Posted on 11/06/2001 8:02:15 AM PST by marshmallow
LONDON, Nov 5, 01 (CWNews.com) - Residents of Luton, England, will not be able to celebrate Christmas this year. Instead, the town's official ceremonies will be re-branded "Luminos," a word taken from the wildly popular line of Harry Potter books.
In it's attempts to be all-inclusive, the town on the outskirts of London has been accused of "politically correct paranoia" by both Christian and Muslim groups. Iain Bainbridge, a spokesman for the Christian Institute, described the approach as a "ridiculous overreaction."
"It is not so much an agenda of sensitivity to other faiths as a secular agenda," he told The Times. "In areas where you have large numbers of a certain ethnic group it is quite normal for specifically religious celebrations to be accepted."
He continued, "It is political correctness gone mad. In a country with a strong Christian heritage and a predominantly Christian constitution it is crazy not to have this manifest at Christmas. We are renowned as a country of religious tolerance but it now appears as if the Christian faith is respected the least."
Akhbar Dad Khan, the former general secretary of Luton's Islamic Cultural Society and an interfaith spokesman for the Islamic community, said the Christian complaint was entirely understandable. "All people from all faiths recognize and appreciate each other," he said. "We do live in a predominantly Christian society and people from other faiths have accepted that. Each faith has its own characteristics and the celebration of any particular faith would not offend anyone else. We are all grown up."
Luton is the latest British town to come under fire for changing the name of Christmas. Glasgow's festivities have been renamed "Shine On" and, more recently "Winter Festival." Birmingham has used the term "Winterval" and Sheffield no longer has Christmas illuminations but has changed to "city lights."
More likely . . . it's a Muslim working in his cave in Whateverstan !!!
Does witchcraft actually have power? If so, what is its source? Does the Harry Potter series’ presentation of witchcraft make it any more acceptable just because it is packaged as “children’s fantasy literature”?
Best-selling authors Robert S. McGee and Caryl Matrisciana answer these questions and draw parallels between Harry Potter and true witchcraft as practiced today with actual footage of witches, their rituals, spells and interviews. Viewers will discover similarities with Harry Potter and witchcraft in mother goddess, meditation, black magic, curses and spells, divination and sorcery, occult symbology, evolution and reincarnation, demon possession, seasonal/nature celebrations, communing with the dead and spirit world, “dark” aspects of witchcraft and more.
Young readers today, more than any other time in history, have an abundance of occult resources easily available to them. Get information on how you can protect your family from access to occult infiltration on the internet. Learn how to answer difficult questions and clearly explain the symbols in the Harry Potter series to your children, grandchildren and concerned friends.
O271V – Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged - $22
http://www.jhm.org/catalog/featured.cfm
I like that Festivus pole idea. My wife just bought a pair of very sexy leather pants, and we were both talking about installing a poll in the bedroom so she can do a "Bada Bing" dance on it while we blast the theme from the Sopranos.
Anyone know where I can get a cheap Festivus pole?
Perhaps not but the original title of: "Christmas Canceled In English Town" read a little different than:
"City in England Cancels Christmas in Favor of Potter Holiday"
Luminos is from the Latin luminosis [I'm no Latin scholar, I did a search on Google.com], meaning bright - which as my faulty memory recalls is how it is used in the Potter series. But it goes back a lot further than it's use in Harry Potter.
The Harry Potter books have sold over 100 million copies in 40 languages around the world. These books are nothing more than witchcraft manuals for an innocent generation of children.
Satan is trying desperately to penetrate the very souls of our children. Are we going to sit back and allow this to happen under the pretense of, “my child is finally reading”, or “Disney has witches, it’s the same thing”? NO, it is not the same thing! Harry Potter is a “chosen” witch, who practices witchcraft, and is the “hero” of these novels. If you are allowing your child to read Harry Potter, you are opening the door to allow Satan to enter into your child’s life.
Pastor Hagee conducts in-depth interviews with occult expert Caryl Matrisciana and author Dr. Robert McGee, exposing the dangers of Harry Potter and how it makes witchcraft more acceptable. It will inform and shock you.
O275A – 2 Audio Tapes - $15
http://www.jhm.org/catalog/description.cfm?pn=O275A%20
Luminos is from the Latin luminosis [I'm no Latin scholar, I did a search on Google.com], meaning bright - which as my faulty memory recalls is how it is used in the Potter series. But it goes back a lot further than it's use in Harry Potter.I did notice the title change, which I wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Though I might have put it in a parenthetical to clearly indicate it was my editorial.) Certainly, however, the article does make that connection. Anway, what does the luminos celebration go back to? What are its origins?
patent +AMDG
patent
http://www.luton.gov.uk/
WITCHCRAFT is pagan.
Tony
Somewhere in Hell, Oliver Cromwell is chuckling.
Bonfires and other festive or religious illuminations are widely observed winter solstice customs. They are natural human responses to the dark, cold season, and very possibly derive from sun cults relying on magic to persuade the sinking winter sun to return.
What is "true witchcraft"? Did the actual footage of these "witches" show them flying on brooms? Maybe we need to start burning these witches...
Have yourself a very merry Luminos
BY SAM LISTER
LUTON council was accused of “politically correct paranoia” by Christian and Muslim groups yesterday after removing Christmas references from its seasonal festival to broaden its cultural appeal. The council, which has rebranded its Christmas lights ceremony Luminos, a word from the Harry Potter books, became the latest local authority to be criticised for destroying Christmas traditions.
Luton, which has 20,000 Muslims, was the focus of unrest last week after two residents were killed fighting for the Taleban in Afghanistan.
While the council claims its festive season, including a Diwali lantern festival and Punjabi dancers, is more inclusive, religious groups argued that it was turning an important religious occasion into nothing more than a secular winter festival. Christian organisations, backed by other faith groups, called on councils not to strip Christmas of its religious significance in their quest to be all things to all faiths.
Other councils across the country have also played down references to Christmas in recent years to broaden the seasonal appeal. Birmingham once named it the Winterval festival, to public outcry.
Councils such as Glasgow run a “winter festival” and others such as Sheffield refer to “city lights” rather than Christmas illuminations. Most councils opt for secular symbols for the lights such as circles, flowers and abstract patterns.
Iain Bainbridge, a spokesman for the Christian Institute, described the approach as a “ridiculous overreaction”.
“It is not so much an agenda of sensitivity to other faiths as a secular agenda,” he said. “In areas where you have large numbers of a certain ethnic group it is quite normal for specifically religious celebrations to be accepted.
“It is political correctness gone mad. In a country with a strong Christian heritage and a predominantly Christian constitution it is crazy not to have this manifest at Christmas.
“We are renowned as a country of religious tolerance but it now appears as if the Christian faith is respected the least.”
Akhbar Dad Khan, the former general secretary of Luton’s Islamic Cultural Society and an interfaith spokesman for the Islamic community, said the Christian complaint was entirely understandable.
“All people from all faiths recognise and appreciate each other,” he said. “We do live in a predominantly Christian society and people from other faiths have accepted that. Each faith has its own characteristics and the celebration of any particular faith would not offend anyone else. We are all grown up.”
Bill McKenzie, the leader of Luton Borough Council, defended the initiative yesterday after a local radio station was inundated with angry calls.
“Luminos is the designation for the whole event but there is no reason why people can’t call them Christmas lights if they want,” he said. “We are having a really good multicultural festival.”
In Luton town centre yesterday residents expressed their irritation at the way the council had removed the reference to Christmas. “It’s madness not calling the lights the Christmas lights,” one shopper said. “It’s the little children who love the lights. Don’t the council realise that kids don’t want it know as Luminos — what’s that all about?” In Glasgow, where the Christmas festivities have been renamed “Shine On” and then the “Winter Festival” in recent years, a council spokeswoman defended the change. “We are very aware as a community of other faiths and traditions, which is why we have adopted a generic name. We are making a conscious effort to include everyone. Even the Christmas cards we now send out all say ‘Seasonal Greetings’ rather than ‘Happy Christmas’ so that we don’t offend.”
I have no earthly or other-earthly idea. The reference used in the Potter books is for a "spell" to cast light in a darkened room, area, etc. I don't recall any Potter holiday of that name.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.