Israeli Ministry of Immigrant Absorption pulls "offensive" ads

[BigSkyBob]

My family doesn't celebrate Christmas. Does that mean that we're attacking America?

If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's your business. If you can't appreciate the virtues of American society, including its holiday celebrating peace on earth and goodwill to men, then, I suggest the polite thing for you to do is to not offend those that do celebrate Christmas.

This is an ad by an Israeli ministry aimed at Israeli expatriates.

The ad was broadcasted publicly. As such, it is the legitimate subject of criticism.

[Brittain33]

What that doesn't mean is that people from one religion are entitled to offend/ridicule/mock the holidays of other cultures.

They're not mocking the holiday. They're mocking a Jew doing something which is considered unacceptable to Jews. The substance of Christmas has nothing to do with it.

[Brittain33]

My family doesn't celebrate Christmas. Does that mean that we're attacking America?

If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's your business. If you can't appreciate the virtues of American society, including its holiday celebrating peace on earth and goodwill to men, then, I suggest the polite thing for you to do is to not offend those that do celebrate Christmas.

This is an ad by an Israeli ministry aimed at Israeli expatriates.

The ad was broadcasted publicly. As such, it is the legitimate subject of criticism.

True, but only if the criticism makes sense.

[BigSkyBob]

My family doesn't celebrate Christmas. Does that mean that we're attacking America?

If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's your business. If you can't appreciate the virtues of American society, including its holiday celebrating peace on earth and goodwill to men, then, I suggest the polite thing for you to do is to not offend those that do celebrate Christmas.

Or what, you'll blow up a ....something?  May I suggest you just ignore people that intentionally try to get a rise out of you.

No, if someone says something offensive about those whom celebrate Christmas, I will note the offensiveness of their remarks.

May I suggest that if the Israeli government can't take the heat, it shouldn't have broadcast the commercial in the first place.

[dead0man]

Well, I'm offended that Christmas is a federal holiday...what with separation of church and state and all.  At least Jesus was a cool, peacefull dude (even if very few of His followers follow His lead), I'll never understand our ignorant love of Columbus.

[BigSkyBob]

My family doesn't celebrate Christmas. Does that mean that we're attacking America?

If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's your business. If you can't appreciate the virtues of American society, including its holiday celebrating peace on earth and goodwill to men, then, I suggest the polite thing for you to do is to not offend those that do celebrate Christmas.

This is an ad by an Israeli ministry aimed at Israeli expatriates.

The ad was broadcasted publicly. As such, it is the legitimate subject of criticism.

True, but only if the criticism makes sense.

Well, I have offered my criticisms for why I believe that treating Christmas as a cultural contamination is offensive. I have received no substantive replies.

On the other hand, I have read defenses of the ad to the effect that Christmas is Christian holiday. These defenses are bogus. Christmas has been completely secularized by nonreligious Americans. Arbor Day isn't a Jewish holiday either, but, I doubt an ad would be made accusing American Jews of celebrating Arbor Day.

[BigSkyBob]

Well, I'm offended that Christmas is a federal holiday...what with separation of church and state and all. 

Again, you are in complete denial that nonreligious American has embraced Dec 25 as a secular holiday, "Christmas," complete with Santa, elves, reindeer, trees and a love of snow.

[dead0man]

Indeed it is enjoyed by most secularists, it still doesn't mean I can't find it a little silly that we get a federal holiday to celebrate the birth of a religious leader.  Obviously I don't expect this to change, well, ever, or that it is a big deal to me.  Just find it a little silly.

[Simfan34]

My family doesn't celebrate Christmas. Does that mean that we're attacking America?

If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's your business. If you can't appreciate the virtues of American society, including its holiday celebrating peace on earth and goodwill to men, then, I suggest the polite thing for you to do is to not offend those that do celebrate Christmas.

This is an ad by an Israeli ministry aimed at Israeli expatriates.

The ad was broadcasted publicly. As such, it is the legitimate subject of criticism.

True, but only if the criticism makes sense.

Well, I have offered my criticisms for why I believe that treating Christmas as a cultural contamination is offensive. I have received no substantive replies.

On the other hand, I have read defenses of the ad to the effect that Christmas is Christian holiday. These defenses are bogus. Christmas has been completely secularized by nonreligious Americans. Arbor Day isn't a Jewish holiday either, but, I doubt an ad would be made accusing American Jews of celebrating Arbor Day.

Find other outlets for your secularist silly-concern, dead0man. Most Americans celebrate the holiday. It's going to stay that way, God or not.

But that wasn't the point. The point was that the Hanukkah had gotten subsumed into Christmas, and the girl thought they were celebrating Christmas, which is more of a loss-of-culture issue rather than a religious concern. Same with the other ad, which dealt with the secular Israeli Memorial Day.

[BigSkyBob]

Indeed it is enjoyed by most secularists, it still doesn't mean I can't find it a little silly that we get a federal holiday to celebrate the birth of a religious leader.

This makes no more sense than saying on October 31st we celebrate Celtic paganism.

[dead0man]

It's not a federal holiday.

[BigSkyBob]

My family doesn't celebrate Christmas. Does that mean that we're attacking America?

If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's your business. If you can't appreciate the virtues of American society, including its holiday celebrating peace on earth and goodwill to men, then, I suggest the polite thing for you to do is to not offend those that do celebrate Christmas.

This is an ad by an Israeli ministry aimed at Israeli expatriates.

The ad was broadcasted publicly. As such, it is the legitimate subject of criticism.

True, but only if the criticism makes sense.

Well, I have offered my criticisms for why I believe that treating Christmas as a cultural contamination is offensive. I have received no substantive replies.

On the other hand, I have read defenses of the ad to the effect that Christmas is Christian holiday. These defenses are bogus. Christmas has been completely secularized by nonreligious Americans. Arbor Day isn't a Jewish holiday either, but, I doubt an ad would be made accusing American Jews of celebrating Arbor Day.

Find other outlets for your secularist silly-concern, dead0man. Most Americans celebrate the holiday. It's going to stay that way, God or not.

But that wasn't the point. The point was that the Hanukkah had gotten subsumed into Christmas, and the girl thought they were celebrating Christmas, which is more of a loss-of-culture issue rather than a religious concern. Same with the other ad, which dealt with the secular Israeli Memorial Day.

And, again, I submit that if the holiday were Halloween, or Arbor Day, I don't think the ad would have been made because it would have lacked the visceral appeal of the ad in question.

[BigSkyBob]

It's not a federal holiday.

Are you saying Federal employees don't wear costumes to work on that day?

[dead0man]

I'm sure some do, I have no clue what your point is though.  Christmas is a federal holiday, that's my (very minor) issue, not that it's celebrated by people working for the govt.

[Simfan34]

My family doesn't celebrate Christmas. Does that mean that we're attacking America?

If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's your business. If you can't appreciate the virtues of American society, including its holiday celebrating peace on earth and goodwill to men, then, I suggest the polite thing for you to do is to not offend those that do celebrate Christmas.

This is an ad by an Israeli ministry aimed at Israeli expatriates.

The ad was broadcasted publicly. As such, it is the legitimate subject of criticism.

True, but only if the criticism makes sense.

Well, I have offered my criticisms for why I believe that treating Christmas as a cultural contamination is offensive. I have received no substantive replies.

On the other hand, I have read defenses of the ad to the effect that Christmas is Christian holiday. These defenses are bogus. Christmas has been completely secularized by nonreligious Americans. Arbor Day isn't a Jewish holiday either, but, I doubt an ad would be made accusing American Jews of celebrating Arbor Day.

Find other outlets for your secularist silly-concern, dead0man. Most Americans celebrate the holiday. It's going to stay that way, God or not.

But that wasn't the point. The point was that the Hanukkah had gotten subsumed into Christmas, and the girl thought they were celebrating Christmas, which is more of a loss-of-culture issue rather than a religious concern. Same with the other ad, which dealt with the secular Israeli Memorial Day.

And, again, I submit that if the holiday were Halloween, or Arbor Day, I don't think the ad would have been made because it would have lacked the visceral appeal of the ad in question.

Perhaps, but I think if Hanukkah coincided with Halloween (who celebrates Arbor Day?) I think the ad could have a similar effect. But the effect of associating your holiday with a foreign culture's holiday for a foreign religion, indeed, is more powerful.

[BigSkyBob]

I'm sure some do, I have no clue what your point is though.  Christmas is a federal holiday, that's my (very minor) issue, not that it's celebrated by people working for the govt.

Well, the point is that some of those costumes would not meet standards of dress on any other day. That's a defacto public recognition of the holiday.

[Stranger in a strange land]

96% of Americans celebrate Christmas in some way, and 76-83% of Americans are Christian (definitions and survey results vary somewhat), which means that the vast majority of non-Christians celebrate Christmas. Virtually the only people who don't celebrate Christmas are Jews who make a point of not celebrating it, recent Asian immigrants, Muslims, and small groups of ultra-Fundie Christians who are put off by the pagan rituals that have seeped in since ancient times.

[ingemann]

Perhaps, but I think if Hanukkah coincided with Halloween (who celebrates Arbor Day?) I think the ad could have a similar effect. But the effect of associating your holiday with a foreign culture's holiday for a foreign religion, indeed, is more powerful.

You are aware that the primary reason the Jews celebrate the very minor holiday Hanukkah is exactly because it coincided with Christmas, Hanukkah is just fig leaf, which Jews use as a excuse to celebrate Christmas.

As for the Christian character of Christmas, it's at best overrated, Christmas is a pan-European Pagan holiday celebrated for millenium, which Christians adopted. In fact the name Christmas was only one which only won in the late medieval periode for the English, while the Scandinavians still use the pagn name for the day. Both Russians and Scandinavian don't use the Christianised name for Santa Claus (a clear pre-Christian character, who became mixed up with the different pagan gods like Odin/Woden).

[BigSkyBob]

My family doesn't celebrate Christmas. Does that mean that we're attacking America?

If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's your business. If you can't appreciate the virtues of American society, including its holiday celebrating peace on earth and goodwill to men, then, I suggest the polite thing for you to do is to not offend those that do celebrate Christmas.

This is an ad by an Israeli ministry aimed at Israeli expatriates.

The ad was broadcasted publicly. As such, it is the legitimate subject of criticism.

True, but only if the criticism makes sense.

Well, I have offered my criticisms for why I believe that treating Christmas as a cultural contamination is offensive. I have received no substantive replies.

On the other hand, I have read defenses of the ad to the effect that Christmas is Christian holiday. These defenses are bogus. Christmas has been completely secularized by nonreligious Americans. Arbor Day isn't a Jewish holiday either, but, I doubt an ad would be made accusing American Jews of celebrating Arbor Day.

Find other outlets for your secularist silly-concern, dead0man. Most Americans celebrate the holiday. It's going to stay that way, God or not.

But that wasn't the point. The point was that the Hanukkah had gotten subsumed into Christmas, and the girl thought they were celebrating Christmas, which is more of a loss-of-culture issue rather than a religious concern. Same with the other ad, which dealt with the secular Israeli Memorial Day.

And, again, I submit that if the holiday were Halloween, or Arbor Day, I don't think the ad would have been made because it would have lacked the visceral appeal of the ad in question.

Perhaps, but I think if Hanukkah coincided with Halloween (who celebrates Arbor Day?) I think the ad could have a similar effect. But the effect of associating your holiday with a foreign culture's holiday for a foreign religion, indeed, is more powerful.

I simply don't believe that any cultural contamination with Celtic paganism would engender the visceral reaction that Christmas does among Jews.

Judaism holds an especial antipathy to Christianity. For instance, Israel Shahak wrote of Jewish treatment of wine touched by a gentile. If a gentile touches the wine bottle, a Jew many not drink it. If the gentile is a Muslim, the Jew may sell the bottle of wine, but, if the gentile is a Christian, the bottle must be poured.

Such attitudes are public relations nightmare for advocates of aid to Israel.

[milhouse24]

Christmas will never be banned in the USA because the economic importance of Christmas shopping is too important to the American economy.  I would think Jewish Economists would recognize the importance of Christmas.  Christmas is significant in that not only is it a religious holiday, but it is also based on the Winter solstice, which is the darkest day of the calendar year.  As a holiday in the darkest and coldest week of the year, Christmas is an important cultural celebration for families and societies. 

The Jewish religion has an important emphasis on power and influence, and the global spread of Christianity and cultural Christianity directly antagonizes Jewish culture.  Instead of wanting gentiles to celebrate their faith or celebrate their Christianity openly, it seems that many Jewish leaders hate gentiles and would rather encourage Jewish elitism in American society and global culture. 

[The Mikado]

The Jewish conspiracy goes deeper than you think!  I have proof!

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Brittain33]

Whoa.

Christmas will never be banned in the USA because the economic importance of Christmas shopping is too important to the American economy.  I would think Jewish Economists would recognize the importance of Christmas.  Christmas is significant in that not only is it a religious holiday, but it is also based on the Winter solstice, which is the darkest day of the calendar year.  As a holiday in the darkest and coldest week of the year, Christmas is an important cultural celebration for families and societies. 

The Jewish religion has an important emphasis on power and influence, and the global spread of Christianity and cultural Christianity directly antagonizes Jewish culture.  Instead of wanting gentiles to celebrate their faith or celebrate their Christianity openly, it seems that many Jewish leaders hate gentiles and would rather encourage Jewish elitism in American society and global culture. 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Oh wow.

[Ebowed]

That bro is bonkers!

Regardless, it's time we began to fully fund the War on Christmas.

[Mechaman]

Whoa.

Christmas will never be banned in the USA because the economic importance of Christmas shopping is too important to the American economy.  I would think Jewish Economists would recognize the importance of Christmas.  Christmas is significant in that not only is it a religious holiday, but it is also based on the Winter solstice, which is the darkest day of the calendar year.  As a holiday in the darkest and coldest week of the year, Christmas is an important cultural celebration for families and societies.  

The Jewish religion has an important emphasis on power and influence, and the global spread of Christianity and cultural Christianity directly antagonizes Jewish culture.  Instead of wanting gentiles to celebrate their faith or celebrate their Christianity openly, it seems that many Jewish leaders hate gentiles and would rather encourage Jewish elitism in American society and global culture.  

Reactionary bigots always try to find a way to victimize themselves to make their hatred seem more rational.  Of course there is no way a bigot can read the minds of millions of Jewish people around the world, so this post is just even more ridiculous.  Yeah, let's believe all of the stereotypes of the money hungry power obsessed Jewbag who is intent on World Domination and hates Charity and Goodwill!  The Trademarks of Godfearing Christianity!

But way the go Milhouse and BigSkyBob!  You guys continue to impress me with your attempts to play the Victim Card while going all out with the "holier than thou" attitude towards cultures different than yours!  It's been awhile since I've seen somebody so sufficiently come to the defense of Christmas while putting those closet communist atheist Jews back in their places!  HOW MURICAN!!!

But seriously fellas, what act are you going to pull for us next?  The "Blacks are uppity, lazy, and steal our money" act?  Or how about "Prohibition should be brought back to keep the Pope from running America!" play?  I hear that one got Five Star Reviews back in the 1920's!

I can't wait!