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.
"What on earth does that have to do with wishing them a good holiday which they don't believe in."
Possibly because wishing them a good holiday that they know YOU believe in might help them feel like maybe someday listening to you tell them about that holiday? About why it is important to you? Might not work out that way, but it also might. Worth a try.
LoL..
Not true, some Jews are extremely horny.. even the Hasidim..
Nice sentiment, but they already know what it's about, and the ones I am talking about have rejected it.
Might not work out that way, but it also might. Worth a try.
You and I have different views on the proper way to evangelize. Let me ask you if you are making the point that the reason for wishing atheists and Jews and Muslims a Merry Christmas is to set them up for conversion?
"Peace on Earth, good will to men, all that stuff?"
lol. Good Luck using that line. You'd think it might be obvious.
Sometimes I just have to laugh.
Like I said, atheists are NOT the ones slitting throats and blowing up innocent women and children. Atheists know how to live in modern civilized society. The Muzzies and their wacked-out, misogynistic, primitive death-cult are the problem.
Hmmmmmmm...........
Berkeley right... Nobody can parse minutia like a denizen of Berkeley.. except maybe some at UCLA..
Very Sarte'ian of you.. or even Kierkegaard'ian..
Actually only Professor Irwin Cory could best that display of circular logic..
"Marriage is like a bank account. You put it in, you take it out, you lose interest." -- Professor Irwin Cory
Look who's here. I might have to pull my see-thru burkah out the closet.
LOL!
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We're not the ones slamming planes into buildings or putting Christians in prison in the Middle East.
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You are, however, the ones who adhere to the official 'religion' of the greatest mass murdering political ideology in the history of the world: Communism.
Glad I could be of service.
-good times, G.J.P.(Jr.)
I don't think its false. I may be new to FR, but I've spent enough time debating on yahoo message boards (a great waste of time, now that I've discovered there is intelligent life in cyber space here at FR) not to recognize a phony like you. You try to make Islam an ally of Christianity for a racist purpose. It's only a matter of time before you bring out the jewish conspiracy garbage. Face it, you're busted.
You've got my back, kp. love ya!
Just read your profile; count me as one of your fans. I have seen this so many times on Yahoo boards; Islamic defenders who dance all over the real crux of the issue; which is Islam in its current incarnation is the scourge of civilized people worldwide. Period. No apologies.
Just read your profile. I am so glad you are here. God bless you. With your kind permission, I would like to add you to my good guys list.
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