General Chat

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A Church of England vicar in North London has cancelled his church’s Remembrance Sunday service because it’s not multicultural enough. His decision has been widely attacked by the British Legion, and non-Anglican groups said it was completely unnecessary. The Muslim Council of Britain said it had absolutely no objection to Muslims attending Remembrance Sunday services. They have attended and been represented at the annual ceremony at the Cenotaph. I thought it was the coming together of people from all religions, colour or creed in remembrance of the dead of two World Wars. Personally, I am quite disgusted and he should be defrocked or whatever they do to them these days. Aileen xx

I agre with you Aileen,Remembrance is about just that rembering The Dead of what ever nationality, creed, religion,in all wars. What a fool this man is. Carol

Remembrance Day (Australia, Canada, UK and Ireland), also known as Veteran's Day (USA), Poppy Day (South Africa), and Armistice Day (UK, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries; and the original name of the holiday internationally) is a day of commemoration observed in the Commonwealth of Nations, the United States of America, and various European and other countries (including France and Belgium) to commemorate the sacrifice of veterans and civilians in World War I and other wars. It is observed on November 11 to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. The observance is specifically dedicated to members of the armed forces who were killed during war, and was created by King George V of the United Kingdom on November 7, 1919 possibly upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey though Wellesley Tudor Pole established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917

I am totally disgustrd by this...sorry I cant even think of any words to describe it! Caz xxxxxxx

Common British, Canadian, South African and ANZAC traditions include two minutes of silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month because that was the time (in Britain and France) when the armistice became effective. The two minutes recall World War I and World War II; before 1945 the silence was for one minute; often today, some ceremonies still only have one minute of silence despite this. Memorials outside London's Westminster Abbey for Remembrance Day, 2002In the United Kingdom, although two minutes' silence is observed on November 11 itself, the main observance is on the second Sunday of November, Remembrance Sunday. Ceremonies are held at local communities' War Memorials, usually organized by local branches of the Royal British Legion – an association for ex-servicemen. Typically poppy wreaths are laid, by local organisations including the Royal British Legion. ex-servicemen organisations, the Scouts, Guides, Boys' Brigade, St John Ambulance and the Salvation Army. 'The Last Post' is played by a trumpeter or bugler, two minutes' silence is observed and broken by a trumpeter playing 'Reveille'. A minute's or two minutes' silence is also frequently incorporated into church services on that day. The main commemoration is held in Whitehall in central London, where the Queen, Prime Minister, and other senior political and military figures join with veterans to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph. In Canada the day is a holiday for federal government employees. However, for private business, provincial governments, and schools, its status varies by province. In Western and Atlantic Canada it is a general holiday. In Ontario and Quebec, it is not a general holiday, although corporations that are federally registered may make the day a full holiday, or instead designate a provincially-recognized holiday on a different day. Schools usually hold assemblies for the first half of the day or on the school day prior with various presentations concerning the remembrance of the war dead. Thousands of people gather near the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Among the crowd, war veterans pay their respects to fallen sailors, soldiers, and airmen. The Act of Remembrance includes the playing of the Last Post, recitation of the Ode of Remembrance, which is a verse of the poem 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon, followed by Reveille. The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, then Governor General of Canada, leads the 2004 Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa, OntarioIn South Africa, the day is not a public holiday. Commemoration ceremonies are usually held on the following Sunday, at which, as with Australia and Britain, the 'Last Post' is played by a bugler followed by the observation of a two-minute silence. The two biggest commemoration ceremonies to mark the event in South Africa are held in Johannesburg, at the Cenotaph (where it has been held for 84 consecutive years), and at the War Memorial at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. In Australia Remembrance Day is always observed on November 11, although the day is not a public holiday. Services are held at 11am at war memorials in suburbs and towns across the country, at which the 'Last Post' is played by a bugler and a one-minute silence is observed. In recent decades, however, Remembrance Day has been partly eclipsed by ANZAC Day (April 25) as the national day of war commemoration. Veterans Day is celebrated in the United States on the same date, but the function of the observance elsewhere is more closely matched by Memorial Day in May. In the United States and some other allied nations November 11 was formerly known as Armistice Day; in the United States it was given its new name after the end of World War II. For Anglican and Roman Catholic Christians, there is a coincidental but appropriate overlap of Remembrance Day with the feast of St. Martin of Tours, a saint famous for putting aside his life as a soldier and turning to the peace-filled life of a monk. Statues or images associated with St. Martin are for this reason sometimes used as symbols of Remembrance Day in religious contexts (e.g., the Anglican Cathedral of Montreal). In Germany, Armistice or Remembrance Day is unknown. Public memory of World War I in Germany is generally scarce. Moreover, November 11 would be seen as an inappropriate date for such a holiday, as it traditionally marks the beginning of the German carnival. However, Volkstrauertag is commemorated. Originally this was on the fifth Sunday before Easter, but since 1952, has been celebrated two Sundays before the beginning of Advent. It has never been celebrated in the church since both the major German churches have their own festivals for commemorating the dead (All Saints Day in the case of the RC church, Ewigkeitssonntag, or 'Eternity Sunday' in the case of the Lutheran church. Both festivals also fall in November.) In Poland, November 11 marks the celebration of Independence Day, since it was on 1918-11-11 that Poland regained its independence after being divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria for 123 years.

was on 1918-11-11 that Poland regained its independence after being divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria for 123 years.

Huh! And he calls himself a Christian? Pathetic.

I'm totally and utterly disgusted,,,what is happening to this once so great and proud country,,,,, Disgraceful,,,,,,discreditable, dishonourable, disreputable, ignnominous, infamous, opprobrious, scandelous and shameful,,got them from THESAURUS oooooooohhhhhh !!! It makes you want to swear HOLLYHOCKS !! aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh !!! thats better,,,,

im shocked well actually im not i dont know why but they seem to find sumut new every day to make a statemet to muslims and the muslims who count arent bothered personally i like to see remmeberence day as a rememberance of all wars WW1 WW2 suez crisis, falklands, iraq , the gulf war, ireland, (though its not a war many have died needlessly) and any i havent mentioned, but all service men and women who have lost thier lives for a better world, doing a job these pen pushers wouldnt get off their butts and do, so to all of them service personel i send my thoughts, ps 1 has died this weekend in a road accident in iraq from the royal artillery and 3 injured

What kind of vicar does he think he is - thought it was his job to pray and remember the dead! - disgusted Norah

Words fail me, if I worshipped at his church I would be looking for somewhere else to go. surely if we are remembering the dead in all wars etc we are remembering all faiths. There are many innocent muslims for example who have lost their lives in Iraq, would we not be remembering them too, and would that not be multi culteral. Ann Glos

What did Grandad do during the war? As Remembrance Sunday comes round again, we at Tiscali would like to celebrate and commemorate the struggles of all those involved in the World Wars. We'd like to create an archive of wartime accounts and images for you to share with family and friends. Can you help us? We would love to hear the stories that your grandparents or even great-grandparents have passed down to you. The heroics of being a pilot in the air-force or remembering those long evenings, huddled underground during the Blitz. We're especially keen to hear from children who've sat down and discussed (perhaps for the first time) the 1939-45 conflict with their grandparents or great-grandparents. If you would like to share your grandparents' wartime stories, please email us, remembering to include your name and your grandparents' name. If you have any pictures you would like to see published, please include these in the email as well, with as much detail relating to the images as possible. If you would like to go one step further and film an interview with your grandparent/s, please send us the completed footage in either DV, MiniDV, DVD or SVCD. If you would like the tape or disc returned, please include a SAE and a daytime telephone number. Please send your tapes and discs to: Tiscali c/o Steve Best 20 Broadwick Street London W1F 8HT

What ever will he do next...................cancell Christmas. R.B.xxx

Christmas has already come under scrutiny by the PC brigade if I remember.. Christmas lights are now to be called 'Winter Lights' Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous? Does this 'Vicar' not realise how much he will have hurt all the relatives of those who would have been remembered in his parish, let alone the rest of the country. He should hang his head in shame.

My local paper has just done a feature on my OH in Iraq, mentioning how brave he and all his comrades are, I salute all the brave men of all the wars and stick two fingers up at this vicar....Sorry I am a christian and dont apologise, Caz xxxxxxxxxxxx

Appalling, this country is going mad with PC behaviour,what more is there to say? Sue

If I lived in his parish I'd picket his church. Bet he wouldn't even help any of his parishioners with relatives involved in current ops as would be against his beliefs. He obviously ain't a true christian. Wot a wimp

Budgie it wasnt my two fingers was it? It isnt like me at all to be like this but as I am attending a rememberance life celebration for a 27 year old commrade of my ohs it makes me furious that this vicar can be so insensitive, These brave service people and those long gone would be deeply insulted, caz x

cant help but think that every day we lose a bit more of our identity,i work with students from all corners of the world.muslims chinese indians french the lot.and i have never ever heard any complain about there treatment in our country,in fact quite the reverse ,one muslim lady said our government was funny as they make all these politically correct statements,yet all it causes is bad feelings,she had recently been to china,and enjoyed seeing there culture.cant help but feel wheres ares gone.xxxxxxxx