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Do you agree with Ben Stein's unique Christmas perspective?

Do you agree with Ben Stein's unique Christmas perspective?

  • Im a right leaning American, yes.

    Votes: 8 33.3%

  • Im a left leaning American, yes.

    Votes: 5 20.8%

  • Im not American, yes.

    Votes: 1 4.2%

  • Im a right leaning American, no.

    Votes: 3 12.5%

  • Im a left leaning American, no.

    Votes: 6 25.0%

  • Im not American, no.

    Votes: 1 4.2%
  • Total voters
    24
Ikari said:
Statistics requires no faith.

Now maybe we can address the type of questions asked so that you can learn what constitutes a direct answer. I was responding to a comment that said I have never seen anyone trampled. Now that's not a fundamental question of statistics, but k e of absolute measurement. Do you know the difference? And to his point, he is right, I haven't seen anyone trampled. Not because people don't get trampled in these events, but rather because I don't go to them. However, I don't need to observe it first hand since there are measurements (video).

Hence to counter the claim that I myself have never witnessed it, all I have to do is point to one instance of it happening. And there are plenty of videos.

This has been your free lesson in aggregate vs. absolute. You're welcome.
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I was referring to your characterization of the season as being practically barbaric (despite the relative rarity of such occurrences), because you have seen videos from the comfort of your couch.

Thanks for the lesson professor, but I hardly needed them to know you were being a blowhard. Perhaps it is indeed a "Jersey thing."
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
And the irony is that people complaining out it are essentially making a political correctness argument. The only think that is PC for them is Merry Christmas. I always say Merry Christmas myself, but i don't even give a second thought to it if someone tells me Happy Holidays or whatever instead.

Have a Merry Christmas.
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po·lit·i·cal cor·rect·ness
noun
the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.

I see what you're saying but I don't think that it will stand up. People offended by Happy Holiday are offended not because you (the general you, not youyou) are trying to exclude, marginalize, or insult them, they're not the disadvantaged or discriminated against, well, not yet completely, secularism hasn't completed its take over, but because you are trying to include other holy days in with what is, has been, and will be for the foreseeable future, a holiday exclusive.

Political correctness is a manifestation of slave morality. You are(again, not you you) not excluding Merry Christmas, you are attempting to take away its preeminence. You're tearing it down and lumping it in with all the other holidays which either are artificially manufactured or are purposefully being brought back into the public consciousness from social extinction.

To say it as you have, is to think that people who are emphasizing Merry Christmas are protesting exclusion where as this isn't the case. They are reaffirming its dominance and not accepting the slave morality of bringing it down to just another of many equally valid traditions.

Nietzsche is rolling over with irony.

You have a Happy Holiday.

:)
 
countryboy said:
I've never witnessed anyone get trampled while shopping, and neither have you.
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Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede

A Wal-Mart worker died early Friday after an "out-of-control" mob of frenzied shoppers smashed through the Long Island store's front doors and trampled him, police said.

The Black Friday stampede plunged the Valley Stream outlet into chaos, knocking several employees to the ground and sending others scurrying atop vending machines to avoid the horde.

When the madness ended, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour was dead and four shoppers, including a woman eight months pregnant, were injured.
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Fiddytree said:
I was referring to your characterization of the season as being practically barbaric (despite the relative rarity of such occurrences), because you have seen videos from the comfort of your couch.

Thanks for the lesson professor, but I hardly needed them to know you were being a blowhard. Perhaps it is indeed a "Jersey thing."
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Hahah, well one can pick up many bad habits from this state. However, my intellectual pretentiousness was not born from anything remotely Jersey. That's more a Colorado thing, which is my true home. I don't think that many New Jerseyans are smart enough to be intellectually pretentious.
 
countryboy said:
Like I said, isolated incident. When did this occur? Do you also believe incidents like this cause everyone to lose all meaning of Christmas?
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Door Busters are called Door Busters for a reason. Deaths are rare in these events, they happen but not often. But just look, store to store from coast to coast this disgusting display of greed and hatred. That in and of itself is not rare, and does it cause Christmas to lose all meaning? On whole, yes. There are certainly families that can keep it together and profess the actual religious background and beliefs. But if you're going to rip items away from others and fight and all the other BS that goes along with these massive consumer events, how can you be said to be holding up to the ideals of Christianity and celebrating Christmas as the birth of Jesus, focusing on his teachings and his love? It's the antithesis thereof. You can't run with the Devil and claim Christ (not saying that you do personally, but in general).
 
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Ikari said:
Hahah, well one can pick up many bad habits from this state. However, my intellectual pretentiousness was not born from anything remotely Jersey. That's more a Colorado thing, which is my true home. I don't think that many New Jerseyans are smart enough to be intellectually pretentious.
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I'm sure there are more than a few Tigers who'd beg to differ...;)
 
Ikari said:
Door Busters are called Door Busters for a reason. Deaths are rare in these events, they happen but not often. But just look, store to store from coast to coast this disgusting display of greed and hatred. That in and of itself is not rare, and does it cause Christmas to lose all meaning? On whole, yes. There are certainly families that can keep it together and profess the actual religious background and beliefs. But if you're going to rip items away from others and fight and all the other BS that goes along with these massive consumer events, how can you be said to be holding up to the ideals of Christianity and celebrating Christmas as the birth of Jesus, focusing on his teachings and his love? It's the antithesis thereof. You can't run with the Devil and claim Christ (not saying that you do personally, but in general).
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You're just being silly and contrarian. If you ever want to have a serious discussion, let me know. Until then.....buh-bye.
 
countryboy said:
You're just being silly and contrarian. If you ever want to have a serious discussion, let me know. Until then.....buh-bye.
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KK, and you let me know when you're willing to not run away from a debate. Maybe these two things will align one day....one day.
 
Ikari said:
KK, and you let me know when you're willing to not run away from a debate. Maybe these two things will align one day....one day.
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I don't run away from debate, I just don't play silly lib games.
 
countryboy said:
I don't run away from debate, I just don't play silly lib games.
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Well your deflectionary arguments are painting a different story. It's cool, it's cool. Maybe one day.
 
Ikari said:
Ahhh, OK. So the Black Friday mass of humanity is atheists and people who don't got to church. Still not sure I buy it.
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Several atheists have posted in this thread that they celebrate, including gifts for family members. Something for you to consider.
 
US Conservative said:
Several atheists have posted in this thread that they celebrate, including gifts for family members. Something for you to consider.
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I know they do, but that has nothing with the sentence you quoted.
 
Cephus said:
Virtually everyone does, Christmas is an almost entirely secular holiday. Most people celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday. Haven't you figured that out yet?
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An ancient religious holy day that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ is almost entirely secular? I think you might be projecting what you'd like to be the case. Either way, its a bit ironic.
 
US Conservative said:
An ancient religious holy day that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ is almost entirely secular? I think you might be projecting what you'd like to be the case. Either way, its a bit ironic.
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Well to be fair, the original holiday was a Pagan celebration. So this could be seen as just more change of the holiday as mankind moves along in time.
 
US Conservative said:
Or Hanukkah. And happy holidays does not predate merry christmas, or some variation of it. Whos the side trying to remove it from common usage? Hint-its not the folks celebrating it.
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Nobody is trying to "remove it from common usage."
 
countryboy said:
A simple yes or no would've sufficed. Not everyone does that, and in fact I bet the majority of people who do aren't Christians. Black Friday incidents like you describe are isolated. The majority of shopping done during the Christmas season is done peacefully. You are officially making **** up. Color me unsurprised. :roll:
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This is a good point but I think its also important just how susceptible many in the anti-religion crowd are. This is much of the group who watches Colbert report between dancing with the stars reruns and thinks they are well informed.

I've had to explain to several liberals recently that events can happen without being included in the local paper or news segment. Some even argue with me. :mrgreen:
 
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