Offended by being wished a "Happy Holiday Season" ?

Ringo · 20-12-2006, 02:33 PM

Check this one out. This was a real complaint sent to the company I work for on Monday this week. Names and other stuff has been changed to protect the company, the individual and my job for leaking this out but this 100% real....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear CompanyX,

I was disappointed and offended by the letter from CompanyX that accompanied my November invoice, wishing me a happy holiday season.

Australia is a Christian country and celebrates Christmas at this time of year and I would expect that any company that is proud to operate in Australia would wish their clients a happy Christmas at this time of year.

Merry Christmas to you, CompanyX!

regards
XXXXXXXX --------------------------------------------------------------------------

b2tf · 20-12-2006, 02:35 PM

you're stuffed if you do say it, you're stuffed if you dont. Can see why more and more people now just dont bother saying anything at all.

Happy end of year holiday/rostered time off/possibly religious/commercial/gift giving/family time/non family time season/period/festivities/holiday. or something like that.

TheSneakiness · 20-12-2006, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ringo

Check this one out. This was a real complaint sent to the company I work for on Monday this week. Names and other stuff has been changed to protect the company, the individual and my job for leaking this out but this 100% real....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear CompanyX,

I was disappointed and offended by the letter from CompanyX that accompanied my November invoice, wishing me a happy holiday season.

Australia is a Christian country and celebrates Christmas at this time of year and I would expect that any company that is proud to operate in Australia would wish their clients a happy Christmas at this time of year.

Merry Christmas to you, CompanyX!

regards
XXXXXXXX --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since when was Australia a Christian country?

FFS, I bet 50% of Australians don't even believe in religion.

photn · 20-12-2006, 02:40 PM

i switched to aethist after meeting my gf... lol......but i still count myslef christian....just not a practising 1.... lol....

you watch this will get into a religious debate which will turn into a race sledging thread.

Ringo · 20-12-2006, 02:40 PM

Exactly.....I didn't know I lived in a Christian country either.

merlin · 20-12-2006, 02:41 PM

My view is to say whatever YOU happen to believe in. I.e I will say Merry Christmas to people and I couldnt care less if they are offended. Equally if a Muslim or aethiest or whoever came up to me and said whatever it is they say then I would not be offended in the least.

XplosiveR6 · 20-12-2006, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUII_SE_Ute

Since when was Australia a Christian country?

FFS, I bet 50% of Australians don't even believe in religion.

Australia IS a Christian community, our laws are made from christian beliefs, it doesnt matter if your are a christian or not, if you wish to live in the social community of Australia you need to respect and obide by our christian laws and practices.

just shows how little some people know wbout their own country

photn · 20-12-2006, 02:45 PM

the way i see it is that "Merry Christmas" doesnt really mean Merry Christmas anymore is more of a statement meaning have a happy holiday and enjoy your days off and blah blah blah... Im happy to say merry Christmas because its the time of year....and if Australia or any other Country puts up Merry Christmas signs and other religions get offended i dont get it.....its not like we are Forcing you to do anything or convert you. sorry that we are celebrating a time of year that is celebrated by almost the whole world......like seriously.......ppl read to much into things these days.....i think the whole world needs to take one giant CHILL pill....

Allen · 20-12-2006, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XplosiveR6

Australia IS a Christian community, our laws are made from christian beliefs, it doesnt matter if your are a christian or not, if you wish to live in the social community of Australia you need to respect and obide by our christian laws and practices.

just shows how little some people know wbout their own country

How true...

This also shows how intolerent and obnoxious some people are...

merlin · 20-12-2006, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUII_SE_Ute

Since when was Australia a Christian country?

FFS, I bet 50% of Australians don't even believe in religion.

Just out of interest I went to the ABS website - Australian Bureau of Statistics:

Buddhism 357,813
"
Christianity:
Anglican" 3,881,162
Baptist 309,205
Brethren 19,353
Catholic 5,001,624
Churches of Christ 61,335
Jehovah's Witness 81,069
Latter Day Saints 49,915
Lutheran 250,365
Oriental Christian 36,324
Orthodox 529,444
Presbyterian and Reformed 637,530
Salvation Army 71,423
Seventh-day Adventist 53,844
Uniting Church 1,248,674
Pentecostal 194,592
Other Protestant 52,557
Other Christian(a) 285,926
Total Christians 12,764,342
"
Hinduism" 95,473
Islam 281,578Judaism 83,993
"
Other Religions:
Australian Aboriginal Tradition Religions" 5,224
Other Religious Groups 87,145
Total 92,369
"
No religion(b)" 2,905,993Inadequately described(c) 352,090
Not stated 1,835,598
Overseas visitors 203,101
"
Total" 18,972,350

Falcon_Phill · 20-12-2006, 02:50 PM

If they are offended by that then i dont see how they could function in normal society.

photn · 20-12-2006, 02:50 PM

^^ got a point there. (to the stats)

4.9 EF Futura · 20-12-2006, 02:51 PM

Well let's not be too precious about it.

I dont know if one could say we are a "christian country"... but our links to christianity cannot be denied.

Lol, you dont need a certain % of the population to prescribe to a certain religion, the religious denomination of a country stems from its history.

Im amazed that someone took the time to write that to you Ringo. I have to say - how frigging pathetic. It's not bad enough the country is full of people complaining about imaginary tales of PC thuggery (before someone brings it up, no the bah bah black sheep story from the UK was NOT TRUE)... the opposite side of the fence is apparently no better.

How can people get so hung up on a throw away statement??

Ringo · 20-12-2006, 02:52 PM

So much for it being good will to all man......my company was sent a complaint !!

jimmy_c · 20-12-2006, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XplosiveR6

Australia IS a Christian community, our laws are made from christian beliefs, it doesnt matter if your are a christian or not, if you wish to live in the social community of Australia you need to respect and obide by our christian laws and practices.

just shows how little some people know wbout their own country

This is correct. and if people had more respect than they currently do. This goes for our leaders as well then we would all be better off.

4.9 EF Futura · 20-12-2006, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ringo

So much for it being good will to all man......my company was sent a complaint !!

Hahaha, but surely Christmas irony is the most amusing kind??

csv8 · 20-12-2006, 02:55 PM

Hows this for stupidity ? Sam Kerkovich was going to do and ad for the Australian Meat Board. Advertising lamb.
The ad was "Is Lamb". BUT so as not to offend muslims was cancelled. "Is Lamb" "Islam"
Total Christians 12,764,342.....Islam 281,578
Why are we so **** scared of offending them ??????????????

TheSneakiness · 20-12-2006, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlin

Just out of interest I went to the ABS website - Australian Bureau of Statistics:

Buddhism 357,813
"
Christianity:
Anglican" 3,881,162
Baptist 309,205
Brethren 19,353
Catholic 5,001,624
Churches of Christ 61,335
Jehovah's Witness 81,069
Latter Day Saints 49,915
Lutheran 250,365
Oriental Christian 36,324
Orthodox 529,444
Presbyterian and Reformed 637,530
Salvation Army 71,423
Seventh-day Adventist 53,844
Uniting Church 1,248,674
Pentecostal 194,592
Other Protestant 52,557
Other Christian(a) 285,926
Total Christians 12,764,342
"
Hinduism" 95,473
Islam 281,578Judaism 83,993
"
Other Religions:
Australian Aboriginal Tradition Religions" 5,224
Other Religious Groups 87,145
Total 92,369
"
No religion(b)" 2,905,993Inadequately described(c) 352,090
Not stated 1,835,598
Overseas visitors 203,101
"
Total" 18,972,350

Jesus Christ (no pun intended)...

Teach me for opening my mouth at an inopportune time... (again)

merlin · 20-12-2006, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4.9 EF Futura

Im amazed that someone took the time to write that to you Ringo. I have to say - how frigging pathetic. ??

I disagree, as they are complaining to a company not an individual. As in Company X has obviosuly failed to satisfy this particular customer - as someone in business i welcome all feedback, it can only make you more competitive. In this particular case if Company X said "happy holiday season" to me I would think Company X sounded very American.

FordFan86 · 20-12-2006, 02:59 PM

"Australia has no state religion. The 2001 census identified that 68% of Australians call themselves Christian: 27% identifying themselves as Roman Catholic and 21% as Anglican. Australians who identify themselves as followers of non-Christian religions number 5%. A total of 16% were categorised as having "No Religion" (which includes non-theistic beliefs such as humanism, atheism, agnosticism and rationalism) and a further 12% declined to answer or did not give a response adequate for interpretation. As in many Western countries, the level of active participation in church worship is much lower than this; weekly attendance at church services is about 1.5 million, about 7.5% of the population"
Ra ra ra ra
Our laws are heavily based on English laws and beliefs, Englands' state religion is Protestant

dazAUSR · 20-12-2006, 02:59 PM

Having worked with the public for 13 years, this response doesn't shock me at all...the pity is the company has to pay somebody to respond to such stupid letters.....though someone gets a paid job out of it.
If you're Christian or non Christian, I say just be pleasant towards other people and repsect each others beliefs. What makes me laugh, is that the company didn't need to put anything on the invoice at all but was just being polite to the customers...I always think of the less fortunate in the world when I a see a letter like that...there are people who have to worry about where their next meal is coming from...not whether they are wished happy holiday or happy christmas....obviously another bored person..... Merry Christmas to everyone on here...cheers.

:

XRQTOR · 20-12-2006, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csv8

Hows this for stupidity ? Sam Kerkovich was going to do and ad for the Australian Meat Board. Advertising lamb.
The ad was "Is Lamb". BUT so as not to offend muslims was cancelled. "Is Lamb" "Islam"
Total Christians 12,764,342.....Islam 281,578
Why are we so **** scared of offending them ??????????????

I dont know but if they don't like it they can **** off.

TZENU · 20-12-2006, 03:03 PM

I think some take that statement too personal... WTF do you want us to say... Have a happy end of year?? But then you will no doubt get complaints.....
Ringo Write a letter back to them saying to hell with your beliefs, you dont like our letter then cry me a river.. (obviously not that childish!)

20-12-2006, 03:05 PM

We are a predominatly Christian country, but we are not a Christian Country full stop. Even then some dominations of Christianity do not celebrate Christmas on the 25th December.

Sounds like the person that wrote in that letter has nothing better to do in their life, and constantly stive to annoy others.

El_Poochino · 20-12-2006, 03:07 PM

Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't. This is what political correctness does.

Ringo · 20-12-2006, 03:08 PM

Usually the complaints we get sent are financial: paid to much, to little, to late or not at all.

This one has had plenty of water cooler discussion.....pretty much the same sort of thing happening on this thread..

4.9 EF Futura · 20-12-2006, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csv8

Hows this for stupidity ? Sam Kerkovich was going to do and ad for the Australian Meat Board. Advertising lamb.
The ad was "Is Lamb". BUT so as not to offend muslims was cancelled. "Is Lamb" "Islam"
Total Christians 12,764,342.....Islam 281,578
Why are we so **** scared of offending them ??????????????

Ummm... just because a certain group of people represents a minority, it doesnt make it OK to offend them.

Why cant the AMB put an ad together that EVERYONE can appreciate?

It's not a matter of being scared of offending "them" (as you so kindly put it).

Laminge · 20-12-2006, 03:19 PM

An individual Merry Christmas and accompanying good cheer from me means I am about to ban you from the forums.. go figure.

Sourbastard · 20-12-2006, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ringo

Check this one out. This was a real complaint sent to the company I work for on Monday this week. Names and other stuff has been changed to protect the company, the individual and my job for leaking this out but this 100% real....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear CompanyX,

I was disappointed and offended by the letter from CompanyX that accompanied my November invoice, wishing me a happy holiday season.

Australia is a Christian country and celebrates Christmas at this time of year and I would expect that any company that is proud to operate in Australia would wish their clients a happy Christmas at this time of year.

Merry Christmas to you, CompanyX!

regards
XXXXXXXX --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The time is right for me to market my "Get F**ked Card". All the wonder and surprise that a christmas card gives, without the sappy sentiment.

LTDHO · 20-12-2006, 03:34 PM

I guess it just shouldn't be happy at all!

No matter what is said, someone will be offended. Every one is sooo precious now.