Wal-Mart defends 'Happy Holidays' approach

[Kadie]

Thursday, November 10, 2005 · Last updated 7:17 p.m. PT

Wal-Mart defends 'Happy Holidays' approach

By MARCUS KABEL
AP BUSINESS WRITER

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Thursday said it no longer employs a worker who wrote to a shopper that Christmas is a mix of world religions, but that the company does support the generic greeting, "Happy Holidays," as being more inclusive amid year-end celebrations by numerous faiths.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights criticized the world's largest retailer and called for a boycott over Wal-Mart's approach to Christmas.

"We want a) an apology for insulting Christians by effectively banning Christmas and b) a withdrawal of its insane statement regarding the origins of Christmas and c) a revision on its website," Catholic League President Bill Donohue said on the group's Web site.

snip...
The e-mail, which Wal-Mart spokesman Dan Fogleman said was genuine, said Wal-Mart had to act as a global organization in a world with many different practices.

"The colors associated with Christmas red and white are actually a representation of the aminita mascera (sic) mushroom. Santa is also borrowed from the Caucuses (sic), mistletoe from the Celts, yule log from the Goths, the time from the Visigoth and the tree from the worship of Baal. It is a wide wide world," said the e-mail, from a customer service worker identified only as Kirby.

more...
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1310AP_Wal_Mart_Holidays.html

[Pirate Smile]

1. Oh, geez. I had forgotten about this. Will "CHRISTMAS UNDER ATTACK"

be the Faux mantra for the next few months?

[jayctravis]

14. Fa la la la la...la la...la la!

[ThoughtCriminal]

2. Merry WallyMas!

I mean, who is really God in America?

[MojoXN]

18. DUH!

George W. Bush*, of course! At least that's what that crazy fundie woman from Trading Spouses told me!

:evilgrin:

MojoXN

[bucknaked]

3. From the same crowd that decries "victimhood."

n/m

[Alcibiades]

4. What was someone like Kirby

doing working at Wal-Mart in the first place? He sounds like he makes sense. He must have slipped by the guardians of orthodoxy in their human resources department.

[yorkiemommie1]

6. Kirby was too intelligent to be working for WM

i hope Kirby has found a place of employment that appreciates her/his talents.

[Terran]

5. "insane statement"??

Jeez, do a little research and you'll see that the Wal mart employee is right. I thought everybody knew this stuff. It doesn't detract from Christmas *also* being a Christian celebration. I'm kind of surprised that a Catholic organization would be so uptight about this...it kind of reeks of paranoid fundie hysteria.

[realisticphish]

17. Indeed

I'm a christian, and i love to read up on pagan roots to christian holidays. makes me feel more connected to the whole spectrum of humanity

[LostinVA]

26. I know....

[Strawman]

7. Gross commercialization, no prob, but religious diversity, watch out

Where's the real assault on the meaning of Christmas coming from?

I'm not really religious, so I don't personally get ruffled about the commercialism of Christmas, but come on.

I've seen that guy on talk shows. What a buffoon and an embarassment to American Catholics he is. He sounds like Archie Bunker. Can't they find a better spokesperson? I like that Sister Jean they have on news programs sometimes (she's kind of a liberal nun) or Bishop Gumbleton from around here.

[Kickin_Donkey]

8. Praise be ...

This is one thing that I can actually back Wal-Mart on.

[sleipnir]

9. Ummm...Kirby isn't exactly 100% right...he might want to fact check.

The date is not from the Visigoth, but from Zoroastrianism. December 25th is the birthday of Mirthras, their Sun God. Zoroastrianism is an interesting faith, Christianity absorbed a lot of their beliefs in the early church. I like to say that Zoroastrianism was the Beta version of Christianity.

[baron j]

20. And, the tree probably has origins in Norse belief of the world tree

Yggdrasil, and the Germans popularized the practice of having the current style of Christmas tree.

[ikojo]

23. Many people have died as Christians have

tried to "share" the love of Jesus with non believers. How many people have died to share the faith of Zoroastrianism? I suspect not as many.

[MadHound]

24. Umm, he is partially right, as are you

December 25th was held as a high holy day for many pagan religions, from Mithras to Sol Invictus. That is why Christianity, who didn't originally celebrate anything on that date, co-opted it for their own use. And Zoroastrianism wasn't the only monotheistic religion that resembled Christianity at the time. The Roman empire sponsored a great melting pot of religions that Christianity picked and chose from.

[cynatnite]

10. To the boycotters:

Just wear a shirt with a blazing red 'Merry Christmas' on it. Don't forget the Christmas Tree and the nativity scene on the side. :sarcasm:

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. This year I think I will wish people

Merry Fitzmas

:evilgrin:

[Bluebear]

12. "by effectively banning Christmas "

Since when have these people become such drama queens!

[Warren DeMontague]

13. So why is someone as well-read as "kirby" writing cust. service emails for

Wal-Mart?

Why can't we get anyone with 1/1000th that level of brains to run for the Kansas State School Board?

Anyway, it seems Kirby made the cardinal error of introducing a little something known as "the truth" to a proud citizen of Dumbfuckistan.

Hell, I didn't know some of that stuff.... Red and White because of Amanita Muscaria--- aside from being extremely deadly poisonous, isn't that mushroom one of the most potent hallucinogens known to man?

Ah, the flowers of Guatemala. The flowers cover everything, maaaaan... they cover.. evvvvvvvvverything. Merry Christmas--- and trip out. No wonder that information didn't go over so well with Ma and Pa Kettle, Wal-Mart patrons.

Wait until these folks find out the sordid, steamy, fertility fornicatin' truth about EASTER.

[JesterCS]

15. wait wait wait

the tree is a symbol of worship of Baal? my mother is gonna have kittens.. shes a christian hehe

[TahitiNut]

16. Fabulous!! I remember when the Catholic Church DECRIED commercialization

... of Christmas. It's terrific to see that Catholic League President Bill Donohue is climbing on the ol' "Worship Mammon!" bandwagon. I always suspected Bill spent more time finding ways to profit than ways to understand the prophets. Go get 'em, Bill! Show 'em where you worship, fella!

[NMMNG]

19. Oh no, Wal-Mart is saying "Happy Holidays"

Christmas is banned! My world is coming to an end! AAAAAAHHHHH!

[yankeedem]

21. Oh, wow, look at the wingnuts on the board

Look at all the wingnuts on the board of advisers!


Brent Bozell III
Gerard Bradley
Linda Chavez
Robert Destro
Dinesh D’Souza
Laura Garcia
Robert George
Mary Ann Glendon
Dolores Grier
Alan Keyes
Stephen Krason
Thomas Monaghan
Michael Novak
Kate O’Beirne
Thomas Reeves
Patrick Riley
Robert Royal
Russell Shaw
William Simon, Jr.
Paul Vitz
George Weigel


http://www.catholicleague.org/faqs.htm

[mandyky]

22. I don't feel as bad for shopping there now -

if they hold out it'll be a wonder.

[chat_noir]

25. Gotta love it!

This Wal-Mart Holiday vs Christmas issue has made the Freepers mad that WM caved. Some/many of them are planning to boycott WM. :)

http://tinyurl.com/9k89r

And, how about the WND article (found via FR):

Fox even provides a list of suggestions on how 21st century citizens can take part in the ancient rituals, to "re-paganize" Christmastime:

Have gift exchanges and feasts over the course of several days and nights as was done of old