Harriet Harman as "Equalities Minister" is incredibly powerful, in the twilight world of the Brown government there are no big policies, only aspirations for equality for women and those who identify themselves as "gay", which itself has become a significant and powerful political sub-culture.
Monsignor Andrew Summersgill, general secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference, wrote to MPs saying that Ms Harman's new Equality Bill will have a "chilling effect" on local councils, town halls and other organizations clamping down on Christmas festivities for fear of offending people of other religions.
Under existing legislation," Summersgill wrote, "we have seen the development of a risk-averse culture with outcomes as ridiculous as reports of a local authority instructing tenants to take down Christmas lights in case they might offend Muslim neighbours, or of authorities removing the word Christmas out of cultural sensitivity to everyone except Christians.Again and again Christians, Jews and Muslims are forced out of public life, it is not just doctors and nurses or teachers.
"If this bill is serious about equality, everything possible must be done to avoid it having a chilling effect on religious expression and practice."
The Christian Institute said:
At the moment, if there is any conflict between atheism and Christianity,
atheism seems to win out. Similarly, there is a tendency for gay rights to trump religious rights.
....
The religious exceptions do not apply to commercial organisations either. There are therefore many areas of business in which existing discrimination law provides inadequate freedom of conscience:
o a Sikh architect could be required to design a mosque
o a Muslim web designer could be forced to do work for a gay rights organisation
o a Christian conference centre run on a commercial basis could be forced to host a Satanist convention
o a Jewish printing firm could be forced to print an Islamic tract denouncing other religions, including Judaism
5 comments:
The Knights of St Columba in our church have sponspored little stickers for people to stick on their Christmas Card envelopes with the inscription: KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS
Perhaps all Christians should follow this good example and write these words in red on their envelopes.
In Leicester they all seem to get on alright together,Hindus,Moslems,Sikhs and Christians all celebrate each others Feasts & Festivals.
Diwali,Eid and Christmas are happy occasions for everybody.
It is the Atheists who get offended when they see people enjoying themselves with God at the centre.
Another Poster-Campaign has been started by these MALCONTENTS,it is time to organise a petition to curtail these insulting troublemakers.
We Christians lose because we're a soft touch and we don't know how to be bloody-minded or to play the righteous victim.
For example, the Gay Pride event they hold every August, is "unwanted conduct that has the effect of violating the dignity of Christians, Jews and Muslims, or creating an offensive environment for us".
Not that I'd advise issuing a claim in court about this, though I'd certainly be all for it in counterclaim.
Father:
Did you get the email I sent you earlier in the week?
I think most folk are misunderstanding the equality duties. Rather than forcing private individuals/bodies to act against their own consciences (though I think it may), a benefit of the equality legislation is by forcing public bodies into taking into account the views/sensibilities of Christians. Where there's a will, there's a way!
Michael: you should do it, especially if public money is used for it. Then you have a real case to make.
Mark, No.
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