To think the parish newsletter is not appropriate

[NikoBellic]

I'm not talking about the notices regarding the horticultural society, nor am I referring to the village "300 Club", or Gwen's amazing contribution to the village hall this month...

...I realise that unless you live in a rural area, much like fibre broadband, you won't get this...

Each month the parish council post a newsletter through my front door. A quaint little wedge of folded paper with some useful information on local gas safe engineers and who is raising what for which charity, interspersed with reminders to pick up dog poo. The outer cover is usually a lot quality 1995 clip art file along religious lines, printed onto coloured paper of some sort. This month, for the start of spring and the Easter period, its a sort of yellow. Its the cover that I'm not completely comfortable with...

We always hear, particularly from the type of person who lives in a village and reads the parish newsletter, that children should not be subjected to images of violence, sex, and general "bad stuff"...

SO WHY IS OK TO POST A PICTURE OF A BLEEDING MAN BEING CRUCIFIED THROUGH MY LETTERBOX!? (Even if it is in 1995 clip art form).

If I were to post an image of a man being hung through someone's front door I'd have to face, at the very least, a police caution. Seems like double standards from where I'm sat.

In an area where Nigel Farage gets a pat on the back (a man who is offended by seeing a breastfeeding mother in a pub...) why does religion get special dispensation?

Is it OK because its, you know, Jesus?

Am I being unreasonable?

There's a jawdropping example of inappropriate content in a parish newsletter today. Churchwarden with sole responsibility for putting the newsletter together has included a 5-page rant about his wife's infidelity.

Not a very Christian attitude...

I've been thinking of what gives more offense than clipart (apart from Kidsprint and Vivaldi) - page 3, high fashion ads (D&G gang/rape images), airbrushed magazine images...

Springtulip I think you misread. I was talking about myself. I was the child not my own dc.

You may be able to ignore horrific images. Not everyone, especially children, can.

A clipart depiction of Christ on the cross is not a horrific image.

No, Springtulip, I want you to explain, just a teeny tiny bit, what you understand by the phrase 'this country was founded on Christian beliefs'. Because how much that is a 'fact' or not depends really very much on what you actually understand by that phrase. But I can see you're not going to bother, because I don't suppose you've ever actually thought about what the words you're saying mean.

Smilla Britain's laws and traditions are founded on Christian principles.

I spent quite a lot of time denying that every time I heard someone on a phone-in talking about how 'we're a Christian country' in terms of 'people coming over here...'

But though I might not agree with their sentiments - I'd prefer us to be a secular nation without a Monarchy - we are.

Our Head of State is also the leader of the Church of England.

We have an upper chamber of Government, the House of Lords, to which senior members of the Church of England have automatic entry.

Our judicial system is founded on Judeo-Christian laws.

Our state school system enshrine Christian schools.

Our blasphemy laws protect only Christianity.

I don't like it, but you can't deny it.

We are a Christian country. Christianity is tied up in our State that in countries such as France, for instance, it isn't.

France isn't a paradise either.

YANBU it annoys me too, especially in light of other things "offensive" according to them

Smilas
You really are like a dog with a bone. It seems to be your only contribution to the thread. Ive said Britain was founded on Christian beliefs. To most people that should be enough, but it's like you're trying to trip me up, what on earth do you want me to say. It just is, for goodness sake we have bishops in the House of Lords, the Queen who is our head of state is Governor of the Chuch of England. She is Defender of the Faith.
Christianity came to Great Britain in possible the year 500, it was so long ago that no one knows the exact year. without Christianity we'd have no schools, churches, cathedrals, works of art. It is all founded on Christianity.
Without it we wouldn't celebrate Christmas, Easter or even birthdays. We have Christian names. Christianity is entrenched into so much of our lives we don't even think about it. Imo our lives would be poorer without it.

limited
I wish I'd seen your post before mine, you've put it so much better than me.
It shouldn't really have to be explained should it.

limited, with respect, I was asking Springtulip what she understood by what she claimed.

it was so long ago that no one knows the exact year

I'm not sure that's the most logical, or even the most obvious reason why it would be difficult to pinpoint a specific year.

without Christianity we'd have no schools, churches, cathedrals, works of art. It is all founded on Christianity.
Without it we wouldn't celebrate Christmas, Easter or even birthdays.

Really? We'd have no schools? How can you claim we'd have no schools?

We'd have no art? How's that then?

We wouldn't have a tradition to celebrate birthdays? Surely the fact that it was traditionally sinful to celebrate birthdays in the church but the tradition won out eventually anyway would suggest to you that it pre-dates Christian traditions with saints days etc? From good old Wikipedia:

While most Christians accept the practice today, Jehovah's Witnesses and some Sacred Name groups refrain from celebrating birthdays due to the custom's pagan origins, its connections to magic and superstitions, and its being portrayed in a negative light in the Bible.

We've had the debate as to whether pagans celebrated Easter upthread, but they certainly owned Christmas, that is beyond doubt. So, yes, I do think we'd still have 'Christmas' by another name, as long as another major religion hadn't come in and banned it, as opposed to just stealing it, as Christianity did.

Very sensible posts Springtulip - you seem to have taken up where I left off. However it is like banging your head against a brick wall!
You are quite right - life is too short.

With respect Smilla Britain is a Christian country. As I said, I don't like that, just like I'd like to change a lot of things but for the moment, it just is.

And I still don't get what so bad about sticking clipart pictures of a chap on cross through letterboxes along with reminders about next parish council meeting and picking up your dog's shit.

Smilas
Go and goad someone else, I gave you your answers, now you want to analyse every bit of my thread and tear them apart. I can't argue with you, you are doubting the most simplest of facts, as in the year Christianity came to Britain. The thread wasn't about that. I really don't understand your reasoning. It all stems from me quoting a fact and you wanting an argument. But I can't argue with someone who answers in such a childish way and denies facts. You've derailed from the thread for your bizarre insistence on getting an argument. I'm now going to have to hide this thread because imo it's been spoiled by you. You haven't contributed one worthy thing to the thread. Sorry but you'll have to find someone else to goad.

Thank you Mehitabel6
It's hard going sometimes when people purposely goad, but like I'd said, life really is too short, I like a good debate but I do like intelligent answers. Unfortunately I wasn't getting any today.......I'm outa here

Is it a matter of sematics? Saying Britain was founded on Christian values suggests that Britain didn't exist before Christianity - whch is plainly absurd. Saying that Britain is a Christian country is pretty taarue- we do have an established church and so on.

Saying we would have no culture or art or laws or birthdays without Christianity is a bit odd- many non Christian countries have all of those things............

There are bastards crucifying people today, right now. This is what people should be getting all kicker-twisty about, not "Won't somebody please think of the children!" over a piece of crappy clipart

^^ This

I'm honestly not trying to derail the thread, but I also wonder how many of those who believe children might be traumatised by a bit of clipart are happy for them to play appallingly violent computer games, etc

So do I.

bigdorrit I suggest you do a bit of googling, To say Britain wasn't founded on Christianity is only showing ignorance. You're making yourself look foolish. It isn't even debatable. Whatever makes you think Henry V111 is anything to do with the founding of Christianity. I'd made an earlier reference to him regarding something else.
It is you who is giving everyone a laugh.
I'll try once again to hide this thread.

"There are bastards crucifying people today, right now. This is what people should be getting all kicker-twisty about, not "Won't somebody please think of the children!" over a piece of crappy clipart"

That really isn't what this thread is about. However.

I do find it very puzzling when people respond to a poster saying "Somebody threw a McD's bag into my garden today, it was a bit annoying" with "How ridiculous to be even mildly concerned about that when the world's oceans are becoming clogged with litter" .................

"To say Britain wasn't founded on Christianity is only showing ignorance"

When are we dating the founding of Britain?

Saying we would have no culture or art or laws or birthdays without Christianity is a bit odd- many non Christian countries have all of those things............

Very odd. I think what should be said is that the culture, art, laws etc you do have in Britain, are in fact founded in Christianity (catholicism pre Henry VIII although henry would have considered himself a catholic and anglicanism was really only established as a protestant religion under Elizabeth)

I can see why one might prefer Britain to be a pagan country if one feels strongly anti-christian, but preferring it to be so doesn't make it fact.

Very sensible posts Springtulip - you seem to have taken up where I left off. However it is like banging your head against a brick wall!
You are quite right - life is too short.
Thanks Mehitabelle I agree it is like banging your head against a wall. I did try to hide the thread, it didn't respond. I'll try again while Ive still got my sanity.