Apparently showing a trailer for a movie about Christ at a Christmas festival is too much for Chicago officials. Although Fox was prepared to pay $12 000 to the festival if the trailer for “The Nativity Story” would be shown throughout the festival. Sorry, said the Political Correctness Police, we can’t appear to be endorsing any religion. Never mind the fact that there’s a menorah on display at the festival.

Now, I understand that in the US (and maybe in the wider world) many people celebrate Christmas as a secular gift-giving holiday. However, the origin of Christmas is rooted in the celebration of the birth/incarnation of Jesus. So I feel it’s a bit silly not to let the trailer play. I haven’t seen said trailer, but I’m sure it doesn’t preach. I’m sure it doesn’t say, “Presenting the truth about everything and if you don’t believe this you will burn in hell!” So I don’t see how it would make people uncomfortable to see the trailer. (And yes, someone would be mad, but that’s the case for everything. Look I’m annoyed that they DIDN’T play it, so I’m sure someone would be annoyed if they did)

The City of Chicago, in all fairness, says they didn’t approve it because it was a blatant attempt to sell movie tickets. Somehow I couldn’t see them denying money if Tim Allen as “The Santa Clause” would have been asking to show their trailer all day.

I think that if we listen to the ultra-conservative religious right, we’ll be in a bad place and offend many. However, if we swing completely over the other way and deny even the story of Jesus (the greatest story ever told – as its also called) during CHRISTmas, I think we’re at risk of pushing political correctness just a little too far.