Tuesday 25 December 2007

Religion and politics

Last, week, one of the two Christian politicians, who led the USA and UK into war against Iraq, converted formally to Catholicism as long expected.  In the same week, another leading UK politician, who opposes the war, told the world he did not believe in God.  I am not going to conclude from that that all religious people are bad and all sceptics are good, but I do wish so many religious people would not tend to assume that to be religious is to be good and to be sceptical is to be bad.

 

I would like the best political leaders regardless of religious belief or non-belief but, on balance, I find it easier to trust someone who makes his own decisions and accepts responsibility for them than someone who claims to be guided by a supernatural being.  What makes some religious people dangerous when they have power - be they Christians, Moslems or whatever - is that they "know" they are right because God told them.


 

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Tuesday 4 December 2007

The mote in Britain's eye

Most Britons, of all religions and none, seem to think it was ridiculous for the Sudanese authorities to imprison Gillian Gibbons for letting a class of 7-year olds call their teddy bear "Mohammad".  I wonder how many of them support the English Common Law against blasphemy and the proposed UK statutory law against incitement to religious hatred.  Although there are differences of degree and severity between Sudan and the UK, there is no difference in kind or principle.
I hope all who criticize these laws in Sudan will oppose them in the UK.
 

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