This article was written by Dr Fox and was first published in the Sun on Sunday on 21st December 2014
Last week I posted a short video on my website, Oneminutefox.com. It was called “Don’t apologise for Christmas” and it provoked quite a reaction. This is what it said “Religious tolerance lies at the heart of any civilised society. It is right to respect the traditions and cultures of others. But, because we tolerate and respect views different to our own, does not mean that we have to apologise for our own beliefs, traditions or culture. In the Christian tradition, Christmas is a time of hope and renewal, a central part of our religious belief. It is, of course, a personal thing but it is why, for example, I always choose a nativity scene for our Christmas cards – a reminder about what Christmas actually stands for. So, for me, it’s not “Happy Holidays” but wishing everyone, of all religions and none, a very happy and peaceful Christmas”.
I really didn’t think it was a very controversial thing to say and most people seemed to agree. But the reaction from a vocal minority was extraordinary and, at times, vicious. It got me thinking a bit more about how we are constantly having our traditions undermined by a coalition of the politically correct, the determinedly secular and the apathetic parts of our society. It is easy to dismiss the activities of the PC brigade and their allies as merely misguided or trivial yet their effects are increasingly apparent. The traditional nativity play is now only performed in a fifth of primary schools. Fear of expressing religious views or offending minorities is leading to more secular Christmas plays, such as Scrooge, being performed. The result of this is that a part of our identity is being erased for many of today’s children. It is not an imagined loss – it is real. It is time that we reminded ourselves that in our history and culture we are a Christian country, even if our behaviour doesn’t always reflect it (a charge I don’t exempt myself from either).
Why should we have to apologise for, or shy away from, the religious element of Christmas? I have never known any of my friends of different faiths to be offended by receiving a Christmas card with a nativity scene on the front. What is there to take offence at? Wishing peace and goodwill to all is hardly a religious battle cry. Christian teaching, based on concepts of equality, redemption and respect are hardly a call to arms. Blessed are the peacemakers is hardly the slogan of intolerance. So, why are the angry crew so determined to be offended on behalf of others? The truth is that banning a school nativity play or instructing civil servants not to use the word Christmas in official greetings cards, as we saw last week, is not just small minded and petty, it is part of a conscious attack by a self defined and self righteous minority on the freedoms of the rest of us. When, in Ed Davey’s Energy department, at the heart of Whitehall, the “C-word” was prohibited, it was a sign of where we might be heading. For here is the wider issue. The politically correct and their social allies, by telling us what language we are allowed to use, which parts of our identity we should feel guilty about and how we are allowed to behave are attempting to impose their own (usually left leaning and secular) values on the rest of us. They are trying to get the change they want by stealth and by the back door because they know they would not be able to achieve if they argued for it openly at the ballot box. The British people would never vote for such nonsense. In a manner that is truly Orwellian, some of the most illiberal in our country are trying to tell us what we can say and how we can say it, masquerading as the champions of liberalism itself. No doubt the usual suspects will be hitting the internet in response to this piece, telling me that I am paranoid, reactionary and a vile Tory. It simply makes my point for me. I don’t know about you but I am getting sick to the back teeth with petty restrictions from a self appointed few, instructing us on how to conduct ourselves. So enjoy Christmas, revel in our traditions without any sense of guilt. Why not even attend a nativity play too and strike a little blow for freedom along the way. A very happy and peaceful Christmas to all Sun readers.