The new campaign, which is being led by BBC Radio Suffolk’s Mark Murphy and the Bury St Edmunds brewery Greene King, says the country needs a “unique” patron saint because George currently holds the role for 17 countries.
St Edmund’s backers also want a new bank holiday to be added to the calendar in his honour.
The Very Reverend Frances Ward, Dean of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, said some of the connotations associated with St George were potentially damaging for England.
“St George started to grow in prominence after Richard the Lionheart prayed to him on crusade and then won a battle,” she said.
“Do we want or need a patron saint in St George who constantly reminds us of the crusades, especially when the crusades still stir up bad feeling and hatred amongst the Muslim world?
“Much better to have a good king who died a martyr to his Christian faith instead of renouncing his crown to the Vikings.”
Am I the only one who doesn’t give a fig? And, no, Edmund’s head was not reunited with his body with the help of a talking wolf. Wolves don’t talk any more than George killed a dragon. They don’t exist either. So, both fairy tales and equally absurd. So, no, I really, really don’t care. Nor do I care whether any thin-skinned Muslims who are still wittering on about the crusades a thousand years later are offended or not. Grow up and get over it, for fuck’s sake.
Another day off would be nice though…
I agree about the day off and think we should have a national holiday but as for a Saint’s day, that is a load of codswallop. A cynic could accuse them of not being over-imaginative but I think the Aussies may have the right idea by changing the name to Australia day – a day for the whole country.
If there is to be a Saint’s Day, I’ve long thought St Alban, as the first recorded British Christian martyr, made more sense.Though as an atheist, I don’t really give two hoots. That said, winding up Muslim fundamentalists may be the best argument I’ve heard for keeping St George. 👿
Am I the only one who doesn’t give a fig?
No
Nobody remotely interested in the Bury St Edmunds tourist trade, or trying to sell more beer, then?
Presumably England will need a new flag to replace the cross of St Georgeand the the Union flag will need to be redesigned
Well, if the corrupt, corporate thieving bastards at Greene King, destroyers of more nice beers & breweries than I can shake my Morris-dancing stick at are behind it …
Then: you can stuff it up your arse, or better still up Mark Murphy’s arse!