Parramatta Councillor Michael McDermott emailed me earlier today with the news that Parramatta City Council yesterday approved new banners for Christmas that actually reference Christmas! He's now asking you and me for help in sharing the news.
It demonstrates that reverse discrimination against Christianity, in the name of political correctness, can be successfully challenged if we're reasonable in the way we go about it. McDermott says he wants to encourage other cities "to look long and hard at how they are celebrating Christmas."
Have a look for yourselves.
These are the banners from previous years
These are the banners for this year
Spot the difference? The first lot remind me of the "Mr Hankie" episode from Southpark crossed with War of the Worlds. Are the second lot really so horrible in comparison?
McDermott says, "No one is offended by you doing this and your residents will love it." Even if they don't, I say, if we can celebrate Dwali as a community why not Christmas?
For more articles on Parramatta and Christmas
Curious Christian 
First, let me say that the new banners are absolutely lovely.
Having said that, I would like to take note of Mr. McDermott’s comment about celebrating Dwali and once again lament that you guys are apparently far better at pluralism than we are over here.
Truth be told, people over here have been trying to defend government-sanctioned (or even government-sponsored) Christmas decorations and displays by arguing that they’d make room for all religious displays. The problem is, when that promise is put to the test, it far too often proves to little more than empty promises or rhetoric.
The fact that Parramatta does recognize Dwali and other religious festivals demonstrates that they are willing to be all-inclusive and I think religiously themed Christmas displays are perfectly reasonable under those circumstances. Unfortunately, I can only hope that many communities here in the United States reach that same commitment someday soon.
LikeLike
Jarred, the comment about Dwali is mine, but from our conversations I gather he would agree with me. Apart from making space for Dwali in the form of the proposed Parramasala Festival, the council has also allowed the Town Hall to be rented to Pagans multiple years running for the Magick Happens Festival. I’ve attended a few of those myself. Under such circumstances we think its reasonable to recognize Christmas. All is not happiness and light however, as you might gather from my recent stouch with the Christian Democrat candidate. There are forces of discrimination lined up in both directions.
LikeLike
“… and isn’t that the *real* meaning of Christmas / Diwali / Ramadan / etc?”
🙂
LikeLike
No, they’d be on a different day
LikeLike
It’s made the papers now
http://parramatta-advertiser.whereilive.com.au/news/story/christmas-is-back-on-the-cards/
LikeLike