British Debate- Employees wearing crosses to work ?

3/13/2012

Here's one that shocked me ! Big debate in Britian, Read On.

My opinion - I believe you have the right to wear a cross where ever you want- Freedom of Religion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/do-christians-have-right-wear-cross-crucifix-british-government-trial-case_n_1339460.html?ref=religion&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D143089



Cheers..Joe..

Yes Joe this is the sign of PC at work it is of course soon going to be illegal to offend anyone. Now not that I want to of course but banning something because others may find it offensive is tricky business.
In the UK Christianity used to be the national religion, practiced by the monarch with Prayers said and hymns sung in every School in the form of morning assembly.
We the British accepted it and respected it regardless of what we personally believed. No one was offended.
Then the Political Correctness brigade came along and gradually changed it all.
Even our national flag is under threat.
Yet we British seem to tolerate the change but we do moan about it.
Some things I am glad to see the back of like sexism, ageism and racism.
But it seems to be going too far these days.

3/13/2012

David..

Here in the USA we have people doing the same things ! Many find Christmas offensive, we'll my attitude is if you don't like it don't look at it ! I cannot believe the things that are going on in this country. When I was a kid in public school in the mid 1950's we had prayer in public school, what was wrong with that ? I even had to go to religious instructions every Wednesday. People come to this country and they want us who were born here to bow down, I'm sorry...I believe everyone has the right to religious freedom, pray the way you want, It rubs me the wrong way when atheists try to destroy religion and in this country you hear about it more and more, if they don't believe that's their problem ! These young ladies and anyone else have the right to wear what ever religious symbol they want no one and I mean no one not even government can say a word ! It gets up my nose when I hear people want to take away the Pledge Of Allegiance to the flag or take off In God We Trust on our currency...It's got to stop and stop now ..By the way what is PC ?

Cheers..Joe...

Political Correctness Joe.

It is sadly a sign of the times and when in Orange County it is illegal for Christians
to have prayer meetings or bible studies in their own homes the times are dire!
Freedom is dissolving away like the Polar ice caps.

3/13/2012

Slowly countries are getting like Russia

was !

Cheers..Joe..

Change is inevitable. Stillness is death.

Change that actually makes something better is good. Change, just so you can say you changed but that actually does no good and in some cases makes things worse, is not good.

We are right to embrace the first type of change, and I feel it is our obligation and duty to reject the second type.

The problem is that change of choice is such a matter of diverse opinions. In the big scheme of things, they will change in spite of whether the change feels negative or positive.

Texting is ruining language and words. Software programs are ruining the ability to check one's own work without a crutch. Basic math is a thing of the past.

Yet, I remember teaching typing when the new automatic typewriters came in. I forced those poor children to learn how to type on the manuals first - in case that's all they had to use. Imagine! A typewrite - you know, that piece of equipment that you run a piece of paper through without a spellchecker - although the few around now have those too!

Clothing styles and the reactions to those styles change. How about men in fancy tights? I would have liked those days except for the corsets for women.

Women used to wear velvet chokers with cameos. Today they have pierced lips and noses (men too).

There's always someone who is distraught and makes rules. Those who wish to participate in the play of the moment, follow the rules. Those who don't follow another play.

I had a school where gang denotations were forbidden. They created new ones: a small spot of a colored handkerchief in a back left pocket; a key chain; a certain walk; an ink spot on the hand -

Whatever is forbidden can be found in a personal way, just ask those gang members. If a cross is forbidden, put a cross in the pocket and add it later. If a prayer is forbidden, say a prayer in silence. Religion is a person thing, anyway. It's a matter of the heart and it's connection to the spiritual belief. Those religions that require a hat or scarf are the most difficult, or those requiring the entire body clothed. However, the Amish take care of that by living in their own commune.

I don't get upset about removing "God" or prayers because no one takes them away from me. They are in my heart and soul. I lived in Asian countries where I never saw a Christian symbol except on rare missionary occasions. It didn't destroy my understanding of Christianity; it just expanded my understanding of possibilities for spiritual awakening through other ideas and beliefs.

We don't have to embrace change; we can certainly express our opinions about change; but change with the majority opinion will occur.

3/13/2012

Once said:



" Give me liberty or Give me death "

Depends on the change ? If it's Socialisim everyone else

can have it , I believe in my freedom..



Cheers..Joe...

Yes, there a principles that are worth fighting for. In this country, we have had great freedoms of expression - eventually - many hard won by some segments of the population.

I want to prioritize my fights. What a person wears is not among them. Circumstances can change my priorities, however. When gang symbols led to gatherings that harmed other students, they became a concern.

I agree with DK. If God is in the heart, why is it necessary to flaunt ones religion by wearing a symbol. Is God impressed by that? Is it an act of defiance? If one feels the need for this aid, who are we to deny it?
Whether we admit it or not, we judge people by what they wear. Our appearance makes a statement. Insecurity plays a role.

I agree that people are judged by what they wear, but why can't they wear a cross? Publicly displaying their religion might make them more aware of it. Christians could try folowing Christ's example and teating others as they would wish to be treated.

At least everyone would know what they were supposed ot be doing.

I agree Alice. The life we live is the best example. We don't need a sign telling someone to "Keep off the Grass".

I don't think that everyone who wears a symbol of her belief system is being smug. For many, even most, it is simply a way of saying, "This is a part of who I am."

If the "statement" is about something like, "I am special because I am a Christian," then there is a problem. It is the same problem when we act as though being Christian gives us special privileges, like insisting on the use of the word "Christmas, or using our homes to avoid paying fees for our gatherings (not saying I agree with the imposition of those fees - just saying it's a good idea to look deeper before deciding)

Christianity (and I am a Christian) is one religion among others, and who are we to say we are the only ones who are getting it right?

So, I wonder, does this workplace also prohibit wearing a star of David, or a scarf, or a depiction of a sheaf of corn.....? If the employer's position is to keep your beliefs and values out of the workplace, that could be a difficult place to work, I would think.

Just sayin' it's a complex question.

Ann

3/14/2012



I wonder what this employer would say if he or she saw that

I wear a Medical ALert 2" square tube around my neck it has

a USB port when you open it and it has four pages of my info,

would I be fired for that ? That would be against my civil rights.



Cheers..Joe..

I don't see why you would be fired for that , Joe.

Interesting discussion!

While I abhor sexism, racism, antisemitism, and in general the belittling of any human being for his/her views, race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, or age,we have long ago begun our trip down the rabbit hole in the U.S., followed eagerly by other "right thinking societies" around the world increasingly eager to follow our lead in the name of political correctness. We've reached the point where anything that offends anyone for any reason (real or imagined, rational or irrational) is to be eschewed. The popular media, using the excuse of political correctness and setting itself as the judge, jury and executioner in the realm of tolerable speech, has brought us to the point where it is almost impossible to state an opinion about anything that offends the favored few (read: the causes, people, philosophies espoused by "right thinking people"--read: liberal/progressive).

Examples?

B.C. [Before Christ] becomes BCE-Before the Common Era (Common how? Ah, well, you know . . . before that J.Cc guy was born.)

A.D. [Anno Domini, or In the Year of Our Lord] becomes C.E. or Common Era (Common in the aforementioned manner.)

Niggardly becomes a banned word because, though its etymology has nothing whatever to do with the rightfully hateful N word, it just sounds close enough to be offensive to some people. And that's all it takes. Use it and you are racist. (The fact that it means stingy or cheap is irrelevant--plus, it probably also offends stingy, cheap people, or anyone who may inappropriately be associated with being stingy or cheap.)

Recently, Catholic nuns have been subjected to pat-down searches at U.S. airports, but Muslim women in burkas have been exempted from these public searches because it is offensive to their religion. At least we can rest assured that we are safe from Catholic nuns blowing up airplanes as part of a plot to push Catholicism on our Agnostic Nation. (I sleep much better at nights knowing that.)

Tax dollars courtesy of the NEA have funded art depicting vaginas on plates, men urinating into each-others' mouths and excrement slathered on Christ on the Cross (Christians and Catholics, of course, must be tolerant of this "art" expressing a point of view that maybe, just maybe, is distasteful, sacrilegious and unacceptable to most people of conscience regardless of religious affiliation). On the other hand, anyone who finds the first two examples of "art" offensive is clearly a misogynist and homophobe. And, of course, anyone who finds the third example offensive, is a "Christian fundamentalist zealot" and a general troglodyte.

A white man saying that he does not like President Obama is almost certainly motivated by racism. A black man saying that he does not like most white people and that Jews run the world is simply expressing understandable righteous indignation borne of years of being treated like a second-class citizen in a country that once treated him like chattel (even if he is a multimillionaire Hollywood celebrity or a university professor at a prestigious institution).

This is only the very tippy-top of an enormous iceberg. Perhaps some day I'll write a book about it. If I do, I will likely be accused of multiple hate crimes, ostricized, shunned and my book will be burned as the only surviving form of obscenity. Like Socrates, I may even be forced to drink the hemlock for corrupting the youth.

4/1/2012

Victor...

You are so right ! I'm with you, it's gotten out

of hand....It TICKS ME OFF, when people start knocking

or degrading Christmas ! If they don't like it leave the country.

Cheers..Joe...

Good post, Victor. It gives a needed perspective.

"Love it or leave it" seems to be a cop out. That phrase was heard during the Vietnam War for those who protested against it. Similar phrases are heard today when one objects to or disagrees with a given subject. I think everyone has the right to express their opinions/feelings. It doesn't mean they are right, but that they have the right to speak their mind. Many say they want the truth, yet the truth can hurt. It is often prudent to not be entirely honest when we know it may hurt someone. Being politically correct is a blessing and a curse. Being too sensitive can cause resentment. Being too honest/blunt can cause resentment.

Isn't it great when one can be with people and talk freely without worrying about proper words or being on guard against offending? That is rare. Most often we are cognizant of our surroundings and who might be eavesdropping on the conversation.