Newspapers renew claims about ‘de-Christianisation’ of Christmas
-07/11/05
In another story that makes the claim that ‘Christianity’ is being taken out of Christmas, a number of newspapers have suggested that a dozen towns and villages could lose funding for their Christmas lights “because a council deems them offensive to non-Christians.”
The headlines, carried by amongst others the Sunday Times and Monday’s Daily Telegraph newspapers suggest that a district council in East Anglia will consider a report later this week that states that the annual grants it hands out to 13 towns and villages may not “fit with the council’s core values of equality and diversity”.
It follows suggestions last week in a number newspapers that Lambeth council had deliberately renamed its Christmas lights “Winter Lights” or “Celebrity Lights” to avoid causing offence to other religions.
It later emerged however, that the wording was down to an administrative error by an over-zealous junior official in some local publicity. The council pointed out that the usual Christmas tree would be up in the Town Hall, the usual Christmas carols would be sung and that the lights were still called “Christmas lights” – leaving some newspapers looking rather red faced.
The news however still doesn’t appear to have reached the Sunday Times who continued to report at the weekend, that Lambeth council had officially renamed its lights – and that the move was council policy.
The latest story by the Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph which suggests that another council considers its Christmas lights to be “too Christian for a grant”, also appear to be somewhat exaggerated.
Waveney district council, based in Lowestoft, Suffolk, has distributed £10,000 to rural communities for this year’s lights.
A report by officers to be considered by the executive committee on Thursday proposes that the lights budget should be halved next year and stopped completely in 2007.
The papers imply that the decision is one of political correctness. However, the council points out that whilst the wording of the report addresses how the decision might be seen by others looking in, the decision is actually being made on economic grounds.
Mark Bee, the council leader, who describes himself as ‘a practising Christian’ and attends church regularly, confirmed that the change was being proposed solely on economic grounds.
ìI consider the wording of the document unfortunate and I will be taking it up with the officer on Monday,î said Bee. ìI do not see the reason for this as one of equality and diversity. It is one of economics.”
Newspapers renew claims about ‘de-Christianisation’ of Christmas
-07/11/05
In another story that makes the claim that ‘Christianity’ is being taken out of Christmas, a number of newspapers have suggested that a dozen towns and villages could lose funding for their Christmas lights “because a council deems them offensive to non-Christians.”
The headlines, carried by amongst others the Sunday Times and Monday’s Daily Telegraph newspapers suggest that a district council in East Anglia will consider a report later this week that states that the annual grants it hands out to 13 towns and villages may not “fit with the council’s core values of equality and diversity”.
It follows suggestions last week in a number newspapers that Lambeth council had deliberately renamed its Christmas lights “Winter Lights” or “Celebrity Lights” to avoid causing offence to other religions.
It later emerged however, that the wording was down to an administrative error by an over-zealous junior official in some local publicity. The council pointed out that the usual Christmas tree would be up in the Town Hall, the usual Christmas carols would be sung and that the lights were still called “Christmas lights” – leaving some newspapers looking rather red faced.
The news however still doesn’t appear to have reached the Sunday Times who continued to report at the weekend, that Lambeth council had officially renamed its lights – and that the move was council policy.
The latest story by the Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph which suggests that another council considers its Christmas lights to be “too Christian for a grant”, also appear to be somewhat exaggerated.
Waveney district council, based in Lowestoft, Suffolk, has distributed £10,000 to rural communities for this year’s lights.
A report by officers to be considered by the executive committee on Thursday proposes that the lights budget should be halved next year and stopped completely in 2007.
The papers imply that the decision is one of political correctness. However, the council points out that whilst the wording of the report addresses how the decision might be seen by others looking in, the decision is actually being made on economic grounds.
Mark Bee, the council leader, who describes himself as ‘a practising Christian’ and attends church regularly, confirmed that the change was being proposed solely on economic grounds.
‘I consider the wording of the document unfortunate and I will be taking it up with the officer on Monday,’ said Bee. ‘I do not see the reason for this as one of equality and diversity. It is one of economics.”