I’ve had it. I’ve finally flipped my lid when it comes to political correctness.
I have spent the last two days in Toronto on business and talk radio here has been rambling on about Judge Marion Cohen’s decision to have a Christmas Tree removed from the courthouse on Jarvis Street.
The judge, who oversees administration at the courthouse, said it’s inappropriate that a Christian symbol is the first thing visitors see when they enter the building.
I have to point out that the Christmas Tree is not a Christian symbol, but a Pagan one from Germany adopted by Christians in the late 1800’s when the Queen of England put one up for her German husband.
I am waiting to see what she makes people swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” on. Is the bible that many of our laws are based on to be banished next Judge Cohen? Or do you just remove the new testament?
Should Judge Cohen ascend to the highest court in the land, would she refuse to allow turbaned RCMP officers to provide security for her court or testify in it? Will she have the word God stricken from our national anthem?
I have just about had it with these politically correct situations that are not giving Canadians Freedom OF Religion but, more aptly, they are giving us Freedom FROM Religion.
Bill Carroll spoke a mouthful when he said it is crap like this that empowers those who say things like “You see? This is what they are doing to our country.”
I have started wishing EVERYone I know or run into a Merry Christmas. This includes my grocer, the Walmart greeters, the postman, police officers, the Tim Horton’s drive through personel and, yes, even judges.
I encourage you to do the same. You will be surprised at how many smiles you get compared to scowls.
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Touche!!!!
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Politically correct? The polls I’ve seen are vastly skewed in favour of keeping x-mass trees in public spaces (over 90%). Wouldn’t that make the Judge’s decision politically incorrect?
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Drew is right – the judge is deviating from social norms. She also obviously didn’t look into the matter before making her ill-advised decision.
I have Jewish friends from Israel who were surprised to find that Jewish people here don’t put up trees or lights, as they did when they lived there. Kind of bummed them out.
I wrote to the papers immediately stating what you have stated, ie, that it wasn’t until Queen Victoria put up a Christmas tree that it caught on. Prior to that, trees were frowned upon by devout Christians who knew they were a pagan symbol.
As for Merry Christimas, I was raised as an atheist but have always celebrated Christmas and wished everyone a ‘Merry Christmas’ to boot. I put up lights and a tree – nice and cheery at the darkest time of year. It’s also fun to give your friends presents.
I am so tired of everybody trying to walk on eggshells and be all things to all people.
I think everyone needs to lighten up, especially in Ontario. There are way too many uptight nannies in this province.
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I’ve had it too with political correct bs. If the logic that is used by this judge is correct, then I am offended by headscarves, turbans, burquas especially. I’m especially offended when the traditions of my country are deemed now to be offensive to new immigrants.
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I have to point out that the Christmas Tree is not a Christian symbol…
Hosea 14:8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
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Guess that it’s about time for us to start protesting about the ‘Evrun’ (?) fish-line thing around major N. A. cities allowing followers of Judaism to consider the whole town to part of their “home” for purposes of unlimited mobility, especially on the sabbath.
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I do not need to describe the disgust I have for this judges position. She is what I believe makes our justice system so open to critism. Short sighted people who have forgotten that they serve the people of Canada.
Next we will probably see a Prime Minister of Canada who holds allegance to France. The question is whaat can we effectively do about all this crap?
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I say we have a Christmas tree/bible burning protest.
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I would contend that this decision demonstrates neither freedom of religion, nor freedom from religion, but rather a State imposition of paganistic and atheistic religious choices, that anything even remotely associated with Christian observances must be purged from public view.
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Nah, atheists don’t mind religious observances at all – especially Christmas things which are fun and cheery.
Don’t blame the atheists, blame the namby-pamby left-headed twits who think people are so fragile that just seeing something that doesn’t conform 100% to their practises, such as a Christmas tree, Menorah, statue of Vishnu or a Buddha will send them into a deep, dark depression from which they will never recover, kind of like a cultural ‘shock and awe’ campaign.
Sounds really ‘multi-cultural’, doesn’t it? It’s patronizing and arrogant behaviour, illustrative of the socialist goal of dull, dreary sameness for all as well as their ingrained hypocrisy.
It’s getting crazy out there.
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“atheists don’t mind religious observances at all”
Well, no. Religious observances and reminders of the same are anathema to atheism. That doesn’t mean that there are no tolerant atheists: indeed, most are. But theism is incompatible with atheism.
And this is state-imposed, intolerant atheism.
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“Religious observances and reminders of the same are anathema to atheism”
No, they aren’t. Atheists don’t have a problem with people believing whatever they like. They just expect the same treatment in return. Religion is, and should be, a personal thing. Otherwise you end up with oppression such as we see in countries where the church (or temple, or mosque) IS the state.
What bothers those who don’t follow a particular religion is the tendency of some to try to force their beliefs on others, not the fact that they hold those beliefs.
As an atheist descended from generations of atheists, I can flatly state that I have no concerns at all about the religious beliefs and observations of others and certainly don’t find the symbols used to be onerous at all. I can also state that the vast majority of those who think as I do feel the same way.
Where I have a problem is with the teaching of any particular religion in the public schools as I find the indoctrination of children distasteful and counterproductive to freedom of thought. I am also opposed to the funding of the Catholic school system from the public purse without like funding going to the religiously oriented institutions of other major religions, such as Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and others.
I put up a Christmas tree and lights, have fun at Hallowe’en and enjoy Easter and Thanksgiving, because I am a Canadian first and foremost and as such, appreciate the values that built this country to which my ancestors came so long ago in order to escape persecution for their beliefs (or lack thereof).
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Once again, please note the difference between an atheist, who may be tolerant towards other religions, and atheism which is completely incompatible with theism of any sort.
Clearly, you are not a practising atheist, or at least not a very strict atheist. And that’s your choice in this society. But that doesn’t mean that atheism suddenly confuses itself with agnosticism.
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Atheists don’t ‘practise’ and they are not ‘strict’. They just don’t believe in gods.
Every atheist I know puts up a Christmas tree, wishes people Merry Christmas, etc. It’s quite widespread and is a nod to a cheery and fun time of year. I see nothing wrong with it.
Clearly, you don’t understand what an atheist is. Atheism is not a religion, although the State of Florida thinks it is.
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I just want to add one more thing.
The reason I mentioned my family’s longstanding tradition of eschewing religion was not to get into a discussion about religion, because I don’t care what people believe.
I brought it up to point out that the Christmas tree, the lights, etc, are not religious symbols so the judge was wrong to have the Christmas tree removed from the courthouse.
I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that half of the people who get trees, put up lights, exchange gifts, send cards, wish people Merry Christmas, etc, are not at all religious.
It’s part of our Canadian culture and has become a secular holiday. This is not to negate the religious aspects of it for those who are of that faith but the tree, the lights, the cards, are not part of that.
The Nativity scenes are religious symbols and I actually used to like those, especially before vandals started stealing the figures or destroying them. There was a church near me on McCaul St in Toronto years ago that had some beautiful old nearly life-sized figures and I hope they still do, even if they don’t put them out on the street anymore.
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Caveat:
Re: item # 15. BINGO! And truly well said.
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Festivus for the Rest of Us!!