Inclusive Exclusion

A response to:Oxford Is Dreaming of a White … Winter

Sometimes I think the West has much to learn from Indian principles. One important lesson is the meaning of the word «inclusive.» The Oxford attempt at denying a place for «Christmas» in the attempt to be inclusive is like rejecting Christians in the name of tolerance for all. This is a pseudo-inclusiveness that is really founded on an exclusivist mentality.

The truly inclusive approach, I think, is to embrace all religions. This means celebrating Christmas and Ramzan and Pessach and Diwali. In India, for instance, there are vast differences in religious belief yet there is space for all. That is the inclusiveness we should work toward — although it is an ideal that even Indians today find difficult to practice.

Peter Gonsalves, SDB