How long before that word enters the mainstream?
[T]he real Christophobes are the self-loathing, guilt-ridden politically-correct liberal elite, driven by anti-Christian bigotry and a ruthless determination to destroy their own heritage and replace it with “the other”.
That’s Anthony Browne in the Times in a column entitled We are committing cultural suicide.
(In the midst of all the excitement about ‘the war on Christmas’ Browne does manage to score a good point against the silliness of removing Christian references from Christmas: In most cases, the Chistophobes use the excuse of multiculturalism, insisting that celebrating Christmas is offensive to non-Christian minorities, often citing Muslims. But the truth is that it is done in the name of Muslims, rather than at the request of Muslims, who accept the existence of Christ. Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists don’t mind Christmas celebrations any more than Christians object to Diwali, Eid or Chanukkah. As Trevor Phillips, the Chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, said: “It’s not offensive to minority communities to celebrate the festival of Christmas.” )
Anyway back to Christophobia. Mark Steyn has a similar item in the Telegraph ‘Say ‘Merry Christmas’ while you still can’ but is more optimistic because:
Flipping the dial on my car radio, I notice more stations than ever have been playing non-stop 24-hour “holiday music” for the month before C-day – not just Winter Wonderland and Jingle Bell Rock but Bing and Frank doing Go Tell it on the Mountain and Andy Williams singing O Holy Night. And not just the old guys, but all the current fellows, especially the country singers: Garth Brooks’s new album – The Magic of Christmas – includes Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! but also Baby Jesus is Born and O Little Town of Bethlehem.
That’s great.
Islamophobia, Christophobia and no doubt some ‘community leader’ in Birmingham today has their pen poised over the word Sikhophobia to describe people who thinkk you should be able to go to the theatre without being threatened with violence.
Aren’t we aethists in danger of being left out of all this competitive victimhood? Can we not be offended and demand protection too? Please?
Well, here is the good news comrades:
According to the Home Office’s FAQ on the bill: The new legislation will protect people of all religious beliefs, applying equally to incited hatred against Muslims, or Christians, or any other religious group. It will also protect people targeted because of their lack of religious beliefs or because they do not share the religious beliefs of the perpetrator.
Excellent. So you priests better be careful with all that talk about the sinners and the unbelievers and heretics burning in hell. Imams, watch your step when you utter the word infidel – that’s us you are talking about. I might be offended and ask the attorney-general to look into things for us. And yes, he will have to investigate my claim and decide whether you have incited hatred against me and other members of the unbelieving community.
So don’t let all this talk of Christophobia make you feel obliged to join in the mystical superstition in the coming days, we have rights too.
Say it loud and proud – Happy Holidays.
(And yes, I have appointed myself a ‘community leader’ in case anyone from Radio Four is reading).
(Oh and Mel P, you’ve let me down, you’ve been beaten to it. Get a grip.)