Diary
Why cant I own a Canadian?
Thursday, Aug 12, 2010Something that’s been on the Internet for a while, but maybe you haven’t seen it – how to deal with homophobes who justify their bigotry by quoting the Bible – Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a US radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. On one of her shows she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal
Thursday, Aug 12, 2010Holiday reading for MPs?
Friday, Jul 30, 2010While Michael Gove’s Academies Bill offers more opportunties for people to set up faith schools or to make existing ones less accountable, the Labour leadership candidates all say they’re pro-faith schools. Faith schools are a part, a rather large part, of the problem of “multiculturalism”, about which so much nonsense has been spoken and written by ignorant politicians. Rumy Hasan’s book, Multiculturalism: Some Inconvenient Truths, ought to be on every MP’s holiday reading list.September meeting Michael Lawrence just supposes
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2010Guest speaker Michael Lawrence introduces his presentation as follows: Just suppose is a one hour production, which is an expos on the link between primitive astronomy/astrology and religious theology. It aims to demonstrate how all theology is inexorably linked with ancient astrological perceptions, and ultimately, the folly of theological worship. Its purpose is not to discredit the benefit many people gain from following a theological belief, but to provoke lively debate on the future role of religion in the public realm of politics and education given theologys demonstrably fictitious foundation.Pope protest, BBC Thought for the Day, and more from the Internet
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2010A Protest the Pope march and rally will take place in Central London on 18 September. See the Protest the Pope website for details. If anyone from Suffolk is planning to go could they please let us know? Ekklesia, the liberal Christian organisation, has published a report on the BBC’s Thought for the Day that “challenges the terms of the current controversy over BBC Radio 4s flagship God slot by actually analysing its content with some surprising results.Is wearing the niqab any more acceptable than wearing a paper bag over my head?
Tuesday, Jul 27, 2010Phillip Hollobone MP has said that he expects niqab wearing constituents to remove them before he’ll talk to them. Liberty has warned him of potential legal action under the Equality Act 2006, because this would constitute religious discrimination. Maybe Mr Hollobone is right. It would be reasonable to ask someone wearing a crash helmet with tinted face shield to remove it, or a paper bag, so why should a niqab be different?Learning from Northern Ireland
Sunday, Jul 25, 2010Throughout the current debate about faith schools and the Conservatives’ determination to muck about with our education system so that we have more “academies” run as faith-based independent schools at public expense, the example of Northern Ireland has been conveniently ignored. One of the main reasons why the Troubles lasted so long was because of religious segregation. Those of different faiths or no faith were largely invisible. Several generations of children went to segregated schools, continuing to demonize each other and never mixing.What the Quran really says?
Friday, Jul 23, 2010According to The White Roses, Islam is incompatible with secularism, no matter what “moderate” British Muslims might say.Bad news on academies
Thursday, Jul 22, 2010Thank you if you emailed your MP about the Academies Bill in response to an urgent appeal a few days ago, but it doesn’t look as though we’ve had much success. One of our members had an email from his MP, as follows: Thank you for your email … and I note your concerns. However, I have a different view to you on this matter and am a great advocate of faith schools.Fictional TV character drops Quran, Muslims incensed
Thursday, Jul 22, 2010Muslims deficient in a sense of humour or proportion are upset about a scene from BBC TV’s Eastenders in which a gay Muslim character handles his copy of the Qur’an rather roughly, upset about his love life. He probably didn’t even say “Oops!”, though I wouldn’t know because I never watch it. Oh please! Taking offence has become a full-time occupation for some people.