AWAY WITH THE MANGER

Fascinating insight into the attack of every outward and visible symbol of Christianity from the Republic of Ireland. The Catholic Church has been forced to change the wording of a Christmas advert by removing a reference to Jesus’s birthplace because it could promote Christianity. Heaven forbid and say it ain't so!!

In a move described by the Catholic bishops as flying in the face of common sense and “an affront to Christians”, RTE Radio 1 said it would only carry the advertisement if the word ‘crib’ was omitted. The Republic’s state broadcaster, RTE, has told the Church the word contravened rules which do not allow adverts to promote religion.

RTE broadcasts the Angelus, a Catholic devotion in honour of the Incarnation, twice a day on radio and television. Since amending the wording, the advert for Veritas, the publishing arm of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has been running on the radio station.

"The removal of the word ‘crib’ from the advertisement is both an affront to Christians and belies common sense in the context of Irish society and culture,” the bishops said."The demand to remove such an apparently innocuous word was part of a creeping trend of stripping Christ from Christmas and should be of concern to all Christians", they said. They're dead right.

“Whether it is in the editing of a Veritas advertisement, or a creche policy to no longer hold the Christmas Nativity play, or, by discontinuing the placement of a crib in a hospital foyer, we are asking Christians to reflect on – and protect – what is the true spirit of Advent and Christmas, namely, a time to reflect on our life journey and to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.” A chain of Dublin creches last week said it would not be holding its annual nativity play after complaints from non-Christian parents.

Shocking. Those in positions of responsibility in those creches which succumbed to this anti-Christian fascism should be ashamed of themselves. And so should those half-wits in RTE who throw their hands up at the horror of a mention of the birthplace of Jesus Christ. This is a battle for the soul of the Christian faith and we must not roll over to those who pursue a more radical agenda. Wonder what faith, if any, the "non-Christian parents" follow?

Cross posted on A Tangled Web