In 1935, Charles Darrow was awarded the patent for the board game, 'Monopoly,' which he later sold to Parker Brothers. In those old games, the houses and hotels were made of wood, but much has stayed the same as when Darrow was making the sets by hand. That includes this Community Chest card.
Now today, you will hear some right wing 'Christians' claim that there is suddenly a 'war on Christmas.' They claim that secular America is out to get rid of Christmas, all in the name of political correctness.
Well, as we see from the card above, the idea of separating the holiday aspect from the religious aspect (Christ) was alive and well decades ago. So it is certainly nothing new.
Besides, wasn't it until a year or two ago that the same people were bemoaning the 'commercialization' of Christmas? They were worried about how the 'true meaning of Christmas' was being swallowed up in a giant rush to the malls. But let a mall store greet you with 'Happy Holidays,' now they will rush to a microphone and tell you that the store in question is part of some giant conspiracy to do away with Christmas.
Maybe this will placate them in their new obsession: How about a mall that features a nativity display, sponsored by Visa (It's everywhere you want to be). Joseph will be dressed in a very nice suit by Ralph Lauren (shoes by Bruno Magli). Mary will be dressed in a very sharp outfit from Pendleton (plus sizes available), with solid wood platform shoes by Steve Madden, exclusively available at Nine West. The three kings will be modeling Patagonia sportswear, with Nike tennis shoes. The infant will be modeling swaddling clothes from Baby Gap. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh will be on loan from Bank of America. Animals will be wearing collars that read, ILoveAlpacas.com.
Get commercialism out of Christmas. Put Christmas into commercialism. But only the way we tell you to. No wonder these people are never happy. They get their way, and they aren't satisfied with the results. And I bet some of them will grumble about it all the way to the Department store and buy something that hearkens back to the 'good old days' when nobody thought twice about saying, 'Christmas.' Something that brings back pleasant memories from when they were kids. Maybe even a game of Monopoly.
8 comments:
These people are so ridiculous.
No one is out to get Christmas. They are just saying this because they need publicity. Also, they are just doing this because they do not value dissent nor do they care about anything else. They are bias, religiously. If you do not fit their twisted world view, you are "anti-Christian."
I think you guys are crazy. there is a concerted effort on the part of the ACLU and the P.C. police to attack christianity under the guise of a myth of "seperation of church and state". The tree is a CHRISTMAS tree, not a holiday tree. Why are you offended by that? if there is no attack on christianity, why change the name of the tree? If there is no attack on christianity, why can't the children put on a christmas play anymore? If there is no attack on christmas, why can't city hall have a nativity scene anymore? I ask you, why do we need to worry about offending people by saying merry christmas? whether you celebrate or not, i still hope its a merry day for you. why are you and people like you so intollerant that in nyc if you are an employer and you say merry christmas to an employee you can get sued for creating a hostile work environment? traditionally we have not had to worry about these things, now we do. the change is not pro christianity, or christmas, it is anti. therefore logic tells you that it is an ANTI CHRISTIAN movement. you see, it's all so simple when you use logic instead of emotion.
Did you just use a Monopoly card as the basis of your defense in denying the assault on Christianity by the secularists?
Rhino,
There is no attack on Christmas. I watched the Macy's parade (sponsored by a store in New York City), and I must have seen at least a dozen 'Merry Christmas' signs on the TV. Apparently you can ignore what is right in front of you.
But my question is this: if you are so angry at stores for not saying, 'Merry Christmas,' then where were you about two years ago when most churches were railing against the very same department stores FOR 'trivializing Christmas' to sell stuff? So their response (and that is why, not for some secular reason) was to divorce the 'dance, party and buy a ton of stuff' aspect of it all from Christmas. In other words, they are saying 'Happy Holidays' because of what YOU GUYS were telling them not all that long ago. I wish that us on the left could take credit for it, but the fact is we can't. I remember when some Christians were threatening to sue stores for things approaching (though not quite as explicit) as what I had in my post. What exactly do you want the retailers to do anyway? Not sell anything this month, and shutter their shops so people will go home and pray? And look at it this way. Retailers are in business to make money. If a retailer thinks (s)he will make more money with one greeting than another, that is the one that retailer will use. Guess wrong, lose money. Then change for next year. What have people like you got against capitalism anyway?
Oh, and the tree-- call it what you want. Be aware that there is NO reference to hanging ornaments on a tree in scripture, in fact it was a pagan practice that was added to Christianity during the early part of the dark ages when a lot of the gothic tribes were converted but altered Christian practices by including their pagan rites. But hey, call it what you want to. And if you want to only buy it on a lot that says, 'Christmas trees,' well there is that darn free market at work again (the one you apparently hate, and show it by wanting to enforce one solution for every tree seller-- admit it, Rhino, you are a socialist masquerading as a Christian).
Donkeyhue:
I used the Monopoly card to show that the idea that commercial holidays (do you even know what an 'X-Mas fund' is?) and relgious Christmas were recognized as separable even before any of us were here. In direct contradiction to people who think it was an outgrowth of aging sixties liberals.
Hey eli, i don't know what you're talking about. i couldn't care less if the stores say "happy holidays" or "go to hell". i have never purchased a christmas tree in my life, and don't care what the tree sellers call them. also, i very much believe in the free market and hope that the retailers make a ton of money. i own some of their stocks. If you notice in my comments, i didn't say anything about the stores, or the tree sellers. don't change the argument to fit your perceptions of me. My problem is with the aclu and groups like them who would criminalize christmas if it was possible. they can't, so instead they sue everyone for mentioning christmas. Once again, if there is no attack on christmas why change the name of the tree? i'm not talking about retailers, i'm saying on government property? schools, city halls, etc.? Are we calling the menorah a holiday candelabra? Why sue to remove the crosses from the state flag in las cruces new mexico? there was also a symbol of a sun god on the flag, but no suit to remove that religous symbol. why not? i mean if its not an attack on christianity, if its all religions equally then that should be removed as well no? I don't care where the tradition of the tree started, or what month jesus was actually born. why does that matter? The tradition is to celebrate the birth of christ on dec. 25th. with a christmas tree, and maybe some carollers.
Eli, the following is a good example of what i'm talking about when i say there is an attack on christianity.
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/mikeadams/2005/12/14/178991.html
I'll try and get a copy of my kid's school Christmas program for you. I think you will see there is no attack on Christmas.
And you are the one who wrote about calling it a Christmas tree. If you don't buy them, then why do you care what they are called? In fact, if you don't buy them (ours is set up right now in the living room) then you have neither an interest nor a voice in determining what tree sellers will call them.
Also, a lot of stores have said that the reason they quit with the Merry Christmas stuff was because of all the complaints they got about commercialization of what is supposed to be a religious holiday. You choose to ignore that aspect of it (surprising, in fact because it shows a success that religious conservatives have had).
I followed your link and read through it. It only shows that a university has certain standards about maintaing an orderly and respectuful workplace.
And after reading the column, it is clear to me that the individual in question was fired, not for simply saying 'Christ,' but for harrassing people. If you say it, and say it and say it and won't shut up, that is a type of harrassment (as it would be about any subject). Even Jehovah's witnesses (and if you have ever had one camped out on your doorstep, you know what I mean) know enough to limit what they say at work. Or would you tell me that because the first amendment says it is not a crime, I should have the right to go into every office at work and to every customer, ask them what their voter registration was, and if it is not Democratic, hand them a voter registration form with the party box filled in 'Dem' and bug them until they filled it out? I am sure that if I did that I would be fired in short order-- not for exercising my Constitutional right to free speech, but for making the environment at work less productive (and probably costing my employer money as a result). The University (which incidentally is continuing to pay the writer's salary) has a right to maintain a healthy learning environment. And they didn't say the student group couldn't prosletyze at all, just that they should 'be cautious.' I'm sure I would be told pretty much the same thing (or perhaps an even more restrictive 'oh, no you won't') if in my zeal I announced to my supervisor that it was my goal to sign up a dozen new Democrats at work. Or heck, why stop there? Does the first amendment prevent me from being fired if I call the boss a fink?
Having read your link, it is clear to me that what you are calling restrictions on 'Christmas' are RIGHT, if you mean restrictions on hounding people until your employer has to fire you.
Bottom line: You have a right to say what you want. But if you work for me, I have a right to fire you.
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