Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?

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Updated: 10:22 AM Dec 13, 2005 Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas? It seems political correctness isn't going over too well with Christian churches across America. They're leading a national campaign to bring the word Christmas back in stores. Posted: 10:13 AM Dec 13, 2005 Reporter: Sarah Batista Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?

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It seems political correctness isn't going over too well with Christian churches across America. They're leading a national campaign to bring the word-Christmas-back in stores.

Some of them have taken issue with big retailers pulling the word Christmas from their advertisements. They've even asked members not to shop where their beliefs aren't honored. Some Christians say Happy Holidays doesn't cut it.

"They want Christians money to shop at Christmas, but they want to take Christ out," said Reverend Ron Baity,a Pastor in Lexington,KY.

"Happy holidays sounds like your trying to be overly politically correct and it's Christmas time," said one shopper.

"Coming from a Christian background and upbringing, it's just traditional," said another man.

Wal-Mart for example uses a "Home for the Holidays" theme, although their policy doesn't prohibit the term Merry Christmas. Their employees, however, are allowed to greet customers using whichever phrase they feel fits the customer best.

"I prefer Happy Holidays, that will cover all the upcoming holidays but right now, I'm in the spirit of saying Merry christmas," said Wal-Mart employee Deborah Williams.

"We want to be appropriate to the customer and be sentimental to their needs and their beliefs also," said Wal-Mart Manager Shannon Moon.

Some shoppers agree with Wal-Mart's all inclusive theory.

"Since I don't celebrate christmas among other things, and I know a lot of people who don't and this is a holiday season, I'd like everybody to be wished a Happy Holidays," said shopper Gary Yablick.

But ast the debate rages on, it seems the right or wrong answer all depends on who you ask.

Various surveys estimate the number of Christians in America ranges from 75-95 percent.