It seems to be only in the 'sophisticated' West that people regard belief in God as an embarrassing social solecism – tolerated in people from other cultures and religions but seen as an under-the-counter commodity in home-grown Christians.
Literally.
The latest eccentricity is the Christmas stamps. Apparently there are two sets of designs: one featuring more or less grotesque pantomime figures, and one featuring the Madonna and child – the Virgin Mary and her son, Jesus Christ.
One set is offered for sale by post office and shop staff. The other is kept under the counter and only produced (if the outlet stocks it at all) on request. Guess which one is the poor relation? Yup, you got it: the one featuring the child whose arrival into the world is the whole point of the Christmas celebration.
The irony is, of course, that you have to know about the 'alternative' stamps in order to request them. Why are they not offered openly for sale, along with the pantomime crowd? Because 'there is no demand'!
I live in an area which is richly multicultural, multiethnic, multilingual, multi-accepting, and I love the local shopkeepers for their happy display of Hindu icons, Christian images, Muslim symbols, and cards for every festival – Eid, Diwali, Christmas, Rosh Hashanah ….
Our neighbours from the East don't have a problem with belief in God. They don't find it embarrassing to admit to their own beliefs and they don't expect Westerners to apologise because some of them are Christian.
They accept that not everyone has the same beliefs but on the whole our neighbours seem relieved to find that we're Christian – that we believe in a God beyond our own human limitations – rather than atheist. Especially our neighbours from Eastern countries find secularism cold, alien and self-seeking.
The UK government, on national and local levels, is – rightly – careful not to offend anyone of any religion.
Except, it seems, Christians.
No one apologises for Eid being a Muslim feast, or insists that Diwali be devoid of lights and images in case the worship of Hindu gods offends people who don't accept them as divine.
So why does Christmas have to be sanitised and desanctified, stripped of every connotation and hint of Jesus, just in case it offends someone to be reminded that Christmas commemorates the birth of Christ?
We don't believe in an under-the-counter God but one who claimed to be the light of the world, making himself freely available to anyone overwhelmed by this dark and inhuman world.
Christmas is coming.
Shine on, Jesus Christ.
Literally.
The latest eccentricity is the Christmas stamps. Apparently there are two sets of designs: one featuring more or less grotesque pantomime figures, and one featuring the Madonna and child – the Virgin Mary and her son, Jesus Christ.
One set is offered for sale by post office and shop staff. The other is kept under the counter and only produced (if the outlet stocks it at all) on request. Guess which one is the poor relation? Yup, you got it: the one featuring the child whose arrival into the world is the whole point of the Christmas celebration.
The irony is, of course, that you have to know about the 'alternative' stamps in order to request them. Why are they not offered openly for sale, along with the pantomime crowd? Because 'there is no demand'!
I live in an area which is richly multicultural, multiethnic, multilingual, multi-accepting, and I love the local shopkeepers for their happy display of Hindu icons, Christian images, Muslim symbols, and cards for every festival – Eid, Diwali, Christmas, Rosh Hashanah ….
Our neighbours from the East don't have a problem with belief in God. They don't find it embarrassing to admit to their own beliefs and they don't expect Westerners to apologise because some of them are Christian.
They accept that not everyone has the same beliefs but on the whole our neighbours seem relieved to find that we're Christian – that we believe in a God beyond our own human limitations – rather than atheist. Especially our neighbours from Eastern countries find secularism cold, alien and self-seeking.
The UK government, on national and local levels, is – rightly – careful not to offend anyone of any religion.
Except, it seems, Christians.
No one apologises for Eid being a Muslim feast, or insists that Diwali be devoid of lights and images in case the worship of Hindu gods offends people who don't accept them as divine.
So why does Christmas have to be sanitised and desanctified, stripped of every connotation and hint of Jesus, just in case it offends someone to be reminded that Christmas commemorates the birth of Christ?
We don't believe in an under-the-counter God but one who claimed to be the light of the world, making himself freely available to anyone overwhelmed by this dark and inhuman world.
Christmas is coming.
Shine on, Jesus Christ.
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