The War on Christmas has begun. The first salvo fired in Britain.

[rpannier]

I'm so devastated. I wanted to fire the first shot.

(Headline) Archbishop: Ministers' PC Christmas cards 'erode Christianity'

Britain's first black Archbishop has attacked Government Ministers for sending non-Christian Christmas cards for fear of offending other religions.

Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said the "illiberal atheists" were aiding the "systematic erosion" of Christianity in public life.

snip

"This systematic erosion is subtle, with minor changes which drip by drip erode centuries of Christian heritage and identity.

(and this is the best)

...the change to the asking for a "first name" instead of a "Christian name", the slow chipping away at the foundational heritage that gave birth to those values we all share."

(this guy is a first rate nut. IMO)

link:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=415894&in_page_id=1770

[DRoseDARs]

1. Sooo, every non-Christian culture that uses multiple names to identify individuals...

...stole the idea from Christianity? Moran. :eyes:

[rpannier]

3. My favorite part of the article...

is when he's whining about Plymouth abandoning it's longstanding tradition of free parking on Sundays.

[Raine]

2. Here we go, they're off and running

ya always know when the Holiday Season has officially started cause it begins with the whining about the "war" on Christmas.:eyes: :nopity:

[rpannier]

7. Isn't it nice we're outsourcing more than job?

I mean, now we're outsourcing irrational hysteria, paranoia and phony persecution.

[NMMNG]

9. The funny part is,

they probably don't realize how many people have started a "war on Christmas" because of these freaks. They get so tired of listening to their whining that they actually do things just to cheese them off. For example, in previous years when I got stamps around the holiday season I either took whatever they gave me or got the generic holiday themed ones. This year I specifically requested the EID Greetings stamps (the ones that the Fundies were rending their clothes over) so that any time a fundie sees one of them on something I mail they'll get bent out of shape. :evilgrin:

[ebdarcy]

23. You know, you're right.

I'm an atheist, but I celebrate Christmas. It's an important holiday in my family. But it's important for the family part, and not the Christian part. Actually, even though my family is Christian, that part of the holiday was never stressed. It was more about family than anything else.

Anyway, I love Christmas. I sing all the carols and look at the nativity scenes and put an angel on top of the tree. And if people wish me Merry Christmas, I respond in kind. But this year, when a non family member wishes me Merry Christmas, I'm going to respond Happy Holidays, just on the off chance I get a fundie. Seriously, this is just getting ridiculous. And I kind of feel like I'm being childish, but enough is enough. I'm not trying to turn them into immoral, baby-eating atheists, so I wish they would stop whining about this crap.

[NMMNG]

27. Same here

I'm saying "Happy Holidays" to anybody I don't know. If they respond with an uppity "It's MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" I'll remind them, "There are several holidays this season, and it's very selfish to assume that yours is the only one that should be acknowledged." Then I'll turn on my heel and walk away with my nose in the air. :rofl:

[Raine]

26. Yes that's true with me too

I make sure to get stamps that are non religious and I try to make a point of saying Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. It's the same with Christmas cards I try to get cards that don't say Merry Christmas. I don't have a thing against Christmas, I'm a Lutheran but I'm also contrary and don't like the brow beating from the RW fundie nut cases.x(

[NMMNG]

28. Although I'm an Atheist I have nothing against Christmas

And until this whole faux "War against Christmas" I would have had nothing against saying "Merry Christmas" to anybody. But now they've cheesed me off with all of their whining and demands for everyone to acknowledge only their holiday so I'm purposely avoiding doing so.

[AIJ Alom]

4. Yes. The glory of Christmas with all it's pagan symbols. Nevermind

Jesus was born in July and it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Get the Christmas tree ready and the mistletoe. Oh and don't forget to shop until you drop, because nothing says Christmas more than credit card debt for things that people really don't need or will stop using in several months. Yeah. Times like this, I'm glad I'm a Muslim.

[TheBaldyMan]

5. Thats one Archbishop that's off my Solstice Card List

illiberal atheists ! WTF

[NMMNG]

6. Life is so tragic

when you're constantly chasing the delusion that you're being persecuted. :eyes:

[Skittles]

11. there are so many problems in this world

yet they feel the need to make up problems - I'm sick of all of them

[NMMNG]

15. Me too

Face it, life is full of changes. If you can't accept that it is you with the problem--not everybody else.

[CJCRANE]

8. Um

most of the so-called "Christian names" are originally Jewish anyway. It makes much more sense to say "first name".

[rpannier]

10. You Sir

are the reason why there will be no more Christmas in ten years!

Just ask shill o'lielly. I'm sure he'll tell you that.

[Skittles]

12. O'Reilly (R - Falafel)

he can f*** himself

[DRoseDARs]

16. John = Jewish, Sentamu = Ugandan, neither is a purely "Christian" name n/t

[sakabatou]

13. The white coats are comming! The white coats are comming!

[malaise]

14. The sonner all organized religions are eroded

the better for humanity.

By the way Sentamu, I don't share your values.

[Selatius]

17. What is so Christian about believing in a book written by maniacs?

I can believe Jesus was a radical Jewish rabbi who was crucified for challenging authority and the wealthy, but I find I have to suspend reason if I want to accept the notion that Jesus rose from the dead or that he was the product of immaculate conception.

Those notions strike me as absolutely insane.

[Nikki Stone1]

24. One technicality: "Immaculate Conception" refers to the birth of Mary, not of Jesus

The doctrine of Immaculate Conception asserts that Mary was conceived without sin. This doesn't mean her parents didn't have sex, it simply means that she was free of sin from the womb. The birth of Jesus used to be referred to as the Incarnation, since Jesus was God/Logos that had to become human. That's a different doctrine.

[intaglio]

18. Oh the "Daily Mail"

Are you sure that the story is this years? They run the same one very year (yawwwwwn)

[yellowcanine]

19. As long as someone takes out the fat little elf in the red suit it will be worth it.

He broke into my house last year, left a bunch of cheap crappy toys, and got soot all over the carpet.

[LeftishBrit]

20. Archbishop Sentamu said some other things too...

This from the 'Independent':

'The Americans are breaking international law... it is a society heading towards Animal Farm' - Archbishop Sentamu on Guantanamo
By Ian Herbert and Ben Russell
Published: 18 February 2006
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has launched a passionate attack on President George Bush, saying his administration's refusal to close the notorious Guantanamo Bay camp reflected "a society that is heading towards George Orwell's Animal Farm".

Dr Sentamu, the Church of England's second in command, urged the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) to take legal action against the US - through the US courts or the International Court of Justice at The Hague - should it fail to respond to a report, by five UN inspectors, advising that Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay should be shut immediately because prisoners there are being tortured.




(It is interesting, but typical, that the 'Daily Mail' only quotes the bit that supports their own right-wing agenda.)


ETA: On checking, I find that this actually was said a few months ago - in February. Still doesn't change the point that most British church leaders are strongly opposed to Bush's immoral policies, and that the Daily Mail is far more preoccupied with the more trivial "War on Christmas" stuff.

[Nikki Stone1]

25. Thanks for this additional info. It's nice to know that the bishop opposes Bush's immoral policies

It'a also important to point out that Christianity does have a history of social justice and questioning government. It's not all about the "war on Christmas". Losing Christianity would certainly mean losing some of its meaner qualities, but there are some good things--including Jesus' own questioning of the power structure in his day--that need to be preserved. If the church had cleansed itself of its evil elements, I don't think people would simply shrug at them now when they complain that they are not getting their due. Many of us believe, despite the very good and moral things Christianity has, that the church doesn't deserve the respect it thinks it does.

[POAS]

21. The REAL war on Christmas

is being waged by some "so-called" Christians.

The ones that revile the poor as lazy rather than feed even one.
The ones that preach hate rather than love.
The ones that preach war rather than peace.
The ones that wear Christ on their sleeves but not in their hearts.

[hashibabba]

22. Good ones, POAS. Too much preaching and judging

others and not enough practicing love.