Christianophobia - It's that Time of Year Again!

It's that time of year again when the PC gang and Secularists start to knock on the door of the Church and bang on about the Christmas Season. Should we take the 'Christ' out of Christmas seems to be the ongoing question? I thought this year we had missed out on the furore - but apparently not and the EA recently issued a press release which was kindly forwarded to me. It reads:

“MARGINALISING CHRISTIANITY WOULD BE A TRAGEDY FOR SOCIETY”

Evangelical Alliance response to “Christianophobia” debate

An appeal from MPs against the neglect of Christianity’s rich contribution to British culture and society has been backed by the Evangelical Alliance.

Tory MP Mark Pritchard held a Westminster Hall debate today about “rising Christianophobia” evident in the reluctance of officials, the media and even Royal Mail to mark Christian festivals and traditions.

He said that while the reason given for marginalising Christianity is often to avoid offending people of other faiths, this is a “bogus cover” for the secularist and politically correct agenda.

Alistair Burt MP, who is on the Evangelical Alliance council, quoted the Alliance’s Faith and Nation report’s analysis that while it is doubtful that the majority of Britons have ever been committed Christians, Britain’s cohesiveness as a nation in the past owed much to a public framework of Christianity.

Mr Burt said the Church can survive Christianophobia but that the nation would be much poorer if Britain’s faith heritage is marginalised, adding that the correlation between happiness and religious faith is very strong.

“The church does not need contemporary Britain, but does contemporary Britain need the church? You bet it does,” he said.

Dr R David Muir, Public Policy Director at the Evangelical Alliance, was at the debate.

“Freedom of speech, respect, justice and compassion have been woven into the fabric of British society through the influence of Christianity,” he said.

“The Church will continue to promote these rights and support the poor and marginalised, even if our rights are not respected – but we believe this would be a tragedy and the whole of society would be poorer as a result.”

Cohesion minister Parmjit Dhanda called for greater tolerance, adding that Christianity had played a significant role in community cohesion and education.

Ends

I mean, how can you possibly take Christ out of Christmas?

And what's next... MI5 sitting in on Carol Services... all Cribs confiscated... Oranges censored... Tea Towels collected and burnt on bonfires. Ben Elton will soon have sufficient information for his next novel... a piece of satire called ******mas Cheer. As for me I'm off in search of sanity.

Long live Christmas, that's what I say... what about you?

Someone sent me this news story on the same theme:

'Put Christ back into Christmas' Last Updated: Monday, 10 December 2007, 05:56 GMT
The head of Britain's equality watchdog has urged the country to ignore "politically correct" critics and put Christ at the centre of Christmas festivities.

Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has joined non-Christian community leaders to head off what his organisation says is the growing sense that to celebrate the birth of Jesus is taboo.

In recent years a number of school nativity plays have been banned or altered to change their Christian meaning so as not to offend some minorities.

Mr Phillips, who is to give a speech at a conference on diversity in London, will say: "A lot of these stories about Christmas are the usual silly season stuff.

"But I can't help feeling there's sometimes an underlying agenda to use this great holiday to fuel community tension.

"That's why I asked leaders in different religious communities to join me in saying: It's time to stop being daft about Christmas. It's fine to celebrate and it's fine for Christ to be the star of the show."

Speaking about Muslim, Hindu and Jewish festivals, he will go on to say: "The logic is baffling: to welcome Eid and Diwali and Hanukkah in celebration of our glorious diversity, whilst brushing Christmas under the carpet as an embarrassing episode in our mono-cultural past."

Anil Bhanot, the Hindu Council UK's general secretary who has joined forces with Mr Phillips, said: "Hindus celebrate Christmas too. It's a great holiday for everyone living in Britain. We would like Christians to continue to carry Jesus' message of love. Barring the faiths of others does not fit in with the Hindu religion."

While Dr Indarjit Singh, director of the Network of Sikh Organisations UK said: "Every year I am asked, 'do I object to the celebration of Christmas?' It's an absurd question.

"As ever, my family and I will send out our Christmas cards to our Christian friends and others. In the spirit of Christmas, we in the Singh family will, as usual, force ourselves to have extra turkey, Christmas pudding and mince pies, the lot - all in the cause of inter-faith harmony. No one can say Sikhs don't go the extra mile."