Understanding Easter- a part of our Christian cultural force which has made
us what we are.
Understanding Easter
by
Susan Elkin
[Teacher of English for more
than 30 years]
In
the Daily Mail on Tuesday the 15thof April 2003 the following
article
*
For
centuries, Christians have used this week, Holy Week, to commemorate the last
few days in the life of Christ.
It
starts on Palm Sunday when Christ is said to have entered Jerusalem for the
last time, riding a borrowed donkey.
And it ends with the near-despair of Easter Eve on Saturday after the
crucifixion, but before the bright hope of new life which comes with the resurrection
on Easter Sunday.
General
knowledge? It certainly should be. But
how many children know what Holy Week stands for, why is it so called and why
it matters? Alarmingly few.
It
is not an insult to other great world religions to remind ourselves that
culturally Britain is a Christian country and has been for 14 centuries. Our way-of -life, law attitudes are deeply
rooted in it.
It
doesn’t matter what any individual may or may not believe (and I, for the record, am
not a Christian believer).
However, much as we work at human and liberal understanding,
especially during a war, this country is not predominately Moslem, Buddhist or
Hindu. It is Christianity that underpins European thought,
and children being educated as young British citizens have a right to
understand that.
Christmas has the ‘advantage’ of being a potentially
pretty tale and an excuse for a sentimental wallow.
But there’s nothing remotely nice about the events of Holy
Week. So, although children are
accustomed on a daily basis to TV screens full of graphic and horrifying
violence, schools seem to shy away from the crucifixion story.
What do they do instead?
Like the rest of the shallow, secularised and anything but the spiritual
society, they look anywhere other than to the Bible for a naff and romantic
version of Easter.
The result? For
most children, Easter is just a spring festival and a holiday, one reduced to a
season of boot fairs and chocolate guzzling.
School halls are full of pre-Christian fertility symbols, although few
recognise them as that. Rabbits, chicks
and eggs are everywhere. There is hardly a cross in
sight.
One
school recently got publicity for forbidding the consumption of hot cross buns
in case the crosses upset Moslem pupils.
It is scandalous that children are passing through our
schools without being taught in depth and in detail about the stories and the
thinking which gave rise to Christianity.
And that doesn’t mean just the pretty or easy bits.
Of
course, because we have children of many cultures in our schools-and it is
vital to promote tolerance-it makes sense to celebrate major non-Christian
festivals as well.
But it is Christianity which should have a primacy
because of where we are. Young Britons
of all backgrounds should learn how Christianity came to their country
They should know, too, about the later buildings of that
astonishing heritage-the great cathedrals-to be taken to visit one. What better time than Easter for this? The National Curriculum for Religious
Education is taught according to syllabuses agreed and approved locally rather
than set nationally. The need to provide
every child with his or her spiritual entitlement is at the heart of every
syllabus. How can you do that properly
without providing information and ideas?
The
conflict between good and evil and the need to come to terms with the mysteries
of life and death are central to spiritual thinking across all faiths.
Children need to explore the difference between right and
wrong too. What better peg than the
Holy Week story for discussing morality?
Children in schools should study the four gospel versions
of the main stories, learning that the details differ considerably and why, a
basic ‘media studies’ lesson about the reporting of events and how to read such
accounts critically.
What
a great opportunity to keep alive the King James Bible too. With its powerful poetic simplicity, it is
the most important work of literature published in English.
For
hundreds of years much of our high art and music has drawn its inspiration from
Christian mythology. How can a child
appreciate Michelangelo’s Pieta or the profoundly spiritual ‘He Was Despised’
from Handel’s Messiah if they don’t know the story of Holy Week?
Wishy-washy,
politically -correct teachers and syllabus compilers have no right to deny
young people informed access to some of the greatest of all works of art.
Christianity
is more than a religion. In Britain it
is the main cultural force which has made us what we are. So it is time schools recognised that it is
too important to be reduced to a furry toy or a bit of chocolate confectionary.
*
(Susan Elkin has taught
English for more than 30 years.)
[Font
altered-bolding & underlining-comments in brackets ]
MARCH/05
*
* *
*
|
THE PEOPLE HAVE
SPOKEN-IS THE EU COMMISSION LISTENING?
*
Ditch the EU TREATY after IRISH REJECTION
SAY VOTERS
by
Daniel Martin
Political Reporter
[Daily Mail-Wednesday, June 18,2008]
MORE THAN HALF of voters believe Britain should drop the
controversial European Treaty in the wake of its rejection in last
week's
IRISH REFERENDUM'
The poll comes as the Tories launch a last-ditch bid in
the
HOUSE of LORDS
today to delay the
RATIFICATION OF THE
TREATY.
And
10,000 people
have signed a
PETITION
on the
DOWNING STREET- WEBSITE
within the past few days
JUNE16-2008
, calling on the
GOVERNMENT
NOT TO RATIFY THE BILL
[WHY DON'T YOU?]
Downing Street website is
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Abandon-Lisbon/
*
JUNE 18-2008
|
*
*
* *
*
*
* *
*
The abolition of Britain
by The Reform Treaty
- Second Reading-Passed by majority of 138
*
Veteran parliamentarian TONY BENN speaks of the
absolute necessity of a
REFERENDUM
HEAR HIM ON
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o0I-ZdvQz1o
*
13th October,2007
So You Want Out Of The EU
THEN WHY NOT SIGN THE
RENUNCIATION of EU CITIZENSHIP
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Optout
Details from petition creator
With the signing of the Maastricht Treaty the
people of Britain were given
DUAL CITIZENSHIP
-both
EUROPEAN and BRITISH
The extra tier of citizenship was thrust upon
the people without their consent -and in many cases knowledge.
The PEOPLE of GREAT BRITAIN should be allowed
the option of opting out of the EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP if they so wish. The
GOVERNMENT will then be able to provide those who have opted out with
BRITISH DOCUMENTATION
-only such as British (not EU) passports,
driving licences and other national documents.
EU laws will also NOT APPLY to those who
HAVE OPTED OUT OF EUROPEAN CITIZENSHIP
[PETITION OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER
08]
*
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!
A
BLUNT REPLY TO THE QUEEN'S SPEECH ON CHRISTMAS DAY-25th DECEMBER ,2007.
*
TIME FOR DECISION
THE BRITISH
LEGACY-AUSTRALIA-CANADA-NEW ZEALAND-WHY THEY MATTER.
*
The Act of Settlement of
1701-WHY IT SHOULD CONCERN -YOU!
*
The Common Law of ENGLAND
is the LAW of
THE COMMONWEALTH and
AMERICA
*
The Commonwealth Realms V
The Constitution for Europe- 4-PARTS
*
MESSAGE FROM
AUSTRALIA-SUPPORT THE CROWN
*
THANK GOD WE ELECTED
A MONARCH
(by the Late -William Rees-Mogg-Independent
Peer)
*
WHY WE MUST BE ALERT AND
WITH OUR COMMONWEALTH PATRIOTS MAINTAIN CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY
*
IF WE DESTROY OUR
RIGHT OF FREEDOM TO FIGHT A WAR ON TERROR-WHO WINS?
(John Mortimer)
YOU CAN'T HAVE BOTH.
WILL THIS CHRISTMAS
QUEEN'S SPEECH
BE THE
LAST
IN A FREE INDEPENDENT ENGLAND -SCOTLAND AND WALES?
Will HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN ASSURE
YOU THAT YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FROM BECOMING A PROVINCE OF EUROPE.
OR
WILL THE QUEEN MAKE IT PLAIN THAT
OUR FREE INDEPENDENT NATION STATE IS SACROSANCT BUT THAT IF THE PEOPLE
WISH TO BECOME SLAVES -THEN A REFERENDUM THERE MUST BE.
WE BELIEVE THAT NO ENGLISHMAN SHOULD
BE ASKED WHETHER HE WISHES TO BE A SLAVE OR FREE!
THIS CHRISTMAS WE WILL FIND OUT IF
OUR PROTECTOR OF THE
'Rights
and Liberties'
of
Englishmen
Will keep by HER SACRED OATH
or the MONARCHY be nothing more
than a THEME PARK in the future
THIS IS THE TIME FOR BLUNT SPEAKING AS
THE VERY EXISTENCE OF OUR UNIQUE NATION STATE IS IN DIRE PERIL.
We are told on
the BBC (Brussels Broadcasting Service) at 11.30 pm on Saturday the
23rd December, 2007, that the QUEEN now has a website which has footage
of the Royal Family in the past and that the QUEEN is NOT
'Stuck in the past'
Well! as far as many patriotic
subjects are concerned we need to remain in the PAST when it concerns
the protection of our
FREEDOM and COUNTRY.
Change we have had and will continue
to have but it must not threaten our very WAY-OF-LIFE our Common Law of
England and all which makes our country the most unique parliamentary
democracy in the world.
THERE CAN BE NO SURRENDER!
Should the Monarch fail to protect our inherited RIGHTS and
Liberties then we shall have to fight for a REPUBLIC as happened in the
17th century because the Monarch of the day ignored those very
'Rights
and Liberties of Englishmen' which will still survive in
the English Speaking World today in December 2007. How can the MOTHER of
PARLIAMENTS give away what is already our and our children's
INHERITANCE which cannot be taken away by
PARLIAMENT or the QUEEN.
If the above publicity exercise is to be used to
soften the impact to the population of the BETRAYAL of their
CONSTITUTION and COUNTRY then it would be the greatest TREASON by a
Monarch since James II who sold our COUNTRY to the FRENCH for MONEY and
RELIGION.
WE ASK WHAT
PRICE ARE OUR RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES WORTH?
THEY ARE
PRICELESS!
*
*
The Choice is Yours!-but time is
running out FAST!
6 months to be EXACT!
*
THE EU
WE-AND
THEM!
WE are
to join THEM
THEY are
not joining US
WE have more to LOSE
THEY have
more to GAIN
WE have been clear of
dictators from EUROPE for most of our HISTORY
THEY have
been cursed with that abomination for most of their HISTORY and NOW!
*
Our Queen and the EU
Constitution
*
The Spirit of England
by
Winston Churchill
*
THE ENEMY IS EVERYWHERE
*
MESSAGE TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH
THE II
*
We now learn from the Daily Mail COMMENT
on Christmas Eve that the Queen's Speech will cover the catastrophic
fall in Values and Moral behaviour since the beginning of her 56 -year
reign. This has been brought about by the actions of HER MINISTERS and
the greater number of those in HER PARLIAMENT who have placed THEIR
CONCERNS before the INTERESTS of THE PEOPLE and NATION STATE.
As for the fact that HER PEOPLE feel
LOST that has been the direct result of the actions of HER SUCCESSIVE
GOVERNMENTS and the TRAITOROUS POLITICIANS including PRIME MINISTERS who
have stealthily over the 56 years of HER MAJESTY'S REIGN have almost
achieved their aim of ENSLAVING the PEOPLE to a FOREIGN POWER.
The reason for the marked drop in the
number viewing THE QUEEN'S SPEECH is no doubt because the mass of people
have realised years ago that the MONARCH is powerless to PROTECT their
WAY-OF-LIFE and events up to now have PROVED THEM CORRECT.
There is a well know saying
'Nero fiddled while
Rome burned'
Is
it the case on Christmas Day 2007 while the Monarch talks our Rights
and Liberties are being taken from us under our very noses?
Of
course the QUEEN under HER CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE can only 'Advise and
Warn' HER MINISTERS but when the matter concerns the very LIFE of an
INDEPENDENT STATE we expect that HER MAJESTY consider the arrangement to
be AT AN END as it would make a MOCKERY of the PRIME IMPORTANCE of the
MONARCH to protect our inherited Rights and Liberties which HER
MINISTERS are endeavouring TO GIVE AWAY.
We as loyal subjects of the MONARCH who
is the living embodiment of OUR RIGHTS and LIBERTIES ask at this late
stage with only months to the eradication of a FREE NATION STATE some
veiled comments that HER MAJESTY will PROTECT our RIGHTS and LIBERTIES.
As for the MORAL tone of the NATION STATE
at this most crucial time in ENGLISH CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY this matter
should be left to CHURCH LEADERS who's responsibility it is to CARE for
their FLOCKS particularly at this FESTIVAL of CHRISTMAS.
IF HER MAJESTY'S SPEECH has not been
pre-recorded we ask HER MAJESTY to give those MILLIONS of HER subjects
some hope that their PROTECTOR has NOT FORGOTTEN THEM.
Should
this APPEAL not be answered we can at last confirm that the MONARCHY is
after all nothing more than a talking shop suitable for YouTube and
therefore nothing more than a
THEME PARK
*
Hear Tony Benn's comments about the
despotic and corrupt
EUROPEAN UNION
and the need for a
REFERENDUM
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o0I-ZdvQz1o
From a politician with INTEGRITY and love of
country who has for decades witnessed the
growth of the monstrous creature soon to be a
UNITED STATES OF EUROPE.
*
Liberties of Parliament-
Birthright of Subjects of England.
*
[All
words/word underlined have a separate bulletin]
