tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post8922357581938406187..comments2024-01-26T03:40:32.465-05:00Comments on Breath of the Beast: A Plea for "Merry Christmas"Yaacov Ben Moshehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16711165551258127500noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-9754053653126034312008-01-02T16:23:00.000-05:002008-01-02T16:23:00.000-05:00Enjoyed your posting. I've thought about the exact...Enjoyed your posting. I've thought about the exact same things. I think that you might have made a common mistake however in saying that American political freedom derives from the Protestant tradition. <BR/><BR/>Didn't it derive from the fact that the various English Christian groups eventually got so sick of killing eachother that they decided to tolerate eachother instead. <BR/><BR/>That's not a religious value. It's a purely political one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-52886179263008653652007-12-27T19:50:00.000-05:002007-12-27T19:50:00.000-05:00Beautiful and well written! It's nice to see recog...Beautiful and well written! It's nice to see recognition of the values and morals the USA was founded on and that "Merry Christmas" isn't meant to offend. <BR/>Happy New Year!nachtwachehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00253203966548723755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-35559780757196939812007-12-24T23:17:00.000-05:002007-12-24T23:17:00.000-05:00Thank you.Merry Christmas!TCThank you.<BR/>Merry Christmas!<BR/>TCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-20789452871207767962007-12-24T17:10:00.000-05:002007-12-24T17:10:00.000-05:00a very merry christmas to all .g_d bless america a...a very merry christmas to all .g_d bless america and g_d save the ukAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-70039501186060139612007-12-23T23:14:00.000-05:002007-12-23T23:14:00.000-05:00I fully agree, and have been following the same pr...I fully agree, and have been following the same practice since I lived in Haifa and on Friday afternoons while shopping pre-shabbat, all of the Arabs that I encountered would wish me a Shabat Shalom.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-74640118456861517662007-12-21T17:59:00.000-05:002007-12-21T17:59:00.000-05:00As I read your wonderful words, I felt the Grace o...As I read your wonderful words, I felt the Grace of God brushing me softly. <BR/><BR/>You have reognized and embraced all the love, good will, and tolerance that is behind the simple greeting. <BR/><BR/><BR/>So, Merry Christmas to us all!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-79239660874080653452007-12-21T15:39:00.000-05:002007-12-21T15:39:00.000-05:00May G-d bless and keep everyone who reads this sit...May G-d bless and keep everyone who reads this site because you are doing His work whenever you do. The real meaning of Christmas, to me, has always been the kindness shown by so many during this holiday season (despite the horrendous traffic and crowded malls and so forth and so on).<BR/><BR/>MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!Gayle Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09223914127626675167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-74831524644445480162007-12-20T23:26:00.000-05:002007-12-20T23:26:00.000-05:00There is no war on Xmas.There is no war on Xmas.Jack Steinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16625864271071630940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-17900515138278010682007-12-17T17:58:00.000-05:002007-12-17T17:58:00.000-05:00Well said, my dear Jewish friend! Merry Christmas...Well said, my dear Jewish friend! Merry Christmas to all!Obi's Sisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15008584395919875602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-17651344092893690252007-12-15T23:15:00.000-05:002007-12-15T23:15:00.000-05:00This post goes right to my favorites. Happy Hanukk...This post goes right to my favorites. Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends, and Merry Christmas to all my Christian friends. And my our God continue to bless our nation, America. Pray for our troops!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-58479813055889061272007-12-15T07:50:00.000-05:002007-12-15T07:50:00.000-05:00Thank you, Yaacov for your love of freedom. And I ...Thank you, Yaacov for your love of freedom. And I tell you and each of the commentors above, that I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!Nancy Coppockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01938274161807178689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-35161813382907983922007-12-14T20:08:00.000-05:002007-12-14T20:08:00.000-05:00I guess I need to get in line...Beautiful words of...I guess I need to get in line...<BR/><BR/>Beautiful words of wisdom, bruthah Yaakov! <BR/><BR/>I'm a very rare Jew out here in central FL, but I m happy to receive and return the many "Merry Chirstmases" in the spirit they are intended.<BR/><BR/>And like many US Jews, I have Christian relatives, just wonderful people. They send us Hanukkah gifts, we send them Christmas gifts. This is a big difference from our ancestors in "the old country." <BR/><BR/>[Ohmigod, and "It's a Wonderful Life" is just starting--if that isn't a sappy but essentially true portrayal of this blessed land we live in, between the 2 oceans...So because I'm Jewish I shdn't bawl my eyes out, too?! Oyyyyyy, if only Israel had a man with 1/10th the heart and imagination of the late great Frank Capra...]<BR/><BR/>But I digress...Thank you and Shabbat Shalom, Yaacov, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all your Christian readers! AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!Jewish Odysseushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16704379332151214452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-32589310245838895432007-12-14T19:18:00.000-05:002007-12-14T19:18:00.000-05:00Great post. I'm reminded of something Ayn Rand use...Great post. I'm reminded of something Ayn Rand used to say. Rand, despite being an avowed atheist, liked the expression "God bless you." She described it very much like you did above when talking about "Merry Christmas": expressing "energy, enthusiasm and good-will." If I'm not mistaken, she not only wrote about this but discussed it with Johnny Carson one night on TV.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-80804781242101874442007-12-14T17:39:00.000-05:002007-12-14T17:39:00.000-05:00My employer's internet system does not allow me to...My employer's internet system does not allow me to post comments on your site (how it made the "mistake" of letting me access it to read your post to begin with is a tiny miracle all its own!)...so feel free to post this as a comment on my behalf.<BR/> <BR/>Your story is very similar to mine in terms of the aversion to things Christian with which I was brought up. The learned aversion was understandable given that my parents and most Jews their age in my home town were born in Europe before or during World War II and the almost successful attempt to eliminate all of us was at the hands of those who mostly were, at least in name, Christian.<BR/> <BR/>But I, as you, have come full circle (and I believe America has evolved much more than other mostly Christian nations, especially where happy co-existence and acceptance of other peaceful faiths are concerned). <BR/> <BR/>I now receive Christmas greetings in the spirit in which they are given. And return them with true smiles. I only wish that the Christmas spirit lasted longer (OK, maybe not the music...but the whole good will towards Man thing).<BR/> <BR/>Shabbat Shalom and a Merry Christmas to all.<BR/> <BR/>Bruce Wechsler (Baruch ben Yitzchak)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-15432454891370641702007-12-14T16:58:00.000-05:002007-12-14T16:58:00.000-05:00Ya'akov,I have often found myself getting irritate...Ya'akov,<BR/><BR/>I have often found myself getting irritated when people wish me 'Merry Christmas,' but after reading your post, I'm having a change of heart. Well said, my friend. And Merry Christmas.Yehudihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07370713357407387725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1625076107995960519.post-16375986500908928582007-12-14T16:15:00.000-05:002007-12-14T16:15:00.000-05:00Yaacov,As fellow Jew, I can sign under every word ...Yaacov,<BR/>As fellow Jew, I can sign under every word of this essay. Happy Hanukkah (belated)! And for all our Christian friends - Merry Christmas!<BR/>Eric.Eric-Odessithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14178664726758540803noreply@blogger.com