Church welcomes Royal Mail's return to Christmas-themed stamps
The Church of England has welcomed the Royal Mail's return to a religious theme for its 2007 Christmas stamps following 2006's 'Winter Wonderland' theme.
by Daniel Blake
Posted: Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 8:12 (GMT)
The Church of England has greeted Royal Mail's decision to re-establish a religious theme for its Christmas stamp collection.
The Royal Mail is to release a collection of eight stamps with illustrations of baby Jesus, Mary, as well as angels, this Christmas.
The Church was highly critical in 2006 when the Royal Mail's stamp collection carried only secular themes of the Christian holiday, and even though they have welcomed the return to religious themes this year, the Royal Mail said it would alternate between secular and religious themes annually.
The themes have already been set for 2008, a Royal Mail spokesman said, and it has decided that classic pantomime characters would be a good feature for next year's Christmas.
"Last year featured a series of winter wonderland images, so this year features angels and the Madonna and Child," a Royal Mail spokesman was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Christina Baxter, chairwoman of the House of Laity of the Church of England's General Synod, said of the Madonna and Child image on a first-class stamp: "I very much welcome an explicitly Christian theme for that particular stamp.
"Although the others are not to my personal taste, I nevertheless welcome stamps that carry values that are explicitly Christian, and I hope they will produce Christian stamps next year too at Christmas."
The Church has emphasised the importance of Christmas stamps being filled with Christian-themed designs rather than a random secular selection, as this would "remind people of the true meaning of Christmas".
Two billion letters are expected to be sent over the festive period in the UK, and on 17 December alone Royal Mail have predicted 123 million items will pass through the postal system.
Copyright © 2009 Christian Today. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 18:24 (GMT)
At two post offices I was unable to buy any non-religious stamps, and had to ring around to find one that stocked both religious and bog-standard 1st and 3nd class stamps. The same thing was experienced by one friend in South Wales and another in Yorkshire.
I have no objection to religious stamps being available for those who want them, but I object most strongly to having no choice.
Those who want Christian stamps should be satisfied with them being available in alternate years. Millions of people in this country are of a different religion, or have none at all, and the post office must cater for all, otherwise it is discrimination.
I also believe that this claim of a chain e-mail is fabricated by someone within the Christian church. Why? Because I get virtually all chain-emails passing through my mail boxes every day, and this is the first I have heard of it.
Megan, Merseyside
Added: Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 9:09 (GMT)
How nice of them to put images of Isis and Osiris on our postage stamps and Satan Claus too.
Well that's deluded mainstream Christianity for ya and they have even fooled the secular lost world as well!!
It's time to get back to the first century model of True Church guys or you will only hear from The Lord Jesus Christ - "Go away for I do not know you" and their will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!
Charles Crosby, UK
