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Campaign to defend Christianity in the UK
Topic Started: Tuesday, 28. September 2010, 17:53 (313 Views)
Rose of York
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http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=16805

independent Catholic News
 
Launch of campaign to defend Christianity in UK
Monday, September 27, 2010 7:27 pm

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Christians of all denominations subject to ‘discrimination’ in schools and work-places as a result of being open about their Christian beliefs, have launched a nation-wide ‘Not Ashamed’ campaign. They are urging Christians across the country to stand together.

Christians whose plight have been highlighted by the national media, including Shirley Chaplin, Olive Jones, Sheila Matthews, Andrew McClintock, Gary McFarlane and Lydia Playfoot, launched the campaign outside Parliament.

Campaign organiser, Christian Concern for our Nation, is urging Christians to wear the ‘Not Ashamed’ logo during Advent this year, and especially on Wednesday, 1 December - ‘Not Ashamed Day’.

Lord Carey of Clifton, former Archbishop of Canterbury is currently writing a special leaflet for the campaign, explaining why Jesus Christ is good news for all. It is hoped that it will be delivered to every household in the country.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, founder of Christian Concern said: “As the Pope’s visit has highlighted, there is widespread recognition of the attempt in our society to remove Jesus Christ from public life, restricting Him to the domain of the ‘private and personal’, with disastrous effect for both individuals and our communities.

“This has meant that many Christians have felt unable to speak and live out their faith or confused and bewildered at what they are allowed to say and do in public. This campaign is about giving the grassroots the courage to stand up and be counted and fearlessly declare that they are not ashamed of who they are or what they believe in. The Campaign encourages them to wear a highly visible Christian symbol and also, give to family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues Lord Carey’s leaflet.

“It is time for the Church to find her voice again. We are praying that this Campaign will achieve just that by igniting a flame in Christians such that they find their voice and place in public life. The Not Ashamed symbol of the cross is designed to act as a reminder of the hope that is found uniquely and supremely in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Christian Concern has written to a range of Christian leaders urging them to back ‘Not Ashamed’ Day when thousands of Christians across the UK will wear merchandise sporting a cross encircled in a speech bubble, encouraging people to ask what the logo is all about.

The group, which has been at the forefront of defending Christian freedoms in the workplace, and society at large, also asks Christians everywhere to back wholeheartedly the Advent Evangelistic opportunity, encouraging their churches, networks and denominations to distribute Lord Carey’s evangelistic leaflet.

For full details of the campaign, and to order merchandise, visit: http://www.notashamed.org.uk/ or call 020 3327 1133.


Article reproduced in full, with permission
Keep the Faith!

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Alpac

I prefer to proclaim my faith by actions and words, not sure the tea shirt would suit me. That said, however, I would rather people engage in a posative pro-christian campaigne than a negative campaign againt non-catholics.
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Rose of York
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Alpac
Wednesday, 29. September 2010, 07:10
That said, however, I would rather people engage in a posative pro-christian campaigne than a negative campaign againt non-catholics.
The chances of that happening in this island of England, Scotland and Wales are virtually zero.
Keep the Faith!

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Alpac

Alas you may well be right Rose.
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Rose of York
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Alpac, I posted too hastily. The chances of a negative campaign against non-catholics is unlikely to happen in England.

I experience little anti Christian feeling, but there is a minority who think Christians are a bit odd and, on hearing one is a Christian, will react by saying "I've nothing against you being a Christian, or going to church, just so long as you don't try forcing it down my throat ". I reply "Why should my attendance at church or anywhere else bother you? I don't feel threatened by your hobby, I don't tell you I have nothing against you going fishing (or watching football or whatever you do) then with a laugh "just so long as you don't try forcing it down my throat ". When I ask "how many Christian have tried that" the answer is generally "Come to think of it, very few".
Keep the Faith!

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Derekap
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There is a danger that the more Christian and, above all, the more churchgoing we show ourselves the more we are prone to be criticised if, being human, we do anything wrong or make mistakes.
Derekap
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Alpac

Rose of York
Wednesday, 29. September 2010, 17:44
Alpac, I posted too hastily. The chances of a negative campaign against non-catholics is unlikely to happen in England.
No worries, thanks.

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KatyA

I recently attended a show in which one of the numbers was Do the Sacred Mass The dancers were dressed as nuns with very short skirts - really they were dancers dressed in sequinned costumes with what were clearly intended to be nun's headdresses. I felt quite offended by the lyrics and performance but did nothing. Should I have done something - walked out, complained to the management...?

KatyA
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Rose of York
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KatyA
Sunday, 3. October 2010, 00:14
I felt quite offended by the lyrics and performance but did nothing. Should I have done something - walked out, complained to the management...?
A difficult one, if you are there as a guest of others, they may be very offended if you walk out. The management may be pleased to receive a complaint from a Catholic, might think that is a sign the act would be a success with "an audience who live in the real world and have a sense of humour".

You could write to the management, praise the other acts and add that the show was spoiled by the act that mocked the faith held by many in the audience. You might get a reply that nobody else complained, but it might make the manager think "why are Christians upset by this sort of harmless fun", and the thoughts could lead him or her onto the right path.
Keep the Faith!

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PJD

Derekap wrote:

".............the more Christian and, above all, the more churchgoing we show ourselves the more we are prone to be criticised if, being human, we do anything wrong or make mistakes."

St.Teresa of Avila wrote [interior castle] the same thing more or less, when addressing her nuns.

Good example is far more effective than any commercial T shirts; not however to say that the T shirts do any harm.

PJD
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Rose of York
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If we evangelise with faith, and hope, and with charity, will Christianity need to be defended? Many would be converted.

The T-shirt does not appeal to me. I do wear T-shirts but my defence of Christianity consists of being willing to explain things to people who have the wrong impression of our teachings and practices. Some have been misinformed, some are very gullible indeed, some have been raised in an atmosphere hostile to religion.

I find that regarding Catholicism the most common questions about teachings are on contraception and the indissolubility of marriage. "Why does your Church insist on you having loads of kids even if you can't afford to look after them" "How can your Church force people to stay together when one is cruel to the other?" are typical questions. Many believe that the Catholic Church teaches that when a mother's life is in danger connected with pregnancy the baby's life must be saved in preference to the mother's, she being left to die. That gives me the opportunity to explain that the medical profession have responsibilities to both mother and baby, they should try to save both.
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KatyA

In a Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Catholics are urged to make their faith more visible by regularly saying ‘God bless you’ and making the Sign of the Cross in their daily lives
The text of the pastoral letter can be seen here
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Alpac

I was challenged the other day because someone in the Vatican had criticised the awarding of the Nobel Prize to the professor who pioneered IVF. I am not a doctor so have not the knowledge to engage in a debate as to why it is problematic to Catholics, I am sure IVF has been discussed elsewhere in this forum so I am not reopening the debate here. The problem is that as you rightly say Rose is that it's often issues regarding procreation and marriage that bring us into conversation with strangers about our faith. Does anyone know of a sort of “Idiots guide to Morality, an RC view" that would help to make sense of some of these issues?
Edited by Alpac, Thursday, 7. October 2010, 07:11.
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K.T.B.

KatyA
Thursday, 7. October 2010, 00:08
In a Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Catholics are urged to make their faith more visible by regularly saying ‘God bless you’ and making the Sign of the Cross in their daily lives
The text of the pastoral letter can be seen here
I have a rosary hanging from my rear view mirror in my car and a palm cross on the dashboard. As well as being a reminder to me of God's presence, I find it is quite an easy way of giving witness to the Faith.




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Derekap
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K.T.B wrote:

"I have a rosary hanging from my rear view mirror in my car and a palm cross on the dashboard. As well as being a reminder to me of God's presence, I find it is quite an easy way of giving witness to the Faith".

About 12 years ago my wife and I were on holiday in Malta. Most of the bus dashboards and windscreens were shrines.
Derekap
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