Christians urged to 'stamp out' Royal Mail Christmas hoax
Posted: Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 8:06 (GMT)
Christians in the Diocese of Lichfield are being warned not to be taken in by a hoax email claiming the Royal Mail have instructed staff not to sell religious-themed Christmas stamps.
The email warning comes in a number of different versions. Some claim the instruction has been issued so that the Royal Mail can say there is no demand for religious themed stamps, others claim it is not to offend the "militant secularist lobby " or "people of other faiths".
The emails urge recipients to forward them to everybody in their address book. Now the Diocese of Lichfield has issued its own warning - urging people to "stamp out" the myth.
Gavin Drake, the director of communications for the Diocese of Lichfield, said: "This warning is simply not true. No such instruction has been issued by the Royal Mail. In fact, the Royal Mail has printed 300 million Christmas stamps - and they won't want any left over in the New Year.
"While it would be nice if the Royal Mail would produce religious themed Christmas stamps each year - as the General Synod unanimously requested in July 2004 - the Royal Mail do issue religious-themed Christmas stamps bi-annually."
He said that there was "unquestionable Christian content" in the Royal Mail's accompanying literature about this year's theme, including a summary of the discovery by archaeologists of the Lichfield Angel, part of the original 8th century Shrine of Saint Chad, discovered during an excavation of the nave of Lichfield Cathedral.
Drake added: "Rather than be ashamed of our nation's Christian heritage, the Royal Mail appear to be celebrating it. Next spring they will release a set of stamps celebrating these islands' great cathedrals - in which Lichfield will take pride of place on the first class stamp."
In a warning on the diocese's website, he urged people who receive the circular emails not to forward them but to inform the sender that this is a hoax.
Have your say on this article
The comments below are readers' personal opinions and are in no way intended to reflect the editorial opinion of Christian Today.
Added: Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 16:14 (GMT)
Our local Post Office, normally excellent, hadn't heard of the Madonna and Child stamps much less got any. I don't think the Royal Mail statement can be taken at face value, and I am not sure why Lichfield should be wading in.
Alison Samuels, Oxford
Added: Monday, December 17, 2007, 16:44 (GMT)
Mr Newton has hit the nail on the head much more accurately than I could have done!!
The Royal Mail have lost so much credibility over a number of issues in the past months that folk do not believe their statement of denial and now look twice at everything they say.
To produce two designs of Christmas stamps (Angels and Madonna & Child) and then only to dispense the 'Angel' ones when 'Christmas stamps' are requested (as also happened to me) beggars belief !
Why cannot there be one set of really good design which is issued to all purchasers unless the 'standard' Queen's Head stamps are specifically requested ?
P. A. Monk, Aldershot, UK
Added: Tuesday, December 11, 2007, 13:24 (GMT)
The comments from Lichfield Diocese do seem have overlooked that following:
1. In addition to the angel stamps the Post Office have produced Madonna and Child Christmas stamps this year, but they haven't publicised the fact.
2. These stamps are not on the front of the First Day cover they issued. Unusually for a First day cover the Madonna and Child stamps are on the back.
3. If you ask for Christmas stamps at the Post Office you get the angel ones, not the Madonna and child ones.
4. The books of stamps issued by the Post Office only contain the angel stamps, not the Madonna and child ones.
It does seem that having produced explicitly Christian stamps the Post Office trying their haerdest not to sell them to anyone - I didn't know the Madonna and Child versions existed until I heard about them on Premier Radio.
John Newton, Sutton, England
