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Florida woman claims 'Merry Christmas' got her fired

 
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Shweta



Joined: 01 Nov 2005
Posts: 1407
Location: God's own land.

PostPosted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 8:52 am    Post subject: Florida woman claims 'Merry Christmas' got her fired Reply with quote

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Its_a_Mad_Mad_World/Florida_woman_claims_Merry_Christmas_got_her_fired/articleshow/3899191.cms

Quote:
Florida woman claims 'Merry Christmas' got her fired
27 Dec 2008, 0535 hrs IST, AP

ETPENSACOLA (Fla.): A Christian woman claims she was fired from her job because she greeted callers with "Merry Christmas," but the vacation rental
company says it's no Scrooge and the woman is just a disgruntled employee.

Tonia Thomas, 35, said she refused to say "Happy Holidays" and was fired, even after offering to use the company's non-holiday greeting. The Panama City woman filed a federal complaint that accuses the company of religious discrimination. She is seeking compensation for lost wages.

"I hold my core Christian values to a high standard and I absolutely refuse to give in on the basis of values. All I wanted was to be able to say 'Merry Christmas' or to acknowledge no holidays," she said Tuesday. "As a Christian, I don't recognize any other holidays."

Thomas said she is Baptist.

Her former employer, Counts-Oakes Resorts Properties Inc., said she wasn't fired for saying "Merry Christmas," but would not elaborate.

"We are a Christian company and we celebrate Christmas," said Andy Phillips, the company's president. Thomas is "a disgruntled employee," presenting a one-sided version of what happened when she was fired Dec. 10, Phillips said.

Liberty Counsel, an Orlando-based legal group that advocates for people discriminated against because of their religion, is representing Thomas before the federal Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. Their complaint also accuses the company of harassing and taunting Thomas after she was fired by calling the police to watch her pack her belongs and leave.

Thomas could have hard time winning the case, said G. Thomas Harper, a Jacksonville-based labor attorney who writes a newsletter on Florida employment law.

"I wouldn't think an employee has the right to insist (on saying Merry Christmas) unless that really is a tenet of their faith. She would have to make a strong case that was part of her beliefs, if not, it becomes insubordination," he said.

Thomas has found another job, but she makes less than the $10.50 an hour she earned with the rental company. She said the trauma of being fired and the pay cut has made for a tough holiday season for herself, her husband and their 6-year-old son.

Harper said when it comes to holiday greetings, the smartest choice might be ignoring the season.

"The best option is just not to say anything," he said.
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raghy



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 1043
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It may be true. I have a bitter personal experience. Once I wished 'merry Christmas' to my boss in return to the greeting 'Happy holidays'. It was followed by a small discussion, which I thought was friendly, non- work related and personal; to make a long story short, my increment was denied for that year. (I don't work there anymore).
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ChabadMizrachi



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Only an athiest would wish you that way. This whole Happy frenzy is catching on here too. I have many muslim friends who never had any problem wishing people Merry Christmas or Happy Hannukah.

What is this world coming to? This is political correctness gone mad.
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It is G-d who created you and me, and everything you see. To deny this is idiocy. How can complex life forms come into being by "chance", out of "nothingness"? EVILution is FALSE!!! It is STILL only a "theory", after 200 years.
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Ram



Joined: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 1502

PostPosted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

raghy wrote:
It may be true. I have a bitter personal experience. Once I wished 'merry Christmas' to my boss in return to the greeting 'Happy holidays'. It was followed by a small discussion, which I thought was friendly, non- work related and personal; to make a long story short, my increment was denied for that year. (I don't work there anymore).

This is the problem with ideologically driven political correctness. Wishing someone Merry Christmas is normal in a Christian majority country. I am not a Christian but I have no problem when someone wishes me Merry Christmas. I even get invited to Christmas parties, which is lot of fun. Invariably the parties are secular affairs with lot of merry making and some good wine. I even join in singing Christmas carols. By the way I am an atheist.
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Rat_bytes



Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 539

PostPosted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 6:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is all just a smokescreen created by Christians who feel that they aren't being persecuted enough any more. Nobody is offended by "merry christmas", nobody gets fired for saying it, and nobody forces people to say "happy holidays". I have never met even one person who's offended by a festival greeting - the only time I hear about it is from Christians who are trying to find persecution in everything else as well. This "perpetual victim" mentality makes me sick.
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The world holds two classes of men - intelligent men without religion, and religious men without intelligence. - Abu’l‐Ala al Ma’arri
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Ram



Joined: 27 Apr 2004
Posts: 1502

PostPosted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rat_bytes wrote:
This is all just a smokescreen created by Christians who feel that they aren't being persecuted enough any more. Nobody is offended by "merry christmas", nobody gets fired for saying it, and nobody forces people to say "happy holidays". I have never met even one person who's offended by a festival greeting - the only time I hear about it is from Christians who are trying to find persecution in everything else as well. This "perpetual victim" mentality makes me sick.

I agree with you. It is pseudo-liberals, "inclusive" minded Westerners who get in a tizzy when they hear Merry Christmas. Non-Christians are not bothered when they hear the words Merry Christmas.
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raghy



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 1043
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ram wrote:
raghy wrote:
It may be true. I have a bitter personal experience. Once I wished 'merry Christmas' to my boss in return to the greeting 'Happy holidays'. It was followed by a small discussion, which I thought was friendly, non- work related and personal; to make a long story short, my increment was denied for that year. (I don't work there anymore).

This is the problem with ideologically driven political correctness. Wishing someone Merry Christmas is normal in a Christian majority country. I am not a Christian but I have no problem when someone wishes me Merry Christmas. I even get invited to Christmas parties, which is lot of fun. Invariably the parties are secular affairs with lot of merry making and some good wine. I even join in singing Christmas carols. By the way I am an atheist.


I had my experience in Canada, near Toronto, Ontario.
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raghy



Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Posts: 1043
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rat_bytes wrote:
This is all just a smokescreen created by Christians who feel that they aren't being persecuted enough any more. Nobody is offended by "merry christmas", nobody gets fired for saying it, and nobody forces people to say "happy holidays". I have never met even one person who's offended by a festival greeting - the only time I hear about it is from Christians who are trying to find persecution in everything else as well. This "perpetual victim" mentality makes me sick.


I was indirectly forced to say 'Happy Holidays'. I stuck to 'Merry Christmas'. You may have not even one person offended by festival greetings - yet. I am not a Christian.My boss was a Christian.
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