Have you noticed a strange phenomenon lately? The idea of the separation of Church and State has been growing apace in the public mind (as we all know), but it has come to mean that Christians (especially Catholics) have no place in the public process—almost, have no citizenship.Look at the picture that I have posted. It shows the very first comment made on one of Damian Thompson's posts; see the commenter's bafflement that a religious observation should be entitled to any place on a blog.
Comments about the taxpayer having to pay for Catholic schools seems to suggest that Catholics are not themselves taxpayers.
People may dress as they like; indeed they may wear a rosary around their neck as long as it is a fashion accessory and not a Christian symbol. Recently I saw several rosaries on sale here in Shoreham on a craft stall. I happened to be with the Vicar and his wife; she said to the stall-holder 'ooh, are those rosaries?' and the stall-holder replied, repressively, 'certainly not; they are rosary-like necklaces'.
The notion, I suppose, is that people (i.e. not Christians) should be allowed to go wherever they want, look at wherever they want, without the fear that they be confronted by anything that might remind them that Christianity exists.
It's for consenting adults, in private, only.
3 comments:
No, surely the reverse is the truth : that atheism, agnosticism, and suchlike should be for consenting adults in private, only, like any other perversion which is likely to frighten the horses.
Exactly and there appears to be little opposition either.
I read today in the Daily Mail that an atheist lord mayor has ended the tradition of Christian prayers before council meetings. He apparently has a 'humanist chaplain' who is quoted as saying that 'it's a good move because saying Christian prayers picks out one particular stance of people in the city' and adds ' It 's rather divisive, in my view.'
The lord mayor wrote in the Leicester Secularist Society's
publication 'I am delighted to confirm that I will be excercising my discretion as lord mayor to abolish this outdated, unnecessary and intrusive practice.'
I would have thought the C of E would have something to say about this but a spokesperson for the Diocese of Leicester said 'it is up to the mayor to decide what he does and this is his right.' So complete capitulation there.
On the other hand would it not be hypocritical of the lord mayor to continue with council prayers?
State (i.e. taxpayer)funding of catholic schools is a perennial press favourite here in Australia, trotted out from time to time as an example of one section of the community getting an unfair advantage. My own view is that ALL schools should receive significantly more funding, obviously with more directed towards state schools, and including putting teachers on a decent wage. Children are both our treasure and our future, so it's about time the teaching profession was restored to the prestige it enjoyed in times gone by. This could easily be funded without a negative budgetary impact by reducing the myriad benefits enjoyed by politicians the world over. Forcing them to use public which should lead to significant improvements in these services...
I'm digressing into a rant... apologies... As for the atheist mayor, surely he can at least embrace the values of religion, whether Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist etc. And don't get me started on playing down one's own relgion for (misguided) fear of offending those who subscribe to other beliefs.
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