Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 28, 1994, Winnipeg, Manitoba Editor John 6977044 focus Winnipeg free press a 7 december neither Judaism nor in the solving a Christ Mas Puttie free 20 Robbi Goltsman Ferris de scribes How she and her family have solved their december dilemma by celebrating both Christmas and a but she also i wonder about my son Nolan and my Laugk Ter 1 also wonder about Nolan and Cai they will be growing up without either Judaism or they will see a few of the symbols of Christmas and but will they receive the message of either according to Christian Christmas celebrates that moment in history when god took on human form in order to bring salvation to is that what Nolan and Caitlin will be celebrating hanukkah celebrates the Victory of the maccabees Over their Pagan rulers who were trying to keep jews from observing the Sabbath and the dietary according to jewish hanukkah celebrates the Vic tory of the spirit of god Over the at tempt to coerce jews into practising a no jewish is that what Nolan and Caitlin will be celebrating Judaism and christianity Are two different paths to the same each path has its own its own its own its own language and will Nolan and Caitlin be taught How to follow either path will they know much about the the and the life of the roman Catholic Church that has nourished their ancestors on their fathers Side will they know much about the the and the life of Judaism that has nourished their ancestors on their mothers Side the Goltsman Ferris family has worked out a solution that will work until somebody wants to take Juda ism or christianity if either of the parents faces a spiritual crisis and turns to the tradition of his or her the marriage will be and the children will feel like traitors if they want to Pur sue seriously either let us imagine Nolan making the decision he wants to attend mass every sunday and go to confession reg let us imagine Caitlin deciding she wants to observe the Sab Bath and the dietary will the inner dynamics of the family allow for religious growth or will each member be forced to accept a diluted lukewarm version of blended religion for the Sake of keeping the others in their lives As a i counsel Many couples like the Goltsman Ferris i urge them to study both faiths and see if they can unite their family religiously in one or the i am an advocate for jul my first preference is for the family to experience gods love and salvation As but i think they would be better off if they celebrated Christmas for its True meaning and experience the love of god As christians than Cele brate Christmas without Christ and hanukkah without the god of rabbi Henry Balser senior rabbi congregation Shearey Zedek Christmas greetings i would like to comment on Paul Mckines column merry Cor rect or not free i agree with Mckie that some peo ple May be shying away from acknowledging the Joy of Christmas due to some misguided notion of political Why someone would Call Christmas lights seasonal lights makes no i dont agree when Mckie extends this example to in clude the use of the greeting Happy holidays versus merry Christ i can relate to the awkward Ness he not knowing what to say at this particular time of its similar to the awkwardness Ive Felt for years for a sales clerk would wish me merry Christmas after ringing up my Pur being i would never know quite How to should i politely thank i dont celebrate but merry Christmas to or just pretend that in an Active participant in this annual festival since j am now married to a Chris Tian and have celebrated Christmas for the past eight i bring a somewhat unique perspective to this Mckie is Correct when he says no christians must practise their Faith in a society for better or by the Christian we from october through we All Are exposed to Christmas on the in the malls and through the there is nothing wrong with enjoying the spirit of the season but it is wrong to assume that every one celebrates the birth of Christ Mckie says being accepting and Toje Raat of other faiths mean downplaying the cultural Reli letters to the editor the free press welcomes letters from letters must be signed and should include a clearly printed address and Telephone names will be published but not All letters maybe edited for style and Short letters Are less Likely to be please address letters to letters to the Winnipeg free 1355 Mountain Winnipeg r2x letters can be sent to our fax number letters May be submitted through the internet at . Letters sent via the internet obviously cannot be but must include Home address and Telephone pious Celebration that is very much a part of the people and nation we Are that a predominantly Christian the awkwardness Mckie May feel in mouthing the proper Holiday salutation is a direct i think reflection of society growing awareness of the cultural differences among us and the wish to respect those different Robbi Goltsman Ferris Winnipeg a real Canadian Way in discussions of the multicultural society of the use of the word adaptation is becoming fre for in an accepting cultures free 13 the majority of the Canadian population has been described As de manding adaptation from the new Comers to the Canadian if adaptation Means that the devout mus Lim women should Stop wearing or jewish people should Start eating or sikhs should Stop wearing religious head or hindus should Start eating and so then the meaning of the word adaptation is being Misun to the adaptation of Immi Grants to the Canadian Way Means respect of Canadian Active participation in the Canadian work Force for the economic Prosperity of working Handi hand with other canadians for the Soli Darity and Security of Canada and promoting Justice and fairness within and outside As Long As these criteria of adaptation Are met by the their physical social values and dress or religion should not bother Khalique Ahmed Winnipeg style and Star Quality Morley Walker said in his column that Many people doubt Keanu Reeves ability to pull off i think perhaps these people Are prejudiced because of Reeves tremendous popularity and incredible Good Reeves has been wonderful in a wide variety of films including tune in Rivers danger Ous Little Buddha is my own private he moves he looks great in anything from Buddhist Robes to torn he has style and Star most he connects emotionally with the View whatever character he is por he makes you care about that and surely that is what Hamlet is All there can be no doubt that he is a serious dedicated to his if he would he choose to spend january in Winnipeg Sheha Gheer Pine Falls controlling the Money recent editions of the paper have had articles by Frances Russell and Bill Blaikie that advocate the use of the Bank of Canada to get rid of the deficit and the National their recommendation is for Only Small percentages of the if it can be done in Small Why not at 100 per cent the Constitution has provision for parliament to be the sole source of currency and credit for the government has Given this right to the chartered to their great profit and to the Point of Al most bankruptcy for the there is something wrong with our monetary system when it cannot Supply the nation with the funds to build provide Ade quate health care and or see that the lower end of society can share the Bounty of our budget amendment a real balancing act by David Macd Oriald special to the free press Washington former Winnipeg Ger Norman Ornstein cuts to the heart of the problem of passing a balanced budget amendment to the United states Constitution by pointing out the states that must pass it Are going to get squeezed if it a longtime political observer of Congress with a conservative thin tank called the american Enterprise Ornstein was referring to the major reason for hesitation among even Republican governors and Republican leaders of state legislature under the any Federal version of the kind of balanced budget measure recently proposed by Manitoba Premier Gary Filmon requires approval by or of the country so states before becoming part of the the problem for the states is that they fear being whips wed by a change that is seen by most republicans and a Strong minority of democrats in Congress As a Good solution to the problem of the congressional failure to restrain the Federal proponents of a constitutional restriction say it would compel cuts in Federal government which would inevitably Lead to cuts in Federal multimillion Dollar Aid to the As things the result would be to bring double trouble to the they already groan under the Burden of the Peculiar congressional habit of compelling states to deliver programs designed in Washington but for which Congress gives the states no they Are known As unfunded strings attached examples of this Are the 1990 amendments to the clean air Canada welcomed them As a move to curb air pollution spewed by which combines with upper atmosphere moisture to fall As acid rain on Canadian forests and states were less Happy about being required to implement a Federal Law without Federal the states feel the same Way about Federal legislation designed to clean up the water Supply or to improve Opportunity and Access for disabled the billions of dollars passed to the states by Washington As a share of the costs of providing health welfare and education Are but not without frustration at the strings in the Case of health for imaginative ideas at the state level for spending them More wisely or for using them to make Basic health care More widely available at reasonable Nave been stymied by restrictions imposed by one such Law forbids states to regulate health coverage plans in which big companies collect premiums from employees and pay claims out of company using health insurance companies Only As contract the 30 Republican governors expressed their dilemma at their annual meeting in Virginia late last saying they Are ready to carry out their part of the Deal if the new Republican controlled Congress will do its John incoming Republican governor of said he and other Republican governors would work to pass the balanced budget states fear loss amendment and would accept the resulting loss of Federal funds but Only if were Given the flexibility to Reform the welfare to Reform the healthcare speaking straight to Republican congressional leaders at the Rowland added if you dont get rid of the its not going to this threat to passage of the constitutional amendment has special resonance because the november National election brought in More Republican More Republican control of state Legislatures and More Republican elected legislators than at any time since the period after the 186165 civil War known As during the Defeated Southern states had majorities of Republican legislators imposed on their Legislatures by the Republican controlled victorious Northern to this tilt at the state level should be added the predisposition of More than half the states to support a balanced budget there has been a movement at the state level for 20 years to bring about a balanced budget amendment by the passage of resolutions asking for a constitutional Gingrich confident this alternative method to Federal initiatives requires or of the states to pass such so a total of 32 states have passed although Florida and Louisiana later voted to reverse their budget balancing resolutions were Defeated Only in Montana and Washington in 15 including such giants As new Texas and no final action Ever was taken on the lobbyists Here for the states say inertia set in when the bigger states began to count the Cost of losing Federal funds if their resolutions came to that development is a warning Bell for congressional Many of whom have been talking giddily about How Republican state level gains and the 32state passage of balanced budget resolutions prove that a constitutional amendment drive is Confidence passage of a budget balancing amendment Resolution in Congress is confidently forecast by incoming House speaker Newt Gingrich to happen Early in 1995 because of the arriving Republican majority in the House and conservative republicans and democrats have been trying to pass one since should the republicans they will balance a deficit problem made worse by two recent Republican Ronald Reagan inherited from Democrat Jimmy Carter a 1981 deficit of billion that he pushed to billion by his Republican George pushed it to billion by doonesbury by Garry Trudeau Glenboro that a i have tda5k ;