Iceland has become the latest name to court controversy by erasing Christian iconography and, by extension, attacking the religion itself.
The chain has decided to ditch the cross on its hot cross buns, which represents Jesus’s crucifixion on Good Friday. In its place will be a tick, reminiscent of Nike’s famous logo.
David Lennox, Head of Product Development at Iceland, claims, “According to the research, it seems some people want to do away with the cross design and move to a tick instead.” This is an interesting take, considering that Iceland’s research found that only a fifth of customers would prefer the spiced Easter buns to have a tick instead.
Anyone with even an ounce of business acumen would know that pandering to a tiny minority of your clientele and, in the process, risking offending the vast majority probably isn’t the best of ideas, but why let good business sense get in the way when you have in ideological agenda to push?
Even the secular among our people will find value in the cultural tradition of placing a cross on buns in the buildup to Easter. The practice has, after all, been linked with Good Friday for over 350 years.
Credit where credit is due, however, as Iceland’s choice of replacement, an apparent homage to Nike, could not be more appropriate. Nike’s logo symbolises the dark sides of capitalism: greed and worship of money, which has led, in Nike’s case, to profiteering from slave labour in China and other exploitations.
It’s wonderfully ironic. All Iceland is essentially doing is replacing one religious token with another – one that symbolises the pursuit of money. How ironic it will be when their Hot Tick Buns lose the company money.
Danny Webster of the Evangelical Alliance said, ‘Easter is when Christians across the globe remember Jesus’s death on the cross and resurrection from the grave’.
“Whatever Iceland puts on their buns, Christians will continue to proclaim the truth of the cross: that Jesus is alive.”
Henrietta Blyth of the Christian charity Open Doors said the traditional buns “remind us of God being prepared to become human, submit to the worst evils humanity can throw at him, and emerge triumphant.”
It’s no secret that Christianity has been under attack in the West for decades now. When looking at the liberal progressive agenda, one can see why, from their point of view, religion is seen as problematic. Traditional Christian values are at odds with the progressives’ values; whereas the teachings of the Bible promote wholesome family life and morality, the leftist agenda promotes degeneracy and unhealthy living.
The undermining of religion is not just spiritually contentious but also politically controversial. Governments tend to be fearful and resentful of religion, be it Christianity, Islam, or others. When the people of a nation devote their lives to theism, they will not devote their lives to the state. This is why, throughout history, despots usually persecute and, in extreme cases, ban religions shortly after taking power.
So, we can expect more attacks on our right to religious expression. Our government hates us and hates any institute which bestows autonomy and freedom from the clutches of the state.
I believe in upholding and safeguarding our nation’s rich Christian heritage while maintaining a delicate balance between the principles of a secular society and the freedom to express religious beliefs. I understand the significance of the separation of church and state as a vital democratic principle that ensures the right of religion and the right to freedom from religion are preserved. However, I also believe that tradition and customs play a crucial role in fostering a sense of unity and belonging among our people.
As such, we should all work tirelessly to ensure that our nation’s customs and traditions are respected and celebrated while upholding the principles of a secular society. Through a collaborative effort, we can achieve a harmonious balance between these two essential aspects of our society.
