22 April, 2011

The Rules: Religious Festivals

I have no specific argument with any particular belief system - or non-belief system if that’s your bag - but you know what?  If you don’t like Easter, then go to work.

If you don’t believe in the Christian and/or pagan festival of Easter, that’s fine. If you choose to just think of it as chocolate-day, then that’s your prerogative. No-one is telling you what to believe. But if you have a problem with what others believe and how they express it, then put your money where your mouth is and go to work.

In multicultural societies like New York, this happens all the time.  Jews and Muslims cover for Christians at Easter and Christmas.  Christians and Jews cover for Muslims during Ramadan.  Muslims and Christians cover for Jews during Passover.  That's cool!  Nothing wrong with that at all.

It’s one thing if you choose not to partake in a particular festival.  It’s quite another thing to act like others’ celebration of that festival is some kind of brutal infringement of your freedom.  Don’t act like a four or five day weekend is some kind of religious persecution.  That just shows what little experience of real oppression you’ve had. But if you seriously think that's what it is, then be real about it.  Put the chocolate down and go to work

2 comments:

  1. Totally agree!

    My Mum and I were talking about this over Easter. So many people having a whinge about these 'Christian' celebrations, and not wanting Easter Hat parades in schools and blah blah blah, yet those same people would be the first to whinge if their public holidays were taken away from them.

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