And Ulster Makes It Three!
After the two posts on racism and sexism, there was a story with a pictures in The Times yesterday about the celebration of the Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland.
Surely, it’s about time, we were celebrating the passing of this bigoted yearly remembrance of something that most of the residents of the United Kingdom don’t know about and care about even less.
Cardinal O’Brien In The Doo-Dah
I can’t say I hold a brief for the views of Cardinal O’Brien, as what right does anybody have to deny anybody a proper marriage, be they straight, gay, divorced or widowed.
So I was rather pleased that Stonewall’s bigot of the year, has got dropped in it, from a great height by a former priest and some other complainants. The priest left the priesthood and got married, which probably sums up the real fault of Catholic doctrine. Being denied your instincts, like wanting to have a meaningful relationship with someone that might lead to marriage, surely causes more problems than it solves.
The full story is here on the BBC.
I do fear that if people like O’Brien are choosing the new Pope, what sort of dinosaur will they choose?
Are Those Opposed To Gay Marriage Bigots?
Nick Clegg has got into hot water over the draft of his speech saying those opposed to gay marriage are bigots.
I must admit, that the only people I’ve ever heard, who are against gay marriage, and there haven’t been many, have been opposed to homosexuality as well.
I get a lot of evangelicals knocking at my door trying to convert me and I asked one, what their views on gay people was. They were told politely to Foxtrot Oscar, after I heard their views.
The other thing that annoys them, is when I say my God is female. But it has the right effect and they move on.
What Right Has This Man To Condemn Gay Marriage?
Cardinal O’Brien is getting all Catholic churches in Scotland to read out an anti-gay marriage letter. He must be going very near the anti-discrimination legislation, so he might find that he gets interviewed by the boys in blue. And I don’t mean Rangers supporters.
In a way, it’s all rather sad, as he is effectively saying that we don’t want certain types of people in the Catholic church. To some religion is important. Not me I hasten to add. But it has caused so much trouble in this world and still does.
In my view, churchmen and other religious leaders should stay out of areas like race and sexuality. And probably politics and football too, except as voters and supporters! Except of course, when they are trying to calm a difficult situation. Here he’s pouring petrol on the fire!
I would also say, that can anybody who has never been married, make a sensible statement, about the joy that relationship can bring.
Why Is There So Much Religious Bigotry About?
Two stories have dominated the BBC’s most read list this weekend; the arrest in Pakistan of a disabled girl from a Christian family for blasphemy and the breaking off of talks by Cardinal O’Brien with the Scottish government over gay marriage.
Are those behind the bigotry trying to outdo each other?
With regard to the second story, I suspect that there must be quite a few gay Roman Catholics in Scotland.
The Anonymous Widower 