Brighton library in religious poster and mints row (From The Argus)
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Brighton library in religious poster and mints row
8:30am Friday 24th July 2009 in News By Tim Ridgway
HOLY SWEETS: The tin of Messiah mints
Library officials banned a youth leader from putting up a poster because they said it was too religious.
Jacalyn Oghan, who helps out at St Mary’s Church, in Upper Rock Gardens, Brighton, went to the city’s Jubilee Library to advertise a multi-faith event.
But when she asked for permission to put up a poster she was told she could not as it would promote religion - despite the library shop offering products which appear to mock Christianity.
The Messiah mints, which claim to provide Holy fresh breath, are sold in a tin with a picture of Jesus on the front.
The slogan says: “He can't feed the 5,000 with this cute little tin of peppermints, but you'll feel a whole lot better after your hearty banquet of fish and loaves!”
Mrs Oghan told The Argus she was angry when she saw them on sale.
She said: “It’s political correctness gone mad and I do think it’s a little hypocritical.
“They said they couldn’t put up my poster because it was not in their guidelines.
“How they can get away selling the mints in the shop when I’m not allowed to give out inoffensive leaflets I do not know.
“They clearly take the mickey out of Christianity. I’m not offended but was angry that they were allowed to sell these mints for a profit.
“How is it that they are allowed to sell mints which clearly contain a religious figure?
“It is so sad they can do that, yet a leaflet inclusive to all faiths and cultures is still deemed non-PC.”
A spokeswoman for the council said: "We're sorry that this person was upset with the incident in the library.
“In the interests of fairness, we have very clear and strict guidelines for displaying information in the library and we do not accept any material promoting a particular religious view point.
“With regards to the mints, these are one of a series of tinned mints sold in the shop. The labelling is not meant to offend and this is the first time we have received negative comments about them."
Comments(49)
elfinbrighton
says...
9:12am Fri 24 Jul 09
Carl Bugenhagen
says...
9:17am Fri 24 Jul 09
elfinbrighton
says...
9:20am Fri 24 Jul 09
Whitedot
says...
9:21am Fri 24 Jul 09
For Every Sprinkle I Find
says...
9:22am Fri 24 Jul 09
Carl Bugenhagen wrote:It's one thing for people to SEARCH for religious books. It's quite another to walk in to a library and have a poster saying you're going to hell if you don't repent.
So presumably there isn't a religious section in the library, or maybe they burnt those books a while back..
Good on the library. They should go one step further and move the bible to fiction, though.
Tony Davenport
says...
9:26am Fri 24 Jul 09
Well there are lots of people starving in the world. Can't God get off his backside and do something about it? If he's too busy, why not send that guy Jesus back? He used to be in Heat magazine all the time, but you don't hear anything about him nowadays. What's he been up to?
Tony Davenport
Osama bin there
says...
9:43am Fri 24 Jul 09
Does anyone else other than the woman mntioned in the article find Messiah Mints offensive?
kkj
says...
9:51am Fri 24 Jul 09
We now know all about the mints and nothing about the poster except that is 'religious'. (or 'too religious' - is there a sliding scale of how religious posters may be?).
Perhaps if we knew the content of the poster, some informed debate may take place rather than everyone assuming it just promotes religion.
kkj
says...
9:52am Fri 24 Jul 09
Carl Bugenhagen wrote:I'm almost certain that there isn't a 'religious section'; there may be a 'religion section' though.
So presumably there isn't a religious section in the library, or maybe they burnt those books a while back..
elfinbrighton
says...
9:55am Fri 24 Jul 09
kkj wrote:"Jacalyn Oghan, who helps out at St Mary’s Church, in Upper Rock Gardens, Brighton, went to the city’s Jubilee Library to advertise a multi-faith event".
From the headline I assumed that this story is about a poster, whereas it is more about a tin of mints.
We now know all about the mints and nothing about the poster except that is 'religious'. (or 'too religious' - is there a sliding scale of how religious posters may be?).
Perhaps if we knew the content of the poster, some informed debate may take place rather than everyone assuming it just promotes religion.
Which part of the above sentence are you having difficulties with?
alexbruckner
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10:19am Fri 24 Jul 09
Whitedot
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10:23am Fri 24 Jul 09
alexbruckner
says...
10:26am Fri 24 Jul 09
bravebeth
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10:43am Fri 24 Jul 09
Whitedot
says...
10:54am Fri 24 Jul 09
Whitedot
says...
10:54am Fri 24 Jul 09
kemp town racer
says...
10:56am Fri 24 Jul 09
alexbruckner
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11:15am Fri 24 Jul 09
Osama bin there
says...
11:20am Fri 24 Jul 09
Whitedot wrote:Clive James once said that a 'proper' religion should have the capacity to laugh at itself.
I'm religious at all but the mints having the slogan 'save your breath' against a picture of Christ is obviously meant to offend Christians. I wonder if the manufacturer would be brave enough to do the same with a picture of Allah on them? I didn't think so.
I leave you to draw your own conclusions if you compare christianity with islam.
I'm not religious in any way - just pointing out the facts.
kimberly
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11:24am Fri 24 Jul 09
Acheron
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11:26am Fri 24 Jul 09
alexbruckner
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11:42am Fri 24 Jul 09
elfinbrighton
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11:46am Fri 24 Jul 09
alexbruckner wrote:Offence is the last refuge of those who have no reasonable position from which to argue. Martyrs are very popular in christianity...
what is it with christians and their need of being offended? You've gotta laugh... ha ha ha ha;-)
Arnie
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11:54am Fri 24 Jul 09
Whitedot
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11:58am Fri 24 Jul 09
Acheron wrote:'Be the change you want to see in the world' someone once said.
Personally as a Christian, don't care about the mints, there's plenty more things to be offended about. (Humanities greed in terms of being about to feed the world twice over but not getting off thier backsides to do anything for a start).
Andre Spooner
says...
11:58am Fri 24 Jul 09
I don't go in the Jubilee Library anyway - they are very disriminatory. Not only do they not allow religious people in there, but they would not let me march in on the back of my mighty and powerful horse. They said there were "rules" about "horses" in the "library"! This disgusts me. I had to take the horse to Pizza Express to calm him, and as I stood outside rubbing my face against the horse to soothe both of us, a kind man from the library gave me a cigar to smoke. IT WAS SMOKE-TASTIC!
But the Library? No Horses? For shame! The PC lunatics really have taken over the asylum.
Wow, my security word was "Richard-Littlejohn"
! You couldn't make it up.
alexbruckner
says...
12:01pm Fri 24 Jul 09
elfinbrighton wrote:couldn't agree more, elfinbrighton! :-)
alexbruckner wrote:Offence is the last refuge of those who have no reasonable position from which to argue. Martyrs are very popular in christianity...
what is it with christians and their need of being offended? You've gotta laugh... ha ha ha ha;-)
Randy Lahey
says...
1:56pm Fri 24 Jul 09
yorkie44
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5:35pm Fri 24 Jul 09
idris2
says...
5:53pm Fri 24 Jul 09
Arnie wrote:I think I agree with this, but I would take it further.
I'm not religious either, but this is a public library which is supposed to cater for everyone. Not allowing someone to advertise a particular event because it doesn't fit in with the library's ideology is one step away from book-burning.
If all parts of the community should be represented by a library notice board, then there should not be any restrictions on what is advertised here; from religious events, to massage parlours to warhammer 40000, to sex clubs, to political groups.
After all, people who attend these clubs and events are members of the community too.
Tony Davenport
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6:11pm Fri 24 Jul 09
I think this lady has it wrong. Jesus was never a religious figure ... more of a cult one ;)
Tony Davenport
UglyAmerican
says...
2:02am Sat 25 Jul 09
The belief that a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.
Sounds good, sign me up!!
kkj
says...
2:05am Sat 25 Jul 09
elfinbrighton wrote:None. What point are you trying to make?
kkj wrote:"Jacalyn Oghan, who helps out at St Mary’s Church, in Upper Rock Gardens, Brighton, went to the city’s Jubilee Library to advertise a multi-faith event".
From the headline I assumed that this story is about a poster, whereas it is more about a tin of mints.
We now know all about the mints and nothing about the poster except that is 'religious'. (or 'too religious' - is there a sliding scale of how religious posters may be?).
Perhaps if we knew the content of the poster, some informed debate may take place rather than everyone assuming it just promotes religion.
Which part of the above sentence are you having difficulties with?
elfinbrighton
says...
10:39am Sat 25 Jul 09
kkj wrote:You seriously can't see why everyone is (rightly) "assuming it just promotes religion", as you say?
elfinbrighton wrote:None. What point are you trying to make?
kkj wrote:"Jacalyn Oghan, who helps out at St Mary’s Church, in Upper Rock Gardens, Brighton, went to the city’s Jubilee Library to advertise a multi-faith event".
From the headline I assumed that this story is about a poster, whereas it is more about a tin of mints.
We now know all about the mints and nothing about the poster except that is 'religious'. (or 'too religious' - is there a sliding scale of how religious posters may be?).
Perhaps if we knew the content of the poster, some informed debate may take place rather than everyone assuming it just promotes religion.
Which part of the above sentence are you having difficulties with?
*snigger* my captcha is "hurt-lord"...
upontheruth
says...
10:55am Sat 25 Jul 09
The Council's Equality and inclusion statement it says that it is commited to equality for all and aims to combat all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, colour, ethnic or national origins, religion and belief, gender, sexual orientation or marital status and disability or age. Candidates applying for a job with the council, including library workers, sign that they accept this statement in order to complete the form and get the job. Point: accepting all forms of religion and beliefs equally.
The library has brochures advertising what’s happening in the community and the poster is advertising a community event presumably!
As a christian, I am not offended by the mints but I'm a little surprised the Council would sell them. They belong in a joke shop because they are making fun of faith.
PeteBrighton
says...
12:51pm Sat 25 Jul 09
Tony Davenport
says...
5:06pm Sat 25 Jul 09
Yes, that's how I approach it. They're all equally silly.
Tony Davenport
elfinbrighton
says...
5:17pm Sat 25 Jul 09
upontheruth wrote:Heheheh - "the stench of atheism" - how christian of you...
The stench of atheism reeks on this page! Multi- faith means a more sanitized and palatable form of religion hoping to reach a diverse audience.
The Council's Equality and inclusion statement it says that it is commited to equality for all and aims to combat all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, colour, ethnic or national origins, religion and belief, gender, sexual orientation or marital status and disability or age. Candidates applying for a job with the council, including library workers, sign that they accept this statement in order to complete the form and get the job. Point: accepting all forms of religion and beliefs equally.
The library has brochures advertising what’s happening in the community and the poster is advertising a community event presumably!
As a christian, I am not offended by the mints but I'm a little surprised the Council would sell them. They belong in a joke shop because they are making fun of faith.
Religion is nothing more than wishful thinking. Adults with imaginary friends are deluded morons.
"Faith" should be bluntly and vehemently ridiculed at every opportunity - it's the only way to shake those with the affliction into examining their "beliefs".
*ducks, grinning*
Tony Davenport
says...
5:29pm Sat 25 Jul 09
Tony Davenport
qm
says...
6:36pm Sat 25 Jul 09
If that is the case, Brighton Council is not serving the needs of the public, regardless of race or creed. Self serving, self interested and gutless - another example of pc hooliganism!!!
Auld School
says...
2:24pm Sun 26 Jul 09
We know why, and let's be honest in the interest of equality they should have no problem with producing Allah Mints.......the maketing line could be.........they make your breath smell so fresh you wont have to hide your face!
How long till this is modded?
roseyposey
says...
9:51pm Sun 26 Jul 09
PeteBrighton wrote:... I agree.
Not being religious I almost didn't read this. But now I feel a bit incensed. I bet if someone from a faith other than Christian wanted to put up a poster the Library, mindful of not wanting to upset other faiths, would have put it up without a second thought. The Christian group once again is the victim of discrimination.
I would have liked to have seen the poster.
(Christian here **smiles**)
Randy Lahey
says...
12:56pm Mon 27 Jul 09
Auld School wrote:I think you will bear the condemnation of angry muslim clerics if you take this to Dragon's den.
Not religous myself, however Christianity appears to take the brunt of the atheists' ire in a way that Islam doesn't. We know why, and let's be honest in the interest of equality they should have no problem with producing Allah Mints.......the maketing line could be.........they make your breath smell so fresh you wont have to hide your face! How long till this is modded?
TheInsider
says...
10:19pm Mon 27 Jul 09
And why aren't there many books?
Teila82
says...
7:06pm Tue 28 Jul 09
I know this for fact as I was in the library on the same day. She was not told that she could not put a poster up in the library, she was merely advised where to put it and that she needed permission to hand out leaflets.
As for the mints, get a life! Any decent human being, religious or otherwise will see the lighter side of life and have a giggle.
Clearly this woman just wanted to complain about anything and the Argus should be ashamed to print such rubbish with out solid facts.
Ohh.. quick, Jesus is coming.. look busy..
chris elmes
says...
9:54pm Wed 29 Jul 09
idris2 wrote:Whats wrong with 40k I just dont follow mon-keigh beliefs
Arnie wrote: I'm not religious either, but this is a public library which is supposed to cater for everyone. Not allowing someone to advertise a particular event because it doesn't fit in with the library's ideology is one step away from book-burning.I think I agree with this, but I would take it further. If all parts of the community should be represented by a library notice board, then there should not be any restrictions on what is advertised here; from religious events, to massage parlours to warhammer 40000, to sex clubs, to political groups. After all, people who attend these clubs and events are members of the community too.
tony.n
says...
6:03pm Tue 4 Aug 09
In the meantime Christians are presumably being targeted as those who oppose diversity.
The specious argument given by Lefty-Atheists is that to publicise Christianity would offend other faiths. The last time I heard, other faiths are more than happy to see Christianity celebrated.
But not the town hall bigots it would seem.
elfinbrighton
says...
10:43am Wed 5 Aug 09
tony.n wrote:Do I detect the smell of burning martyr? As usual, the Christians are whining about being persecuted because they are not getting special treatment. This is not about Christianity, this is about ALL religion.
It does not surprise me that Christian publicity is being outlawed by the Brighton and Hove Unitary Authority. Good job there is no longer a Labour majority in that Council any more; how long will it take to get things staightened out at the grass roots?
In the meantime Christians are presumably being targeted as those who oppose diversity.
The specious argument given by Lefty-Atheists is that to publicise Christianity would offend other faiths. The last time I heard, other faiths are more than happy to see Christianity celebrated.
But not the town hall bigots it would seem.
Christians DO oppose diversity - read your bible. It's one of the most hate-filled, violent, bigoted tomes in the whole religious spectrum.
The "Lefty-Atheists" have no such argument - they simply argue that NO religion should be given special treatment.
elfinbrighton says...
9:11am Fri 24 Jul 09