-¢ YOU'LL HAVE noticed: ), that, along with the. annual ‘December flu and the: provo- cation ‘of the Rain God —. who is ‘abviously. very, very sore at all of us — there has ” been a hearty seasonal argu- “ment this year about the i mature of Christmas itself. I strayed, briefly, from CKNW- “to Almanac on CBC Radio last - week and heard 90%-nonsense’ - . from the sort of callers who make’. ' Mather Corp the station of the glib- ‘eral left in Canada..,”’ " oo oh The-glibs were invited to open’ ‘their mouths on the subject of -. whether they'd prefer less of this *. ~ Christian stuff at Christmas, and,: surprise, most of thein would.’ “The New Agers; were on the’ lines in force, including the Weck vs -Wackies’ who’ solemnly advise the: resurrection of (their romanticized “understanding: of) paganism." *. . « “One young-sounding woman: arnestly expressed her hatred of Christianity and yearned for the. » good old: pre-Christian days. “a It was a shock, in the middle of “this chorus of gliberal conformity, ‘to hear a sensible caller who said,’ “in effect: Christmas is a Christian holiday. Why should the, ’ Christianity be taken out of it? She ,wouldn’t expect those of other “faiths to take the Islam out of Islamic holidays, etc. : " Her flat talk made © plain good OK. YOU CAN HAVE THE STABLES. BUT OUT OF RESPECT FOR OTHER, RELIGIONS, MAY | REMAND ~ YOU WEAREA POOTCALLY CORRECT IN, NO WISE PERGONS AFTER It Tt, NO HEAVENLY CHORUS, NO FRANKINCENOE IN THE AMS, NO ANDAL GATHERINGS Ho SHEPHERDS AND 1H) ANGELS, ‘Trevor Lautens GARDEN OF BIASES ° sense among the cackle of gliber- als, who, as we know, are enchant-- ed by, and respectful if not fawning toward, every culture except their own rich one... - Speaking of which, Oxford - - University: Press has released with S perfect seasonal timing a new “inclusive” version of the Bible, “<>complete with a politically correct ” ‘God of either uncertain or both. genders, the removal of references ~ to the forces of “darkness” which could offend non-white people, and so on. : For all its supposed flaws and — _anachronisms, the great poetic work of the'scholars of the King James Version remains unmatched. HE DEEPER the snow, the shallower ‘the thinking. So appears to be the real- ity on focal mountains in this wild win- ter of heavy snows and beavy rains, Jarly seowlalls and deeper than normal snowpacks have kick-started the ski season at Cypress. Bowl and Grouse and Seymour mountains, Recreation opportunities abound. So, it appears, do rescue opportunities. Those whose dearth of common sense demands the taking of risks to enhance the _ pursuit of thrills inevitably involve more peo- ple than themselves in their foolhardiness. This year it is apparently the turn of snow- boarders to seek thrills beyond the bounds of common sense on local mountains. -In the space.of a single week this month, five snowboarders pursued snowboarding thrills in dangerous Cypress Bowl back coun- try and deliberately ventured beyond warn- ing signs to areas posted as danger zones., Fortunately for the (hrill-seekers,: the North Shore is blessed with a team of weil- trained wilderness rescuers who mounted two separate rescue operations. in search, not of thrills, but of loét fools. Those fools lived to see the error of their ways and have vowed to remain in-bounds fram now on, Season’s ski passes have been revoked. But that is precious little compensa- tion for the rescue effort undertaken and the dangers borne by rescue crews for those who willfully court disaster, The fools who purposely break the rules should pay a substantial fee to the rescue squad and‘ be barred from using mountain facilities for at least a year. The wilderness would not be so forgiving, It would demand the ultimate penalty. Then there was the blunder — or was it carefully caiculated? — of the Victoria government's order to remove any hint of Christianity from Yuletide music in the Iegisla- ture. - That was hastily revoked ini the ‘ face of spirited, you might say, public wrath. But my question between Cashes in the preceding paragraph remains. I] wouldn't be surprised if we're ‘being deliberately softened up by the Victoria New Democrats for future'official expunging of any hint of actual Christianity in Christmas. oe ; And then, on the larger Canadian canvas, there’s a court challenge afoot by leaders of . - watched by other religious groups — of the refusal_of the city’s board of education to grant Muslims time off for their religious holidays. . Hello, Joe Clark, will there be any recognizable. ‘Canadian “pub- lic” left in what you idealistically A hailed as Canada as a- “community , ; - of communities?” Not to trivialize or dismiss a £ one’s beliefs. It’s simply to express “doubt whether public policy can’ accommodate all cultures, all / faiths, all languages, all practices. ‘We know how chummy the Two Founding Races are after:250-odd years together, and of course both’ . get along idyllically with the native peoples. Having said that, it may seem a Cl paradox (a tell a Jewish story at Christmas. I’m not sure if that’s kosher, or whether it will offend ‘both Christians and Jews. (And should f repeat here that at best I'm a “Christmas-service Christian,” and was never baptized and there- fore technically can’t be considered as ong?), But [ love the story. It is by Saul Bellow, the great Quebee-born Jewish writer, and it is called df Net Higher, There was once.a rabbi in a small Russian village who mysteri- ously disappeared every Friday. ‘It was whispered, and the vil- lagers sincerely believed, that on those days he ascended to Heaven’, itself. _ +} Anewéomer to the village heard .” this, and was extremely skeptical. So, making sure he was not seen, * he stealthily followed the rabbi one. Friday. He saw.the rabbi change into . : the clothes of a peasant. Then, carrying an axe, he went © into a nearby forest where he cut down a tree. He cut the tree into firelogs. Gathering enough for a week’s burning, he took them to the home of an old and frail woman. After that he returned to the vil- lage, changing back into his usual clothes. And ever afterwards, when the villagers declared that every Friday their rabbi ascended to Heaven, the newcomer would say under his ‘breath: “If not higher.” rmianiiiax | Another pub | perspective Dear Editor: . Just’ voicing ‘my opinion’ ‘on a. story in. your Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2 paper, “N. Van City pub plan draws : fire . Ino it, Brian Riedlinger;’ “part owner of Sailor Hagar’s pub, locat-, won ed in the Lower Lonsdale area, con-°; demns the Great Greek restaurant’ Ss: pub. application before North. Vancouver City Council. po Gee, no conflict of interest here! wo For Riedlinger to condemn’ the Great Greek Restaurant for wanting _ on to be’ in’ the’ business “of ‘alcohol sales, only to be in that business : himself, seems’ rather hypocritical. It seems® Riedlinger ;would like to see the pub application denied. Is." it just a coincidence that this would, reduce his compéetition?.....2 088 Riedlinger seems to suggest that ; his concern in seeing the pub appli * cation denied is not to. benefit him self,. but rather-to benefit, the com- munity. Which prompts the ‘ques- tion, “How, exactly does © Mr. Riedlinger’s pub benefit the, com-. * munity?” ; T actually agree with Riédlinger. ‘ Another . alcohol-serving - premises in the Lower Lonsdale area would ° not be beneficial to the community. .° But then, neither is his establish- ment. And if one should g g0 why not =" the other? 0)‘ s : * Paul Lawrie “ : West Vancouver: ‘Trix! Agrios Promotions Manager 985-21 34 (137) Valeria Stephenson Classified Manager . 986-6222 (202) - MEMBER Linda Stewart!’ Peter Kvarnatrom Saies & Marketing Directat . Display Manager 980-051 1 (31 Qi: 980-0514 (103) . Chris Johnson Operations Manager 985-2131 (141) , . Timothy Renshaw Managing Editor 985-2131 (116) , * Doug Foct ' Comptroller , 985.2131 (133) Peter Speck Publisher, . : : 985-21 31 (101): Administration Display Advertising Real Estate Advertising Classified Advertising [Newsroom Newsroom Voice Mail Distribution Display & Real Estate Fax Newsroom Fax Classified, Accountitig & Main Office Fax | : North Shore News, founded in “4969 as an- independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragmph 111: of the - Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press - Ltd.'and distributed to every door on the North -- . Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing - fates available on request. Submissions are“ welcome but we cannot accel responsibility for unsolicited materia! including manuscripts and pictures, which should be accompanied by a, stamped, selt- ‘addressed envelope, - ; 985-21 31 980-0511 985-6992 986-6222 985-2131 | 980-1970 986-1337 985-1435 * 985-2104 9 THe VOICE OF NORTH aio wanr VANCOUVER . f, vis SunDe “WEDNESDAY - FRIDAY ; 1139 Lonsdale Avenue » North Vancouver B.C. “8 V7M 2H4 North Shore Managed ‘SDA DIVISION : . 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) 985-9227 Entire contents © 1994 North Shore Free Press Ltd, All rights reserved.