Bishop Joseph Devine has written, according to Scotland on Sunday "an intemperate letter" to Mr Cameron, the Prime Minister, I can't find a copy of it but what is reported is exactly what I would want to say to the man.
I was talking to someone after Mass this moring who said she was likely to meet Cameron over Christmas, "if I get the chance," she said, "I'd like to give him a good prodding with my umbrella," Not that I would encourage violence but so would I.
The bishop [then] asks that with the “contradiction” between Cameron’s support for the right to wear a cross and his opposition to ECHR appeals “on what basis can you expect anyone – Christians in particular – to trust or respect you?”
Devine then complains about how Catholic groups, such as adoption agencies, have been made to feel “not welcome”. He continues: “That feeling… is the legacy of the last Labour government. Sadly, many of your government’s policies show no sign of reversing that, despite your plausible public relations exercises. “Which brings me to your regrettable reproach of the Church of England.”
Cameron, he recalled, had used “your customary linguistic aplomb” to urge the Church to “get with the programme” by allowing women bishops. “Disagree with decisions by all means, but such graceless comments were indelicate to the point of being offensive. And this from a Prime Minister belittling the nation’s established church. Hardly an example to set for society in general and especially for the youth of this country.”
He goes on, sarcastically: “So where next for David Cameron’s spiritual mission? … While I cannot speak for other creeds, let me be quite frank with you. So far as the Roman Catholic Church… is concerned, you are out of your depth.
We will take no finger-prodding lectures from anyone or any group devoid of moral competence. “I suspect it is only a matter of time before you go one step further and outlaw the teaching of Christian doctrine on sexual morality on the grounds of discrimination.”
17 comments:
I thank God for Bishop Devine.
Sock it to him Joe!
“I suspect it is only a matter of time before you go one step further and outlaw the teaching of Christian doctrine on sexual morality on the grounds of discrimination.”
There are certainly plenty of trial balloons for criminalizing Christianity going up in the world. Australia and Ireland are toying with imprisoning priests who don't report sexual abuse heard in confession. IIRC, Canada jailed a pastor for proclaiming homosexuality a sin. And even in the good ol' USA, an ex-lesbian-turned-Christian had to flee the country with her daughter with the Feds on her heels because a judge insanely awarded custody of the daughter to her creepy ex-"spouse" who had no biological connection to the daughter.
This is why we shouldn't get so agitated when Cdl. Ratzinger talked about a smaller but purer Church. It doesn't mean Conservatives want to kick people out. It means rather that the difference between Catholicism and the world at large is going to become more and more stark and contentious--and like in the parable of the sower in which some seed fell on rocky ground or among thorns, we can expect that many nominal Catholics are going to choose the world.
Well done to Bishop Devine. But Cameron won't care, and will probably simply see the good bishop's redress as great PR for his programme. He has deliberately set out to alienate core support and all traditionally minded people so as to appeal to a broader electorate.
Both main parties as well as the LibDems now actively support this historic and intrinsically destabilising change. Please keep your eye on the ball as tactics are now everything. The only thing that can threaten the implementation of this change is if Conservative MPs and their constituency chairmen are encouraged to break off and form their own party so as to re-partiate the base, as well as offer legitimate choice on this issue from voters across the entire political spectrum. Its highly plausible, as we know that at least 8 sitting MPs are already considering defecting to UKIP, and a very greater number are very annoyed with Cameron on this and a range of other things.
I rather think that no one is their right mind will vote for this man in the next election.
This gives one the choice of a return to the disasterous Labour team or to choose a non-mainstream party to vote for. At least, here in Australia we now have the Australian Christian Party to vote for and we also have AV voting which, in my opinion, is far better than the first past the post style which you have. There are several reasons why I could never return to England to live and your voting system is one of those reasons. I must stress though that it is not the only reason. Your invasive stiffling of the right to free speech and your failing economy also feature amongst my reasons.
Thank God for Bishop Devine!
A bishop with . . .well, you know what. God bless him and Scotland the brave. Way to go!
One might expect a moral retard like Cameron to adopt such abominations as his policies, but what has really angered me is the number of so-called Catholic MP's who will support him.
My MP is one such, and when I challenged him, he flat-out declared that he did not believe the Church's teaching on marriage nor on the sinfulness of sodomitic behaviour. And yet you can bet that his next election material will still present him as a devout Catholic family man.
It is time that these Judas Catholics in public life be held to account for their apostasy. If they persist in advancing Satanic causes they should be excommunicated until they see the error of their ways.
Only in England can one prod politicians with one's umbrella.
Thank God for Bishop Egan: http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=21585
It's about time we started looking for representatives who actually care about the country and the people in it.The bunch of nincompoops we now have only think about themselves and are constantly playing to the gallery.
What we really need are more competent retired people in Parliament; there are many who would gladly do a proper job with very little if any remuneration.
We are being made the laughing stock of the World by the bunch of lobby-fodder we have now.
That ridiculous Hague,Boles,Gove & Co should never be allowed to have anything to do with our future,the whole lot of them have got to go.
We are fighting for our lives now and the only programme we need to 'get with' is to realise we are dealing with is shysters and liars. Of our Bishops many, many mistakes the biggest one was being 'nuanced' over Civil Partnerships. That showed they were pliable and could be treated as doormats. The Bishops of Scotland and France seem to have woken up to it but not E&W.
The next stage will be for the politicians to appeal to the Tablet style cafeteria Catholic so that "common sense" will prevail. They will think nothing of dividing Catholics to get their way. "Flashman" is a very good way of describing Cameron, Clegg and Boris - its exactly what they are.
He deserves Bigot of the Year!
If only he'd written the letter six months ago....
Good on you Joe.
Jim
ps Noticable that our Scottish bishops are holding their end up. Cardinal in formal breach with Edinburgh government over marriage proposals, Archbishop speaking up for religious freedom and condemning religious hate-crimes, letter read from all pulpits etc
Well Bishop Egan has spoken up:
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=21585
No doubt The Tablet will condemn what he says. Will his fellow Bishops support him?
The bit I liked was where the Bish. said that the Church had existed for 2 millenia, amazingly without the help of Cameron!
Incidentally cameron in Spanish means "large prawn"
I prefer BERK EXTRAORDINAIRE to "large prawn"
Julian Fellowes got it right in a recent episode of Downton Abbey when his script called for the Earl of Grantham to be comfortable with homosexuals (oh we got that at Eton) but antipathetic to Roman Catholics (a whiff of Johnny foreigner).
That explains a lot.
. . .and Mr Large Prawn and his cohorts will have the effrontery to come snivelling for votes at the next election.
Post a Comment