Yet when in practice that diversity becomes threatening or offensive we become shocked, afraid and horrified at the possibility it could upset our personal applecart.

Until we create and understand the benefit of laws that require genders, ethnic groups, races and religious belief systems to be the same, with neither privilige nor discrimmination we will always have to deal with the stupidity and offense of belief systems that threaten our very existence, peace and harmony as a blended society.

If you continue to promote diversity, inclusion and group privilige, you will continue to create a society where no one is happy, no-one can enjoy a holiday without offense and no-one can find peace and harmony in a harmonious culturally homogenous society, where every individual trusts and respects every other because the same similarn human characteristics and value systems.

That is why the 60, 70, and 80s will eventualy destroy society and lead to city states in confict. Diversity can lead ultimately to no-where but mistrust, offensiveness, and conflict, especially in the ethics of defining “tasteful” holidays. On this issue I must agree with Greg. Diversity has gone too far when it insults and harms the majority to make a minority feel good as a Pagan ritual practioner. What will come next? Slaughtering animals?

LOL, I knew you weren’t skipping Yes, it has been educational and I hope it remains. What would we do with out this blog? I have drifted to others, but this is a good blog.

It sounds like it’s time for our history books to be updated and be more informed as our diversity is ever changing. I know, if I could, I would go back to school, but I want it to be updated I tell my kids all the time, learn as much as you can, you don’t know what you are missing…yeah, right…didn’t our parents tell us that too?
I am still learning though….just have to WANT to……roll call, I am here.

Well, you have your hands full of them here!

I’ve always had a fear of nutcrackers (the wooden soldier-type prevalent this time of year). My kids think it’s hysterical.

Dolph, I don’t like clowns either. I’m not amused by them in the least! The only thing worse than a clown is a mime! =:-o

The Nazi’s actually took the right hand swastika (hakenkruz or hooked cross) and reversed it giving us the symbol that we all know best.

Josh

Sam, in case you didn’t read it already, go read 999’s explanation. “Xmas” actually emphasizes Christ’s name, but it does so in a way that the uneducated sadly don’t understand.

You certainly are entitled to a rant! You have made some good points.

When I was a young whippersnpper, I was terrified of Santa Claus. I ran for dear life if I got anywhere near that jolly old elf. One of the family stories told for years was about my mother and grandmother taking me to Richmond to see Santa. I took one look at him and dove under a display table, shrieking, and wouldn’t come out. Both my mother and grandmother had to crawl under the table to pull me out, kicking and screaming. They left immediately after that, faces glowing red. No one ever tried to get Santa and Dolph to bond again. I also never liked clowns.

~~splash~~

At least Manassas still has a Christmas Parade… and that’s something!… and I actually have to side a bit with UnMasMexican on this one. I guess I wasn’t an easily scared little girl, because I’d have thought this dance was pretty cool. I actually enjoy Mexican and Central American dancing. I tend to agree that Mardi Gras is a time when we expect to see this sort of thing, though.

Sure, there is something pagan to the dance. Just like to the date we picked for Christmas, because there is no evidence whatsoever Jesus was born on December 25 or January 7. We supplanted a pagan mid-winter holiday with a reverence of our own true God. And that’s okay.

And thanks to 999, for explaining “Xmas” properly. The “X” commonly appears on Orthodox crosses and iconography, in order to represent Christ. For those well versed in Christianity in all its flavors (or at least in heraldry), they’d also know that “X” is also, a cross in the west - the cross of St. Andrews. So it’s not such a bad letter, after all, you see.

As to Santa Claus, he has grown about as far from St. Nicholas as he could be. Heck, saying “Xmas” is closer to proper Christendom than he is!

Raised in Orthodox Christianity, I can tell you we really have no Santa Claus. Never believed in him, never wrote him letters, never cared about him. We’re not the ones standing in line to buy a Wii to make sure Junior still believes in a non-existent Jolly Fat Elf who brings presents. But we have plenty of reminders of the real St. Nicholas about. He was much more interesting.

What I’d like to see is a depiction of the Krampus in a Christmas parade! Anyone of German ancestry? In that tradition, he looks like horned devil and whips anyone out of the Jolly Fat Man’s path! And he’d scare you a lot more than the devil the Mexican dancers have… yep, its not all heaping, tasty stollen in that tradition, either…

It is a perfect example of a CLASH of cultures. Try walking down a street in Bagdad or Mecca and hand out crosses.

THIS from a citizen of the country who gives us Donkey shows!!! What an ass!!!!

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