23/12/09; (6 Items)
Rima, whose sister was murdered by Saddam Hussein’s officers, is going to America. Hani, another Christian, is off to Sweden after surviving a kidnap by a Baghdad militia. Michael Marody, whose cousin was also abducted but did not come back alive, is heading for Australia. War-torn, anarchic Iraq, however, is not the only place in the Middle East where fewer Christians will be celebrating this Christmas. The region that was Christianity’s birthplace is witnessing an unprecedented modern-day exodus – they are victims of radical Islam, the global economic crisis, and new currents of sectarian feeling from Arabs and Jews alike.
See: 23/12/09; http://www.theage.com.au/world/christians-in-exodus-from-hostile-home-20091222-lboj.html
Christmas catch-ups
Toni Jordan; 22/12/09
Almost the entire street of 14 people, six of them twice. My fellow teachers at RMIT; my brother-in-law Marc and his family in Geelong; the girls I studied professional writing with; my writing group buddies; my husband’s mother, sister and niece; his assistant and her husband; his friends, twice; and my family on the Sunshine Coast, for an entire weekend. This is my socialising list for the first three weeks in December. If anyone tells the Head Hermit at the Bayside chapter of Hermit’s Anonymous about all these dinners, parties and functions, I’ll be kicked out. In my defence*, Oh Head Hermit, this exceeds all my socialising for the other 11 months and one week of the year.
Embracing a divine mystery
Sheik Hersi Hilole; 22/12/09; The Daily Telegraph; No Internet Text;
Sheik Hersi Hilole is an Islamic scholar who came to Sydney as a refugee and became a spiritual leader of Australian Somali Muslims
Muslims describe Allah (literally “The Divinity”) as one indivisible entity, with eternal existence, who created all other life, to whom nothing can be compared. He is also referred to as “Ar-rab”, “The Lord” or even “Ilah”. He is the one and the only God. The eternal, absolute. He is personality and not a mere absolute conception of philosophy.He is eternal without beginning or end. He is absolute, not limited by time or place. His existence is absolute; all other existence is temporal or conditional. He is dependent on no person or thing.
See: See; http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/christmas-catchups-20091221-la6m.html
Guiding light beyond definition
Rabbi Raymond Apple’ 22/12/09; The Daily Telegraph; No Internet text
Rabbi Raymond Apple is emeritus rabbi of the Great Synagogue, Sydney. He is now based in Israel
What is God? I can only give a personal view. There are two reasons. One: We all have our own take on God. I cannot be certain my father’s God is the same as mine. I can’t believe with my father’s heart, only with my own. Two: No one knows enough about God to speak of Him with authority. Hebrew theologians say: “If I knew Him, I would be Him.” A God whom we could define exactly would be too little, like a toy that a child puts in its pocket and takes out to play with When I was a child I thought my rabbi standing in his pulpit was God. Years later I found that Tennyson had a phrase for this: He said that the average Englishman’s idea of God was of an immeasurable clergyman.
In time I became a clergyman myself, and although I had a degree of self- confidence I knew I was far from divine and my congregation could see that I had enough frailties to be rather lower than God.
I talked about God but was never able to arrive at a dictionary definition.
When I toyed with calling Him the Great Idea, I had to acknowledge that He was more than an abstract theory.
When I thought of describing Him as the Great Force, I had to recognise that he was more than an anonymous energy. If I called Him the Great Presence, this said nothing about His capacity to create or to reveal His will.
I struggled with saying that He was the Cosmic Grandfather, but while this gave Him benignity and personality, it made Him too cosy, too antiquated.
I eventually gave up the attempt at definitions, largely because none gave me a God I could relate to or who could relate to me. Then I recalled that when Moses asked God who He was, the response was, “I am what I am.”
The Bible constantly uses the word and — And the Lord spoke, And these are the laws, And Jacob dwelt. Believing in God is not just a background feeling of certainty but a relationship, a set of ands: God and the world, God and human duty, God and our potential. It tells me that because of God, my life is different and makes a difference.
I am not always certain which way to turn, but my belief helps me through the options. I am not always strong enough to do the right thing, but my belief enables me to rise above my own frailty and the moral weakness of others. I do not always like what I find in the world, but if I see evil, my belief gives me no rest until I cry out.
I am sometimes disappointed with God, but my belief teaches me to be honest, and I have to protest even at God. I demand an explanation, but deep down I know that its sometimes better not to have one. I have enough faith to know He is bigger and wiser than me.
Triumph of merry Aussie tradition
Vikki Campion; 21/12/09; The Daily Telegraph; No Internet Text
Councils have turned their backs on political correctness, reinstating the “Merry Christmas” greeting to its rightful place. Parramatta Council, in Sydney’s west, has taken down its “season’s greetings” banners in favour of posters wishing “Merry Christmas”. The move came after the council produced Christmas cards and 50 banners for five years without mentioning Christmas once. Councillors believe the politically correct banners reflected “a secular view of Christmas” instead of the “traditional Australian view of Christmas”.
“Our community is fed up with this erosion of the true meaning and essence of Christmas through this ridiculous pre-emptive surrender of the real Christmas on the basis it may offend someone,” councillor Michael McDermott said.
“All we do is offend the great majority of our residents by this politically correct nonsense and watering down of the historically accurate view of Christmas.
“This is not some puerile statement, it is a debate that our communities need to have about the essence of Christmas and the manner in which political correctness is used to attack and erode it.”
He put forward a move to reinstate the phrase “Merry Christmas” on banners, websites, booklets, leaflets, and for Christmas events, as well as to cover the words “season’s greetings” on all banners within the Parramatta CBD with “Merry Christmas”.
Staff were asked to design a range of banners that illustrated “the traditional notion of Christmas, and the nativity version and traditional Christian notion of Christmas”.
A council spokesman said four new “Merry Christmas” posters would be hung at selected sites and new Christmas banners would be made next year.
The debate will continue at the next council meeting in February.
Debate is raging on the Central Coast over Christmas banners; the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce has labelled Gosford City “the meanest council in the country” for refusing to put up 40 banners in the main street of Umina Beach.
“It is a sad day when Gosford Council can’t install Christmas banners in the main street that have been paid for by the local business community ” main street coordinator Debra Wales said.
Gosford Mayor Chris Holstein said banners belonging to another group, the Umina Chamber of Commerce, were already up and they would not be removed.
“I will not have my staff running up and down cherry pickers all day,” he said. “The PCC should behave themselves or Santa won’t bring them anything.”
Celebrate Christmas without the PC police
22/12/09; The Daily telegraph;
- I respect other religions and believe they can celebrate their special days. And I am sure the majority of other religions are happy for us to celebrate Christmas. It is only a minority that complain about it and they get their way. We live in a democracy where we vote for a PM and the majority of votes elects the PM. So why can’t the majority win this debate and allow people who want to celebrate Christmas to be allowed to celebrate it. GT Brisbane
- End the hijack
IT’S about time this PC garbage was put to rest, once and for all. I find it offensive that the tradition of Christmas has been hijacked and sanitised as if Christmas is a dirty word.Pity some of the big shopping centres don’t go along with the wishes of the people. A big Parramatta mall has for some years hung small clusters of very small icy blue globes as a pathetic attempt at decorations. Nowhere are the words Merry Christmas to be seen. But the same centre implores you, via ads, to “come spend your Christmas dollars here”. Not me, I shop where I’m welcomed and thanked for spending my money with them, and the rest can go jump. Merry Christmas to all of your readers, and bah humbug to the PC Christmas scrooges. Colleen. Sydney
- Being Aussies
This is awesome, finally someone has said what we all think — this is lunacy. Merry Christmas all. We are becoming Aussies again. Nathan Smith WA
- That’s the spirit
Hallelujah! Merry Christmas returns! I have wished everyone I meet a Merry Christmas each and every year at this time — I am Australian and that is what Australians do. We are not America or any other country and we have Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays. If you do not like it smile and say “thank you and same to you” because it is meant in the spirit of joy, friendship and peace. Debra Atwill, Gordon
- Our traditions
Congratulations Parramatta Council. A council that has done something that the majority of Australians want to see at Christmas time. We as Australians are sick and tired of having our country’s traditions thrown out in order to not to offend anyone. Well done Parra City Council. Scott, Wattle Grove
- ‘Tis the season
It is stupid to even have a debate over this issue. “Season’s Greetings” — you can use that for all other seasons. Merry Christmas is the true meaning for this festival season. So, merry Christmas to all and hope you all have a safe break. Jussy; Sydney
- Check the lifestyle
The political correctness is based on supposedly aiming not to offend those of other beliefs. The reality is those of other faiths came to this nation for the lifestyle, one of peace and security. But this peace has been created by the very beliefs that this political correctness says might offend newcomers. My belief is they must accept the status quo and not try to recreate the very things that have caused the mayhem and chaos in their former homes. I am proud of Australia. It may not be perfect but it has been my adopted home since 1967. If you enjoy it then don’t change it for the rest of us who were here before you. Nick of Oz, Sydney
- They have Christmas decorations all over Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and Christmas carols playing in nearly every shopping centre there. Neither of these countries is predominantly Christian, especially Malaysia, but nobody seems to have a problem with celebrating it. This politically correct stuff has gone way too far. If a Muslim country can celebrate Christmas openly then why can’t we? John, Kuala Lumpur
Tags: Christianity, Christmas, Religion