dreaming of a White Holiday

[GoodTaste]

Does "White Holidays" mean "holidays with white snow (falling from the skies)"?

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Richard Dawkins tweeted 4m ago:

Merry Christmas! Oh SORRY, Merry Holidays! Children, hang up Holiday Stockings on Holiday Eve for Father Holidays to fill. Sing Holiday Carols round the Holiday Tree after Holiday Dinner. I’m dreaming of a White Holiday.


Well, here’s one atheist wishing you a Merry Christmas.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes. There is a famous song called "White Christmas" and when we refer to a white Christmas, we are talking about it being snowy. Dawkins' tweet takes the current trend of using "Holiday(s)" instead of "Christmas" (for fear of offending those who don't celebrate Christmas) to its extreme.

 

[GoesStation]

 

[GoesStation]

Dawkins' tweet takes the current trend of using "Holiday(s)" instead of "Christmas" (for fear of offending those who don't celebrate Christmas) to its extreme.

People say "happy holidays" not to avoid offense but to include those of us who don't celebrate the Christian holiday. It's been around for decades, but really took off in the United States in the seventies. I greatly appreciated the thoughtfulness it represents when I first started receiving this greeting. I still do.

 

[GoesStation]

I am a born-again atheist, but I have no objection to those who use the traditional term /krɪsməs/ for this time of year.

I belong to an ancient ethnic group. I grew up celebrating a minor religious holiday that falls in the same season, even though my family wasn't religious. I was always a bit uncomfortable receiving Christmas greetings. Holiday greetings are welcome.

 

[jutfrank]

Dawkins' tweet takes the current trend of using "Holiday(s)" instead of "Christmas" (for fear of offending those who don't celebrate Christmas) to its extreme.

I suspect that what he's getting at is the commonly made counterargument to his anti-religion stance that accuses him of hypocrisy for celebrating Christmas. He's trying to mock those people who would make such an argument.

 

[Tdol]

Dawkins does like to needle people of faith. :x-mas:

 

[GoodTaste]

Dawkins does like to needle people of faith. :x-mas:

OK. It is a bit more complicated. Dawkins is described as one of the "Four Horsemen of the Non-Apocalypse", along with Sam Harris and two others. Sam Harris wrote The End of Faith. What is interesting is both of them enthusiatically support Joe Biden, whose motto is none other than "Keep the Faith". Behold! The English word "faith" is so complicated that needs you deeply ponder on it.

 

[GoesStation]

The English word "faith" is so complicated that needs you deeply ponder on it.

GoodTaste, the above isn't a correct sentence. Can you fix it in a new post?

 

[GoodTaste]

===>>>

The English word "faith" is so complicated that needs you to deeply ponder on it.

 

[Tarheel]

The English word "faith" is so complicated that needs you deeply ponder on it.

I am going to assume that that's your sentence. Do you really think the word "faith" is more complicated than other words?

 

[GoodTaste]

Yes. The meaning of a word is closely linked to its context, and the context for "faith" is one of the most complex phenomena in the world - because it roots in the origin of human consiciousness, which is the ultimate problem that science strives to solve.

 

[Tarheel]

===>>>

The English word "faith" is so complicated that it needs you to deeply ponder on it.

That's not very natural. I would say:

The English word "faith" is so complicated that you need to deeply think about it.

 

[GoesStation]

===>>>

The English word "faith" is so complicated that it needs you to deeply ponder on it.

See above.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

OK. It is a bit more complicated. Dawkins is described as one of the "Four Horsemen of the Non-Apocalypse", along with Sam Harris and two others. Sam Harris wrote The End of Faith. What is interesting is both of them enthusiatically support Joe Biden, whose motto is none other than "Keep the Faith". Behold! The English word "faith" is so complicated that needs you deeply ponder on it.

The meaning of faith is simple. You can have faith in all kinds of things. The word doesn't have to imply faith in God. Religious faith is not the only kind of faith there is.

You're right that Joe is religious. But "Keep the faith" is not a religious message. Far from it! He's asking Americans to keep our faith in democracy and in our country.

 

[GoesStation]

This performer's religious faith required him to make a small but significant change to the lyrics:

 

[Tdol]

Nice track. :up: