Posted on 12/07/2004 7:28:32 PM PST by naturalman1975
IT was one of those extremely rare moments when I found myself agreeing with John Howard. Asked what he thought of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore's reported plans to make Sydney's Christmas celebrations low-key and generic, the Prime Minister slammed them as "silly", "ridiculous" and "political correctness from central casting".
Out of sensitivity for a multicultural society, Moore was reported to have said she did not want the celebrations "to push any one religious belief".
In fact, Moore had said nothing of the sort. Quite the contrary: the council is increasing its Christmas celebration spending this year by 50per cent. The words were spoken by Jeff Fisher, chief executive of fast-food chain Oporto following news that the chain had banned a nativity display from its franchise in Hornsby in northern Sydney. Media had put the words in the wrong mouth, but Howard's assessment of them remained true.
Every Christmas it seems we go through this farce. Last year, Stonnington Council in Melbourne removed the word Christmas from its celebrations and prevented speakers at a carols night from quoting the Bible. Some kindergartens and daycare centres have stopped having Christmas parties, instead having end-of-year or fairy parties.
All this, it seems, is being done to include Australia's religious and cultural minorities. This is supposed to foster social harmony and tolerance.
But it doesn't. It does exactly the opposite. When Channel Seven's Sunrise recently ran an interactive segment on the issue, a common theme in the responses of viewers legitimately aggrieved by this emasculation of Christmas was anger towards minority groups -- especially Muslims -- who were cast as cultural warriors against the majority.
Muslims may not celebrate Christmas but it is ridiculous to suspect they are behind this absurd trend. Jesus is a revered, prophetic figure in Islam and, accordingly, we are the least likely to be offended by other religious groups celebrating his birth. An anti-Christmas campaign is more consistent with aggressive atheism than any Islamic imperative.
In fact, I know no member of any religious minority, Muslim or otherwise, who asked for or even wants this. In my experience, religious minorities are far more concerned that their right to religious expression is respected and protected. That, surely, is a right belonging no less to the majority than to minorities.
Driving Christmas underground only erodes this treasured Australian norm and that is far more troubling to me than any Christmas celebration. I find the idea of restraining religious expression substantially more offensive than I find any nativity display. The impoverishment of Christmas is done more on behalf of religious minorities than by them.
This is where political correctness loses the plot; what purports to inspire tolerance instead inspires hostility and intolerance. Diverse, vibrant and tolerant societies are created by allowing eclectic cultural and religious expressions, celebrations included, to flourish. You don't achieve that by surrendering a culture, replacing it with bland meaninglessness.
Denying the Christianity in Christmas or, worse, doing away with it altogether helps no one. This is not multiculturalism. It is anti-culturalism.
Waleed Aly, a Melbourne lawyer, is a member of the Islamic Council of Victoria executive.
Sisters of Mercy! My signature song was "MaryAnn" (my real name). I loved Bauhaus, Joy Division, Siouxie and the Banshies. You just brought the early 80's back to me--what a blast. You are right of course--there is a website; I think its called Conservative Punk Rockers or something like that, I googled it once and it was pretty cool. Anyway, it is a myth that all conservatives only listen to country or "classic" rock. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
And most Jews are not real happy about Christmas either..
On the other hand some Jews ARE christians...
This reply may sound like a bad joke, but it's no joke at all. I have several Jewish friends back in my old home town who love Christmas. In the words of one of them, "That's the time of year where we all hold hands 'round the cash register and sing, 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus.'" (His words, not mine!)
Don't lump atheists with Muslims. Muslims are not a "religious minority". Islam is not a religion - it is a crime syndicate. The Founding Fathers would have considered it obscene to respect the "religion" of the Barbary Pirates. The propaganda branch of Islam is evidently trying to con the sheeple into believing that Muslims love Christians (never mind the church bombings around the world). It is no coincidence that the attempts to prevent the celebration of Christmas coincide with the "recognition" of EID, Ramadan, etc. This article is reminiscent of the Nazi (and Muslim) practice of blaming everything on the Jews. Since antisemitism does not play well outside of the ME and Old Europe, a new tactic is being tried.
Atheism does not by itself define a set of moral or political beliefs. There are "atheists" who treat Marx as a god. But there are many American atheists who adhere to the principles on which America was founded. You cannot say the same about the followers of a lying, thieving, murdering pedophile.
Nuconvert, you say "Jesus is revered by Islam." So what is ur point? After all, 50% of Islamic texts were plagiarized from ancient Hebrew, Christian and Zoroastrian texts. So it is not a surprise to see Islam respecting Jesus.
Read a good book. read "Why I am not a Muslim" by Ibn Warraq.
LoL... Now that was funny...
Missed the point though..
Please say you forgot to add the /sarcasm tag to the end of your post.
...but of course.
CHRISTIANS CHARGED WITH ATHEISM.
Why, then, should this be? In our case, who pledge ourselves to do no wickedness, nor to hold these atheistic opinions, you do not examine the charges made against us; but, yielding to unreasoning passion, and to the instigation of evil demons, you punish us without consideration or judgment. For the truth shall be spoken; since of old these evil demons, effecting apparitions of themselves, both defiled women and corrupted boys, and showed such fearful sights to men, that those who did not use their reason in judging of the actions that were done, were struck with terror; and being carried away by fear, and not knowing that these were demons, they called them gods, and gave to each the name which each of the demons chose for himself. (1) And when Socrates endeavoured, by true reason and examination, to bring these things to light, and deliver men from the demons, then the demons themselves, by means of men who rejoiced in iniquity, compassed his death, as an atheist and a profane person, on the charge that "he was introducing new divinities;" and in our case they display a similar activity. For not only among the Greeks did reason (Logos) prevail to condemn these things through Socrates, but also among the Barbarians were they condemned by Reason (or the Word, the Logos) Himself, who took shape, and became man, and was called Jesus Christ; and in obedience to Him, we not only deny that they who did such things as these are gods, (2) but assert that they are wicked and impious demons, (2) whose actions will not bear comparison with those even of men desirous of virtue.
CHAP. VI.--CHARGE OF ATHEISM REFUTED.
Hence are we called atheists. And we confess that we are atheists, so far as gods of this sort are concerned, but not with respect to the most true God, the Father of righteousness and temperance and the other virtues, who is free from all impurity. But both Him, and the Son (who came forth from Him and taught us these things, and the host of the other good angels who follow and are made like to Him), (3) and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and adore, knowing them in reason and truth, and declaring without grudging to every one who wishes to learn, as we have been taught.
Has that really been your experience? I think maybe you are making an assumption that just isn't the case. Most Jews I know either love Christmas, or are neutral about it. In fact, I never met a Jew who had a gripe about Christmas. When I worked at a local hospital, Jews were always happy to work on Christmas so that the Christians could have the day off.
I think he was a troll from DU. Wouldn't answer any questions, just kept hammering about how Islam loves Jesus. Yeah, right.
That be the one! Thank you my friend.
My favorite Joy Divison was "She's Lost Control". I especially enjoyed early 80's punk before punk diverged into either hardcore (Minor Threat, Flipper)and what was then called new romantic or blitz (early Duran Duran, Theatre of Hate). I used to live in Philly and would hang out in clubs and see all these bands.
Lets see... Xmas is about Jesus... Jesus was/is a Jew..
Jews killed Jesus.. deny virgin birth.. deny resurrection..
Actually I'm not sure about all these things myself..
Course you do have religious Jews, and cultural Jews..
even christian Jews, and atheist Jews too.. depends what you call a Jew I guess.. For that matter what a christian is, is quite a question itself..
as is, What is Christimas to be honest..
"So it is not a surprise to see Islam respecting Jesus"
*sigh* THAT is the point. Why should they all hate the day He was born?
It's just like the queer agenda. The biggest backers of the homo agenda aren't homos, they are straight white athiests.
"muzzy"
Do you have a term you use for Jews?
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