Keep Christmas Christian please!
Don't forget the religious importance
Religious leaders have called on the Luton Town Hall to keep Christmas Christian.
The town's churches, as well as Muslim, Sikh, Jewish, Hindu and other faith groups, have seized on a national campaign to guarantee the festival celebrating Jesus' birth loses none of its religious importance.
In an open letter to Luton Borough Council's chief executive Kevin Crompton, the various groups made a plea "to retain the specific religious recognition for Christian festivals".
The letter was signed by Reverend Simon Dust, chair of Transforming Luton - a network of various Christian denominations - and Zafar khan, chair of Luton Council of Faiths and is part of a nationwide drive to protect Christmas from secularisation.
Rev Dust said the letter had been sent to urge the council to refrain from renaming the Christian festival and using another non-religious name.
"The reason often given is that to use a specific Christian name for this festival offends members of other religious traditions," he said.
"The desire to secularise religious festivals is in itself offensive to all faith communities.
"Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus and we wish this significant part of the Christian heritage of this country to remain an acknowledged part of national life."
The reverend said Luton rejoiced in the contribution and value of all religious communities in the town any attempt to hide the celebration of religious festivals promoted frustration, alienation and even anger within religious communities.
He added: "I have received strong support from other faith leaders and look to see the council taking a lead in keeping Christmas as a Christian festival - celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ."
A council spokeswoman said the local authority had no intention of changing the name of Christmas.
She said: "Luton is not cancelling Christmas. Luton is not changing the name of Christmas. Any suggestion that we are doing so is utter nonsense.
"Luton has an impressive track record of respect and support for a remarkable variety of religions."
The joint commitment to protecting Christmas follows a statement along the same lines released by the national Christian Muslim Forum and the seasonal alarmist stories in certain quarters of the national press.
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Weather for Luton
Friday 25 May 2012
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