To the originator of this email, please note for future reference that I do not wish to
receive emails that are not specifically related to the Champion family or genealogy, and
please delete my address from such mass emailings; I did not sign up for the Champion
list to receive lengthy comedic, political or religious based email, and I would venture
to say, neither did others. As I did not read but a few sentences of your email, I
express no opinion on it's contents, but would suggest that perhaps you should make
sure your audience wants this kind of interruption, and make a smaller, sub-mailing list.
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this request.
-------------- Original message --------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Janet Deroy"
To: "Ann Reynolds"
Cc: "Wayne & Janet Haley" ; "Toni & Jim Jennings"
; "Rich & Judi Bulman" ; "Pat
Langford" ; "Ken & Joannie Rosette"
; "Jim Smith" ; "James Schmidt"
; "Honey Townsend" ; "Harry &
Melissa Blades" ; "Faye Layton"
; "Ernie Vernon" ; "Ed Taylor"
; "Donna Parks" ; "Dave & Ilene
Zumbrum" ; "Darla Schmidt" ;
"Charlie & Clare Ripple" ; "Bob & Fran Appell"
; "Bill Grady"
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 8:43 AM
Subject: Fw: Merry Christmas! or Happy Holidays! ???
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Barbara Stang"
> To: "Beth" ; "Janet" ; "Norma"
> ; "Jean" ; "Kathryn Hall"
> ; "Gen" ; "JoEllen"
> ; "Peggy"
> Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:09 PM
> Subject: Fw: Merry Christmas! or Happy Holidays! ???
>
>
>>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:06 PM
>> Subject: Merry Christmas! or Happy Holidays! ???
>>
>>
>>> By Debbie Daniel
>>>
>>> I'm on a "Merry Christmas" mission and I'm in full
throttle. My little
>>> yellow VW Beetle has turned into a Christmas billboard with Merry
>>> Christmas
>>> written across the back window. Yes, I've decided to trek off to work
>>> everyday on the public highways with a message that seems to offend
>>> people.
>>>
>>> At stop lights, I even turn my music up a little louder, and to top it
>>> off,
>>> I sing along with it. Don't I know that stopping at a red light to roll
>>> my
>>> windows down only to share the joy of Christmas carols on public streets
>>> is
>>> a No-No? Don't I fear the Christmas Gestapo and those who would have me
>>> remove the written message from my car?
>>>
>>> I'm sorry folks, but the only person I'm concerned about
"offending"
>>> during
>>> this Christmas season is the Lord himself. LEAVE THAT MANGER ALONE!
>>> We've
>>> allowed the Baby Jesus to be kicked out of His lowly manger, and those
>>> offended by Christmas are still not happy.
>>>
>>> I refuse to let this happen. I'm going to do my part to make sure
"Merry
>>> Christmas" doesn't become extinct. Because like it or not, if the
>>> believers
>>> in Christmas don't take a stand now, it's gone forever.
>>>
>>> Listen folks, the Christian community has been underestimated before; we
>>> will have to show ourselves again.
>>>
>>> I walked into a Wendy's Restaurant the other day and was rather
>>> exuberant
>>> with my "Merry Christmas" greeting to the manager. He didn't
have much
>>> of a
>>> response and I said, "Where's your Christmas spirit?" He said,
"We're
>>> not
>>> allowed to use the words "Merry Christmas" when greeting
customers. We
>>> can
>>> only say "Happy Holiday."
>>>
>>> This morning I grabbed a quick breakfast at a Whataburger Restaurant. I
>>> noticed there wasn't a single decoration in the store. I asked the
>>> manager
>>> why they weren't decorated for Christmas. He told me the corporate
>>> headquarters decided not to send any decorations to any of their stores,
>>> and
>>> he didn't know why.
>>>
>>> After I heard about all the Macy's and Federated Stores taking down
>>> their
>>> Merry Christmas signs, the Target stores not allowing the Salvation Army
>>> to
>>> "Ring the Christmas bells," and the many incidents of children,
choirs,
>>> and
>>> bands not allowed to play or sing Christmas carols, I realized it was
>>> happening right here in my own little Texas town.
>>>
>>> How can this be? Not Texas!
>>>
>>> We do, however, have a store, Hobby Lobby, that plays nothing but
>>> Christmas
>>> carols during the season. On Christmas Day they run a full page ad in
>>> our
>>> local newspaper. That ad is not to promote the store, but uses the
>>> entire
>>> page to tell the story of Jesus' birth. Now that's taking a stand.
We
>>> need
>>> to thank them.
>>>
>>> When I saw a news report the other evening of children being taught new
>>> words to a song we've sung for years - "We Wish You a Merry
Christmas" -
>>> I
>>> was saddened to hear "We Wish You a Splendid Holiday."
>>>
>>> I know now that it's just a matter of time that the "Merry
Christmas"
>>> greetings will be gone. Look around your town. Notice the
"Holiday"
>>> greetings and not "Christmas." It's happening right before our
very
>>> eyes.
>>>
>>> Start singing the songs; go down the streets of America singing to your
>>> heart's content. Get some of those wash-off markers that these kids use
>>> to
>>> write on their car windows when they're rooting for their hometown
>>> football
>>> team. It's easy to do, and if a torrential rain washes it off, write it
>>> on
>>> there again.
>>>
>>> We've got to get this message out. "Go Tell It On the Mountain . .
.
>>> that
>>> Jesus Christ is Born." Sing it, speak it, be a billboard for our Lord.
>>>
>>> The story of this "Baby Jesus" alone has brought about more
goodwill at
>>> this
>>> time of year than any other day we celebrate. How can we sit back and
>>> allow
>>> Him to be snuffed out of our lives?
>>>
>>> Is it Jesus, or is it His followers that the "offended" don't
like? What
>>> kind of revulsion galvanizes one to campaign so vehemently against the
>>> mere
>>> mention of His name, the mere singing of a carol, or the mere visual of
>>> a
>>> sign that says "Merry Christmas?"
>>>
>>> I can listen to my own boss at work use some of the vilest words and
>>> follow
>>> up with, "Excuse my French." I may cringe inside at his damning of
God's
>>> name, but I tolerate it. So if you don't like me wishing you a
"Merry
>>> Christmas," I'll say, "Excuse my joy." You may cringe
that I celebrate
>>> the
>>> birth of Jesus, but just tolerate it.
>>>
>>> I cannot be concerned that "Merry Christmas" offends you. If
I'm not
>>> careful, the day will come when saying I'm a Christian will offend you.
>>>
>>> I'm offended that you're offended. How about that?
>>>
>>> When we get to a point that we can no longer take part in a tradition we
>>> hold dear, we have no choice; we either defend that tradition or we give
>>> it
>>> up to those who say NO. That's it . . . period. So, which will it be?
>>>
>>> I'm not giving up my "Merry Christmas" joy to anyone. If I
know of
>>> someone
>>> that celebrates another holiday during this time of year, I will be glad
>>> to
>>> wish them whatever holiday they want. Just tell me what it is and I'll
>>> shout
>>> it to the world and wish you a grand celebration.
>>>
>>> Just give me Christmas. To you merchants: Stop being so hypocritical and
>>> "filling your tills" on the back of Jesus! Who do you think is the
>>> symbol of
>>> giving at this time of year? It was the wise men bringing gifts to the
>>> newborn Christ-child.
>>>
>>> You want your coffers full, but have ordered your employees to take down
>>> all
>>> the Merry Christmas signs. If that's the case, I'll buy gifts at a
place
>>> that understands my joy.
>>>
>>> If you're worried about offending someone, you just did. The most recent
>>> Newsweek survey shows that 82% of Americans believe that Jesus is the
>>> Son of
>>> God. So, in trying not to offend a few, you've offended many.
>>>
>>> It's okay to jump into the "Merry Christmas" spirit when it
fills your
>>> cash
>>> register, but let's call it something else . . . and don't stop
giving .
>>> . .
>>> and don't stop buying. . . we'll just change the name and you'll
never
>>> know
>>> the difference.
>>>
>>> I know the difference and I'm feeling it greatly. It's hard not to
be
>>> aware
>>> that townships across our country have actually banned the singing of
>>> Christmas carols because it might offend someone. And it's not just the
>>> religious songs; it's the secular ones too. No more "Jingle
Bells" or
>>> "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" because they're associated
with
>>> Christmas.
>>> Boy, aren't we getting sensitive?
>>>
>>> If we're not celebrating Christmas for the hope it gives with the birth
>>> of
>>> our Savior . . . there is no hope!
>>>
>>> I noticed a few years ago that we changed the name of Abraham Lincoln's
>>> and
>>> George Washington's birthday so as to be all inclusive regarding the
>>> Presidents. Hark, if we should recognize anyone as exceptional. Now it's
>>> called Presidents' Day.
>>>
>>> Well, if we're going to be so all inclusive, next month I'll have to
>>> refer
>>> to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as Civil Rights Leaders' Day. We
>>> don't
>>> want to exclude great Americans like Rosa Parks or Cesar Chavez, do we?
>>> And
>>> to think that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton might be left out.
>>>
>>> We might need to change Mother's Day, Father's Day, and
Grandparents'
>>> Day to
>>> All Parents' Day. Just lump them all together.
>>>
>>> It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? So what's the difference?
>>>
>>> My freedom to celebrate Christmas in the tradition of the Christian
>>> religion
>>> is as much my right as it is your right to be offended by it. So what
>>> are we
>>> going to do? Did anyone hear me . . . what are we going to do?
>>>
>>> Do we defend a person's right to go forward with a time tested tradition
>>> (how about 2000 years?), or do we defend a person's right to end it all
>>> because they're offended? As long as we live in this great land and have
>>> the
>>> freedom to express ourselves and what we believe in, we will always
>>> offend
>>> someone.
>>>
>>> If we try to make everything right for everyone, we won't have anything
>>> for
>>> anyone.
>>>
>>> May you always have Christmas in your heart!
>>>
>>> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~
>>> ~
>>> This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from
>>>
http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> No virus found in this incoming message.
>> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>> Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.10/189 - Release Date:
>> 11/30/2005
>>
>
>
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