JohnM wrote:
Things I agree with:
Synbad's broader argument (Western societies are becoming increasingly dumbed-down, soulless, baseless consumer-driven entities, losing touch with the things that really matter). I think this is largely true.
In many respects I agree, but Good Friday is something that matters to Christians, and not the rest of society. I can think of many things that would be good for improving society: getting rid of the Herald Sun, 'Today Tonight' and 'A Current Affair' for starters. Melbourne Storm rugby league team is combining with the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal for their game on Good Friday next season, which I would suggest is a powerful marketing tool for promoting something that really matters. Imagine how much more powerful it would be if an AFL club, especially one like ours, were behind the campaign.
Christian symbolism and rituals have a place in modern Australia. Even though I don't follow any particular religion, I think it's important to recognise the forces that shaped the society we live in. Christianity played a hugely important role in shaping Australia, and making it the overwhelmingly good place it is to live. I don't see anything wrong with supporting the continuation of such things as Easter, Christmas, etc.
Again, no problem at all with supporting Easter, Good Friday, Christmas, All Saints Day, Shrove Tuesday, Maunday Thursday etc, and we do that by providing Christians with three public holidays so that they can observe their faith without interruption. If we're being serious about recognising faith, let's give everyone three 'faith' days each year to use for their own religion. That way Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists etc. could all benefit. Although our laws have a Christian heritage, we are very much a secular society. To embrace that spirit of religious freedom, why not extend the benefit to all faiths?
Good Friday is, currently, a day in which there is a severe shortage of external stimulus. If you're not so good at making your own fun, then I can see why you'd struggle on Good Friday.
And just because I'm not a Christian, all that external stimuli is removed for no reason.
The CFC would make a buck, and strengthen its brand, if it owned football on this day.
Not to mention a tie-in with the Royal Children's Hospital appeal, which would re-energise that very worthy cause)
The thing I don't agree with:
That non-Christians are somehow being "held to ransom" on this day, but Christians. At last count, there were about nineteen million different things you can do on Good Friday, and about a dozen you can't. I really don't see what's so bad about being forced to break the cycle of consumption for one day a year - and maybe try something different. Go for a long walk, have a long lunch with family or friends, go camping, read a good book, catch up on a few movies, cook something slow and delicious, whatever.
The 'one day a year' argument would hold some water, if not for the fact we spend from the end of September until February with no football, not to mention Monday to Thursday (with the occasional exception) during the season. All of us catch up on movies and go for walks etc on the 282 non-football days available to us each year, including the 21 weekends which don't incur football of either the regular or pre-season competitions.
So the vast majority of days are 'footy free'. Why is it such a problem to have one more day? There are twenty one other weekends people can go for a walk all weekend, and the footy takes up just a few hours of a day.
I guess the point I'm making is that while I don't practice Christianity myself, I think that the rituals associated with it are of benefit to the broader society. A bit of 'enforced' time to slow down, reflect, break the cycle of consumption... is good for the soul.
Another debate altogether, but a view with which I strongly and totally disagree. On top of that, we already have Christmas, 52 weekends or other equivalent time off with which we can 'break the cycle of consumption'. I prefer my time of reflection to not be 'enforced time'; I prefer choice.
And it's only ONE DAY. If you can survive the bloody horse-racing season, you can survive a single day with no footy, surely.
Exactly, it's only one day, so what's the problem? On top of that, I've never heard of anyone being forced to attend the football or compelled to turn on the television or radio.