Sunday, December 27, 2009



British police drop the word Christmas from poster to avoid upsetting other faiths

We read:
"British Transport Police have dropped the word ‘Christmas’ from a national publicity poster to avoid upsetting people who do not ‘buy into’ the festival.

The word was proposed as part of a slogan on the poster, which is designed to alert people to the extra number of transport police on duty over the festive period. The slogan – devised by an advertising company commissioned by the Transport Police – read ‘Christmas presence’, a pun on the word ‘presents’.

But in a move branded ‘bonkers’ by Christian leaders, the police’s marketing department decided the word Christmas could anger non-believers or people from other faiths who disliked its Christian connotations. Instead of scrapping the poster, however, the department merely swapped ‘Christmas’ for ‘Holiday’, so the slogan now reads ‘Holiday presence’.

Critics said last night that the slogan was meaningless and accused the Transport Police of bowing to political correctness. Nick Baines, the Church of England Bishop of Croydon, said: ‘It is bonkers. To replace “Christmas” with “Holiday” not only makes nonsense of the phrase and the sentiment, it also shows that the advertisers have lost the plot.’

Source

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't know why they take the word Christmas out of the Christmas season ... it doesn't make sense. Like taking Hanuka (sp?) out of the greeting, or Kwanza (does anybody really care about Kwanza anyway?) or any other festivity. Next we won't be able to say Happy Easter, because Easter is Christian. It will be "happy egg day" instead

Anonymous said...

Just as Christmas piggy-backs the pagan winter solstice festivals, so Easter piggy-backs a pagan vernal equinox festival,and even the name relates to the spring goddess Eastre/Eostre. So "Happy Easter" is praising a pagan goddess! So yes maybe it ought to be changed to something more Christian-sounding. Other countries use a name based on the hebrew 'pesach' for the Passover festival when the gospels record Jesus' death and resurrection (interestingly in correspondence with the resurrection of life in Springtime).

Anonymous said...

Yet, I'll be that ALL of those who are "offended" by Christmas continue to patronize stores that have Christmas sales.

Further proof that their actions are self-serving.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:59, the Brits ARE spineless because they have let Islam become as powerful as it has become. When the Brits get THEIR house cleaned up, then they can speak about the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

7:30am - to what are you referring by Brits speaking "about the rest of us"?

Maverick said...

Gee, severl of you ANON's seem so upset that Muslims would be offended by Christian holidays, and so brave to post woth pou you names... Fact is that MOST of the Christian holidays seem to appear in relation to older Celtic holidays. Christmas happens to fall in a Season with many holidays of differant beliefs, but, I bet most of you would get offended if I hung signs out for the Solstice, even though it is a legitimate, and much longer celibrated, holiday. I like how so many "Good" Christians believe in freedom of religion ONLY when it refers to the Christian beliefs. I am tired of you "Good" people calling me bad or unmoral just because I don't follow your teachings. Funny, I usaully suppoert others in their beliefs, even when they do not go with mine (with some few exceptions). I believe in letting people follow their own paths, unlike most of the Churches that would call for my banishment from society. If I am wished a Merry Christmas, I happily accept the wishes for being good wishes. Same would be true for any other holiday greeting, as long as I am being wished good things and not bad. Now I know there are other Non-Christains that are not like this, but you only make yourselves look bad by looking down on anothers beliefs, just because they are not the same as yours. That how War starts... So think about it for a bit and a belated Happy Holiday of your choice and Happy Winter Solstice (my choice)