Vicar is blasted for ‘crazy political correctness’ after dumping Wise Men from kids’ Christmas service
Church of England Canon Freda Evans asked parents to dress youngsters as 'wise people' instead
MUMS have accused a vicar of “crazy political correctness” after she dumped the Wise Men from a kids’ Christmas service.
Church of England Canon Freda Evans asked parents to dress youngsters from a neighbouring primary school as “wise people” instead.
But Anita Neale, 49, who has a ten-year-old daughter, said: “You can’t change something that’s hundreds of years old. They are being silly. Where do you stop?”
And Debbie Makinde, 41, who has three kids at the school, said: “To be honest, I think it’s absolutely stupid. The Wise Men were men.
“I pray we are not heading for gender-neutral Father Christmas and Jesus. It’s getting crazy.”
Complaints started after a poster for the children’s service on Christmas Eve went up in St Barnabas Church, Erdington, Birmingham, and on its website.
It said: “Children are invited to come along to the service dressed as angels, shepherds, sheep or wise people!”
Canon Freda said in a statement: “They are small children and they determine who they want to be — whether they are boys or girls they make the choice.
“In fact the early biblical word would have been ‘Magi’ which means followers of Zoroaster, so it is later translations which used the wording.”
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According to the church website the vicar was ordained 20 years ago “following a multi-faceted background working in politics”.
Church of England Birmingham said she would not be making any further comment.
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