Posted by PeterH on October 29, 2006 at 13:32:18 from 86.130.125.40 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: PC again (Was Taking another tack (was Contemporary Appeal) posted by Ian E-N on October 28, 2006 at 22:56:44:
Ian - as it happens, I share your disbelief in religion. And Christmas, or whatever one chooses to call it, doesn't mean much to me personally. However, surely one can make this personal choice without publicly belittling the beliefs of others 'muddled mish-mash' 'mythic flummery'. Whether you or I like it or not, this is a post-Christian country, and much of our nomenclature reflects that. It is part of our history, and one might note that various 20th century regimes in other countries have tried to blot out history they didn't like by altering place-names etc. This is illogical and intolerant. One might as well object to the name 'Lancaster' because it reflects the subjugation of the British by the Romans.
I am sorry about the expletive, Ian, but I think your posting was discourteous, and rather shocking coming from the webmaster of a genial and generally very tolerant Board. And by the way, I don't see that Ransome has anything to do with this. He didn't mention religion, but he didn't attack it either - he set up a secular, rationalist, behavioural framework in the actions of the Swallows, which I am happy to accept. If he had views on the Christian religion, he kept them to himself - wise and courteous man.