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If I may clarify something that a few posters are expressing and which also exists in wider society...
There is a perception that on the one hand we are purging a lot of the Christian-themed stuff out of society ("holiday celebrations" instead of "Christmas parties", "festive trees" instead of "Christmas trees") in the name of openness, neutrality and secularism, but on the other hand we're being asked to open our minds to, and even make a bit more room for, other religious practices and traditions.
Now, I totally realize that even with this trend, Christianity and its traits and traditions are way more the cultural norm here than any other religion is. And will remain so for quite some time.
But there is a bit of a contradiction that most of us can see, as (in most of Canada at least ) we do not appear to be going for strict secularism affecting all religions equally, but rather a de-Christianization of sorts, in order to make space for other beliefs. (I hesitate to use the word "replacement" since it's a very loaded term. And I actually personally don't think that's what is going on.)
Still, there are tinges of a double standard whereby "Christianity is bad, needs to be out of our faces and out of anything official as much as possible" on the one hand, and on the other "we need to open our minds to religions X, Y and Z, if we're to be good people and most critically, not racist", without much thought to how some of these X, Y and Zs have some real doozies in terms of beliefs and practices.
If I may clarify something that a few posters are expressing and which also exists in wider society...
There is a perception that on the one hand we are purging a lot of the Christian-themed stuff out of society ("holiday celebrations" instead of "Christmas parties", "festive trees" instead of "Christmas trees") in the name of openness, neutrality and secularism, but on the other hand we're being asked to open our minds to, and even make a bit more room for, other religious practices and traditions.
Now, I totally realize that even with this trend, Christianity and its traits and traditions are way more the cultural norm here than any other religion is. And will remain so for quite some time.
But there is a bit of a contradiction that most of us can see, as (in most of Canada at least ) we do not appear to be going for strict secularism affecting all religions equally, but rather a de-Christianization of sorts, in order to make space for other beliefs. (I hesitate to use the word "replacement" since it's a very loaded term. And I actually personally don't think that's what is going on.)
Still, there are tinges of a double standard whereby "Christianity is bad, needs to be out of our faces and out of anything official as much as possible" on the one hand, and on the other "we need to open our minds to religions X, Y and Z, if we're to be good people and most critically, not racist", without much thought to how some of these X, Y and Zs have some real doozies in terms of beliefs and practices.
If I may:
Christianity is bad, in 2019.
Islam and Sikhism are good.
It's as simple as that.
That seems to be the message emanating from some circles, anyway.
I'm more inclined to think that the message emanating from some circles is "keep your T-shirts and tattoos with silly religious sayings on them to yourself, do not be confronting the public with them because nobody wants to see that and keep your nose out of other people's religious business".
I'm more inclined to think that the message emanating from some circles is "keep your T-shirts and tattoos with silly religious sayings on them to yourself, not confronting the public with them and keep your nose out of other people's religious business".
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Why would a tattoo or a t-shirt expressing ones faith be any more offensive than a turban or a hijab?
Why would a tattoo or a t-shirt expressing ones faith be any more offensive than a turban or a hijab?
UL, it's not about anyone's ink job or the clothing that might be offensive, it's not about anyone's cultural clothing or jewellery, or their baseball hat or turban or scarf, it's the words that are expressed either in printing or vocally that can be offensive.
When someone displays or speaks the message to me "Jesus is the reason for the season" they could just as easily be saying "Shiva is the reason for the season" or "Great Thunderbird is the reason for the season" and I will be equally offended and become angry by either one of those statements because I know they are not true statements, they are lies. If that person wants to believe that lie then that's fine by me, they can believe whatever makes them happy, but I want them to keep it to themselves and not confront me with their lies because when they confront me with their lies it means they are trying to corrupt me to their own way of thinking.
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UL, it's not about anyone's ink job or the clothing that might be offensive, it's not about anyone's cultural clothing or jewellery, or their baseball hat or turban or scarf, it's the words that are expressed either in printing or vocally that can be offensive.
When someone displays or speaks the message to me "Jesus is the reason for the season" they could just as easily be saying "Shiva is the reason for the season" or "Great Thunderbird is the reason for the season" and I will be equally offended and become angry by either one of those statements because I know they are not true statements, they are lies. If that person wants to believe that lie then that's fine by me, they can believe whatever makes them happy, but I want them to keep it to themselves and not confront me with their lies because when they confront me with their lies it means they are trying to corrupt me to their own way of thinking.
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Yeah but again how is expressing that with words on a t shirt any more offensive than some one letting you know they believe Allah created the world and created you? Religious clothing are also symbols that are meant to convey a message, its no different really.
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) we do not appear to be going for strict secularism affecting all religions equally, but rather a de-Christianization of sorts, in order to make space for other beliefs. (I hesitate to use the word "replacement" since it's a very loaded term. And I actually personally don't think that's what is going on.)
