Posted on 12/26/2005 1:11:56 PM PST by churchillbuff
The Queen has used her Christmas Day speech to reflect upon a year of tragedy that she said had "brought loss and suffering to so many people".
Her annual message came at the end of a year which was dominated by natural disasters and acts of terrorism.
She said: "This Christmas my thoughts are especially with those everywhere who are grieving the loss of loved ones during what for so many has been such a terrible year."
She first focused on the Asian tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people when it struck on Boxing Day last year.
She then referred to the devastating earthquake in Pakistan and India.
But she praised the "generous humanitarian response" in the wake of the disasters.
She praised humanitarian efforts "People of compassion all over the world responded with immediate practical and financial help," she said.
"There may be an instinct in all of us to help those in distress, but in many cases I believe this has been inspired by religious faith."
The Queen also spoke of the many people whose lives were changed by the London bombings in July.
"I have sometimes thought that humanity seemed to have turned in on itself with wars, civil disturbances and acts of brutal terrorism," she said.
Drawing on the theme of courage and compassion, she thanked all the men and women "calmly serving our country around the world".
"This last year has reminded us that this world is not always an easy or a safe place to live in, but it is the only place we have," she added.
Her speech was recorded at Buckingham Palace and broadcast throughout the Commonwealth.
I thought this was a rock music thread. Rip off!
When oh when will the Brits finally give the entire house of Windsor the axe?
Queen extols the 'unique' power of Christianity
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 16/11/2005)
The Queen opened the Church of England's General Synod yesterday with a ringing endorsement of the "uniqueness" of the Christian faith.
In a speech that reflected her personal beliefs as well as her role as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she contrasted the enduring nature of Christianity with the rapid changes in society.
"For Christians, this pace of change represents an opportunity," she told a packed hall in Church House, Westminster. "When so much is in flux, when limitless amounts of information, much of it ephemeral, are instantly accessible on demand, there is a renewed hunger for that which endures and gives meaning.
"The Christian Church can speak uniquely to that need, for at the heart of our faith stands the conviction that all people, irrespective of race, background or circumstances, can find lasting significance and purpose in the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Don't think that Tony Blair and the Labor leftists wouldn't like to try.
They'd be wrong because 1) the Monarchy is still a defining cultural institution. 2) The queen - whatever the faults of her kids - is a woman who exudes integrity and faith, and gives an example to everyone of commitment and duty. 3) The royals and all their paraphenalia (changing of the guard, etc) are a big tourist attraction
I actually like Liz as a person, but despise her son and those two sons of the SLUT Diana.
The idea for a Christmas Message from the Sovereign to the Commonwealth was originally mooted in 1932 by the founding father of the BBC, Sir John Reith. The idea of the speech was to inaugurate the then Empire Service, which is now known as the BBC World Service.
The first Royal Christmas Message was issued by George V in 1932. The King was originally hesitant about using the relatively untried medium of radio to issue a Christmas Message. However he was reassured by a visit to the BBC in the summer of 1932, and agreed to try out the idea. So in 1932 on Christmas Day, King George V issued a Christmas Message from a small office in Sandringham House to the Empire via "wireless".
George VI continued the Christmas broadcasts. Perhaps his best known was delivered in 1939, in the opening stages of the Second World War, and contained the famous lines starting: "I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year". Edward VIII abdicated before his first Christmas on the Throne, and therefore never issued a Christmas Message.
The tradition has been continued by the present Queen, Elizabeth II. Her first Christmas Message to the Commonwealth took place from the study at Sandringham House at 15:07 GMT on 25 December 1952 and was broadcast to the nation by BBC radio. She has delivered the traditional Message each Christmas ever since with the exception of 1969, and they have been fully televised since 1957. The message is broadcast in the UK at 3pm (15:00 GMT), and broadcast around the Commonwealth. In non-Commonwealth countries the Christmas Message can be heard on BBC radio or television, or can be downloaded at any time after 15:00 GMT on the Royal Family's website or other websites.
Too bad her Royal Nibs didn't mention the biggest tragedy for Britain, WHICH will leave the nation vulnerable to Islamofascists and Internal Liberalsim:
The amalgamation of the Scottish Regiments with regular BritForce.
For much too long Scots have been taken for granted
by Brit Civil Servants. Now they are Roayally Skeeeerewed!
Here is the famous message she gave that year:
By any measure this Millennium year has been an unforgettable one.
Since the turn of the year it has been celebrated and marked in this country and throughout the Commonwealth, and it has been a particular pleasure for me to visit Millennium projects large and small which will be reminders for generations to come of the time when the twenty-first century began.
But as this year draws to a close I would like to reflect more directly and more personally on what lies behind all the celebrations of these past twelve months.
Christmas is the traditional, if not the actual, birthday of a man who was destined to change the course of our history. And today we are celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ was born two thousand years ago; this is the true Millennium anniversary.
The simple facts of Jesus' life give us little clue as to the influence he was to have on the world. As a boy he learnt his father's trade as a carpenter. He then became a preacher, recruiting twelve supporters to help him.
But his ministry only lasted a few years and he himself never wrote anything down. In his early thirties he was arrested, tortured and crucified with two criminals. His death might have been the end of the story, but then came the resurrection and with it the foundation of the Christian faith.
Even in our very material age the impact of Christ's life is all around us. If you want to see an expression of Christian faith you have only to look at our awe-inspiring cathedrals and abbeys, listen to their music, or look at their stained glass windows, their books and their pictures.
But the true measure of Christ's influence is not only in the lives of the saints but also in the good works quietly done by millions of men and women day in and day out throughout the centuries.
Many will have been inspired by Jesus' simple but powerful teaching: love God and love thy neighbour as thyself - in other words, treat others as you would like them to treat you. His great emphasis was to give spirituality a practical purpose.
Whether we believe in God or not, I think most of us have a sense of the spiritual, that recognition of a deeper meaning and purpose in our lives, and I believe that this sense flourishes despite the pressures of our world.
This spirituality can be seen in the teachings of other great faiths. Of course religion can be divisive, but the Bible, the Koran and the sacred texts of the Jews and Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, are all sources of divine inspiration and practical guidance passed down through the generations.
To many of us our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example.
I believe that the Christian message, in the words of a familiar blessing, remains profoundly important to us all:
"Go forth into the world in peace, be of good courage, hold fast that which is good, render to no man evil for evil, strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honour all men."
It is a simple message of compassion... and yet as powerful as ever today, two thousand years after Christ's birth.
I hope this day will be as special for you as it is for me. May I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.
I do too
She has spent a long lifetime doing her duty. When she departs, it will be the end of an era.
Enthronement of the King Formerly Known as Prince Charles will weaken the institution of the British monarchy, perhaps fatally.
If they pass over him, which I think is doubtful unless a very different Prime Minister is in office, I don't see that his sons would be much better.
We don't need a king here, but England is different. Few of the European countries that relinquished their monarchies in the past century or two have managed to govern themselves very effectively.
It would have been nice of her to mention the U.S., England's best ally, especially since Hurricane Katrina practically obliterated the entire southern gulf coast.
4) The Crown plays an integral role in the governmental balance of power.
LOL!
I guess I shouldn't tell you about my Diana collection, my favorite usenet forum (alt.royals) or the tiara in my closet ;)
It disgusts me that there are folks who call themselves "Americans" yet remain lapdogs of the British Empire.
I happened to catch the speech on C-SPAN.
If she was an American public figure, the ACLU would have gotten a
restraining order against such a decidedly religious (and Christian) message.
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