Christmas in politically correct times

There was a time, whether you remember it or not, when Canada 's public education system was unabashedly Christian. One of the stated educational goals in every province in the land was to foster Judeo-Christian values in students.

In an effort to accomplish this, Bible readings and the Lord's Prayer were mandatory and unquestioned daily events nearly everywhere in Canada at least until 1967. In some provinces, public schools were either Protestant or Catholic.

Now, of course, in our tolerant, multicultural way, we have decided that no particular belief system in Canada may predominate in schools. We are nothing, if not all "equal" in every respect.

Therefore, the cultural norms and religious values of Buddhists, Sikhs, agnostics, animists, atheists, pagans, Presbyterians, Hindus, liberals, and the Orthodox enjoy equal weight and sway in public affairs in Canada.

Most of the time, in schools, this equal weight amounts to zero, and few people would argue against this. Private beliefs are not legitimate fodder for public school plowing.

Still, the country's laws and traditions are firmly rooted in Judeo-Christian thinking, like it or not, and some of our most cherished (or at least commercially lucrative) holidays were once sincerely celebrated by people who believed in them.

While I don't think anyone with elementary observation skills would classify Canada as a very "Christian" country anymore, it could be said that many of our habits of mind and manner hearken back to the time when most people in this country would have called themselves at least nominally Christian.

And anyway, Canada as we know it is the product of many things, including a lot of European effort to create a decidedly Christian democracy, however flawed or politically incorrect it may have been initially.

Which brings me to Christmas. A few years ago, on Vancouver Island, the powers that decide such things sent a directive to the minions in the trenches of one city that the word "Christmas" was not to be mentioned in any concerts in December. Furthermore, Christmas carols were forbidden. The fidgety children could warble their way through Jingle Bells or Frosty the Snowman, but heaven forbid anyone should sing O Holy Night or mention baby Jesus.

Apparently, the hope was that no one would be "offended" by anything Christian. This was a perfectly understandable idea, except to many of the non-Christian immigrants or new Canadians whose delicate sensibilities were to be protected. What many of them said out loud at the time was that they came here knowing the country had different traditions, and they didn't mind. In fact they rather enjoyed the whole experience of discovering them. And even if they didn't participate in things Christian relative to Christmas, they were respectful.

This attitude would mirror the attitude most Canadians would take to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan, or to India while Diwali was in full swing. We would respect and enjoy the experience of other people's customs and beliefs. (Not for a minute would those countries modify or neuter their own customs to suit foreigners whom they would never accept as citizens).

Anyway, in the spirit of Canadian freethinking, the directive was quietly ignored. The Grade 1s continued to practise their manger scenes and the employees in the offices still sang Silent Night, orders be damned. Some schools and offices adjusted their usual Christmas content so as to not offend. In my school, all mention of Wise Men (how politically incorrect is that?), stars and Bethlehem disappeared off the cultural map like holes in the ozone.

Now, Chinese New Year celebrations in Vancouver are at least as big as the one based on the European calendar, and Diwali is an important event that is not ignored in many lower mainland schools. And the course of Christmas celebration continues to feature all the aspects of the Christian story, whatever the thought police may think.

This is not some terrible abdication to the forces of religious chauvinism. Nope. Human beings are undeniably spiritual by nature, whether you like it or not, and their spiritual views and behaviours are wonderful expressions of this state of being. To ignore, denigrate or disable this aspect of our humanity is to deny people a freedom they came here to enjoy.

So Merry Christmas everyone. And furthermore, in keeping with the season, Shalom.

Mary Ellen Lang for CBC News Viewpoint | December 12, 2005