Funnily enough, that occurred to me too. Who knows, perhaps the next step
will be to merge the Red Cross and the Red Crescent and call it -- as my
colleague here in HRD suggested -- the Red Symbol . . . But then I started
wondering which organisation would be the next to announce its
secularisation "treatment": St. John's Ambulance? The Samaritans? Marks &
Spencer? ("That brand name will simply have to go"!)
The mind boggles. It must be time for a break from work. Seriously,
everyone, in anticipation and expectation, here's wishing you all an
enjoyable Christmas break -- however you observe the holidays -- with health
and happiness in 2004!
Regards,
Faith
=====================
Faith Marchal
Equality & Diversity Adviser
Anglia Polytechnic University
Bishop Hall Lane
Chelmsford CM1 1SQ
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
tel: 01245 493131, ext. 4928
----- Original Message -----
From: "Virginia Wainwright" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 5:26 PM
Subject: Re: Gideon Bibles/French secularism
> Will the Red Cross be reconsidering their image as well - the cross
> being a well-known symbol of the Christian faith?
>
> Virginia
>
> On Mon, 15 Dec 2003 12:25:20 +0000 Felicity Hunt <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> > Just to add a further twist to this fascinating debate - I read over the
> > weekend that the Red Cross will in future only sell 'secular' Christmas
> > cards
> > i.e. none which have reference to Christmas as a Christian festival. The
> > reasoning is that 'Christian' cards may cause offence to people of other
> > faiths. Maybe this is apocryphal but it made me realise that there
> > will be
> > some who take the new religion and belief regulations to astonishing
> > ends. I
> > agree wholeheartedly about the continuum but perhaps we can at least for
> > starters look at 'custom and practice'. We are used to the wearing of
> > the
> > hijab, the display of Christmas cards in offices, lights displays at
> > Diwali
> > and Christmas, etc., etc. - why should we assume that these practices
> > should
> > cause offence because of the new regulations?
> >
> > Incidentally as a Christian I find the practice of placing Gideon
> > bibles in
> > hotel and other rooms intrusive and would support the suggestion
> > instead of
> > providing information to students about a range of faith facilities.
> >
> > Felicity
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > "A.S.J.Lie" <[log in to unmask]> on 11/12/2003 12:47:07
> >
> > Please respond to HE Administrators equal opportunities list
> > <[log in to unmask]>
> >
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > cc: (bcc: Felicity Hunt/PER/Central-Admin)
> >
> > Subject: Re: Gideon Bibles/French secularism
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Begs a question though....what about 'small' Christian crosses,
> > especially
> > those hideous crucifixes? Do we know any more about implications for
> > overt
> > symbols of other faith groups, eg. Sikh men's turbans? Where will it
> > end? I
> > can see a conundrum in the French situation.
> > Andy
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Richard Price [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: 11 December 2003 12:44
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Gideon Bibles/French secularism
> >
> >
> > "The ban would outlaw the Jewish kippa, large Christian crosses and the
> > Islamic headscarf, which
> > would be considered overt religious symbols"
> >
> > Just off the BBC News website.
> >
> > Richard.
> >
> >
> > Richard Price,Staff Welfare Officer.
> > Mantell 1A18, University of Sussex, Falmer,Brighton. BN1 9QN
> > Tel. 01273-877712; Internal 7712
> > [log in to unmask]
>
> ----------------------
> Virginia M Wainwright
> Director of Equality and Diversity
> King's College London
> James Clerk Maxwell Building
> 57 Waterloo Road
> London SE1 8WA
> 020 7848 3399
> [log in to unmask]
>
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