A Chrisitan Country?

[Oneeyedvic]

A lot of previous posts have made comment that we are a Christian country and that a lot of the stories in the tabloids say that we are pandering to other religions and it is political correctness gone mad.

Since we are a Christian country, should we hark back to the 60's when ******* was outlawed. Should the gay civil ceremony which starts next month be recinded?

[Oneeyedvic]

the censored item is the word used to describe the act of sex between two men. I should of course at this point (in the interest of political correctness) say lesbian lovemaking as well ;-)

[january_bug]

Lesbian lovemaking was never illegal was it. I thought it was actually the act of anal sex between two men that was illegal, rather than homosexual contact.

But ho hum, beside the point.

I do see what you're saying, and assuming you're own answer to your question is simply "no" - then I quite agree! :-)

[kags]

and what about burning witches? And perhaps we could re-introduce tithes?

[Oneeyedvic]

I guess mypoint is that we are no longer a Christian nation. The Bible expreesly forbids the act of homosexual love making, but we are about to give homosexuals the same rights as husband and wife (albeit not eing named as a marriage).

Since we a re no longer a Christian nation, is it appropriate to hang decorations and have our shopping centres overrun by Christmas?

[january_bug]

I think the winter festival stuff is appropriate, and anyway, much of the Xmas decorations are not religious anyway - i.e., mainly around Santa.

It's nice to have it there, even if it's not that religious. That's not a strong argument I know - but basically, I LIKE Christmas, even though I'm not Christian, and I enjoy celebrating it.

If shopping centres put up decorations for all religious festivals, it would get silly (well, continuous), and if we did it for none it would be sad.

I do entirely see where you're coming from.

re witch burning - What is we got an anti-PCer and tied them up and dunked them in the river - if they escape - they're an anti-PCer and should be shot, if they drown - they're dead! LOL

The anti-PCers could do the same with PCers until there was no-one left!

Hurrah!

[january_bug]

Vic - please may I have some minus stars for my most incoherent posting yet!?! I'm so sorry!

All I meant was this:

• I'm not Christian but I like celebrating Xmas - so keep it!


• "All" would be silly, "nothing" would be sad.


• I agree with what you're saying!

Sorry about the above ramble!!!

[kags]

We now live in a secular society, we have the freedom to choose if we follow a religion, and which one to follow. I personally do not feel that the UK can any longer be described as a Christian country. What bugs me are all the people who are jumping up and down about the Christian heritage of Christmas, when they only think about religion once a year at the school Nativity play. They then use the excuse of Christianity to attack other religious and ethnic groups.

Like january-bug, I enjoy Christmas, not for its religious significance but for the fact that it is a magical time for the children, and if gives us all an opportunity to spend extended time with loved ones. No peoples of other religions that I have ever met are offended by Christmas, this is just nonsense stirred up by the tabloids to get people going. And it works.

[LeMarchand]

I don't think that the church currently condemns homosexual relationships. Besides, it says "an eye for an eye" in the Old Testament, whilst Jesus advocates "turning the other cheek".

We are, at least nominally, a Christian country - even if very few people are practising Christians. If the tabloid stories are true, then it is understandable if people get upset. I'm all for allowing religious freedom, but why should being sympathetic to others mean giving up your own identity? It certainly doesn't appear to be a two-way street.

[andy hughes]

I don't think you can say 'political correctlness gone mad', that should be 'political correctness gone cerebrally challenged!

That aside, the interesting perspecitve about PC is that the emphisis has shifted from the notion of offending people, to 'potentially offedning' people - which is really rather a step too far.

The notion of abandoning the trappings of Christmas 'in case' it offends non-Christians seems to be looking for an argument, where it is quite possible non exists.

This harks back to the days of Mary Whitehouse and her Festival Of Light where a (very) small section of nation were moaning about se on television, and the rest were trying to find out a list of programmes they were watching, because we could never find them!

If something causes offence, it can be addressed and discussed. To band something because it 'might cause offence' is a flawed and seemingly endless way of looking to make a negative impact with no sound basis in reason or experience.

[Hermia]

I can never understand why the people who are worried about potentially offending a particular group don't just phone up a representative of that group and get their opinion. My local council has tried to ban Christmas-related stuff in the past and the local representives of the different religions/ethnic groups always make a statement disagreeing with the ban. We have a Mosque, a Sikh temple and a Hindu temple in the area as well as various groups. Why doesn't Mr Politically Correct just phone up these organisations to find out what they think?

[Calvesy]

As an atheist I think 'Heck, What would Jesus do?' If he had a grave he'd turn in it to hear of all the intolerance and hypocrisy going on in his name. If he were around today he would be standing up for the minorities, the outcast and oppressed and treating them like equal human beings. It is sickening to see 'Christians' take the name of a great teacher in vain. It is strange that homosexuality was not mentioned in the Gospels, maybe too taboo for that time, but Jesus did hang out with lepers, paupers, hookers and tax inspectors so I wouldn't be surprised if he had a few black or gay friends.