Suggestions for the Pope’s Visit
This story broke last week, when an e-mail started to circulate suggesting things that the Pope might like to do on his visit to the UK.
I used to think that the Pope’s views had an effect, but after reading PeopleQuake, it would seem that some of his views on contraception aren’t taken at all seriously, except possibly in the Philipines. In Italy, they certainly aren’t, as if the current rate of births continues, the number of Italians in Italy will have declined to about 15% by the end of the century.
But the e-mail sent was stupid and I can’t understand why all of those involved haven’t been fired.
Surely, they should have been thinking up ways of making sure that the Pope was properly informed about child abuse by members of his priesthood.
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman has come in from a lot of criticism about his new book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (Myths)
But interestingly, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, cites Pullman as one of his favourite modern writers. Others are not so charitable.
Dawkins and the Pope
According to the Sunday Times, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are going to investigate whether the Pope can be arrested when he visits the UK.
Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, the atheist author, have asked human rights lawyers to produce a case for charging Pope Benedict XVI over his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.
I am not someone with any religion. But I do believe that if you take the basic decent humanity common to most religions they are all rules that we can abide by.
In recent years that Catholic church has in some cases protected priests, who if I did what they have done, would have gone to jail for a long time. This is by any standards not right.
I have just read the excellent book, PeopleQuake, by James Pearce. Some of the most Catholic countries in the world like Italy and Brazil have very low birthrates. So do a lot of women in these countries show the church their contempt for its teaching on contraception or are they just lucky in not getting pregnant?
Watering Down Sex Education
The government has retreated on sensible proposals on sex education, by allowing faith schools to virtually opt out of reality and the truth.
I thought that it was no well excepted that the more and better you educated kids about sex, the less teenage pregnancies you get.
But think of all those religious votes!
Welcome to the Comedy Phone-In
It wasn’t supposed to be that, but the breakfast phone in on BBC Radio 5 was that this morning.
It was supposed to be on the Pope’s views on homosexuality and his criticism of equality laws. We had people on both sides quoting the Bible. I bet if you wanted to prove the sky is yellow, you can find the proof in the Bible.
All very funny!
Shouldn’t we get on with solving the world’s problems, rather than creating more, and discriminating against those who don’t fit our views of what the world should be like.
Pope Condemns Equality
Isn’t he out of step with Jesus on this one? But what would I know as I’m an atheist.
But then what do I care about the Pope. Not a lot. I wish him no harm, but he heads a church that is very much against progress and is all for creating more people in this world. Remember that increasing the population of the world is one of the biggest causes of global warming.
The Ban on Islam4UK
Organisations such as Islam4UK and all the other so-called Muslim organisations, that don’t like the way things are done in the Western World bother me. But then so do right-wing so-called Christian groups and also those fake religions and cults beloved of celebrities with too much money and not enough common sense.
Most preach fiery hate to unbelievers like me and say we will rot in hell. That by the way is impossible, as hell doesn’t exist, unless you are stuck on the M25 (put your favourite in here) at the time of a small bump, that the Police decide is worthy of an enormous investigation.
When these groups commit crimes such as murder, assault, kidnapping and extortion, then hopefully they will feel the full force of the law.
So why do they bother me?
Usually the charlatans at the top are clever individuals, who know how to stay out of trouble, by playing the law to the limit. There are a lot of extreme political organisations, which are just as dangerous and use exactly the same techniques.
But their followers are often not so bright and in some cases can easily be encouraged to do things that are very much against the law. These are the ones that do the damage and those that led them on have all the excuses ready.
So Prudence has decided for popular reasons to add Islam4UK to the list of banned organisations.
I’d rather have them out in the open, than as a secretive underground organisation.
I thought this might be a lone view, but read Martin Bentham in the Evening Standard tonight. Here’s the article.
Today’s ban on Islam4UK and its offshoots is certain to be widely welcomed but its impact is likely to be limited.
The reality is that Anjem Choudary, a lawyer proficient at staying in the bounds of legality, will continue to propagate his extremist message and, if anything, attract even greater attention because of the increased notoriety.
The previous ban on The Saved Sect and Al Ghurabaa was unable to prevent him and his followers reorganising under a different guise, and the same will almost certainly happen this time.
There is also the wider question of whether such an order is proper in a democracy. If extremists’ views, however abhorrent, do not breach laws such as those against incitement to murder and racial hatred, instead of seeking to stifle them it might be better to ignore them — rather than generating yet more publicity.
There is also one very powerful weapon that we should use against all of these people – humour.
Remember in the Second World War nothing was off-limits when combatting the Nazis. Just read this little piece about Spike Jones in 1942. We need him now!
All of these groups give splendid opportunities for satire, ridicule and just plain fun.
The Tragic Case of Sam Riddall
Eleven year-old Sam Riddall was going home from church when he was killed by a car driven by Hannah Saaf. Today she was detained indefinitely in hospital, as she had severe mental health problems. The DVLA had revoked her licence because of this and the judge said.
You were clearly under the influence of cannabis, and you were doing so while driving twice the speed limit allowed. Finally, you left the scene having killed the victim. There’s no sentence a court can pass that will ever compensate for a tragic loss such as this.
He added that were it not for Saaf’s mental state she would have faced “a very substantial custodial sentence”.
The reaction of Sam’s father, Martin Riddall, was not one of revenge, but one of forgiveness.
In four days time we celebrate Christmas – the first Christmas without our Sam. It’s going to be very hard indeed because we still miss him very much.
The devout Christian added he would ask God to forgive Saaf for her “terrible” act.
I have no religion, but I feel that in cases like this revenge has no place, as what good does it do? I lost my wife to an aggressive cancer two years ago and no matter how difficult it is, I have moved on. In fact she told me to before she died.
I think though that we can all learn from Martin Riddall. My heart goes out to him and his family and I wish them well in the future.
Man of the Noughties
They were talking as I drove back to Suffolk about who were the most influential men and women, who have died in the last decade. The usual suspects were all paraded from Ronald Reagan to George Best, the Queen Mother and Heath Ledger.
But the decade saw the passing of the Reverend Chad Varah.
So why should I as someone, who has no religion, say that Chad Varah should be included on any list of important people of the noughties? He has probably done more to help people in distress, first in the UK and then on a world-wide basis, than any other person of the last fifty years. Most know that he founded the Samaritans, but read his entry in Wikpedia and you’ll see that he was involved in sexual education, stopping female genital mutilation and many other causes that affect how we all live in this complicated society. He was even a consultant to The Eagle comic.
But I had a personal link to the Chad Varah. My wife gave her body to medical science and there was a Memorial Service in Southwark Cathedral for all those who had done so in 2007.
I wrote this after the service.
In the Order of Service is a list of over two hundred who gave their bodies in 2007. Amongst is Edward Chad Varah, who founded the Samaritans.
One day in about 1973 or so, our marriage was at a very low ebb. We had debts, a grotty, damp, rented, fourth-floor flat in St. John’s Wood, three children and to say the least, divorce was more than a possibility. I had a small consultancy job at Lloyds Bank and as I was walking home, I passed his church, St. Stephen Wallbrook, where the Samaritans were based.
I saw the sign and was somehow drawn into the church, before spending half an hour or so with the Reverend Varah. He talked me through our problems and made several practical suggestions, most of which worked.
We were always in debt to that kind and compassionate priest.
My wife never knew of this until I told her, when I heard of his death on the radio, a month before she herself died. I should have told her earlier.
So when you talk of great men and women, don’t forget the Reverend Chad Varah. We can all learn a lot from his wonderful example.
St Therese of Lisieux
When I heard of this story I thought it was a joke. Some of the Saint’s bones will be paraded around the UK. For what purpose? To promote healing and reconciliation? Perhaps a worthy aim, but there are better ways of doing it, than using old relics. But then you don’t get the publicity you get with this stunt.
They didn’t really work when they went to Iraq, did they?
I always read Matthew Parris in the Times, as he puts a humorous slant onto things I think deeply about. He is in good form today, calling for atheists to come out and fight.
What? And we’re reporting this deadpan — and not in the Wacky World pages of light magazines? “Organisers said that the arrival of the casket, containing pieces of her thigh and foot bones, was likely to attract hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.” I’m sorry: “pilgrims”? Isn’t the word “dupes”? Does balanced reporting require neutrality even towards the self-evidently preposterous? Would a conference of the Flat Earth Society get giggle-free treatment on the news?
There is a lot more in the same vein. Great!
The Anonymous Widower 