Have you ever gotten a card or seen a profile with a political or religious message?

What about f. e. a painting showing a battle that took place in 16th century and the painting itself is by a famous artist from the sender’s country? Do you consider it political or is it rather a piece of art? I do sometimes send cards showing Polish kings or famous battles - reproductions of paintings that I buy at the museum. Do you mean it may be consider political?

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No, I see it as art, of course, and I am much more likely to like this kind of postcards. :wink:
I was thinking of postcards showing weapons, cannons and likes to celebrate a military victory, with little artistic value, if any.

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I would say, Jami, that here in Canada people typically don’t walk around talking enthusiastically about their religion and blessing each other. Like you, I find these sentiments so strange. Perhaps it’s because we live in such a multicultural country. I would never assume someone’s religious beliefs or practices here. So, I would certainly never do so to someone from somewhere else.

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I think, though, what we are talking about here are the people who clearly haven’t done their best and are saying offensive things without apology. Sure, if someone obviously didn’t intend to be confrontational, that’s one thing. But if someone is working hard to convert you, that’s another.

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Sometime what’s offensive isn’t always clear. For example a simple “Ni Hao” can be misinterpreted as racist especially if it’s written to Chinese postcrossers

Regarding the conversion matter or spreading religious & politcal idea, I think Postcrossing has made it clear it isn’t allowed and team would take care of such incidents seriously

I was just a little bit shocked because even a good “God bless” can make some of us feels uncomfortable. But of course we’re all not the same. I got some Jesus Bless you closing message and eventhough I’m not Christian, I still feel happy. Eventhough I assume such blessing has less religious intention. It just some people grew up like normally using the phrase

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What? :scream: It means “hello” in Chinese, doesn’t it? How is it racist if you write someone in their mother tongue? I have received some "ahoj"s and I can’t see how it could be racist towards me?? If someone wrote me in their language that I don’t speak, that would be very rude. But in my language?

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Yes it is. Actually I hope this sentiment doesn’t happen in postcrossing :laughing: (because it happens more irl) . It’s part of political correctness matter if I’m not wrong based on misunderstanding. Like if person A looks Asian and person B greets person A with ni hao, and then actually person A doesn’t speak Chinese because he grew up in USA. Eventhough maybe the person B held no ill intention

I have some unsure moment too about same “Ni Hao” problem. Like should I use it to Hong Kongers? I’m afraid they’ll be offended because I choose to greet them in mandarin instead of cantonese

That’s why I personally try to take every messages written to me (especially if it covers sensitive topic like politics and religion) positively, and I hope the same to the recipient of my cards. Although I’ve never written religious blessings in any single card so far

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Yes. Some things might not be overtly offensive. However, some things definitely are aggressive and are said knowingly. The first is not a problem for me but people going out of their way to argumentative or offensive is terrible.

But people list the languages they speak so, of course, you would only write a greeting in a language they understood. I’m not sure how this is a real problem.

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I see, thank you :blush: It never occured to me that someone would assume one’s nationality because of their looks. That is kind of rude and racist, I agree. I would understand if he is in a very homogenous area (so everyone looking different is most probably a foreigner) that people may think he is a foreigner. I knew a guy from Costa Rica who was native but looked totally European. He always laughed that people tend to speak English to him because they think be is a tourist. But yes, assuming narionality is a totally different level. Luckily in Poscrossing we know what languages every person speaks so I don’t think this kind of missunderstanding would happen!

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They often speak both (Cantonese & Mandarin) there. And since the political tensions happened there not so long ago. I’ll never know to “which” side they lean more to (and in the end just write hello in English). Of course I think in general I assume it won’t be very offensive but who knows

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I think if someone speaks two languages but would be offended if someone communicated to them in one of them, that’s on them to specify. I don’t think someone trying to give a greeting in a person’s own language would be doing so maliciously.

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Echoing this post: it has been mentioned in avoiding cultural faux pas that ni hao, even to Han Chinese speakers, is not always appropriate as the use of pronoun ni is impolite when speaking/writing to someone older or in a higher position in a hierarchy

I’m guessing that it might come from the fact that “ni hao” is usually translated as simply “hello” and many people would not be aware that “ni”=“you”.

I agree, adressing someone older with 2nd person singular pronoun can be perceived as impolite. I would be annoyed bordering on slightly offended (depending on the situation) if a stranger addressed me like that in person when speaking in Polish. In Postcrossing however, for me, this is part of the culture and we all address each other with you.

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I have twice received Messages about receiving my postcard with a very unpleasant political text. It was very unpleasant and even insulting.

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Welcome to the forum, @Lenucy! Please translate your message to English, as English is the common language for all sections of the forum. The only exception is the Language and Geographical section where each country may use its own language. :wink:

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I have received two cards from Jehova’s witnesses, it felt like they were sending the cards only for missionary causes to guide the reciever to their website.

And not so long ago I recieved two really strange hand-made cards with political statements from a person who apparently had opened multiple accounts which all got closed. Other German users got the same card. I somehow felt deceived to get even two…

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In case anyone wants to know, the respectful version is “Nin hao.”

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Oh yes! I got something like that too. The person even mentioned in the card that he is off to a protest after writing my card.

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I used to have a note on my profile for CN and TW members to write to me in mandarin if they want.

One time, a CN member sent me both an official card and letter. In her letter, she told me to remove my note because TW is part of CN and should be labelled as a country. I wasn’t angry but I did feel slightly annoyed that she sent me a political note. If she wasn’t happy that TW is listed as a country, she should go to creator of postcrossing or quit postcrossing.

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