Monday, February 01, 2010
Animal Farm
Famously, George Orwell's Animal Farm started off with 'all animals are equal' and finished declaring 'four legs good, two legs better', It is clearly a sentiment with which Pope Benedict XVI might identify.
According to The Times he is due to visit Britain later this year but already he is unhappy with what he may find here.
He confirmed the visit in a pastoral address to the Bishops of England and Wales today where he also indulged in what Ruth Gledhill describes as 'a wonderful Benedictine attack on our nation's move to embrace equal rights for all, in which he urges 'missionary zeal' on the bishops in carrying the flag for religious freedom in Britain.' As she points out, religious freedom means the right for religions to discriminate against minorities, primarily gays.
The Pope writes: 'Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society. Yet as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed. I urge you as Pastors to ensure that the Church’s moral teaching be always presented in its entirety and convincingly defended.'
What he does not seem to understand is that unlike the Germany of his youth, Britain is a free country where religious diffences are tolerated and people are free to express their views even if they go against what is considered political correctness (just ask David Davies MP for Monmouthshire).
If the Church's teaching against homosexuality in particular and its advocacy of 'natural law' is considered to be pushing against 'limitations' then that is because most of us are living in the twenty first century where we respect people's right to live their life as they wish. In contrast the Catholic Church as envisaged by the current Pope is still living in the sixteenth Century (and I write that as somebody who was brought up as a Catholic).
If the Pope really intending to come to Britain to preach his version of intolerance then perhaps it would be better if he stayed in the Vatican.
According to The Times he is due to visit Britain later this year but already he is unhappy with what he may find here.
He confirmed the visit in a pastoral address to the Bishops of England and Wales today where he also indulged in what Ruth Gledhill describes as 'a wonderful Benedictine attack on our nation's move to embrace equal rights for all, in which he urges 'missionary zeal' on the bishops in carrying the flag for religious freedom in Britain.' As she points out, religious freedom means the right for religions to discriminate against minorities, primarily gays.
The Pope writes: 'Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society. Yet as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed. I urge you as Pastors to ensure that the Church’s moral teaching be always presented in its entirety and convincingly defended.'
What he does not seem to understand is that unlike the Germany of his youth, Britain is a free country where religious diffences are tolerated and people are free to express their views even if they go against what is considered political correctness (just ask David Davies MP for Monmouthshire).
If the Church's teaching against homosexuality in particular and its advocacy of 'natural law' is considered to be pushing against 'limitations' then that is because most of us are living in the twenty first century where we respect people's right to live their life as they wish. In contrast the Catholic Church as envisaged by the current Pope is still living in the sixteenth Century (and I write that as somebody who was brought up as a Catholic).
If the Pope really intending to come to Britain to preach his version of intolerance then perhaps it would be better if he stayed in the Vatican.
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Actually, Animal Farm starts with both those sentiments and ends: "but some animals are more equal than others" and "Four legs good, two legs better".
I knew that but could not be bothered to check, which is a shame as it would have read better. In fact I am going to change it. Thanks
In light of his comments, if the old bigot has to come to this country, I trust it will be at the expense of the Catholic church and not the taxpayers.
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