Goodbye Christmas...

[voivod]

Chicago Christmas Festival Nixes 'Nativity Story' Ads Over Fears of Offending Non-Christians

CHICAGO — A public Christmas festival is no place for the Christmas story, the city says. Officials have asked organizers of a downtown Christmas festival, the German Christkindlmarket, to reconsider using a movie studio as a sponsor because it is worried ads for its film "The Nativity Story" might offend non-Christians.

New Line Cinema, which said it was dropped, had planned to play a loop of the new film on televisions at the event. The decision had both the studio and a prominent Christian group shaking their heads.

"The last time I checked, the first six letters of Christmas still spell out Christ," said Paul Braoudakis, spokesman for the Barrington, Ill.-based Willow Creek Association, a group of more than 11,000 churches of various denominations. "It's tantamount to celebrating Lincoln's birthday without talking about Abraham Lincoln."

He also said that there is a nativity scene in Daley Plaza — and that some vendors at the festival sell items related to the nativity.

The city does not want to appear to endorse one religion over another, said Cindy Gatziolis, a spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office of Special Events. She acknowledged there is a nativity scene, but also said there will be representations of other faiths, including a Jewish menorah, all put up by private groups. She stressed that the city did not order organizers to drop the studio as a sponsor.

"Our guidance was that this very prominently placed advertisement would not only be insensitive to the many people of different faiths who come to enjoy the market for its food and unique gifts, but also it would be contrary to acceptable advertising standards suggested to the many festivals holding events on Daley Plaza," Jim Law, executive director of the office, said in a statement.

Officials with the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, which has organized the event for several years, did not immediately return calls for comment. The festival started Thursday.

An executive vice president with New Line Cinema, Christina Kounelias, said the studio's plan to spend $12,000 in Chicago was part of an advertising campaign around the country. Kounelias said that as far as she knew, the Chicago festival was the only instance where the studio was turned down.

Kounelias said she finds it hard to believe that non-Christians who attended something called Christkindlmarket would be surprised or offended by the presence of posters, brochures and other advertisements of the movie.

"One would assume that if (people) were to go to Christkindlmarket, they'd know it is about Christmas," she said.

[PlexiBrown]

Merry Christmas.

[mistere]

Next yer gonna tell me there's no Santa Claus.

[loveevhsince79]

I don't understand, if they represent all religions, why is it not okay to have this shown? And they use sponsors for events all the time, money is money. This is just getting down right silly.

[voivod]

Next yer gonna tell me there's no Santa Claus.

He'll be renamed Al-Sanda Claus

[fast98dodge]

I get sick of this bullshit every year...

Political Correctness is killing our country...

[TopTimi]

I get sick of this bullshit every year...

Political Correctness is killing our country...

I agree 100%.
Where is the fun anymore? So many have sticks so far up their ass, they don't realize how demeaning they are to thier own "beliefs."

[bigdrewhalenite]

Non-Christians certainly don't have a problem taking Christmas Day off of work. Last time I checked, I (a Christian) don't get time off for Ramadan or Hannukah. Where's the justice????

[Wray]

Merry Christmas.

Don't you mean 'Happy Holidays'?

[BREW CREW]

"Seasons Greetings from BREW CREW, how can you fuck my Holiday up some more?"

If ya don't believe, then stay away. Mmmmmkay!

[VanHalen2079]

Lets face it, sooner or later it will be politically incorrect and even speak.

[WinterlessIceness]

"Fears of Offending Non-Christians" - that's just, for fucks sake, lame.

[Raldo]

I get sick of this bullshit every year...

Political Correctness is killing our country...

Amen to that! I believe some people just have no idea what Christmas means anymore. All this commercial crap that gets shoved in our faces from the beginning of NOVEMBER on is just tiring. Then there are the people who are so worried about offending somebody that they pull stuff like this, it's just plain wrong.

[ZeoBandit]

I get sick of this bullshit every year...

Political Correctness is killing our country...

You got that right.

Bah hum bug!

[jetguy5150]

I CAN'T FUCKING STAND THIS ANYMORE!!!!!!! (sorry for yelling)

I just had a heated discussion with a co-worker on Monday over this exact thing. We were working on the invite for our work Christmas party. Someone said we can't use the word Christmas. I said like fuck we can't. He went on to talk about how we now live in a multi-cultural society where we have to respect each other's beliefs. I said, you are bang on jack-ass!!! It works both ways... why do I have to respect every other nationality and religious belief while at the same time none of these groups have to respect mine? Needless to say he didn't have an answer.

My approach to this problem is simple. I only send out Christmas cards that say Merry Christmas on them. I don't care if it is going to someone who may not have the same views on Christmas as me. They are getting a "Christmas" card. And I only say Merry Christmas... escpecially if someone says "Happy Holidays" to me. I always quickly smile and pretty much yell at them.. "Yes..and MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO!!!!"

So tired...so very tired!!!!