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Dean of Blackburn hits out at 'farce' of lack of religious Christmas stamps

10:23pm Tuesday 2nd December 2008 in


Blackburn Cathedral has slammed the lack of religious-themed stamps from Royal Mail this Christmas.

The Dean of Blackburn, the Very Rev Christopher Armstrong, backed Christian and Muslim colleagues, urging dissatisfied customers to take their protests to Parliament.

The Royal Mail has produced six non-religious stamps showing pantomime figures.

But the firm has only made two religious Christmas stamps, which are re-issues of last year’s products. And these were only issued after complaints.

The Dean was supporting a Christian-Muslim protest against ‘secular’ Christmas stamps made jointly by Canon Chris Chivers, Blackburn Cathedral’s Canon Chancellor and Anjum Anwar, dialogue development officer. Ms Anwar is the only Muslim in the world to be on a Cathedral staff.

They had condemned as “utterly demeaning” the “free market choice” of being offered Christian or secular stamps by the Royal Mail for Christmas.

In a letter they said: “If we are to have Christmas stamps at all, let them be Christian.

“But if for some mindlessly secularist reason we must have a choice, then let there be stamps of both sorts, in equal number.”

The Cathedral colleagues claimed the Royal Mail only intended to issue secular ‘pantomime dame’ sets of stamps before protests were made.

The Very Rev Armstrong said: “Please write to your local MP and ask them to establish who made the set of decisions that led to this year’s secular-religious issue of Christmas stamps.”

Royal Mail said the Madonna and child stamps had been available since November 4 along with a ‘Pantomime’ series and millions of both sets had been printed.

Comments(13)

Scooby says...
11:45pm Tue 2 Dec 08

Well, I have to say, I'm glad that everything is so good in the world at the moment. Surely there can't be anything going wrong if this is all there is to protest about?

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MJA says...
7:09am Wed 3 Dec 08

Another apalling piece of journalism. There's no evidence of these Christians hitting out or slamming anyone or anything.

And as for "The Dean claimed Royal Mail staff would only sell religious stamps if something specifically asked for them."

And don't get me started on "BOSSES at Blackburn Cathedral...".




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jcb says...
8:45am Wed 3 Dec 08

Can we not just enjoy Christmas without having to have religion bought into it?

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norvic says...
9:05am Wed 3 Dec 08

"The Cathedral colleagues claimed the Royal Mail only intended to issue secular ‘pantomime dame’ sets of stamps before protests were made."

If true, then the Dean and friends should check their facts - they can remember what happened 2000 years ago but not last year. In 2007 Royal Mail specifically said that the two (1st & 2nd class) Madonna stamps would be on sale every year as a religious alternative to any secular stamps.

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norvic says...
9:08am Wed 3 Dec 08

PS: 3 x 2nd class stamps = 81p the cost of Worldwide airmail postage of 20 grammes; so it is quite easy to use religious stamps to send cards to New Zealand!

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Ian the Beancounter says...
10:08am Wed 3 Dec 08

Why should we have religion brought into it? The mid winter festival of "Winterval" was a pagan festival celebrated at this time of year to give the people something to brighten up a long winter. The festival was hi-jacked by Christianity and adopted as their own, but has absolutely no bearing or proven historical accuracy with the birth of Jesus.

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akon says...
10:12am Wed 3 Dec 08

Ref the dean of blackburn,why dont you speak out about the islamification of britain & the comments made by the Labour traitor phil Woolas ?Lets have a big debate on Stamps ?

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A Darener says...
11:23am Wed 3 Dec 08

Yesterday I went into my local post office and asked for the non religious second class stamps. The postmaster burst out laughing, when I asked why? he said, I was the first person to ask for them.
So I replied, well, at least you will have plenty of them.
"Merry Christmas."

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A Darener says...
11:23am Wed 3 Dec 08

Yesterday I went into my local post office and asked for the non religious second class stamps. The postmaster burst out laughing, when I asked why? he said, I was the first person to ask for them.
So I replied, well, at least you will have plenty of them.
"Merry Christmas."

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Stress74 says...
11:56am Wed 3 Dec 08

jcb wrote:
Can we not just enjoy Christmas without having to have religion bought into it?
Umm.. If you believe what the Christians tell you then there was this guy who is quite central to their religion who was born and what the celebration of christmas is supposed to be about? its hard to not being religion into it really...

However, if you think its a load of hogwash, and yet another festival they nicked off the pagans well... Bottoms up!

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audleylad52 says...
4:31pm Wed 3 Dec 08

Bad journalism! I agree. 'Only muslim in the WORLD....' what an unnecessary exaggeration!

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Mephisto says...
11:53pm Wed 3 Dec 08

Good - religion should never be on stamps. Maybe it's a step towards total secularisation? We could file religion away under mythology and get on with our lives.

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andy1 says...
3:51pm Thu 4 Dec 08

If religion was to be printed on stamps at Christmas should it not be the truth over what it really is? What I mean by that is Paganism I will quite gladly support the likes of the Ancient Celt Goddess Brigid or has the Catholic faith call her Saint Brigid. Im Pagan and would appreciate the truth Reverend not some fantasy that Christmas is only a Christian event has many potray.

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