[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Sign-in]  [Mail]  [Setup]  [Help] 

Status: Not Logged In; Sign In

From Torah to trauma: A Satanic child abuse scandal blows up in Israel

MAGA Influencer Calls to Deploy Palantir on LA Streets

Egypt detains nearly 200 foreigners who flew in to join Gaza march

FLASHBACK - How Mayor Daley dealt with looters!

Scammers Use AI Bots to Impersonate Students, Stealing Millions in Financial Aid

Bilderberg 2025 begins. Global elites gather in Stockholm. AI, migration, and national security dominate

I Wish We All Could Leave California (Beach Boys Parody)

Exclusive: US slams UN conference on Israel-Palestinian issue, warns of consequences

Brilliant & Critical Insight!

Legal Immigrants Shift to GOP on Immigration, Shows 40-Point Swing from Democrats

American fuel tankers were spotted REFUELING ISRAELI JETS over Syria.

Does Western Civilization Have Enough Belief to Continue to Exist?

Trump CLEARLY KNEW of Israel's Plan To STRIKE IRAN

Trump Warns 'Even More Brutal' Attacks Coming Without Nuclear Deal

10 Supplements That Fight Inflammation

CNN Security Analyst Defends Agents Who Removed Senator Padilla From Kristi Noem Presser

Florida sheriff warns rioters: 'We will kill you graveyard dead'

DEMOCRATS' NIGHTMARE: Viral Video Shows Why They LOST The Election!

Israeli strikes on Iran. Five Waves. Might last 2 weeks?

Images Emerge Of Tehran Destruction After Major Israeli 'Preemptive Attack'

This Is What Happens Next After Israel Bombs Iran’s Nuclear Facilities…

Smartmatic accused of deleting evidence in 27 Billion Fox News Defamation Case Court Docs

White House Fears Iranian Response To An Attack Could Overwhelm Israel's Air Defenses

The Money and Power Behind the Riots: This is No Grass-Roots Movement

D.C. Judge Sides With Trump In Lawsuit Over Control Of Corrupt Foreign Aid Agency

Israel Iran Double Standard

Soros Funneled $8.3M into Leftist Group Trying to Turn Lone Star State Blue

California Democrats Under Fire for Buying Bricks During Protests

ICE Launches Campaign to Crack Down on Marriage Fraud Could Ilhan Omar Finally Face Justice?

Joe Rogan's podcast predicted violent LA riots two years ago leaving viewers stunned


Religion
See other Religion Articles

Title: Christmas should be 'downgraded' to help race relations says Labour think tank
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li ... n_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770
Published: Nov 1, 2007
Author: JAMES CHAPMAN
Post Date: 2007-11-01 07:38:25 by freepatriot32
Keywords: christmas, england, labour party
Views: 1344
Comments: 45

Christmas should be downgraded in favour of festivals from other religions to improve race relations, says an explosive report.

Labour's favourite think-tank says that because it would be hard to "expunge" Christmas from the national calendar, 'even-handedness' means public organisations must start giving other religions equal footing.

The leaked findings of its investigation into identity, citizenship and community cohesion also propose:

• "Birth ceremonies", at which state and parents agree to "work in partnership" to bring up children

• Action to "ensure access" for ethnic minorities to "largely white" countryside

• An overhaul of Britain's "imperial" honours system

• Bishops being thrown out of the House of Lords

• An end to "sectarian" religious education

• Flying flags other than the Union Jack.

The report by the Institute for Public Policy Research was commissioned when Nick Pearce, now head of public policy at Downing Street, was its director.

IPPR has shaped many Labour policies, including ID cards, bin taxes and road pricing.

The report robustly defends multiculturalism - the idea that different communities should not be forced to integrate but should be allowed to maintain their own culture and identities.

And it says immigrants should be required to acquire some proficiency in English and other aspects of British culture "if - but only if - the settled population is willing to open up national institutions and practices to newcomers and give a more inclusive cast to national narratives and symbols".

It adds: "Even-handedness dictates that we provide public recognition to minority cultures and traditions.

"If we are going to continue as a nation to mark Christmas - and it would be very hard to expunge it from our national life even if we wanted to - then public organisations should mark other religious festivals too.

"We can no longer define ourselves as a Christian nation, nor an especially religious one in any sense.

"The empire is gone, church attendance is at historically low levels, and the Second World War is inexorably slipping from memory."

The report, written by IPPR advisers Ben Rogers and Rick Muir, calls on Ministers to launch an "urgent and upfront campaign" promoting a "multicultural understanding of Britishness".

"Multiculturalism can be shown to provide for a fairer and more liberal society and does not necessarily lead to social division and community conflict, as its critics have claimed," it says.

Councils must act to "ensure children mix and are able to form friendships with pupils from different backgrounds".

The report adds: "Any liberal state should recast the civic oaths and national ceremonies, or institutions like Parliament and the monarchy, in a more multi-religious or secular form and make religious education less sectarian."

The presence of bishops in the House of Lords, for instance, is condemned as an "anachronism" that should be removed.

The system in which parents are required to register a new baby at a register office is dismissed as "purely bureaucratic".

The occasion should be transformed into a "public rite", using citizenship ceremonies for immigrants as a model, the report says.

"Parents, their friends and family and the state [would] agree to work in partnership to support and bring up their child."

Rural Britain, the report complains, "remains a largely white place".

Much more needs to be done to "ensure access" to the countryside for black and ethnic minority groups, disabled people and children from inner-city areas.

Sayeeda Warsi, the Conservative spokesman on community cohesion, said: "Their comments betray a breathtaking misunderstanding of what it is to be British. These proposals could actually damage cohesion."

She added: "You don't build community cohesion by throwing out our history and denying the fundamental contribution Christianity has played and does play to our nation.

"As a British Muslim I can see that - so why others can't just staggers me."

And she attacked ceremonies to mark the registration of a baby.

"The thought of Gordon Brown sharing responsibility with me for bringing up my children sends a shiver down my spine. I thought we got rid of communism?"

Nativity scene: Christian celebrations in schools could become a thing of the past

National celebration: But could Christmas soon be 'downgraded'? (2 images)

Post Comment   Private Reply   Ignore Thread  


TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest

Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 20.

#1. To: freepatriot32 (#0)

Festivus here we come.

Jethro Tull  posted on  2007-11-01   8:51:45 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#4. To: Jethro Tull (#1)

Mongrels R us.

mon·grel·ize (mnggr-lz, mng-) tr.v. mon·grel·ized, mon·grel·iz·ing, mon·grel·iz·es To make mongrel in race, nature, or character

Cynicom  posted on  2007-11-01   9:21:43 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#6. To: Cynicom (#4)

Egad, here comes the yearly fray over why Christmas symbols and carols get banned from schools and other public places. I think I'll order in Chinese food for T-Day and be done with all that was Americana :)

Signed,
Mr. Internatale

Jethro Tull  posted on  2007-11-01   9:48:51 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#8. To: Jethro Tull, Cynicom (#6)

Who is stopping minority religions from expressing their faith? Who is forcing them to sing Christmas Carols? This is absurdity, except that it is a way to start killing off the religion of the majority, the culture of the majority and the ideals and ethics of the still majority.

What percentage of the population is Muslim? Jewish? Gives a damn?

robin  posted on  2007-11-01   9:56:04 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#12. To: robin (#8)

There is clearly a Christian/American tradition bias. It's more government driven, than religious, IMO.

Jethro Tull  posted on  2007-11-01   10:09:32 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#14. To: Jethro Tull (#12)

I see the govt tearing down Christian morals, not upholding them, and replacing them with half-naked Christmas nymphs dancing 'round a decorated fir tree; calling that imagery a religious symbol credit.

robin  posted on  2007-11-01   10:15:33 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#15. To: robin (#14)

It won't end until all caucasians and Christians are killed off.

If you can't see the endgame, you're already lost.

Johnny Jazz  posted on  2007-11-01   10:51:12 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#16. To: Johnny Jazz (#15)

At this point in time, most Christians are not Caucasians, and Christians are a minority worldwide.

robin  posted on  2007-11-01   11:03:45 ET  (1 image) Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#18. To: robin (#16)

At this point in time, most Christians are not Caucasians

Good point.

To describe the historical guerrilla war as one against Christians leads to lots of confusion.

Tauzero  posted on  2007-11-01   11:14:27 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#20. To: Tauzero, Cynicom (#18)

The Great Commission is color blind.

robin  posted on  2007-11-01   11:30:10 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


Replies to Comment # 20.

#24. To: robin (#20)

I would agree, if I believed.

Tauzero  posted on  2007-11-01 11:43:56 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


End Trace Mode for Comment # 20.

TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest


[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Sign-in]  [Mail]  [Setup]  [Help]