View Full Version : Merry WinterLight-Festival! No Limits on PC madness?
WinterLight festival... (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1082493/Christmas-No-Oxford-dumps-traditional-themes-favour-WinterLight-festival.html)
There will be something missing from Oxford's Christmas lights display this year - any mention of Christmas.
(...)
Organisers say the new two-month WinterLight festival will include events marking the Hindu Diwali and Jewish Hannukah festivals as well as Christmas. It also coincides with the start of International Year of Astronomy 2009.
(...)
Sabir Hussain Mirza, chairman of the Muslim Council of Oxford, said: 'I'm really upset. Christians, Muslims and other religions all look forward to Christmas.'
Rabbi Eli Bracknell of the Jewish Educational Centre said: ' Anything that waters down traditional culture and Christianity is not positive for the British identity. WinterLight includes all festivals but it also conceals them.'
Reverend James Grote, of the John Bunyan Baptist Church, said: 'People are not offended by hearing each other's faiths.'
But Ed Turner, deputy leader of Oxford council, said: 'We are not Christmas killers. There's no desire to downgrade its importance or prominence - there's still going to be a Christmas tree.'
My opinion?
--> :wall:
This is getting absurd. Beyond comprehension. Really.
gaelic cowboy
11-03-2008, 16:07
In all fairness they still have a tree and they still will have some themes based on christmas there just adding in a couple a more and changing the name from christmas lights to winterlights. I thinks it's a good idea christmas starts earlier every bloody year. To be honest it probably a case of looking for offence where none was taken.
Ah, news from England :yes:
Sweden, common you can do it :balloon2:
:laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4:
:inquisitive:
:dizzy2:
:shame:
Hooahguy
11-03-2008, 16:15
what? thats.... disgraceful!
christmas has its place in british society as a christian holiday. keep it that way!
its horrible for this to happen! PC is ruining the best of our cultures!
what? thats.... disgraceful!
christmas has its place in british society as a christian holiday. keep it that way!
its horrible for this to happen! PC is ruining the best of our cultures!
You're kidding, right?
It's not that it's that dramatic, I just think it's absurd.
Like I said: beyond comprehension. Of course, it's not the end of the world, but I really cannot see the necessity of not mentioning Christimas and re-naming the whole event into "WinterLight Festival".
Please, can someone explain this to me? Why "WinterLight Festival" instead of "Christmas"?
Hooahguy
11-03-2008, 16:32
kidding in the sense that its a really horrible thing, yes, but not in the fact that PC has gone waaaaay overboard.
Louis VI the Fat
11-03-2008, 16:37
You're kidding, right?
It's not that it's that dramatic, I just think it's absurd.
Like I said: beyond comprehension. Of course, it's not the end of the world, but I really cannot see the necessity of not mentioning Christimas and re-naming the whole event into "WinterLight Festival".
Please, can someone explain this to me? Why "WinterLight Festival" instead of "Christmas"?Why should 'Winterlight Festival' be named 'Christmas'?
I say let the Christians celebrate Christmas in their Palestine homeland instead of imposing their immigrant values on us Celts and Germanics.
Please, can someone explain this to me? Why "WinterLight Festival" instead of "Christmas"?
Dear god I have been trying to explain it since forever.
LittleGrizzly
11-03-2008, 16:47
Why should 'Winterlight Festival' be named 'Christmas'?
I say let the Christians celebrate Christmas in their Palestine homeland instead of imposing their immigrant values on us Celts and Germanics.
too true, wasn't christmas some pagan holiday first anyway, which got replaced with the christian one ?
Oxford is just looking ahead to the atheist future and renaming the holiday to suit....
Not that i really care either way to be honest, it doesn't make a bloody bit of difference what some town council calls it, why not just call it xmas though ?
Infact why the need to call it anything ? it is obvious the lights are being put up for the christmas period...
Why should 'Winterlight Festival' be named 'Christmas'?
I say let the Christians celebrate Christmas in their Palestine homeland instead of imposing their immigrant values on us Celts and Germanics.
Why should 'Winterlight Festival' be named 'Christmas'?
I say let the Christians celebrate Christmas in their Palestine homeland instead of imposing their immigrant values on us Celts and Germanics.
too true, wasn't christmas some pagan holiday first anyway, which got replaced with the christian one ?
Oxford is just looking ahead to the atheist future and renaming the holiday to suit....
Not that i really care either way to be honest, it doesn't make a bloody bit of difference what some town council calls it, why not just call it xmas though ?
Infact why the need to call it anything ? it is obvious the lights are being put up for the christmas period...
No Christmas WinterLight-festival presents for you guys :smash:
If it doesn't matter how the event is called, then why bothering to rename it into "WinterLight-festival"?
too true, wasn't christmas some pagan holiday first anyway, which got replaced with the christian one ?
last I checked Christmas was all about shopping...so I think it has come full circle a long time ago :laugh4:
Banquo's Ghost
11-03-2008, 17:05
The Outrage Over Winterval-PCness just gets earlier every year. :no:
I mean I can understand not saying Merry Christmas to a Muslim or a Jew or Hindu and saying, Season's Greetings instead. Yet, this seems a little ridiculous. By "protecting" everyone from the traditions of the majority, traditions which may contain religious connotations, they don't actually protect at all. All they do is patronise, and create inequality. PC has it's uses, this is not one of them. Creating rules does not address problems, it entrenches them.
LittleGrizzly
11-03-2008, 17:40
The Outrage Over Winterval-PCness just gets earlier every year.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
now that you mention it, its like christmas adverts, by the time im an old man they will start in january...
last I checked Christmas was all about shopping...
How about merry capitalism instead then, only the communists will be offended, thats never too much of a problem anyway...
If it doesn't matter how the event is called, then why bothering to rename it into "WinterLight-festival"?
why give it a name at all ? just put the lights up and people can call groundhog day light-festival for all i care, unless theres a nessecary reason to name the lights or the general period...
why give it a name at all ? just put the lights up and people can call groundhog day light-festival for all i care, unless theres a nessecary reason to name the lights or the general period...
Ok, so in fact, it doesn't matter how the event is called.
It has always been called "Christmas", but nobody really cares about the name anyway?
Then why did Mister Ed Turner, deputy leader of Oxford, bother to put energy in this exercise of futility?
If politicians occupy themselves with such nonsense, I propose that we calculate the cost of making and executing this decision and take that amount of his next paycheque(s), just to make clear that you don't get elected into an office to spend your time with complete and utter nonsense.
Because, frankly, I don't care either how the event is called, but what gets on my nerves is the absurdity that politicians waste time on such matters.
Don't they have anything better to do?
Hence my outcry, my scream for someone able to explain to me why such decisions are being made.
That's all.
Or is it too much to ask a politician to show some "common sense"?
Am I the one being absurd here, you know, by asking that deputy leaders should occupy themselves with useful things?
Rhyfelwyr
11-03-2008, 17:57
Christmas is a Popish festival and needs to be banned anyway. :clown:
Hooahguy
11-03-2008, 18:00
Ok, so in fact, it doesn't matter how the event is called.
It has always been called "Christmas", but nobody really cares about the name anyway?
Then why did Mister Ed Turner, deputy leader of Oxford, bother to put energy in this exercise of futility?
If politicians occupy themselves with such nonsense, I propose that we calculate the cost of making and executing this decision and take that amount of his next paycheque(s), just to make clear that you don't get elected into an office to spend your time with complete and utter nonsense.
Because, frankly, I don't care either how the event is called, but what gets on my nerves is the absurdity that politicians waste time on such matters.
Don't they have anything better to do?
Hence my outcry, my scream for someone able to explain to me why such decisions are being made.
That's all.
Or is it too much to ask a politician to show some "common sense"?
Am I the one being absurd here, you know, by asking that deputy leaders should occupy themselves with useful things?
if it wasnt for these politicians we'd have nothing to laugh at them for.
HoreTore
11-03-2008, 18:02
Sweden, common you can do it :balloon2:
Not likely, the swedish word for christmas isn't related to christianity or any religion at all ~;)
We're still pagans you know.
atheotes
11-03-2008, 18:06
Ok, so in fact, it doesn't matter how the event is called.
It has always been called "Christmas", but nobody really cares about the name anyway?
Then why did Mister Ed Turner, deputy leader of Oxford, bother to put energy in this exercise of futility?
If politicians occupy themselves with such nonsense, I propose that we calculate the cost of making and executing this decision and take that amount of his next paycheque(s), just to make clear that you don't get elected into an office to spend your time with complete and utter nonsense.
Because, frankly, I don't care either how the event is called, but what gets on my nerves is the absurdity that politicians waste time on such matters.
Don't they have anything better to do?
Hence my outcry, my scream for someone able to explain to me why such decisions are being made.
That's all.
Or is it too much to ask a politician to show some "common sense"?
Am I the one being absurd here, you know, by asking that deputy leaders should occupy themselves with useful things?
Agree with you.... an exercise in wasting time and money :wall:
OT: What is the consensus on the reasons for christmas anyway? why is it celebrated the day it is? pardon my ignorance... i am not christian and have a heard differing reasons...:sweatdrop:
HoreTore
11-03-2008, 18:16
OT: What is the consensus on the reasons for christmas anyway? why is it celebrated the day it is? pardon my ignorance... i am not christian and have a heard differing reasons...:sweatdrop:
It's so people can spend all their money before the end of the year.
LittleGrizzly
11-03-2008, 18:18
Basically christmas celebrates the birth of christ, or that is what its evolved into over the years...
Andres in that case i can agree with you, there is absolutley no point rebranding the holiday, a waste of time and money, though there is maybe a case to be made against religious spending by councils (outright christian symbols rather than tree and pretty lights...)
Strike For The South
11-03-2008, 18:27
Im glad I live in West Texas. :smash:
"Organisers say the new two-month WinterLight festival will include events marking the Hindu Diwali and Jewish Hannukah festivals as well as Christmas"
Just to play advocate. If this festival is a creation of the civic council then surely it should include something of value for everyone (except, it seems, Muslims) living within the city? Christmas has, I suspect, not been cancelled. Merely that in the council's civic events calender it has been incorporated into a larger more diverse time of celebration and of festival. The article is hardly big on details. I would also question the veracity of the source considering that the Mail frequently runs similar stories which turn out to be at best stretching the truth and at worst actual misinformation.
atheotes
11-03-2008, 19:28
It's so people can spend all their money before the end of the year.
thats harsh... i think so too :yes: but sometime i also realise that it is not all about the shopping....
Basically christmas celebrates the birth of christ, or that is what its evolved into over the years...
well...thats what i have been told... but there seem to be different opinions on the time of the year christ was supposed to have been born... i am more curious abt the date it is celebrated and how it came to pass...but i guess this way off topic...
Andres in that case i can agree with you, there is absolutley no point rebranding the holiday, a waste of time and money, though there is maybe a case to be made against religious spending by councils (outright christian symbols rather than tree and pretty lights...)
hmm... i cant deny that these festivals bring along some joy and a sense of happiness ... so i wouldnt stop all spending..may be just put a cap on it i guess....but we would soon have all religions clamoring for similar treatment...so i guess am just confused :juggle2:
Lord Winter
11-03-2008, 19:52
OT: What is the consensus on the reasons for christmas anyway? why is it celebrated the day it is? pardon my ignorance... i am not christian and have a heard differing reasons...:sweatdrop:
I've heard it's in december so it could compete with the pagan holidays around the shortest day of the year, way back.
Well, I cannot imagine celebrating christmas in the caribic or somewhere where the sun is shinging and yes, the lack of snow in recent years didn't quite help the atmosphere.
That said, celebrating something is uhm, well, celebrating means eating a lot and coming together doesn't it? :sweatdrop:
Now it is of course not surprising for me that they changed the name, it is England after all and sadly they have been acting pretty weird lately, in a political sense. Just my opinion of course but I do not see why I shouldn't celebrate Christamas with people from other religions if they want to and i wouldn't be offended if a muslim invited me to celebrate the ramadan with him or so, I might say no because of the fasting involved but I never complained about the city setting up ramadan tents on a big square either, I simply do not see the problem, why should anyone be offended?
I could just as well write a letter to Ed Turner and tell him that reading the name Ed Turner on the internet was very offensive to me and that I lost a lot of sleep since that shocking event and that I consider suing him. :dizzy2:
Incongruous
11-04-2008, 00:13
Pathetic, and meanwhile all across England councils are giving their constituents the short end of the stick, just pathetic.
What needs to happen is for all councils to be lined up against a wall and egged to stink!
Louis VI the Fat
11-04-2008, 01:12
Well, I cannot imagine celebrating christmas in the caribic or somewhere where the sun is shinging and yes, the lack of snow in recent years didn't quite help the atmosphere.Are you suggesting we stick Christmas where the sun doesn't shine? :inquisitive:
LittleGrizzly
11-04-2008, 02:52
hmm... i cant deny that these festivals bring along some joy and a sense of happiness ... so i wouldnt stop all spending..may be just put a cap on it i guess....but we would soon have all religions clamoring for similar treatment...so i guess am just confused
Well im happy for the spending, though it does seem slightly unfair, if the council are simply saying these decorations are for the winterlight festival which celebrates (insert events and christmas) then thats just a nice way of celebrating christmas and including everyone.... if that is whats happening it seems like a fairly good idea..
Im not sure how much attention to pay to this story, i looked at the quotes rather than the link, didn't notice it was the daily mail, the most sensationalist little rag i ever read, probably took a misquoted comment and built thier little pc catastrophe around it
Gregoshi
11-04-2008, 04:26
Are you suggesting we stick Christmas where the sun doesn't shine? :inquisitive:
:laugh4: Brilliant. But doing so would be a morass.
Interesting perspective;
Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, nor to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is to co-operate with evil, and in some small way to become evil oneself. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.
Dr. Theodore Dalrymple, a contributing editor to City Journal and the author of the collection of essays "Our Culture, What's Left of It: The Mandarins and the Masses" in an interview with Jamie Glazov for FrontPageMagazine.com published on Wednesday, August 31, 2005.
Excerpt at link (http://freerepublic.info/~tschmerel/)
Are you suggesting we stick Christmas where the sun doesn't shine? :inquisitive:
Why are you putting words into my mouth now? Why do you hate Christmas?
And no, I wasn't. I was saying we put it at a time where the sun is only lighting.
Tribesman
11-04-2008, 11:04
. I would also question the veracity of the source considering that the Mail frequently runs similar stories which turn out to be at best stretching the truth and at worst actual misinformation.
You mean like the big outrage they caused with comments made by two entertainers on radio which attracted two complaints to the BBC...that suddenly after a week of OMG articles in the mail containing stuff that hadn't actually been broadcast became a flood of 25,000+ miserable old gits complaining about something they hadn't even heard ?
So in this Christmas that ain't Christmas case perhaps we should see what the council has to say instead of what the mail says
http://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/news.cfm/current/1/item/3065
Oh looky a link .:oops: so the winterlights festival is the festival where they turn on the lights on November 28th with bands , fireworks , speeches , a childrens parade and street entertainment .
Shocking isn't it :shrug:
CountArach
11-04-2008, 11:11
Interesting perspective;
Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small.
I click on this thread and this is what I see. Fragony - you never fail to amuse me. You are indeed the best satirist ever.
I click on this thread and this is what I see. Fragony - you never fail to amuse me. You are indeed the best satirist ever.
Not my words but Theodore Dalrymple's, english psychiatrist who has studied the condition.
http://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/news.cfm/current/1/item/3065
It seems like I have been misguided by the Daily Mail :shame:
There goes my rant about politicians occupying themselves with futilities :bigcry:
And the rest of the british media if you google it.
http://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=oxford+bans+christmas+tree&spell=1
I guess city hall didn't expect this much commotion, better luck next year.
Tribesman
11-04-2008, 13:02
Don't worry Andres , as Banquo noted earlier in the topic we get theis subject every year .
It follows a well established pattern , it starts with a story , then comes loads of rants , then it comes that the story isn't really a story its more of pile of bollox , then the topic dies till next year .
Though at least this year we have had the oppertunity to laugh at Fragonys PC communist propoganda theories .With this line....
the less it corresponded to reality the better...he sums up the nature of the content of much that he writes .
LittleGrizzly
11-04-2008, 13:04
It seems like I have been misguided by the Daily Mail
A good rule of thumb with the daily mail, if its pretty sensational.... its lies, if its on thier front page..... its lies, if its a big story that everyone else is covering then...... its at least half lies, if immigrants or pc are mentioned then they are usually making rubbish up..... think of the mail as an unfunny version of the onion...
Though at least this year we have had the oppertunity to laugh at Fragonys PC communist propoganda theories .
Theodore Dalrymple's theory :yes:
KukriKhan
11-04-2008, 13:39
I draw everyone's attention to our new Backroom Rules Sticky (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=109341), recently written by Banquo'sGhost.
I quote, in part:
Please respect copyright. All external sources should be given due attribution and a link provided to the original source. An article should not be posted in its entirety, but selections placed in indents, ex or spoiler tags and linked. Presenting original sources as your own is frowned on and you will be found out.
Tribesman
11-04-2008, 14:58
Nice link Frag , so you get your material from a fundamentalist website that got it from a con job website run by a conspiracy nut whose list of journalistic staff reads like a whos who of the friutcake club .:2thumbsup:
Nice link Frag , so you get your material from a fundamentalist website that got it from a con job website run by a conspiracy nut whose list of journalistic staff reads like a whos who of the friutcake club .:2thumbsup:
What link didn't post any link must be the link you made yourself when it was me posting, the power of assumption must have taken over your senses tricking your mind into seeing things that aren't there, or did you really, actually, mean google?
Tribesman
11-04-2008, 15:16
What link didn't post any link must be the link you made yourself when it was me posting, the power of assumption must have taken over your senses tricking your mind into seeing things that aren't there
:laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4:
Ah it must have been Kukri that added the link to your post , I suppose he must have googled the most popular source of crap for your material
Really Kukri thats not very nice linking Frags piece to a loony tunes website:laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4:
KukriKhan
11-04-2008, 15:21
I had help in finding the online version of that quote. It being a quote of a quote, of a quote, I also provided the original source ("Our Culture, What's Left of It: The Mandarins and the Masses") - all this to bring Mister Fragony's post into compliance with Backroom Rules.
Attribution. It's not just for breakfast anymore.
:laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4:
Ah it must have been Kukri that added the link to your post , I suppose he must have googled the most popular source of crap for your material
Really Kukri thats not very nice linking Frags piece to a loony tunes website:laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4::laugh4:
Well I sure as hell didn't, never heard of these guys.
LittleGrizzly
11-04-2008, 15:29
kurki's link, on frags post doesn't work for me ?
KukriKhan
11-04-2008, 15:37
Well I sure as hell didn't, never heard of these guys.
If you had given due attribution, and a link, and set off your quote as a quote, as you are supposed to do so that readers didn't falsely believe that YOU wrote that material (even though I give you credit for 2 hours later, in a separate post, finally naming the actual author), we wouldn't have this confusion.
---------------------------------------
This was supposed to be a brief, teachable moment on posting etiquette, that has instead derailed the thread. My apologies for my part in that.
Banquo's Ghost
11-04-2008, 15:40
Why are you putting words into my mouth now? Why do you hate Christmas?
And no, I wasn't. I was saying we put it at a time where the sun is only lighting.
Husar, dear chap, Louis wasn't putting words into your mouth but indulging in a brilliant bit of wordplay.
Are you suggesting we stick Christmas where the sun doesn't shine? :inquisitive:
The sentence has the prickly meaning you first reacted to, but also means putting Christmas into winter - a season where the sun doesn't shine. Include the topic - Winterval versus Christmas, and you have a marvellously crafted double entendre.
If I had the mastery over French that Louis displays over English, I'd be a very happy man.
:bow:
Thanks for the explanation Banquo.
Though I really was just trying to pretend to be offended "Why do you hate Christmas?" was supposed to be the giveaway. :sweatdrop:
Incongruous
11-05-2008, 08:06
Don't worry Andres , as Banquo noted earlier in the topic we get theis subject every year .
It follows a well established pattern , it starts with a story , then comes loads of rants , then it comes that the story isn't really a story its more of pile of bollox , then the topic dies till next year .
Though at least this year we have had the oppertunity to laugh at Fragonys PC communist propoganda theories .With this line.... ...he sums up the nature of the content of much that he writes .
Bugger, I feel used...:shame:
It was all getting so juicy too, what with Frag and his commies...
It's the same discussion every year because it's held every year, they should just stop trying. Same here with our Sinterklaas and his black Piets, each year the same douchebags want to change the colors of the piets because it would be racist. If people don't want that discussion just quit and accept the reality that it's perfectly harmless.
Daily Mail runs it's annual christianity under threat from PC thugs drivel and the usual suspects fall for it :laugh4:
Let me remind the Org that the Daily Mail did come out in support of Hitler, Franco and Mussolini at various stages. As well as being against the immigration of Jews from Europe in the 1930s. Nice eh?
LittleGrizzly
11-05-2008, 16:01
The daily mail is so convulted, sensationalist and racist, usually when they run a story it is best to assume it is all complete rubbish, occasionly you will be wrong, they have been known to correctly report football scores...
Why should 'Winterlight Festival' be named 'Christmas'?
I say let the Christians celebrate Christmas in their Palestine homeland instead of imposing their immigrant values on us Celts and Germanics.
too true, wasn't christmas some pagan holiday first anyway, which got replaced with the christian one ?
Oxford is just looking ahead to the atheist future and renaming the holiday to suit....
Not that i really care either way to be honest, it doesn't make a bloody bit of difference what some town council calls it, why not just call it xmas though ?
Infact why the need to call it anything ? it is obvious the lights are being put up for the christmas period...
You would be correct, it's the birthday of our dear Lord Mithra. That whole cutting down a tree and shuving it in your house is just evil german propaganda though. Go find a young fair skinned virgin and celebrate our dear Deux Sol Invictus.
HAPPY MITHRA'S DAY .ORG
English assassin
11-05-2008, 17:20
What would be wrong with celebrating Divali and Hannukah anyway? We'd get a great big fireworks party with loads of hot asian babes and...err...some candles... umm..
Well, maybe not Hannukah then. Anyone know if the Sikhs have any good festivals we can get in on?
Multiculturalism: its about the parties.
Tribesman
11-13-2008, 11:47
Come on people , why is no one posting the Mails latest "its Political Correctness gone mad" story ?
Its a real stunner .
Apparently a British council has banned its staff from calling people British because it might be offensive :jawdrop:
Shocking stuff eh .
Gregoshi
11-13-2008, 14:52
Come on people , why is no one posting the Mails latest "its Political Correctness gone mad" story ?
...Shocking stuff eh .
Not really. "Shocking" would better describe my reaction had you provided a link to said story Tribesman. :laugh4: ~:pat:
I'm getting nostalgic for the annual "War on Christmas" hysteria here in the U.S.A. What happened to that? Why did people stop hyperventilating about how the liburalz and teh gayzorz were going to make Jesus' birthday illegal? Didn't Bill O'Reilly spend a few years screaming about this?
What happened?
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/Lemurmania/1595230165.jpg
Gregoshi
11-13-2008, 19:33
:san_rolleyes: Wait 'til after Thanksgiving Lemur! Geez, you are as bad as the stores are - trying to foist Christmas upon us the day after Halloween (or earlier). There will be plenty of time to surpress Christmas after the turkey feast (and TNT's 24 hour How the Grinch Stole Christmas marathon). :san_wink:
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