To think that the form for my kids new school should not ask......

[SuedeEffectPochette]

.......for my "christian" name! It's a state school. They must get all sorts of guidance on how not to cause offence. Surely this is a term from the 1950s these days!

But MrsMelons, assuming that your first name does not actually start with A, then there is in fact so such person as Mrs A xxxx. So why use that form of address? Especially when you can use Mr and Mrs xxx instead, or Mr A and Mrs P xxx, or whatever terms of address you have actually been given for the couple in question. It seems to me to be a sexist and lazy way to go about things.

I took my husbands surname when I married, but I'd still get annoyed at being called Mrs John Storm. John is my husband, not me.

I know this may have been the proper form of address back when wives were pretty much legally the property of their husbands, but now women get to be people in their own right. I'm not just part of my husband.

And I really don't see how there's anything wrong, improper or impolite about simply addressing an envelope or whatever with "Mr & Mrs Storm", using no initials / names whatsoever.

Sorry MrsDeVere I shouldn't have really singled you out as you are right there are plenty of others agreeing/disagreeing on both sides, apologies.

In the past year there has been headlines like the one about the girl (can't remember if Pakistani or Afghan) that was shot for speaking out in favour of education for girls. On our doorsteps there was a number of stories about 'honour' killings where the male members would kill the daughtyer or wife that was supposed to have shamed the family.

All these things are going on and women are outraged at how they are addressed by some anonymous paper shuffler somewhere???

In one episode of the West Wing the black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs was asked if he had any problems with the President having a black go-fer. He replied that he had real battles to fight and that he didn't have the time for the cosmetic ones.

I am reminded of that scene everytime some feminist goes on about how they are offended by the way they are addressed in a letter
My

I am Christian, am I supposed to be offended when forms do not refer to my first name as a Christian name?

It's not a race to the bottom MTS you can be annoyed/enraged about actions other than than those that result in the rape/beating/death etc.. of women.

"Oh, people are being beaten and raped in Sudan, well then, never mind, you can just refer to me as if I'm the property of my husband"

FFS!

Go and put your last post as a new thread in the feminist section MTS and let's see what kind of responses you get there

As long as we only ever see you post again about 'real battles' on MN, MS, that is fine!

Despairs

I once ventured into the feminist section because other sections were a bit quiet. It was full of women going on about 'important' ishoos like how they are addressed in letters . Haven't been back since.

I'm sure that there are things you get annoyed about MTS that I personally could not care less about, but you've every right to be annoyed by them nonetheless. It's not as if there is a limited pot to draw from. I would be incredibly surprised if all those who find being called the wrong name an irritating sexist act are not also even more angry about honour killings and Taliban sponsored mysogeny. You are making some pretty weird assumptions there.

MTS, what a ridiculously sweeping statement

The things you are typing make it sound like you might be a bit of a cock

Oh FFS. Write a very strongly worded letter to the Headteacher of their new school asking for all staff to kindly refer to it as 'GIVEN' name in future. That'll get everyone off to a good start.

Great post by backonlybriefly earlier.

Christian name on form would annoy me. It is thoughtless.

The term doesn't offend me but I would be annoyed by it. I don't have a 'christian' name and neither do my DCs.

MrsDeVere - Are seriously equating death and disability with being outraged over how you are addressed in a letter or by a form that says 'Christian name'?

No, MTS, MrsDeVere is quite correctly pulling you up on your knee jerk whataboutery.

No MTS she isn't!

MrsDV can speak for herself and no doubt she will, but do you think before you post?

Do you?

This thread started with a bunch of people being outraged because a form asked for a Christian name. It has now moved onto a bunch of people being outraged at how they are addressed in a letter.

Some people seem to have nothing better to do than to find things to be offended by. It's like those posters who trawl the Daily Mail looking for articles to be outraged over

This is getting boring so I'll leave you ladies to it.

Well, if I ran a school I would be asking for first name, not Christian name, but I think it's a bit a case of "when in Rome".

England is a CofE country, isn't it? If we were in an Islamic country, I wouldn't be offended by being asked for my Islamic name. I would just chuckle that I didn't have one.

I'm wondering if the OP a) celebrates Christmas and b) ever uses phrases like "touch wood".

jessjessjess

This is taken from backonlybrieflys post on page 6.

As an atheist I'm more offended (disappointed would be a better word) by the people who imply that you shouldn't celebrate Christmas or Easter because you don't believe in their god. Do people really not know that Christmas was a pagan celebration before the church hijacked/renamed it? Do they really think that present giving, holly, the tree and log are about Jesus? (You don't want to know what Druids hung on trees) Do you put a fairy on the top of the tree as you think fond thoughts about baby Jesus and not realise the contradiction?

So your christmas arguement is nonsense.

Oh and I never say touch wood. Not because I am atheist. Just because its superstitious crap.