Posted on 12/17/2005 4:15:09 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
PRIME Minister John Howard has called for religion to be put back into Christmas.
In an impassioned plea to the nation, Mr Howard said Australians should stop downplaying the importance of Christianity at Christmas time for fear of offending other faiths or non-religious people.
"You don't demonstrate tolerance towards minorities by apologising for your own heritage," the Prime Minister told The Sunday Mail last weekend, speaking before the Sydney race riots.
Mr Howard said he had "contempt" for arguments that the religious aspect of the festive season should be toned down through the removal or banning of Christmas trees and symbols, nativity scenes and concerts.
It was not a sign of tolerance to "bland out" such things, he said.
Mr Howard won backing from Queensland Islamic leaders, who said there were more constructive things to do than "pick on someone else's religion".
The Prime Minister's support for a return to the traditional Christmas comes amid wide debate over the festive season.
Last week, The Sunday Mail revealed a Queensland school principal had apologised to parents for using the word "Christmas" too many times in school newsletters, in a case described as political correctness gone mad.
The parents, who do not celebrate Christmas, complained they were discriminated against by frequent references to it.
Mr Howard said he had been particularly saddened by the removal of Christmas trees and nativity scenes from public places.
"I hope some department stores would have the courage to bring back nativity scenes," he said.
"When I was a kid, you'd go in and see the Christmas tree and Santa Claus, but there'd also be some nativity scenes in department stores.
"They seem to have disappeared in recent years and you have this sort of 'oh, we don't want to offend anybody'.
"Actually, you're offending a lot of people who think it's a great pity they've disappeared."
Mr Howard said he did not believe the majority of the Muslim and Jewish community resented the emphasis on Christmas.
"They respect the fact that it's a Christian day," he said.
"You don't win tolerant brownie points by pretending to be something that you're not.
"I just think it's silly and it's patronising towards minorities and it's offensive to our cultural history."
Islamic Council of Queensland president Abdul Jabal said: "We don't celebrate Christmas but we support others doing so. It's a time of peace and sharing."
He agreed it was not necessary to downplay religious occasions to promote tolerance.
Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane John Bathersby backed the PM's call.
"We are a Christian country," he said. "If minorities are to integrate, they need something to integrate into. I don't think there is any intolerance in saying, 'This is who we are'."
He said the significance of religion had been suppressed.
"In part because of multiculturalism, we have drawn back too far and thought we cannot mention the fact that we are a Christian country. It's influenced our whole sense of freedom."
A spokesman for Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Philip Aspinall, said:
"Dr Aspinall believes tolerance and acknowledgement of cultures is important but that ought not to detract from the celebration of Christmas."
Brisbane Assemblies of God Northside Christian Church senior pastor John Lewis, who ran as a Family First Senate candidate at the last election, backed the PM "100 per cent".
He said his main concern was commercialisation.
"It's not just about parties and holidays and giving gifts. We don't want to lose those things but we do want to see more emphasis on the true meaning."
Wow he's off on a lot of things, but this was right on.
is this a case of temporary sanity??
We need more people to stand up and speak out exactly like this
HA.....In all the Christmas Cards we've received this year there is NOT one that has any religious tone.....but, that's what I'm sending out.....guess we'll be the "weird" ones this year.
this is John Howard, PM of Australia, not Howard Dean, Chairman of the DNC.
I know
Good on ya, mate!
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