ST. Patrick's Day Parade in Galway and church fliers

eireog

Hi,

I attended the recent St. Patrick's Day parade in Galway and while watching the parade pass by we were handed a flyer for an upcoming Children's Camp. I later discovered that this was advertising a Christian Camp for a Born Again church in Galway.

Do people think it is right that St. Patrick's day is used to advertise such events?

Fuinseog

eireog wrote: »

Hi,

I attended the recent St. Patrick's Day parade in Galway and while watching the parade pass by we were handed a flyer for an upcoming Children's Camp. I later discovered that this was advertising a Christian Camp for a Born Again church in Galway.

Do people think it is right that St. Patrick's day is used to advertise such events?

why not?

eireog

I just feel it is wrong to use our national day to advertise something like this regardless of the church.

I don't want to pick on this particular church but Born Again churches do not even believe in saints such as St. Patrick so it begs the question as to why they in the parade? My after thought was very much of using it as an opportunity to use our national day to advertise to large gatherings/ crowds.

Christian camp of the arts?

I've seen them about fundraising before - at least their float was entertaining - it was the one with the pirates I think.

LadyMayBelle

That'd be correct; their theme this year is all pirate-y..

Columc

What makes it a day diffrent from anything else for advertising? Parade, a lot of children, they are ttrying to promote/get their name out of course its a good time to advertise. Now for them to actualy Do it i dont agree with. But they are smart to advertise on a day like that!

LadyMayBelle

In a way I guess every group who participates in the parade is advertising; they don't have to hand out leaflets. Think of the belly dancers, swing dancers, various clubs and sports groups (do you get much 'sponsored by ???' on the side of floats etc these days? Probably)

dilallio

eireog wrote: »

I just feel it is wrong to use our national day to advertise something like this regardless of the church.

I don't want to pick on this particular church but Born Again churches do not even believe in saints such as St. Patrick so it begs the question as to why they in the parade? My after thought was very much of using it as an opportunity to use our national day to advertise to large gatherings/ crowds.

Believing in St. Patrick is not a pre-requisite for appearing in the parade.

Otherwise, in addition to the Born Again church, they would also have to tell the Galway Bangladeshi group, the Galway Nigerian group, the Galway Cameroon group, the Galway Indian group, along with others to sod off

I am not a member of this church, but a few of my friends who are catholic send their kids to this camp, and they all speak very highly of it. It is not run as a profit making or recruitment camp for the church, and from speaking to others, all the funding for the camp is generated by the church, through fund-raising such as supermarket-packing, jumble-sales, sponsored runs, etc.

The parade is one of the great events in Galway which includes & involves folks from other ethnic backgrounds & beliefs, and fair-play to all who make an effort in taking part.

dilallio

dilallio wrote: »

Believing in St. Patrick is not a pre-requisite for appearing in the parade.

Otherwise, ... the Galway Nigerian group, ... along with others to sod off

St Patrick is the patron saint of Nigeria.

philbo

eireog wrote: »

Hi,
Do people think it is right that St. Patrick's day is used to advertise such events?

as far as I can remember, the parade has always essentially been an excuse for people to advertise, but try to entertain while they're at it. If you're really looking for a float to complain about from the last parade, Coyote's would be the more obvious one to me. Absolutely pointless/unrelated to the day in any way, annoying as hell and made me regret actually sticking it out for the end of it...

eireog

dilallio wrote: »

Believing in St. Patrick is not a pre-requisite for appearing in the parade.

I agree it is not, but if your doctrine is based on one that does not believe in saints, surely taking part in such a parade would go against everything you stand for?

eireog

Thankfully we missed the other float mentioned but I did hear it was not good!

LadyMayBelle

Galway only has two parades a year; the one in March and the Arts festival one; and really it is only St Patrick's Day one that can have lots of community groups, clubs and societies take part, to showcase their music/dancing/members because they can. The parade is not necessarily about 'marching because we believe in St Patrick'.

I do feel your main issue in this thread is against BA christians, not necessarily against them in the parade. You'd would have to kick out a whole lotta other groups; I know in past years there have been African churches participating as well.

The parade, however rubbish is has been in the past decade (sadly it seems to be getting worse, but fair play to those who do turn out in costumes or groups), it is a walking advertisement for community groups with a few international bits thrown in.

Mrs OBumble

eireog wrote: »

dilallio wrote: »

if your doctrine is based on one that does not believe in saints, surely taking part in such a parade would go against everything you stand for?

I guess it depends if your doctrine is that sainthood don't mean anything (in which case Paddies day is just a national holiday so it doesn't matter), or that saints and the recognition of them is in fact evil at work (in which case you're 100% right).

Some of the Pentecostal churches do indeed believe that the Pope is the anti-christ, and his priests agents of the devil etc. But I'm picking that not too many of their followers live in Ireland - as a country, it wouldn't be their 1st choice destination!

Personally, I've got more problems with people collecting money at church gates than with people handing out flyers for other churches at Paddies Days stuff.

inisboffin

Lads, am I the only one that sees St Patrick's day (or Paddy's Day, as so many call it now, let's face it) as a bit of a *pagan* day if anything?

Let's face it...it is a huge p*ss up for the country, tons of revelry, usually it is the one day you are *allowed* to have a day 'off' from whatever you have given up for Lent, be it booze, sweets, etc...

AND it is the day St. Patrick supposedly died!

Plenty of snakes creeping in to the souvenir and parade catalogue too...yup, pretty pagan!:D

Honestly, the day has been incredibly commercial for *so* long, I really think that few people see it as a religious holiday at all (not like Good Friday, Easter, etc). I think it is as fair game for folks to advertise a camp like this, as it is for S*permacs or whomever to sponsor and advertise on floats.

eireog

JustMary wrote: »

eireog wrote: »

I guess it depends if your doctrine is that sainthood don't mean anything (in which case Paddies day is just a national holiday so it doesn't matter), or that saints and the recognition of them is in fact evil at work (in which case you're 100% right).

This is exactly the point I am trying to make.

Groups have to decide for themselves whether it is right for them to march in the parade and if it is in keeping with their beliefs.