Saw the below on the news just now.

BBC News - Religion out of Norfolk fire Remembrance Day event

I personally dont see it as a problem - the round that kills you doesnt take notice of your religion - why should it be a christian based ceremony?

Thoughts?

I don't see this is a problem and nor do I see it as a religious event

Originally Posted by johnboyzzz

I don't see this is a problem and nor do I see it as a religious event

Me neither.....

A fair percentage of chaps who made the ultimate sacrifice wearing a British uniform may have been muslim, jewish, hindu, sikh or atheists, the act of remembrance shouldn't be monopolised by one religion but seen as a national event for all communities...

not really enforced battlaion hymn singing always struck me as stupid if you don't go to church your not really a christian.
I'm an atheist happy to be poltie to vicars etc but its silly to rant on about us being a chrisitan nation when the churches are empty.
We are a godless nation and personally I think thats a good thing.
chiristinaty does have some good things going for it even the spam version but has some equally bad bad things as well.

Originally Posted by brighton hippy

not really enforced battlaion hymn singing always struck me as stupid if you don't go to church your not really a christian.
I'm an atheist happy to be poltie to vicars etc but its silly to rant on about us being a chrisitan nation when the churches are empty.
We are a godless nation and personally I think thats a good thing.
chiristinaty does have some good things going for it even the spam version but has some equally bad bad things as well.

On a Sunday most became Catholic as it excused you Church Parade

It should have balls all to do with religion, Remembrance is about remembering the fallen not for some buffoon to hijack it for his own religious reasons. (as often happens)

Originally Posted by stacker1

It should have balls all to do with religion, Remembrance is about remembering the fallen not for some buffoon to hijack it for his own religious reasons. (as often happens)

I couldn't agree more. I am not interested in the church service part of it, although if a man of the cloth is saying a prayer for the fallen at the memorial, I am respectful of that. I hate to be cynical, but I never really detect real compassion from the officiating clergy at any type of remembrance, or especially, funeral service, they just go through the motions and that in itself is disrespectful IMHO.

I think I'd be dissapointed if Remembrance lost all of its religious aspects.

As the OP pointed out, the bullet that kills you doesn't take any notice of the religion of its intended target, but remembrance is about more than just the fallen, it is also about those left behhind. In the long periods we have enjoyed between signiificant confliicts that may be an abstract concept as most towns and cities wouldn't have been affected by losses since WW2, even considering the Falklands. With almost 9 years of continuiing ops in Afghanistand and Iraq, once again many towns and cities ARE affected by loss.

Irrespective of whether the families have any deep rooted faith or none, the act of corporate prayer is, in my view, important. I doubt it is important to the families of those who have lost loved ones whether the prayers said at this time of year are heard by a God or not, but the fact that they are said, and said commonly probably is, and is quite comforting also.

I'm no great fan of multiculturalism, but people of all creeds have fought and died for this nation and I have no problem with different faiths being represented in Remembrance services, the CofE doesn't hold a monoploy in that regard, though it is the Established Church and perhaps rightfully takes precedence over a national act. I think that if religion went from Reembrance altogether it would make it a barren, sterile act with nothing better to say for itself than the kind of trite poetry posted by the pie-scoffing grief-whores that have populated this site from time to time. Look at it this way, would you rather your act of remembrance was conducted by the local vicar with a semblence of dignity, structure, reflection, and removal from politics, or the local Vicky Pollard wannabe giving it large amounts of "stand easy brave soldier" poetry? Worse still, could you imagine the ArchBp of Canterbury being replaced by the cynical smiling effegy that was Bliar of his side-kick Hoon? I'd argue that to even the most ardent Atheist that in many regards a religious ceremony would be the least worst option compared to what I've just described.

Last year in Portsmouth we had a priest,rabbi and a iman. Sounds like a beginning of a joke but it's true.