[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: What's wrong with "Merry Christmas"?

[Shaun Hately]

Just a small comment to make here.

Early last week, just before Christmas, Australia's new Prime Minister, 
Kevin Rudd, made a surprise visit to Afghanistan to visit Australia's troops 
in that country, and with the Afghan government. As part of that visit, a 
joint press conference was held between Prime Minister Rudd and President 
Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. Not surprisingly, a significant number of 
Australian journalists were present.

President Karzai ended his part of the press conference with the following 
statement:

"It's Christmas time and I would send my Christmas greetings to all those 
countries that are serving Afghanistan with their precious lives of their 
sons and daughters contributing to Afghanistan's stability and peace, and 
with their taxpayers' money. We are very very grateful and Merry Christmas 
to all of you and especially to the Australian people."

I was somewhat surprised at the amount of goodwill that generated here. Just 
a few small words. A gesture of respectful acknowledgement of the beliefs of 
others, whether he shares them or not.

Personally, I hope most people would feel able to do that - to offer respect 
for the beliefs of others by offering seasons greetings of whatever sort are 
applicable.

But it works both ways, in my view. If respect is genuine, we should also be 
prepared to accept seasons greetings - whether we observe that season or 
not - in the spirit in which they are offered.

The only religion I've ever been a part of is Roman Catholicism. If somebody 
offered me 'Bright Blessings of Samhain', I'd have to dredge up general 
knowledge to realise what precisely they were talking about - but it'd be 
instantly clear it was intended as a gesture of good will. And I find it 
hard to imagine how anyone could take it any other way.

Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia