To be surprised that the Royal Mail Christmas stamps are all religious?

[stampsurprise]

I thought for a change I'd get proper Christmas stamps this year. Didn't expect them to be all religious and no choice!

Is this usually what's on offer? I don't object personally, but I think most of those I send to won't care for a religious stamp.

Why? I worked for a vicar and he was really keen to officiate at gay weddings. He did blessings. Coincidently each of us who worked in the office had a gay sister (2 of whom were married).

@Janegrey333

Some people here are becoming irritable because their idea of Christmas is something with no religious meaning whatsoever. They are trying to defend their tacky-fest because it is inferior in every way.

They just gorge on questionable Iceland treats and get drunk and put a fake Christmas tree up far too early - oh and take it down again far too soon because they don’t like clutter. How soulless.

Hmm. OK.

@KayakingOnDown

It's a Christian country with a strong Christian heritage. It's also a Christian celebration. So, entirely appropriate.

Yep. A lovely peaceful history in the name of religion.

speakout

A christmas without religions is not a "souless" affair.

For many of us it is about love, the value of friendships and family, about giving and sharing it is about hope, and a celebration of life.

I'm a Christian and I agree with this!

@Janegrey333 you're making yourself look like a bit of a tit! I'd like to say that the vast majority of Christians don't share these views.

And neither of my local churches (2 within 5mins walk) got the memo that "no one" attends anymore. Both have over 100 regular attendees. Especially at Christmas.

Janegrey333
Some people here are becoming irritable because their idea of Christmas is something with no religious meaning whatsoever.

To be honest you sound pretty irritable there yourself

They are trying to defend their tacky-fest because it is inferior in every way.

Nothing needs to be defended. Why do people need to defend the fact the are not Christian? Inferior how?

They just gorge on questionable Iceland treats and get drunk

That's a pretty sweeping statement. Also, if that's what someone wants to do, what business is it of yours?

and put a fake Christmas tree up far too early

I didn't realise fir trees had anything to do with the birth of Jesus. If you can, please point this out in the bible. I'm intrigued and are real trees morally superior then?

oh and take it down again far too soon because they don’t like clutter.

Who defines "far too soon"? The shortest day is 21 Dec, Anyone putting it up for the Winter Solstice would be fine taking it down "early".

Is it Christian to like clutter?

How soulless.

Actually, I found your post very soulless indeed. No attempt at understanding others, judgemental, supercilious, mocking and despising people for shopping at Iceland, telling people when and how to decorate their own homes.

No Christianity to be found here, that's for sure!

And presumably the reverse is true; everyone who IS Christian is classy, buys expensive food, only ever uses tastefully decorated real trees, put them up at exactly the right time (when IS that exactly - Xmas Eve, 1 week before, 1 December?) and takes them down at the right time (again, when IS that - Boxing day, NYE, 12th night?). They all drink in moderation. hmm

That is pretty much what we do. Hmm all you like.

Last time I checked, Christmas was a Christian religious festival and that is why we celebrate it ...

@Janegrey333

And presumably the reverse is true; everyone who IS Christian is classy, buys expensive food, only ever uses tastefully decorated real trees, put them up at exactly the right time (when IS that exactly - Xmas Eve, 1 week before, 1 December?) and takes them down at the right time (again, when IS that - Boxing day, NYE, 12th night?). They all drink in moderation. hmm

That is pretty much what we do. Hmm all you like.

That may be what you do, but I've known plenty of Christian families (as in church going, not just lip service) who love gaudy decorations, have a fake Xmas tree which has been in service for a while (about 15 years I think was the oldest I know of), and buy cheap food because they can't afford M&S or Waitrose in quantity. Oh, and drink to excess!

I also know some of the opposite type, non-Christian, or say they are because they need to put something on forms, pagans, lapsed Christian or lapsed other World religions, atheists etc who have real trees, everything is tasteful, they shop at "posh" shops, tree goes up 7-10 days before Xmas and comes down just after New Year.

How people choose to celebrate this time of year is based more on income and how they were brought up, rather than whether they are "real" Christians. Or just because that's how you "do" Christmas, that's how all Christians "should"

@Janegrey333

And presumably the reverse is true; everyone who IS Christian is classy, buys expensive food, only ever uses tastefully decorated real trees, put them up at exactly the right time (when IS that exactly - Xmas Eve, 1 week before, 1 December?) and takes them down at the right time (again, when IS that - Boxing day, NYE, 12th night?). They all drink in moderation. hmm

That is pretty much what we do. Hmm all you like.

You might want to think about removing that real expensive christmas tree from your arse before it does too much damage.

@Janegrey333

And presumably the reverse is true; everyone who IS Christian is classy, buys expensive food, only ever uses tastefully decorated real trees, put them up at exactly the right time (when IS that exactly - Xmas Eve, 1 week before, 1 December?) and takes them down at the right time (again, when IS that - Boxing day, NYE, 12th night?). They all drink in moderation. hmm

That is pretty much what we do. Hmm all you like.

I'm Christian.

My fake tree goes up the weekend before Christmas and stays up until 12th night.
My food is mostly from Iceland and Morrisons. I go to Church on Christmas Day. I rarely drink but sometimes have wine at Christmas depending on who I'm with.
I am however classy as fuck

If being Christian means being like the attitude of the PP then I am happy as I am thanks.

Last time I checked, Christmas was a Christian religious festival and that is why we celebrate it

Check again

Some people here are becoming irritable because their idea of Christmas is something with no religious meaning whatsoever. They are trying to defend their tacky-fest because it is inferior in every way

This is one reason nobody is religious anymore. They are sick of sanctimonious pricks who think they are superior to everyone else. Your days are long gone.

Not every Christian thinks like that, we are not one people you know. We are all individuals. Even Christians.

I personally welcome the idea that so many people of any faith, or no faith at all, celebrate Christmas in their own way - usually by having fun with family and friends, sharing food, presents, and also showing good will. Foodbanks receive so much in donations at Christmas, so do charities looking after homeless people, etc. This 'charity' or good will isn't because of Christianity, but because people have come to view Christmas as an opportunity to share and to be with families and friends, and with people they don't know. Which I think is brilliant.

And yes, this year my fake Christmas tree will be up early because we can all do with a bit of cheering up. And I will spoil my children with tacky presents. But I will also go to Church. Call it a contradiction if you want to, I don't really care.

There have been numerous years when all the Christmas stamps have been secular.

I don't object to any religious symbols or storytelling, although it's not for me personally. Everyone is entitled to worship as they see fit and everyone else is entitled to ignore it. If you don't want the Christmas stamps this year there are plenty of others available.

Made me smile

Oh come the fuck on, OP?

What is it you want from this situation? For Royal Mail to ban religious stamps?

If RM only did religious stamps I could see your point but you can BUY ORDINARY STAMPS or other non-religious special picture stamps that they have for other occasions throughout the year.

Do you realise how you would sound if (as I think they should) RM issued stamps celebrating other cultures or festivals and you posted on here saying you didn’t want to buy them because you didn’t agree with their religion/culture.

Why the fuck does everyone want to ban everything they disagree with???

Oh come the fuck on, OP?

Crikey!

What is it you want from this situation?

Some winter-themed stamps.

For Royal Mail to ban religious stamps?

Absolutely not!

If RM only did religious stamps I could see your point but you can BUY ORDINARY STAMPS

I will have to BUY ORDINARY STAMPS then. But I really fancied some winter-themed ones.

or other non-religious special picture stamps that they have for other occasions throughout the year.

Now I know they have them throughout the year I will make a point of buying them then. They still won't be winter-themed, unfortunately.

Do you realise how you would sound if (as I think they should) RM issued stamps celebrating other cultures or festivals and you posted on here saying you didn’t want to buy them because you didn’t agree with their religion/culture.

Lucky I haven't said anything of the sort then. Incidentally, it wouldn't be worse to be abusive about another religion/culture than about Christianity. Aren't their adherents all equal?

Why the fuck does everyone want to ban everything they disagree with???

I have no idea, but I'm certainly not one of them. The Royal Mail do rather have the monopoly on stamps though, so I am kind of stuck for a winter- themed stamp.

Why the fuck does everyone want to ban everything they disagree with???

They don't. Nobody mentioned banning anything, other than you. Why the fuck do you make things up?

@Nonamesavail

Made me smile

That was lovely - thanks

This year the stamps should really be secular, I'm not quite sure why they're not.

I think doing two sets a year would be a massive undertaking in cost and time (they work with different designers each year), so alternating is a good compromise.

You could bid on these robin stamps from 2016.

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

This year the stamps should really be secular, I'm not quite sure why they're not.

I think doing two sets a year would be a massive undertaking in cost and time (they work with different designers each year), so alternating is a good compromise.

You could bid on these robin stamps from 2016.

They look fantastic - thanks!

This is probably a stupid question but have the postal rates gone up since then? Can they still be used?

As far as I know, if stamps just say 1st/2nd they're perpetual. It's only if they have a price on it would be a problem.

The postmaster at my local office suggested I bought a couple of books of 1st/2nd class before the prices went up earlier this year, so I presume it's fine.

Do you realise how you would sound if (as I think they should) RM issued stamps celebrating other cultures or festivals and you posted on here saying you didn’t want to buy them because you didn’t agree with their religion/culture.

A good point which has already been made.

This year the stamps should really be secular, I'm not quite sure why they're not.

Why? Serious question.