Christmas is offensive...apparently
Discussion
My sister-in-law & brother-in-law live in a £300K house in leafy Warwickshire, having moved up there after making £200K on their house in a pretty shabby area of London.
They're both white, teachers, traditionally Labour supporters (particularly my brother-in-law) and are also parent governors at a local school, which has a pupil population of 200.
The area where they live is classic white, middle-class Conservative England (oh, the irony). Also, I can honestly say that I've never seen a black person in the town they live in.
Anyway, of the 200 pupils at the school where they're governors, there are less than 20 of a different ethnic group. At a meeting in December, it was decided by the governors that instead of having the usual "Christmas Fair" on 17th Dec, it would be renamed a "Winter Fair" as the word "Christmas" could be considered offensive by those whose families aren't originally of Christian origin.
My sister-in-law & brother-in-law voted for this change and, in a mildly-heated debate with us over the holidays, suggested that anyone who didn't agree with them was racist.
Rather than escalate it further, I bit my tongue and made no mention of my opinion that it's all well & good expressing socialistic views from a £300K house in Warwickshire. (As Lou said to Andy "rise above it!")
I've deliberately waited over a week to post this just to see if it would peter out of my head, but it hasn't. Surely I'm not the only one to think this is madness?
(Sorry in advance if this winds any of you up.)
They're both white, teachers, traditionally Labour supporters (particularly my brother-in-law) and are also parent governors at a local school, which has a pupil population of 200.
The area where they live is classic white, middle-class Conservative England (oh, the irony). Also, I can honestly say that I've never seen a black person in the town they live in.
Anyway, of the 200 pupils at the school where they're governors, there are less than 20 of a different ethnic group. At a meeting in December, it was decided by the governors that instead of having the usual "Christmas Fair" on 17th Dec, it would be renamed a "Winter Fair" as the word "Christmas" could be considered offensive by those whose families aren't originally of Christian origin.
My sister-in-law & brother-in-law voted for this change and, in a mildly-heated debate with us over the holidays, suggested that anyone who didn't agree with them was racist.
Rather than escalate it further, I bit my tongue and made no mention of my opinion that it's all well & good expressing socialistic views from a £300K house in Warwickshire. (As Lou said to Andy "rise above it!")
I've deliberately waited over a week to post this just to see if it would peter out of my head, but it hasn't. Surely I'm not the only one to think this is madness?
(Sorry in advance if this winds any of you up.)
Champagne socialism, makes me sick.
That's the problem with this country, too many PC bleeding hearts that are afraid of offending anyone. This kind of thing really gets my goat, it should be a case of 'integrate or emigrate'. If you come to this country and don't like Christmas, tough tits, go somewhere else instead.
That's the problem with this country, too many PC bleeding hearts that are afraid of offending anyone. This kind of thing really gets my goat, it should be a case of 'integrate or emigrate'. If you come to this country and don't like Christmas, tough tits, go somewhere else instead.
IvIark said:
If the goalposts keep moving on what is considered racist, then a whole new generation of racists is going to be born.
Based on the criteria your brother-in-law adopts, I'm racist, and proud to be.
Well said that man. That'll make me a racist as well. And just as proud.
Oli.
Racist? Twaddle. There's plenty of people around the world of different races that are Christian these days and as such would celebrate Christmas.
Would your SIL and BIL be offended if they moved to a different country and the local schools celebrated events pertaining to a different religion? I think not. Berks.
Would your SIL and BIL be offended if they moved to a different country and the local schools celebrated events pertaining to a different religion? I think not. Berks.
Why don't we just ban religion as to be a member of one faith is to exclude others. This is the biggest Christian celebration and supposed do-gooders see fit to massively disrespect it. I'm not religious but I can respect the views and beliefs of others enough not to meddle with them or tell them that they can no longer celebrate them.
So should we ban Hannakah as is it offensive to non-Jews? Doesn't sound so acceptable the other way round does it, Mr Lentil?
Whatever you call it, the "holiday" occurs when it does because of Christianity (or pagans depending on your view). What's the point of putting this multicultural cladding in front of the Church when every other faith is permitted its own celebrations?
So should we ban Hannakah as is it offensive to non-Jews? Doesn't sound so acceptable the other way round does it, Mr Lentil?
Whatever you call it, the "holiday" occurs when it does because of Christianity (or pagans depending on your view). What's the point of putting this multicultural cladding in front of the Church when every other faith is permitted its own celebrations?
As Si said, you can't go through your life and not be offended by anything.
Religion offends me, therefore I want all Mosques, Churches, Sinagogues and anything else that connotates a religious statement destroyed.
By the same token then, aren't I entitled to this outrageous opinion?
Religion offends me, therefore I want all Mosques, Churches, Sinagogues and anything else that connotates a religious statement destroyed.
By the same token then, aren't I entitled to this outrageous opinion?
I would have severed all family ties over this issue. Only by ostracising these sick people will they begin to realise it is them who are wrong and seek help. This issue has nothing to do with race at all it is to do with religion and frankly as an atheist I dont care what the festival is called. It is clearly a seasonal festival anyway to brighten up a dark and depressing time of year. If Christ existed he was a frigging arab anyway not the golden haired hippie character as portrayed in so many western images. For school governors to consider the nations official religion offensive is indeed extreemy odd behaviour. I think they should be sectionned and put under observation.
SiH said:
Champagne socialism, makes me sick.
That's the problem with this country, too many PC bleeding hearts that are afraid of offending anyone. This kind of thing really gets my goat, it should be a case of 'integrate or emigrate'. If you come to this country and don't like Christmas, tough tits, go somewhere else instead.
absa
lootly SpaceCowboy said:
My sister-in-law & brother-in-law live in a £300K house in leafy Warwickshire, having moved up there after making £200K on their house in a pretty shabby area of London.
They're both white, teachers, traditionally Labour supporters (particularly my brother-in-law) and are also parent governors at a local school, which has a pupil population of 200.
The area where they live is classic white, middle-class Conservative England (oh, the irony). Also, I can honestly say that I've never seen a black person in the town they live in.
Anyway, of the 200 pupils at the school where they're governors, there are less than 20 of a different ethnic group. At a meeting in December, it was decided by the governors that instead of having the usual "Christmas Fair" on 17th Dec, it would be renamed a "Winter Fair" as the word "Christmas" could be considered offensive by those whose families aren't originally of Christian origin.
My sister-in-law & brother-in-law voted for this change and, in a mildly-heated debate with us over the holidays, suggested that anyone who didn't agree with them was racist.
Rather than escalate it further, I bit my tongue and made no mention of my opinion that it's all well & good expressing socialistic views from a £300K house in Warwickshire. (As Lou said to Andy "rise above it!")
I've deliberately waited over a week to post this just to see if it would peter out of my head, but it hasn't. Surely I'm not the only one to think this is madness?
(Sorry in advance if this winds any of you up.)
That just about sums it up. I have yet to come across any non-Christian ethnic minorities that are offended by Christmas. (If there are any please show yourseleves). I have however, come across many non-Christian ethnic minorities that are deeply offended that white people like those above are making these type of statements and taking these actions. All it is doing is stirring up animosity and racial hatred.
pp
I may have to leave this thread actually - this stuff gets me really stressed. I could rant for hours about these patronising gits (sorry).
"Oh hello sonny, you like like a minority to me. It must be very upsetting for you to see everyone having fun and I can only assume that you won't be able to cope or enter into the spirit of things, seeing as you're not from these parts. How about I cancel Christmas?"
"But I'm from Romford missus and I love Christmas"
"Hush hush, I know best. You minority types must be looked after. So what would you like from Father Festive Holiday this year?"
"Oh hello sonny, you like like a minority to me. It must be very upsetting for you to see everyone having fun and I can only assume that you won't be able to cope or enter into the spirit of things, seeing as you're not from these parts. How about I cancel Christmas?"
"But I'm from Romford missus and I love Christmas"
"Hush hush, I know best. You minority types must be looked after. So what would you like from Father Festive Holiday this year?"
zcacogp said:
If the goalposts keep moving on what is considered racist, then a whole new generation of racists is going to be born.
Based on the criteria your brother-in-law adopts, I'm racist, and proud to be.
Well said that man. That'll make me a racist as well. And just as proud.
Oli.
I'm Spartacus.........let's ban Diwali (Divali) then and Chinese new year celebrations too......and the easter bunny FFS.......what about Morris dancers aswell
is this England?.....you could have fooled me
"CHRISTMAS!" .......go on arrest me for racially bigotted propaganda
SiH said:
This kind of thing really gets my goat, it should be a case of 'integrate or emigrate'. If you come to this country and don't like Christmas, tough tits, go somewhere else instead.
I have still yet to hear from any of my Muslim, Hindu, Sikh or Jewish friends and colleagues, anyone claiming they don't like Xmas. Common concensus is that they don't celebrate it - end of story. The majority of people in this country don't celebrate christmas for the religious significance either.
The worse thing I heared was that a muslim teacher friend of mine had opted out of taking and active part in the school nativity play because she felt a conflict against her own religion. The same way that the majority of (white British) teachers in her school didn't support a activities concerning Eid when 60% of the pupils are Muslim.
Frightens me that people like that are allowed to teach. Did they really say it was potentially "racist"?? Last time I looked you could find ancient Christian communities in Ethiopia, Egpyt, Israel, Greece, Turkey. I also seem to remember a couple of blokes who were involved in civil rights movements where Christians and black ... Desmond Tutu and Martin Luther King.
This would be a problem:
"We're white, you aren't, it's Xmas and you're not invited to the party"
If the school really thinks the only way it can avoid sending that message is to pretend that Xmas isn't going on by giving it a new and stupid name, then they'd do their pupils a favour if they all bundled into a rusting Volvo estate and buggered off.
This would be a problem:
"We're white, you aren't, it's Xmas and you're not invited to the party"
If the school really thinks the only way it can avoid sending that message is to pretend that Xmas isn't going on by giving it a new and stupid name, then they'd do their pupils a favour if they all bundled into a rusting Volvo estate and buggered off.
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