I had an odd conversation today. I was talking to someone who I generally consider very intelligent. We were talking about Christmas carols. She's also Jewish. She said that Silent Night and O Come All Ye Faithful weren't religious songs. I said, "Huh?" She said that they're not songs about Jesus, they're just songs about Christmas. I said "Huh?" again. Finally, I asked her to sing the songs. She sang, "Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright, la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace." And "O come all ye faithful, la la la la la la, o come ye, o come ye, la la la la" I may never stop rolling my eyes at this.

I can almost see the Silent Night thing the way she's singing it...but what faithful, exactly, does she think are being referred to, if not religious?

@@ yes, religious. Now I can see finding them pretty and enjoying them without regard to the one being adored. I'm not big on religion but I enjoy listening to the Chrismas music and singing along, loudly even.

but what faithful, exactly, does she think are being referred to, if not religious?

Weeding out adulterers?

Yeah, I have no idea.

Weeding out adulterers?

O Come, All Ye Faithful, Herman Cain not welcome, O Come Ye O Come Ye (but only with your spouse).

Until you get to "born the king of angels," "Oh Come All Thee Faithful" could be a song to encourage Bethlehem tourism. Once you get to "Round yon virgin, mother and child" it's hard to escape the Christianity.

Some people go through the world being remarkably oblivious.

Now, if you sing them in German and Latin (respectively) they totally don't count as religious, unless you count pedantry as a religion.

unless you count pedantry as a religion.

We're Buffistas, we do.

We're Buffistas, we do.

comma splice t /bait-taking pedant

Well played.