Terry Christmas Ethical Issues

During my time spent in retail and an office environment, I have observed a common theme that happens at the end of every year. The common saying “Merry Christmas”, has been replaced with the saying “Happy Holidays”. Growing up, as far back as I can remember, the day after Thanksgiving; me and my parents would wake up and put up our Christmas tree, lights, and Christmas decorations. The last decoration that always went up was a sign that lit up and read “Merry Christmas”, that would be put up outside over our front door. It was as if the whole world was on the same page as me and my family, we would go to department stores, and outside you see men dressed up as Santa, ringing bells, and the clerks would say “Merry Christmas,” as you purchased …show more content…
After studying Ethics, and learning about some philosophical positions; it was then I realized that saying a simple phase “Merry Christmas”, was a subconscious ethical decision. Being a person of Christianity faith, saying “Merry Christmas” is more than just celebrating a day where one is showered with gifts from family and friends, but a day in which I celebrate my Creator’s birthday. The work environments that I have been exposed to, have shown me very quickly that not everyone that I encounter is a person that worships the same Christian faith as me, forcing me to say “Happy Holidays”, when checking them out; which is viewed as “doing the right thing…[even] [if] it runs us up against our self-interests;” according to the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (Marino, 300). Kierkegaard believed that everyone had three stages in Life’s way, those being Aesthetic, Ethical, and Religious. Kierkegaard felt that in the Religious stage of one’s life, they must have passionate faith, and be authentic to their faith. Within the Christianity faith it is viewed as it being okay that people do something wrong even though they know what is the right way. By me saying “Happy Holidays” I know that it is wrong against my religion, because I believe in Christmas, but also as a Christian I know that I must “attempt to follow Christ in his self-denial, suffering, and humiliation,” (Marino,300) even if that means denying my Creator to be able to please others that are around me. If I was to follow Kierkegaard’s philosophical position I would say “Merry Christmas” to clients as they checked out, because I would not want to refrain from having a passionate faith, and being authentic to my