Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Bigotry? (Re: The Ongoing Inquisition) Message-ID: Date: 24 May 91 03:59:52 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: State University of New York at Binghamton Lines: 25 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article djdaneh@pacbell.com (Dan'l DanehyOakes) writes: >In article krueger@writeon.physics.arizona.edu (Theodore Krueger) writes: >"Xmas," to many of us, carries connotations of pure commerciality; >it became supercommon in modern usage as a result of stores trying >to shorten the big word to fit more stuff into their "!!!XMAS SALE!!!" >advertisements. To which I can only say, Feh, and (though I certainly >*do* exchange gifts and put up a tree) that's not Christmas. That's >Xmas. Indeed, the abbreviation 'X-mas' has always bothered me. This past year I was also disturbed to find that almost everyone I knew was referring to "ThanksGiving" as "Turkey Day". This suggested to me that the day is no longer celebrated as the day we give thanks, but the day that we eat turkey! (Observational evidence supports this conclusion.) I for one do not wish to be referred to as an Xian. I understand the abbreviation, but with my background, it conjures up things like 'Ngon', (a polygon with N sides). Xian to me seems to mean a disciple of X, where X is an arbitrary teacher. Let it be perfectly clear. The word is Christian. If you wish, you may accuse me of not being a Christian, but please, do not refer to me as an Xian. Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton