Lord Carey, former Arch Bishop of Canterbury has launched a campaign essentially encouraging Christians to show that they aren't ashamed of being Christians. Personally, most Christians I encounter don't have this problem (often the opposite) so I am left thinking that the sub-text of this campaign is really a protest against perceived secular encroachment on Christian privilege, an entirely different kettle of fish. Some age old canards are being wheeled that support this idea, according to Carey our society is "ashamed of Christmas". I can only conclude that I must be blind, apparently there is a "war on Christmas" and our shared Christian heritage, really, where?
I've never met anyone, ever, who wanted to do anything to Christmas, atheist, secularist, Muslim, Jew or otherwise. I actually quite like Christmas, not because of the Christian significance of it or the consumer frenzy it has turned into, but simply because it's a holiday and I get chance to spend quality time with my children. I honestly couldn't care less what Christians feel about Christmas, so long as they don't teach my children that it's true or claim privilege under our law by blindly asserting that what they believe is somehow special, in that context any religious festivals are just fine with me.
I also enjoy Star Wars films, but I don't have to believe "the force" really exists..
5 comments:
The force DOES exist - heretic!
Burn the heretic!
CB, you're such a stickler for tradition..
Especially here in the UK, where christmas is basically a cultural holiday for everyone. People of a non-christian religious persuasion seem to celebrate something else, in addition to (not rather than) christmas.
In the US, my jewish friends will often explain they are jewish and don't celebrate xmas if someone asks about their xmas plans, for example, which seems odd to me, as most of the jewish people I know in the US are cultural jews, and basically, atheists. I don't know any US muslims, so have no idea if it is the same.
Lisa, if anything needs to be changed then it's probably the name; you can't even call it a "mid-winter festival" since that would be hemisphere biased. Lets face it whatever is celebrated it seems like someone gets their nose put out of joint, some people just need to take a chill pill.
Decemberfest :-)
That would really rile up all those peeps who are smarting that we've taken the "christ" out of christmas.
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