Sabbath Opening Battle in Outer Hebrides
Full story (and video report) from the BBC
A battle is looming over proposals to open sports facilities on Sundays in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.
The arguments against the proposals are effectively threefold:
1. The council does not want to force people to work on Sunday
2. The area traditionally closes down on a Sunday
3. God wouldn’t like it!
Well the first seems reasonable, but people want jobs and I’m sure they would not object to working on Sundays if they wanted to, if not then others could be employed. I am also not sure that people can be forced to work on Sunday (implying they would make them work 7 days a week!). The second is frankly irrelevant just because something is traditional doesn’t make it right, and now let’s turn to the third reason.
OK I have paraphased it a little but still that is what the argument boils down to. Firstly THERE ISN’T A GOD!!! Minor point but I think needs to be stated. But then the Lord’s Observance Spokesperson talked about renouncing biblical teaching… like biblical teaching about keeping slaves, eating shellfish, killing disobedient children, or (my favourite) coveting (which most of the world’s economic system is based on), but not this, this is a slippery slope which will lead to us murdering each other!
I’ll let you judge this argument!
Dublin Declaration on Religion in Public Life
At the World Atheist Convention in Dublin on 3-5 June one of the subjects being discussed is the Dublin Declaration on Religion in Public Life which hopes to build on last year’s Copenhagen Declaration. To that end a draft declaration has been circulated to start the discussion between now and June. Here it is:
Personal Freedoms
- Freedom of conscience, religion and belief are unlimited. Freedom to practice religion should be limited only by the need to respect the rights of others.
- All people should be free to participate equally in public life, and should be treated equally before the law and in the democratic process.
- Freedom of expression should be limited only as prescribed in international law. All blasphemy laws should be repealed.
Secular Democracy
- Society should be based on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Public policy should be formed by applying reason to evidence.
- Government should be secular. The state should be strictly neutral in matters of religion, favouring none and discriminating against none.
- Religions should have no special financial consideration in public life, such as tax-free status for religious activities, or grants to promote religion or run faith schools.
Secular Education
- State education should be secular. Children should be taught about the diversity of religious beliefs in an objective manner, with no faith formation in school hours.
- Children should be educated in critical thinking and the distinction between faith and reason as a guide to knowledge. Science should be taught free from religious interference.
One Law For All
- There should be one law for all, democratically decided and evenly enforced, with no jurisdiction for religious courts to settle civil matters or family disputes.
- The law should not criminalize private conduct that respects the rights of others because the doctrine of any religion deems such conduct to be immoral.
- Employers or social service providers, with religious beliefs should not be allowed to discriminate on any grounds not essential to the job in question.
Please remember this is only a first draft, and we want to have a full and frank discussion about this document so that we can create a final form that is acceptable to the majority of us. To that end we at AthesimUK are starting this discussion over at our forum, please contribute so that we can get as wide a set of opinions on board as possible.
Islam’s mighty sword makes pieces
UN staff killed in Afghanistan amid protests over Qur’an burning Read more
France Bans Niqab
On April 11 a new law comes into force in France. This bans the niqab, the full face veil, in public places such as universities, post offices and job centres. Women who keep their faces covered will be refused these servicee.
The law was the product of an initiative by a Communist Party MP. For five months a cross party Parliamentary Commission heard evidence from 200 experts. “The wearing of the full veil is a challenge to our Republic. This is unacceptable. We must condemn this excess.”, said MPs The Commission stated that the nigab is contrary to the values of the Republic.
French justice minister Michele Alliot-Marie said that the ban is a success for the Republic.
President Sarkozy’s Union for a Popular Movement and many Socialist Party MPs wanted a full ban , which is supported by two thirds of the French people, but were told this could breach the Constitution.
Leaders of France’s mainstream Muslims support the ban, but this has led to trouble in their community. Eighty men invaded a mosque in Drancy and shouted at the imam, Hassen Chalghouri, who supports the ban, that he is an infidel.
In London, Unite Against Fascism, a front for the Socialist Workers’ Party, together with the British Muslim Initiative and the Islamic Forum of Europe staged a protest against the ban at the French embassy. They argued that women should have the freedom to choose what they wear.
But Muslim women do not enjoy such freedom. From birth they are the property of men, firstly their fathers and then their husbands. Sharia law even forbids a woman from leaving her home without her husband’s permission.
Britain has a law which bans the wearing of balaclavas and face coverings on demonstrations.