Are other faiths really offended by Christmas.

[jimmyb01]

I think that Town Hall leaders and the like do more harm than good by banning Christmas decorations etc because they think it would offend non Christians.

Other faiths, are you offended/

[lazy daisy]

I know a lot of Asian people and weve discussed this. They have all said that they are NOT offended. They dont mind if we call it Christmas either.They are free to celebrate thier festivals and so should we be.

[ll_billym]

Lets face it, most people are non-christians nowadays anyway. Christmas is just a glorified bank holiday for most people and religion doesn't even come into it. How many Santas have you seen this year compared to Jesus'?

That aside I have never heard anyone from any religion say they are offended by Christmas celebrations, I mean, what's offensive about putting up decorations, buying presents and eating too much.

Anyway, has banning decorations actually happened anywhere or is this an urban myth? I know the idea to ban / change the name to "Winter Lights" has been floated in a few places but has anything been put into place?

[Drisgirl]

Jimmy - there is a lot less offended than you think.Sorry to say that this Q has been pounded to near oblivion.

[rogerthomas]

lazy daisy, your Asian friends don't mind if we call it Christmas. Well, that's a relief. we wouldn't want to upset them would we. I will concede that these proposals are not instigated by other religions, but by 'politically correct' loonies who are trying to cause trouble between people of different faiths. I know that these things are not genuine, because every Asian/Moslem/Hindu/Sikh owned corner shop I have ever been in is very happy to sell christmas paraphernalia.

[Oneeyedvic]

Personally, I don't think these proposals are done by PC Looney brigade.

I think they are proposed by racists.

All these proposals do is to instigate a sense of anger towards the ethnic minorities. As said above (and previously) ethnic minorities do not mind this is the slightest.

But if you are racist, what other way is there of uniting people against 'johnny foreigner' than saying to everyone ' they want to take our (religion / festivals / national pride) away.

[jake-the-peg]

Personally I have a suspicion that they are proposed by tight fisted councils looking to save a few quid on Christmas decorations!

[sp1814]

Oneeyedvic

I agree with you on this one. I've lived/worked with/been friends with loads and loads of people who follow non-Christian religions and in all my years, I've never once heard any of them say anything remotely negative about Christmas.

I honestly don't know where these stories come from...actually, I do - The Daily Mail. The bastion of level headed and considered reporting.

[Grunty]

I would not like to contradict sp1814's assessment of the Daily Mail, but they are by no means the only culprits. As an example, some weeks ago I mentioned a ban on children singing 'Baa baa black sheep'. I was shouted down because a similar story had been printed in a tabloid and found to be false. I do however have evidence that it had in fact happened in a different city. The paper had only got the details wrong, not the story.

[jno]

Grunty, that might have been me - the original Baa Baa Black Sheep story (early 1980s, I think) was long ago shown to be a tabloid fabrication. I'm surprised and interested to learn of it really happening. Where and when was it?

[funnywebsite]

I don't think other faiths are offended by Christmas. I know Hindu's who put a Christmas tree up and decorations for their children.

[Chessman]

I work in quiten a large firm, which employs people of all religions, and never once have I heard anyone say they are offended by Christmas, they all seem to join in the spirit of it, and give cards, with religous messages or not, but to go one step further, Jews have been in this country since Oliver Cromwell, and have never said they are offended by our way of life or traditions.

[Grunty]

jno - As 'your' incident was in the 1980s, we may not be talking about the same one. My recollection is that it was much more recent. My computer-based index has had a recent disaster and I am looking for the cutting manually. However, the true incident was at a nursery school in Birmingham; on 12 January 2000, BBC News reported that the ban had been lifted.

[spudqueen]

I was talking to a Hindu only yesterday who was amazed that someone he'd spoken to a couple of days earlier was having a curry on Christmas Day, he said he couldn't imagine going without his Christmas dinner, he looked forward to it every year!

[jno]

thanks Grunty... I wonder if this was a case of someone remembering the earlier story and thinking it was true and therefore should be followed?

[*ALFIE*]

I know a muslim who brought Christmas cards for his english friends/collegues

[indian]

No, I'm not offended. I love christmas. I don't see why christians have to learn about other faiths, but other faiths can't learn about chrismas, as is hsappening in alot of schools I know.

My neice btw who is 3 can't sing baa baa black sheep at her nursery.

[jools4]

i havent had a welcome email yet jools