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Original poster

to be cross with my elderly fil about the meaning of easter

585 replies

nickschick · 04/04/2010 21:18

Bit tongue in cheek really.

FIL was today bemoaning the fact that he couldnt go to tesco for his cigar supply as they were shut for Easter.

Its only Easter he said they could have had usual Sunday hours ,its not like Christmas or anything.....

ONLY EASTER?????? i SHOUTED - JESUS DIED ON A CROSS FOR US!!!! EASTER IS MORE SPECIAL THAN CHRISTMAS - YES EASTER IS IMPORTANT.

and that sais dh is why you should never discuss religion with a catholic especially not one who sat in a cold church for an hour and a half last night at the easter vigil.

OP posts:
FalafelAtYourFeet · 06/04/2010 14:24

runnybottom- I suggest you read the OP if you think that is the point of the thread. Up to you if you want to turn it into something else, but it is not the point of the thread, which was more to do with the relative importance of Easter and Christmas to a Christian.

runnybottom · 06/04/2010 14:28

A thread is about much more than an op, see where it went by the 4th post and carried in it that vein for hundreds more. The OP may be about one thing, the thread itself took off on a tangent, as they do.

OldMacEIEIO · 06/04/2010 14:30

Bargain booze by us, closes at ten every night.
You cant pin THAT one on Jesus

GoldenSnitch · 06/04/2010 14:42

I'm not a Christian. I wanted to go shopping on Sunday because Sunday was just another day to me - but I couldn't because it was "Easter".

I can shop on Diwali and Hanukkah and Eid etc because I do not follow those faiths and those too are just days to me. Why should Christianity be different?

And don't say "because this is a Christian country" because it's not. It may have been once but that changed a long time ago.

scaryteacher · 06/04/2010 14:54

Runnybottom - to Christians, Jesus is NOT a prophet, he is their saviour, part of the Holy Trinity and God made flesh. Jesus is a prophet in Islam, but NOT in Christianity.

Much of the morality (see my earlier comments about laws and the Welfare state) and culture IS down to Christianity as it is in much of Western Europe. Music flourished in the churches; many composers like Bach, Mozart and Handel wrote sacred music. Many artists such as Michaelangelo were commissioned by the Church.

I don't think that Claig did assert anywhere that these things are solely due to Christianity; but as you have admitted Christianity has had a big impact on the UK. To return to the point of the thread, Easter is part of that heritage/culture and it is tradition that shops are shut on Easter Sunday.

I live in Belgium at present, and the majority of the shops are shut EVERY Sunday, and only open in the month preceding Christmas. They also close on bank holidays, so actually, the UK does quite well. I have to say that it is really nice having a day when shops are shut and Sunday is special here.

claig · 06/04/2010 15:24

runnybottom, the reason our shops are closed on Easter Sunday is because it is one of our Christian traditions. You are living in a country that has traditions. We have other traditions such as wearing red poppies for Armistice Day and singing of the National Anthem. Most people, even if they disagree with our traditions, respect the fact that they are our traditions.

GoldenSnitch, you ask the question why the shops are shut on Easter Sunday and you say
"don't say "because this is a Christian country" because it's not"." What other reason do you think that they are shut for?

runnybottom · 06/04/2010 15:47

They are your christian traditions, not mine, not many of us.
You don't get it do you? I don't have any problem with your tradition, I don't mind that shops are closed, I don't mind any of that.
I have a huge probelm with your massive sense of importance and entitlement, that your religion and traditions is more important than anyone elses. I have a problem with you demanding the respect of everyone else while having none for them, and for trying to assume a following that you just don't have.

And don't get me started on how insulting the national anthem is to the entire country...I refuse to stand for it or sing it, its appalling.

claig · 06/04/2010 16:12

I am not surprised that you find the national anthem insulting, refuse to stand for it or sing it and find it appalling. It seems that you are anti many of the traditions of our country.

I respect your views, but I hope you will become less angry and find a way to respect the traditions of the majority.

runnybottom · 06/04/2010 16:19

That would be fine if practising christians were the majority. But you aren't. You just think you are. Which is the entire problem if only you could see that.

Can you not see how the so-called national anthem is insulting to atheists? Are you so blinkered? We are supposed to sing about someone we don't believe in looking after one of the most privelidged people on the planet. How is that a national anthem of any kind, being unrelated to vast numbers of the nation? Its an embaressing anachronism.

GoldenSnitch · 06/04/2010 16:22

I did not ask why the shops were shut.

I asked why they should be shut for a Christian festival when they aren't shut for any other religions festivals.

This used to be a Christian country but it's not anymore, lets stop favouring one religion over all others.

claig · 06/04/2010 16:26

runnybottom and GoldenSnitch, the 2001 census had 70% of the public identifying themselves as Christian. I may be wrong, but I think that at the moment the majority still class their religion as being Christian.

GoldenSnitch · 06/04/2010 16:28

but only 10% attend church. I'm not sure you can count box ticking as having a religion.

GoldenSnitch · 06/04/2010 16:29

plus - it's 2010 now. That census is 9 years old!

claig · 06/04/2010 16:37

I don't attend church, but I still consider myself Christian. Many people are the same.

scaryteacher · 06/04/2010 16:42

The UK is a Christian country in that the established church is the Church Of England, and Anglicanism is Christian. The Queen is Supreme Head of the Church of England. The shops shut for Easter because it is part of the Christian tradition of this country. Were we in Saudi I expect that shops would be shut for Eid, and we'd all respect that whether we were Muslims or not.

You could argue that Turkey isn't a Muslim country because other religions worship there; but it is Muslim at the core.

I don't know if you hate the UK so much Runnybottom why you live there. I don't think you'll find many countries on the planet apart from China and North Korea where there isn't some form of organised religion that the state espouses in one form or another. As to the National Anthem, it is not about being insulting to atheists, it is another long held tradition. It is not an insult to the whole country at all - on what do you base that assertion? I am proud to sing it and to stand for it, as are most people I know.

If you know your history, then you will know that we tried not having a king in the seventeenth century. It didn't work, and so we had the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and have had a monarch ever since. It works for the majority of the UK, and so far, there has been no real Republican movement within mainland UK. The great thing about the Queen is that she is above politics and is a figurehead who provides a sense of stability. I would far rather HM than President Blair.

runnybottom · 06/04/2010 17:20

I don't live in the UK at the moment actually. But who said I hate it? Another example of because I don't agree with your take on it I must be in the wrong?

You may be proud to sing the national anthem, but what has it got to do with the nation, or the people in it? Its about the queen and god, couldn't be less about the country or the people. Thats why its insulting. Its hideous.

scaryteacher · 06/04/2010 17:34

Your comments certainly make it seem as if you hate the UK, or loathe it, if hate is too strong a word. I fail to see how that is saying you are in the wrong - I am merely expressing my view on the wording in your comments. Your comments on the National Anthem being hideous and insulting, and not having the courtesy to stand when it is sung, or indeed sing it, only serve to make me think that.

The National Anthem has to do with the Head of State (the Queen) and asking that she has a long reign and defends our laws. The Queen in this instance is the personification of the UK. I would be happy with Rule Britannia as an alternative.

You say that you do not live in the UK. Why then are you so incensed about the shops being shut on Easter Sunday? Presumably, as a non-resident it didn't affect you at all.

runnybottom · 06/04/2010 17:44

Have you heard of people having principles about things that may not directly affect them?

You assume a lot, wrongly.

And courtesy? I have no respect for the song or its intent, I find it a patronising anachronistic emblam of a long gone time, representing the viewpoint of a minority of citizens. Of which i am one, and entitled to my opinion as much as you.

scaryteacher · 06/04/2010 17:57

Yes, I have heard of that, however, this seems a very strange one to get wound up about, seeing that perhaps you were not in the UK on Easter Sunday, and thus not affected.

You also assume a lot, wrongly.

It's a shame that you have no courtesy or respect, as that is what you are expecting people to afford you and your views, and yet you don't extend that to others. You may find the National Anthem a patronising anachronism, representing the views of a minority of citizens; how do you know this? You are assuming again I think.

claig · 06/04/2010 18:16

runnybotton, are any shops ever shut where you live for their religious festivals. Do you get as worked up about that as you do about Christian traditions?

onagar · 06/04/2010 18:38

The shops shut because you believe in god.

The sentence doesn't even sound sensible. As I've said before if your religion says you shouldn't go shopping on a certain day then just don't. What happened to willpower? why have a law that prevents us all from going shopping just because you don't want to.

fiveisanawfullybignumber · 07/04/2010 11:08

Because it would affect Christians adversely if they were open on Easter sunday. as i said earlier, my DH is a retail manager and had to work Good Friday & easter Monday due to lack of staff. if his shop had been open on Easter Sunday, he would have been obliged to work then also.
This country needs to have rules that allow a member of ANY Religious group to not work on their Sabbath or Holy Day. That would be a fair solution, just because i'm a Christian doesn't mean I don't respect other peoples beliefs or feelings. Tolerance and thought towards others are an important part of my faith.
The anger and vehemence with which some are so openly mocking and refuting all types of religions is very rude and uncalled for. Maybe if they had some sort of faith they would be kinder more tolerant people.

Kaloki · 07/04/2010 12:16

"This country needs to have rules that allow a member of ANY Religious group to not work on their Sabbath or Holy Day."

Definitely!!

GoldenSnitch · 07/04/2010 13:33

"This country needs to have rules that allow a member of ANY Religious group to not work on their Sabbath or Holy Day."

Absolutely. Sounds fair.

Although I think you might find a lot of students finding god while they work their way through Uni

mrscrocoduck · 07/04/2010 15:14

by 'rules' I assume you mean law. You're wrong. The only laws we need are secular ones.