Barb by Proxy

Background Noise: Mr. Brightside
Random Thought: Yes, I have music!
Mood: Cross your fingers for my apartment...

I'd like to lodge a complaint about Thursday. It derives it's name from the Pagan God of Thunder, Thor. And since I wouldn't want to support one religion over another, I object. And it supports Lightning, which is a violent act, and I'm against violence. I can't believe that our culture is in favor of a day that celebrates Pagan beliefs and violence. And don't even get me started on those other days, celebrating Saturn and the like.

Am I crazy? No, just taking my cue from the debate over wishing people a Merry Christmas. I think people are getting a little over sensitive about the suposed Christian greeting. First off, most people equate Christmas with time off work or school, trees and presents. Yes, it's a religious observance to some. But I think most people wishing others a Merry Christmas probably mean "Hey, have a great season of shopping and eggnog, see the family, hey, look, it's Santa, a big fat man whose image we've adopted from a Coke ad." They probably don't mean "Have a good time celebrating the mass of Christ." And Happy Holidays isn't safe either, since you would literally be wishing someone a Happy Holy Day.

Now, I'm not a religious person. But I don't get offended when people say 'bless you' after I sneeze, nor do I take offense at the term Christmas. I would like to think that in an advanced culture such as ourselves, we could bow to the evolution of the lexicon and simply accept that certain words that have their root in one religion or another have become mainstream, and no longer carry the veil of one persons God over another. If we get started on boycotting Christmas, and holiday, and whatever else one person decides has a Biblical/Koran/Torah/etc connotation, we won't be able to say anything. Days of the week will have to go. St. Valentine and St. Patrick are out. You can't achieve a Zen state, and Nirvana will need a new name. There could be no eleventh hour decisions. Or have a juggernaut. No one would be the apple of one's eye, part like the Red Sea, go to a carnival, play the devil's advocate or sing like an angel. Not to mention Holy Cow, Holy Smoke, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. You get the picture.

Now, go out and respect the beliefs of others. Allow people to celbrate the spirit of the season without looking for the hidden agenda of conversion. When in Rome, and all that. Oh wait, that's from the Bible too. Well, I can't be anti-Rome, so I guess I'll take Thrusday for all it's thunderous worth.