Found this posting about trends for Christmas cards in Great Britain, that only one out of every one hundred cards sold actually mention contain any religious artwork or mention of Jesus.
I find it interesting in light of a recent incident here in Chicago, where at the annual German Christkindlemarket, city officials opposed video kiosks showing promos for the movie The Nativity. The official statement was : “Our guidance was that this very prominently placed advertisement would not only be insensitive to the many people of different faiths who come to enjoy the market for its food and unique gifts, but also it would be contrary to acceptable advertising standards suggested to the many festivals holding events on Daley Plaza,” Jim Law, executive director of the office, said in a statement.
I tend to agree with the rep from New Line Cinema who said, “”One would assume that if (people) were to go to Christkindlmarket, they’d know it is about Christmas.” But then again, I also like fois grais, which the city recently banned. I guess I’m just a little out of step in my new home.
Tom, I really enjoyed your most recent podcast. I am a fundamentalist who tends to agree that much of the end times preaching we hear is not fundamental to Christianity, but is actually a tangent. And some of it is downright wrong.
But on this topic, I am surprised to hear you sound just like one of us: a bit put out with radical secularists who are doing their own version of “ethnic cleansing” by expunging references to Christ wherever they can get away with it. If it’s all just a reaction to “pushy” Christians, a desire to tweak our noses and put us in our place, it is interesting to see that they round up the rest of the Christians with us. Even though we are not really all alike, we “all look alike” to them. Racial bigotry is bad; religious bigotry is public policy.
It is quite strange to build bridges to a fallen world, and then be so ambivalent about crossing them. Do we stand in the middle and ask the world to meet us half-way? Do we remain on our own side and remain “pure”? Do we cross to the other side and forget where we came from? I think we can go to and fro freely, but you must keep Christ with you, and not ditch Him every time someone is uncomfortable with Him. But that will piss someone off, and get you called a sellout by the people who never cross the bridge.
I guess I go back to what a Muslim scholar told me once years ago – he would much rather spend time with Christins who are comfortable and open with their faith than those who are ambivalent.
In the case of Great Britain, its ambivlance that has led to several generations disconnected from the Christian faith despite (because?) a state Church.
The Chicago thing, its just silly. Its like showing up to a rib cook off and announcing that you find it offensive because you are a vegan. If its a rib cook off and don’t eat ribs, don’t go.
In the end, you are always going to piss someone off, so if you are going to do it, at least be authentic, be it faith or dining choices.