Yes, Christmas is coming. Not the ‘Festive Season’ and certainly not the ‘Holidays’, just good old fashioned Christmas. I’m not a Christian but I really don’t get upset if anybody wishes me a ‘Happy Christmas‘. Nor for that matter would any of the Muslims, Jews, Sikhs or Buddhists that I know. If I wish Muslim friends ‘eid mubarak’, even though I’m not Muslim myself, they don’t get bent out of shape about it and the same would be true if I sent them a Christmas card with a Christian prayer inside of it. In fact, they’d probably be chuffed to bits that I was taking the time to include them. It seems that the only people who take offence at the mention of Christmas, are Christian’s who have somehow advanced into bureaucratic positions that are far higher than their IQ’s should allow. They seem to perceive that ‘Christmas’ is offences to other religions and instead of inviting everybody to join in the celebrations, they try to sweep it under the carpet and end up hacking everybody off. So, if somebody wishes you ’Happy Holidays’ or sends you a politically correct corporate card, then please return it to sender and tell them to get a life.
Talking of perception - sort of - I recently changed my Facebook picture for Children in Need. I normally use a photograph of my face in my normal crash helmet, but I changed the helmet to yellow and had a spotted bandana running diagonally across it. An email asked me if I’d used special paint that wouldn’t affect the integrity of the helmet and if I’d used special one-way coloured film for the bandana? The answer is almost ’Yes’. The special paint that I used was eco-friendly MS Paintbrush and no helmets were harmed in the making of that photograph.
Anyway, I’ve done all of my Christmas shopping, one present for Hannah and a donation to charity that’s equal to all of the other crappy presents that I would probably have bought for everybody else if I‘d had the time. It’s an easy solution, nobody ever asks for a receipt and hopefully everybody feels a little bit better because of it.
Happy Christmas
www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas
Talking of perception - sort of - I recently changed my Facebook picture for Children in Need. I normally use a photograph of my face in my normal crash helmet, but I changed the helmet to yellow and had a spotted bandana running diagonally across it. An email asked me if I’d used special paint that wouldn’t affect the integrity of the helmet and if I’d used special one-way coloured film for the bandana? The answer is almost ’Yes’. The special paint that I used was eco-friendly MS Paintbrush and no helmets were harmed in the making of that photograph.
Anyway, I’ve done all of my Christmas shopping, one present for Hannah and a donation to charity that’s equal to all of the other crappy presents that I would probably have bought for everybody else if I‘d had the time. It’s an easy solution, nobody ever asks for a receipt and hopefully everybody feels a little bit better because of it.
Happy Christmas
www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas
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2 comments:
Dear Geoff,
Spot on below is a copy of my letter to the 'Hartlepool Mail' which they will not publish;
Dear Editor,
As we approach Christmas and cards start to fall through the letter box I have become increasing saddened by the deliberate absence of the word Christmas on some corporate Christmas cards on the perception that it offends people of other religions to use the word Christmas.
No one could describe me as a bible basher however, I do have a strong personal spiritual believe. I don't belong to any specific religious group or faith as I believe they are all relevant. I firmly believe that Jesus was a man who lived 2000+ years ago and that Christmas is a celebration of his birth. That to me is a simple fact. Others may wish to ignore Christs' birth, call it a winter festival, or be vague and wish peace, or/and seasons greetings. However, for Christians Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the man who is the key to their religion, his existence is recognised by other religions as both a significant prophet and religious teacher of the time.
Christmas should not be lost in the crazy world of political correctness because it is ALL about the simple recognition of the birth of Jesus. No one from any religion should be offended by that or the fact that we celebrate CHRISTMAS and I doubt they are.
Well said .... and lets hope that they print it.
Happy Christmas ... Geoff
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