - it's about making sure people aren't letting stereotypes be the primary thing that informs their day-to-day actions with people

But that's exactly how our brains work. We compartmentalize and organize information by broad categories...

[Majiffy]

I'm not saying you can't try.

I'm saying throwing out physiology entirely is naive.

[Majiffy]

((mollie))

[Majiffy]

Oh happy day!

[Majiffy]

Sonny was always my favorite character in Mario Golf. I imagined him much like Hide The Pain Harold, passive-aggressively taking out his inner torment with sarcastic one-liners about how great life is.

[Majiffy]

Too late, this is now a Mario Golf 64 thread.

[Majiffy]

[Majiffy]

It does, but that's just bullshit Christian normativity.

[Majiffy]

there's a lot that's just silly about the above post
but i want to examine the idea that "happy holidays" exists to include the jews
time for...ETYMOLOGY

[Majiffy]

DAMNIT PSYCHE WHY DO YOU ALWAYS LET ME DOWN

[Majiffy]

consolation

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=holiday

Much obliged.

[Majiffy]

I'll refrain from using the greeting toward you if you prefer not to hear it.

His point is not to use it towards anyone.

Just say Merry Christmas because that's what you mean.

[Majiffy]

Another thing we have in common, Psyche!

[Majiffy]

Im just annoyed that both christians and non-christians I know have managed to complain about the implications behind the phrase.

Probably because it's a shitty unsatisfactory phrase that should just be tossed.

[Majiffy]

Ohhhh that must be exhausting

[Majiffy]

I would be ok with being greeted by that.

[Majiffy]

I already say hello at all other times by going "I...greet...you."

Complete with a clamy, weakly offered handshake?

[Majiffy]

And perhaps a downward gaze and a slight lick of the lips after completion

[Majiffy]

I don't know anything about WoW

[Majiffy]

Oh I figured the first one was a GoT reference, which I also know nothing about.

[Majiffy]

Probably.

[Majiffy]

hue hue hue

[Majiffy]

I didn't read the thread, but it seems most people disagree with the OP.

Probably because you didn't read the thread.

[Majiffy]

Why, why does this fucking thread get necro'ed every year

[Majiffy]

3 months just to get there.

6 days in the Capsule spacecraft built by Bulma's dad, n00b.

[Majiffy]

Ugh this necro every friggin year

[Majiffy]

Fox News and their viewers

[Majiffy]

Is it just me or does church service get more and more bafflingly bizarre the longer you stay away from it?

This last Christmas Eve was the first time I've been to church in several years and I was dumbstruck by just about everything. It's so foreign to me now. And

the shit

they assert as beliefs

[Majiffy]

What was the sermon about?

Some priests have like the weirdest interpretations

It was several people because they had people talk about what Christmas meant to them. Not bad, just... The Bible excerpts? The shitty Bach-era composition for hymns? Fuck all that, yo.

There was a Mendohlsson (sp) song, though. Props to him, he at least made the era interesting.

[Majiffy]

mak babby

how do shot web to form babby?