Jettisoning Jesus

[emad]

Guardian

The Malaysian government wants references to Christ to be removed from carols when it hosts an open house reception this weekend. John Aglionby explains

Thursday December 23, 2004

The tens of thousands of people expected to attend the government's open house reception, which takes place on Saturday in Petaling Jaya, just outside Kuala Lumpur, could be forgiven for wondering why they are there.

OK, so it's Christmas. But what is Christmas all about? Why is there all this festive goodwill?

Any confusion will stem from the fact that the government has "strongly encouraged" the organisers not to include any references to Jesus Christ in the carols (for that, read forbidden - Malaysia is a country in which the police are still very much as tool of the executive and dozens of people are detained without charge). That leaves little more than a few verses of Good King Wenceslas, We Wish You a Merry Christmas and - at a stretch - some of We Three Kings Of Orient Are.

Indeed, it has been made known - in the clearest possible way - that it would be preferable if all references to religion were removed. And it seems, much to the annoyance of many Christians, that the government's Christian co-hosts are allowing themselves to be steamrollered on the issue.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1379270,00.html

[Bono71]

1. Isn't Malaysia Muslim?

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. Last I checked

n/t

[pinerow]

3. I can just imagine Jesus, Mohammed, and the other invisible

cloud beings looking at each other and saying... :wtf:

[saltpoint]

4. Good King Wenceslas had it right.

He acted in good will within a very broad, very general, very gentle cultural context to help another human being, willing to trudge in snow "a good league hence" to bring comfort to another.

Fair enough. If that was what Christianity meant today, I'd be more supportive.

Instead it means what has happened in Kansas, and the other hysterical nitwits who believe the mayor of New York is tyring "to kill Christmas" because he called "their" Christmas tree a "holiday tree." May he rot in hell with a brick up his ass!

I don't care if some people want to whoop it up for Jesus, but I'd appreciate it if they'd stay in their own goddam churches and leave the public schools, the public libraries, and the Constitution alone.

[bpilgrim]

5. yeah, leave in all the parts about shopping and spending

but cut out all the other DISTRACTIONS... makes perfect marketing sense - lol

the christans are starting to bump into the realities of CORPORATISM :evilgrin:

peace

[FreeCajun]

9. And then blame it on "lib'ruls"

Tis the season for a pogrom!

:argh:

[bpilgrim]

10. Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah!

http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/22816/

peace

[quaoar]

6. Why is Malaysia so uptight about Jesus?

In Islam, Jesus is a prophet -- not divine but revered. Extensive passages of the Koran are devoted to him and his teachings.

[Bono71]

7. Maylaysia is uptight about a Christian holiday. n/t

[haele]

8. Depending on the type of Islam they follow -

much of "Christmas" falls under the taboo of worshiping graven images - and making pictures of people can be considered sacrilege - even if it's just on a Christmas card.
As you said above, in Islam, Jesus is considered a prophet; not divine, not to be placed above Abraham, Elijah, and Mohamed, but equal to. To most Christians, Christmas is much like "God's Mass", with the celebration of Jesus as a co-equal (or almost co-equal) divinity to God, Jawah, Allah, whatever you would call it. Far above the other prophets - especially if any Christians will recognize Mohamed as a prophet at all.

I can see why in Muslim Malaysia, there is a problem linking the showing off of images of overt divine reverence to a beloved prophet who also happens to have a holy day to celebrate his life and teachings on the religious calender.

Haele

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Malaysia is actually multi-ethnic and multi-religious

The ethnic Malays are Muslim.

The Chinese are Buddhist/Confucian.

The Indians are Hindu or Muslim.

Then there are various tribes in North Borneo and Sarawak, who may be Muslim or follow traditional tribal religions.

To complicate matters, some of the Chinese and Indians may be Christian, although the Malays are unlikely to be, since there are strong social pressures against Muslims leaving their religion.