Christianity banned from cinemas

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Except that Jesus isn't the 'reason for the season', Hope - by the way, before I forget, let me be the first to wish you a Happy Saturnalia.

Is that Saturnalia or Stalinalia?

[Gordon]

Is that Saturnalia or Stalinalia?

The former, Vlad: but then you already know that!

[Shaker]

I don't know who Vlad is more obsessed with - Richard Dawkins or Joseph Stalin.

Perhaps it's Sean Carroll instead

[Walt Zingmatilder]

The former, Vlad: but then you already know that!

Ok ......are we going to be treated to discourses on the danger of Nativity Plays this yulemastide?

[Hope]

Except that Jesus isn't the 'reason for the season', Hope - by the way, before I forget, let me be the first to wish you a Happy Saturnalia.

Sorry, to disappoint you, but Jesus is the reason for the season.  We wouldn't have Christmas if it wasn't for the birth of Jesus.  I'm not saying that we might not have other festivals - such as Saturnalia - but we wouldn't have Christmas - and that is what most people here in the UK still know it as.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

I don't know who Vlad is more obsessed with - Richard Dawkins or Joseph Stalin.

Perhaps it's Sean Carroll instead

Sounds like an old firm of solicitors....Dawkins,Carroll and Stalin

.................or as they are known now.......Norfolk and Good.

[Shaker]

Sorry, to disappoint you, but Jesus is the reason for the season.  We wouldn't have Christmas if it wasn't for the birth of Jesus.  I'm not saying that we might not have other festivals - such as Saturnalia

Since winter festivals predate(d) Christianity, it's a certainty.

but we wouldn't have Christmas - and that is what most people here in the UK still know it as.

In name only

[Gordon]

Ok ......are we going to be treated to discourses on the danger of Nativity Plays this yulemastide?

These events are, of course, Christian propaganda of the most nefarious type made worse by ensnaring in young into participating in scurrilous fictitious nonsense.

Fortunately I was able to protect my kids/grandkids from be sucked into this type of brainwashing.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

These events are, of course, Christian propaganda of the most nefarious type made worse by ensnaring in young into participating in scurrilous fictitious nonsense.

Fortunately I was able to protect my kids/grandkids from be sucked into this type of brainwashing.

LOL

[Walt Zingmatilder]

These events are, of course, Christian propaganda of the most nefarious type made worse by ensnaring in young into participating in scurrilous fictitious nonsense.

Fortunately I was able to protect my kids/grandkids from be sucked into this type of brainwashing.

Absolutely Barkingu

[Gordon]

Absolutely Barkingu

So good you commented on it twice (think about that for a second).

[Hope]

Since winter festivals predate(d) Christianity, it's a certainty.

No, its not a certainty.  Society might have chosen to do away with festivals at some point in the past.  There is a historical precedent, when Cromwell's Puritans did away with Christmas as it existed at the time, without reinstating the Pagan festivals it had superceded.

In name only

Precisely, without the name - Christ - the Christmas festival would not exist.  Thanks for confirming my statement.

[BeRational]

No, its not a certainty.  Society might have chosen to do away with festivals at some point in the past.  There is a historical precedent, when Cromwell's Puritans did away with Christmas as it existed at the time, without reinstating the Pagan festivals it had superceded.
Precisely, without the name - Christ - the Christmas festival would not exist.  Thanks for confirming my statement.

The festival would exist just under a different name.

[jjohnjil]

Why anyone thinks atheists are the ones the cinema chain was worried about offending is beyond me!  In the latest terrorist massacre it was fundamentalist Muslims who murdered anyone who believed in the wrong sort of religion!

Maybe you think a gang of atheists might run into their cinemas spraying bullets at everyone!

[Shaker]

Precisely, without the name - Christ - the Christmas festival would not exist.  Thanks for confirming my statement.

Without your alleged Jesus there's every reason to believe that people at this latitude would have some sort of festival at the darkest time of year, called something, anything else (such as Jul, Jol or Joulu as it's known in the Scandinavian countries). That the festival is known as Christmas bears as much relation to Christianity for the vast majority today as calling Wednesday by that name does to followers of Woden

[SqueakyVoice]

There is a historical precedent, when Cromwell's Puritans did away with Christmas as it existed at the time, without reinstating the Pagan festivals it had superceded.

So the last people to actually ban Christmas were (puritanical) Christians. At least that explains why they didn't reinstate the Pagan festivals. 

[Sassy]

Well, in that case I'll remember to take a Christian with me the next time I go to the cinema.

Lovin it! ... Go Squeakyvoice...

[Sassy]

Dear Vlad,

Lights, camera, action I am reminded of Spike Milligan, what are we going to do now, what are we going to do now 

Gonnagle.

  Just a minute...I got it written down here on a piece of paper.

[Sassy]

Interesting:  can you provide evidence to back that?

I think the fact is that you have to pay to find out if the coke does as it says. The Lords prayer is about faith. If you don't like fizzy drinks you won't buy them.
If you don't pray then why would you wonder about it working?

Not sure people really think about the difference between selling something and sharing something. About want and supply. If you don't want it, no need for a supply.

[Sassy]

Presumably whoever is behind the advertisement felt that targeting this type of advert at a specific cinema audience (those wishing to watch Stars Wars) was a good business decision: bums on pews, so to speak.

Like everyone else I am regularly exposed to what are, for me, meaningless adverts - for instance for cat food (I don't have a cat, and never will) or face cream (I do have a face, but it is mostly hidden behind hair), so I just have to conclude that some people like cats or enjoy having creamy faces and simply ignore these encouragements. An advert for Christianity based on the Lord's Prayer is, for me, about as relevant as one claiming that Kattomeat is loved by felines.

When I go to the cinema I'd prefer just to see the film I've paid money to see but I recognise that advertising has always been part of the business model of cinemas - so I just take my iPod with me and listen to that until the seemingly interminable ads (all of them) are finished, since I'm not compelled to pay attention to any of them any more than I'm compelled to watch 'Songs of Praise' at home.

Personally I think this is probably a toe-curlingly cringe-laden attempt to make Christianity seem 'relevant' that is on a par with those cosmetic ads that tried to convince that without 'Bosewellox' female faces everywhere would be deprived of essential nutrients - I wouldn't ban it, but it might be best forgotten as being an embarrassingly twee idea in the first place: and one that can be easily ignored even if one has to sit through it.

Seen the said advert.. Not selling anything... Prayer is about enlightenment and spiritual need. Hair shampoo is for those who have hair. Christian prayer is for those who have faith.
Sometimes it is good to remind people that God is always there to pray to. Just because they advertise shampoo doesn't mean everyone will need it or use it. But they get the choice that is the freedom to choose...

[Outrider]

Except that - if statistics are to believed - many indicate that they don't know that Jesus is the reason for this particular season, Shaker.  It has nothing to do with injecting anything.  Ironically, those who hold religious beliefs other than Christianity not only often know this, but have no problem with it being highlighted.

Jesus is not 'the reason for the season' - the reason is to do with orbital mechanics meaning there is a point where the days stop getting shorter and start getting longer again. Christianity hijacked that observation by earlier traditions, and consumerism hijacked that.

The reason for the season is whatever you want it to be.

O.

[floo]

Jesus is not 'the reason for the season' - the reason is to do with orbital mechanics meaning there is a point where the days stop getting shorter and start getting longer again. Christianity hijacked that observation by earlier traditions, and consumerism hijacked that.

The reason for the season is whatever you want it to be.

O.

Agreed.

[Outrider]

Sorry, to disappoint you, but Jesus is the reason for the season.  We wouldn't have Christmas if it wasn't for the birth of Jesus.  I'm not saying that we might not have other festivals - such as Saturnalia - but we wouldn't have Christmas - and that is what most people here in the UK still know it as.

That rather depends - if you mean the name, well no we wouldn't, but if you think the celebration is about the name I think you've got your priorities way out of kilter with pretty much everyone else.

If you mean the concept of a midwinter celebration with gifts and family, that predates Christianity, let alone Christmas.

O.

[Outrider]

Why anyone thinks atheists are the ones the cinema chain was worried about offending is beyond me!  In the latest terrorist massacre it was fundamentalist Muslims who murdered anyone who believed in the wrong sort of religion!

Maybe you think a gang of atheists might run into their cinemas spraying bullets at everyone!

Shhh! Don't go bringing reason into it, or rationale, or actual observation of real-world events... this is about imaginary threats and the self-induced sense of victimisation that comes from a ban that doesn't actually exist in the first place...

O.

[Outrider]

Seen the said advert.. Not selling anything...

Then why do they need an advert?

Prayer is about enlightenment and spiritual need.

That's one opinion. Prayer is about trying to cast magic is another opinion.

Hair shampoo is for those who have hair. Christian prayer is for those who have faith.

So why churn it out at a showing of a work of fiction in which the major factions are involved with a concept based on a Buddhist/Taoist framework?

Sometimes it is good to remind people that God is always there to pray to.

Is it? I disagree, it's never worthwhile getting people to pray, it's better to get them to do something useful.

Just because they advertise shampoo doesn't mean everyone will need it or use it. But they get the choice that is the freedom to choose...

Yes. And those cinemas had the freedom to choose. They didn't choose Christianity - boo hoo... that's not a ban, that's a commentary on the relevance of Christianity in the 21st Century in Britain.

O.