Bonfire Night- should Catholics celebrate it?

[Open Heart]

Nonsense.

Guy Fawkes et al attempted treason and were executed as a result. It is a calumny to associate their crime with modern Catholicism.

Wow. Woow. Real blinders on. You speak as if there were no reason for the "treason." The treason was against a tyrant, not against England. When those that govern violate human rights, it becomes the moral imperative of the governed to overthrow them.

 

[Decanus]

I'm an American, so I don't really have a right to say anything. After all, I don't understand the nuances of British culture.

But I am a Catholic. And I do understand the oppression of the Catholics under James and all that led up to the Gunpowder plot. I even just watched the BBC series about it (not that that's my only source about it).

I don't really know what you English do on the holiday. You say bonfires. Are these small bonfires? Or great big huge ones? My first reaction, to be really honest, is if they are small, is that if I were English, I'd put on a Guy Fawkes mask and carry around a machine gun size water gun, and see if I could put out a few of those bonfires. But again, I don't really know enough about the holiday to know what I'm talking about.

The oppression of Catholics was disgusting......of course Catholics were also doing their fair share of oppressing, but that doesn't make it okay. Gunpowder showed this very well.

Erm, some bonfires are small, some are very big. There is a celebration near where I currently live that involves tar barrels on fire being rolled through the streets. I may be attending this year because I can honour the memory of Catholics, whilst also being happy that my countries monarch and government were not blown up.....it would have lead to far worse treatment for Catholics had it succeeded.

Haha, your idea sounds funny and I wouldn't be surprised if that has already been done.