Christmas messages from politicians

Obliq · 10-12-2013 7:30pm

catallus wrote: »

Is this supposed to be a joke? Even a light perusal of the threads linked to Atheism and Agnosticism would prove that to be inaccurate. I'm not having a go, but face facts. This is the last place to be if one wishes to avoid group-think.

As for accusing me of generalising and name calling, this is baffling. Obnoxious, moi?

Yeah, yeah. Pull the other one. I'm accusing you of these things because you have classed me, an independent person who you haven't a notion about (but who often enjoys the banter up here on A&A) as someone who engages in group think. So as far as I'm concerned, you can shove your "not having a go" and have a little think about how you would like to be spoken to as an individual. I'm treating you as the obnoxious individual you have come across to be. If you don't like that, then change your posting style and the way you are speaking to PEOPLE, not a group. PEOPLE.

And if you don't like the INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE here, then close the door on the way out eh?

Brian Shanahan · 10-12-2013 8:11pm

catallus wrote: »

I'd expect an answer like that from a nihilist like yourself, OldHippy. What is saddening is that this attitude is emulated by many posters here.

catallus [sic], you can't look in the mirror and ascribe your personal characteristics to those you disagree with as insults, first it is lying, second it is ill mannered, and third it denotes that you have no argument to make in favour of your position.

Obliq · 10-12-2013 8:18pm

Wow, I just read that back to myself and it's not very christmassy, is it?! If you are not a troll, I do apologise for being that obnoxious even if it was in return for what I class as generalising (and not in a pleasant way) about people who happen to agree on a number of issues. Y'know, I'm not sure that this thread's OP warrants taking things this seriously.

Someone ate my cake this week, and now I have a fluey bug, so I'm properly in a humour to take a swing at this particular person, but can't raise my arm high enough. So keyboard warrior, bah humbug :mad:

Sorry again

Sarky · 10-12-2013 8:33pm

So am I a martyr yet, or do I have to collect more tokens off boxes of Special K?

Geomy · 10-12-2013 8:59pm

Sarky wrote: »

So am I a martyr yet, or do I have to collect more tokens off boxes of Special K?

No Sarky, not yet. .
You're up there with the legend's such as Zombrex and JC you're at rebel status. ..

Kiwi in IE · 10-12-2013 9:01pm

I have a solution;

Politicians who wish to send religious spam to constituents and use someone else's money to do it could stand outside a supermarket or church with a list and a bucket. People like Catallus and Geomy can add their names and addresses to the list, put the cost of the card and postage in the box, and the politician can then send them out a Christmas card. Everyone's a winner!

Harry Angstrom · 10-12-2013 9:04pm

Maybe next year he should send a "Happy Winterval" card to all the people who are offended by traditional Christmas cards? :rolleyes:

Obliq · 10-12-2013 9:10pm

Sarky wrote: »

So am I a martyr yet, or do I have to collect more tokens off boxes of Special K?

I don't think cereal tokens are quite good enough Sarky. I reckon you'd better make the ultimate sacrifice for this cause. I'll take up a collection of virgins for you, for before you go take a stand on the religiousity and wastefulness of political spam. I want to see heads rolling for this one, that's for sure.

Brian Shanahan · 10-12-2013 10:00pm

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Maybe next year he should send a "Happy Winterval" card to all the people who are offended by traditional Christmas cards? :rolleyes:

That's not the point (though I will point out that anyone that's idiotic enough to assume everybody in a multicultural, multireligious society is the same religion shouldn't be in public office on pro bono publico grounds if nothing else), it's the fact that he used our money to try and further his re-election chances. If he wants to suck up to voters to get back in, let him use his own or his party's funds.

Harry Angstrom · 10-12-2013 10:48pm

Brian Shanahan wrote: »

That's not the point (though I will point out that anyone that's idiotic enough to assume everybody in a multicultural, multireligious society is the same religion shouldn't be in public office on pro bono publico grounds if nothing else), it's the fact that he used our money to try and further his re-election chances. If he wants to suck up to voters to get back in, let him use his own or his party's funds.

Why didn't the OP post this in the Politics forum if it was more to do with a question of taxpayers money being wasted?

Turtwig · 10-12-2013 10:56pm

Ah jays folks, like, I only just logged in from the footie and see you all been making little digs here and there. I would like to remind ye that the whole idea of suspecting other posters of bad conduct, or being trolling fellas, is to report the trolls. That be the done thing, ya see. Please, stop making little snipes and accusing other of being trolls inside the thread,

Thanks and God Bless,

Obliq · 10-12-2013 11:02pm

Oh, oopsie - I keep forgetting that rule...

Kiwi in IE · 10-12-2013 11:04pm

Jernal likes this thread. It should be dedicated to him as a Christmas present!

Geomy · 10-12-2013 11:47pm

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Why didn't the OP post this in the Politics forum if it was more to do with a question of taxpayers money being wasted?

Maybe that's a good idea, make it more public. ..

After hour's or politics. ...

Turtwig · 10-12-2013 11:51pm

Kiwi in IE wrote: »

Jernal likes this thread. It should be dedicated to him as a Christmas present!

Well I suppose it is better than the creation threads. . .

the_syco · 11-12-2013 12:53am

Geomy wrote: »

It's amazing how this herd mentality happens out side organised religion. ..

So if people do not follow the cloud fairy herd mentality, they must be in some other her mentality? As opposed to not being in a herd mentality at all?

catallus wrote: »

Well obviously. Most posters on this forum would be faking it.

What exactly am I meant to be faking

My hatred of the undead zombie god?

Geomy wrote: »

Im not on any side, and certainly not religious or an atheist.

Ah. So you're in that herd?

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Maybe next year he should send a "Happy Winterval" card to all the people who are offended by traditional Christmas cards? :rolleyes:

But still using tax payers money? Not sure if you're being sarcastic, or actually don't quite get the rant?

robindch · 11-12-2013 12:55am

Jernal wrote: »

Well I suppose it is better than the creation threads. . .

Everything is better than the cretinism thread.

Harry Angstrom · 11-12-2013 1:15am

the_syco wrote: »

But still using tax payers money? Not sure if you're being sarcastic, or actually don't quite get the rant?

I get the rant as to the wasting of taxpayers' money. I'm just wondering why this thread was begun in the Atheism and Agnosticism forum if this was the main thrust of the OP's argument.....

pauldla · 11-12-2013 1:24am

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Why didn't the OP post this in the Politics forum if it was more to do with a question of taxpayers money being wasted?

Well, we need topics here, too. And the OP is a regular here, and a personal friend.* So leeway can be given.

Imagine if we only limited ourselves to topics that were strictly atheist? We'd have threads like 'God - Still Not Existent' and...well, actually that would probably be the only thread. Biscuits!

*of somebody I once sat next to on a bus

Harry Angstrom · 11-12-2013 1:25am

pauldla wrote: »

Well, we need topics here, too. And the OP is a regular here, and a personal friend.* So leeway can be given.

Imagine if we only limited ourselves to topics that were strictly atheist? We'd have threads like 'God - Still Not Existent' and...well, actually that would probably be the only thread. Biscuits!

*of somebody I once sat next to on a bus

Perhaps it would have been more appropriate in the Politics forum?

Unless it was a thinly veiled rant about the nativity scene on said Christmas card?

Sarky · 11-12-2013 1:56am

Obliq wrote: »

I don't think cereal tokens are quite good enough Sarky. I reckon you'd better make the ultimate sacrifice for this cause. I'll take up a collection of virgins for you, for before you go take a stand on the religiousity and wastefulness of political spam. I want to see heads rolling for this one, that's for sure.

That's a lot of effort. I think I'll just stick to letting people fling personal abuse and such because they think I don't like Christmas.

Interesting though, isn't it? How they immediately jump on the "Sure why wouldn't you celebrate unless you hate Jesus/tradition/freedom" bandwagon. It rarely seems to occur to folks that there might have been a loss or two in the family at this time of year. They could be ranting away at me, telling me what an awful person they think I am, oblivious to the possibility that I lost someone close to me at Christmas.

A sense of perspective is often too much to hope for until after the damage is done though.

Lucy8080 · 11-12-2013 2:49am

Sarky wrote: »

Why not? Any points actually related to the op have been drowned out by character assassination.

I'm quite intolerant of wilful ignorance. I find it despicable and cowardly.

And sprouts. Horrible little things.

I read this post first time, the faux outrage et al...but...

How do you edit a post without the edit showing up?

The first two lines where in....then the sprouts line showed up and no sign of an edit!

Share your power with us oh great one!

Turtwig · 11-12-2013 2:53am

He's a Ninja. Such powers are not to be shared.

Lucy8080 · 11-12-2013 2:59am

Jernal wrote: »

He's a Ninja. Such powers are not to be shared.

Yup...i had suspected all along there was a Ninja power!

Some folks seem to have more access to it than others.

Go Ninjas, and the orgs. that are favoured.

micromary · 11-12-2013 12:59pm

Not sure if it is tasteless. One thing for sure is that politicians are a group of smug, arrogant, stuck up their own a***s wasters for the most part. You don't see them for a year until you receive a Christmas letter or worse still at election time sproating rubbish. Scum of the earth.

SpaceTime · 11-12-2013 1:03pm

The thing with me though is that I would probably think:

"oh that's great.. he/she thinks he/she can buy my vote with an xmas card!" and it would probably make me feel a little cynical about them, particularly if I didn't speak to them in the run up to xmas or didn't know them to talk to.

It's a bit like your bank or cable company sending you an xmas card. It's hardly 'a personal touch'.

I hold people I vote for to fairly high standards and expect to see results. An xmas card doesn't really make any difference. I keep an eye on how they're doing on matters of policy!

old hippy · 11-12-2013 1:21pm

old hippy wrote: »

Who's culture? Not mine.

catallus wrote: »

I'd expect an answer like that from a nihilist like yourself, OldHippy. What is saddening is that this attitude is emulated by many posters here.

Jernal wrote: »

Emulated? It's a fake attitude then?

catallus wrote: »

Well obviously. Most posters on this forum would be faking it. I probably have to explain what I mean by "faking it" now, given the love of sniggering word-pedantry that passes for argument around here. Most atheists online are very facile.

What, precisely am I supposed to be "faking", catallus? And what am I today? A nihilist? A faker? An atheist? A facile atheist?

Qs · 11-12-2013 1:23pm

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Perhaps it would have been more appropriate in the Politics forum?

Unless it was a thinly veiled rant about the nativity scene on said Christmas card?

Maybe its a multi-faceted problem? And maybe its in the atheism forum because it relates to issues about the separation of church and state.

swampgas · 11-12-2013 5:59pm

Qs wrote: »

Maybe its a multi-faceted problem? And maybe its in the atheism forum because it relates to issues about the separation of church and state.

Indeed.

Suppose the card was a mass card, and referred to a specific Catholic service - would that be okay? I don't think Protestants or Jews or Muslims or atheists would be all that impressed.

Suppose the card was addressed to "the man of the house" and wished a Happy Christmas to him, his wife and children? I don't think that would go down so well either, it's horribly old fashioned and sexist.

As society changes, the sensitivities that politicians need to be aware of change also. Today, if a politician (or aspiring politician) doesn't want to come across like The Bull Mick from The Savage Eye to some of his or her prospective supporters, they might want to stop making assumptions about everyone in Ireland being a Christian.

catallus · 11-12-2013 7:22pm

swampgas wrote: »

Indeed.

[.....]

As society changes, the sensitivities that politicians need to be aware of change also. Today, if a politician (or aspiring politician) doesn't want to come across like The Bull Mick from The Savage Eye to some of his or her prospective supporters, they might want to stop making assumptions about everyone in Ireland being a Christian.

It is a Christmas Card, At Christmas Time, In an Overwhelmingly Christian Country.

I know it would cause malevolent joy to a lot of people if such a simple gesture was ripped asunder and consigned to the past; they would prefer a homogenised and generic piece of paper, which can mean nothing to anyone rather than one which celebrates a religious holiday.

I for one am happy that we haven't erased this part of our culture. But it seems that others see in it some form of repression. Which is silly at best.

Christmas messages from politicians

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