Path: utzoo!hoptoad!amdcad!decwrl!ucbvax!rutgers!husc6!bu-cs!bzs
From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: alt.flame
Subject: Re: Christmas Celebrations and the Tyrrany of the Majority
Message-ID: <17992@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 25 Dec 87 16:49:51 GMT
References: <3445@ihlpl.ATT.COM> <7706@eddie.MIT.EDU> <5409@sol.ARPA> <7709@eddie.MIT.EDU> <22254@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <2681@gryphon.CTS.COM> <22313@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <17986@bu-cs.BU.EDU> <22316@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
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In-reply-to: jwl@ernie.Berkeley.EDU's message of 25 Dec 87 08:37:40 GMT
Posting-Front-End: GNU Emacs 18.41.4 of Mon Mar 23 1987 on bu-cs (berkeley-unix)


From: jwl@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (James Wilbur Lewis)
>(So is using "Xtian" for "Christian"; it might reduce the hostility
>level in these kinds of discussions if y'all would not *do* that...)

I wasn't aware of that, I was just trying to save typing. I thought it
arose from ancient times when illiterate Christians would sign their
name by marking a cross, meaning that they were baptized or christened
or something (probably one or both of those.)

Illiterate non-Christians would mark a circle (probably indicative of
zero/nought.) They were known as Kikulos (or something similar to
that) for "circle signers", hence the term "Kike". And, of course,
hence the mark X next to where you are supposed to sign on a document
(bet you didn't know there was a subtle reminder there of "mark
Christian/non-Christian", sure, picky picky, perhaps to you, but
suppose we turned it around to be a crucifix as it is supposed to
represent, then you might see what others see.) I don't know if the
game of Tic-Tac-Toe (Crosses and Noughts) was meant to symbolize
Christian/Non warfare but it seems worth a moment's thought.

You also do realize that Jews are not allowed to write the name of god
except in holy scripture and use other symbols to indicate where the
g-word goes (''). It might arise a little out of that in some people
and could be seen as reverence, even if misdirected in this case. I
honestly don't know if there's any relationship to a similar practice
w/in the history of Christianity of not taking the lord's name in
vain.

>It's not baiting, though; I sincerely believe that Mikki, and a few of the 
>others who agreed with her, would very much like to outlaw any form of 
>religious display in the workplace.  If I'm wrong, I'm sure they will correct 
>me.

I guess I see the continuum of human relations and laws as being much
more grey although there is some truth to the fact that if something
isn't enforced by law then fights will go on over and over again and
that's a real waste of time and potential.

That's one of the main reasons labor laws have been enacted governing
minimum standards and practices. Sure it could all be done by private
negotiation but I think you'd find that not much else ever gets done
(unless, of course, some force in the workplace just becomes a
dominant authority.)

I've heard of countries which (recently) had upwards of 1000%
inflation and Friday of every week was spent first (AM) negotiating
the next week's salary and, if that didn't work out, Friday afternoon
was reserved for a job action (strike etc.) I sometimes wonder if that
sort of thing is something libertarians will just have to deal with.
Regardless of Mussolini's other "accomplishments" sometimes it *is*
useful to have the trains run on time. Should we spend the twelve days
of Christmas every year in nationwide negotiations about religious
symbology at each workplace? Anyhow, worth a thought again.

Well, maybe this is slightly silly. But then again, it's not a whole
lot different in nature than 30 years ago when people were making
similar arguments that private businesses etc ought to have the right
to hire whomever they like, even if that selects out certain groups.

The current one is certainly not as severe an issue in my mind.  As
far as making a "law" goes I guess I am violently in favor of sitting
on the fence, personally. There are too many laws trying to govern
things which people just need to work out amongst themselves even if
it means they'll have to confront each other once in a while.

>Wishing you all a joyous and peaceful December 25th,

Sure is peaceful around here, I can finally get a good day's work done!

	-B