Liberal Burblings

Archive for the ‘Anglican Church’ Category

Joe Otten has written an extremely sensible and fair opinion on faith and schools, on Liberal Democrat Voice under the title of “The issue is not faith schools but freedom of conscience“. I thoroughly recommend the article for reading, inwardly digesting, copying bits out and pinning them on the wall etc. I have already nominated it for this week’s “Golden Dozen”.

There have been hundreds of “comment battles” on LibDem Voice about faith schools which have boiled down to “Is there a God?” or “You can’t believe it God, you daft numpty” – essentially. Joe is right to refocus our attention on the right to a faith, and indeed no faith, and how that right should fairly and liberally interact with society in respect to education. Joe’s approach is extremely refreshing.

Looking at the comments below Joe’s article, as usual, what seems to be “marmalised” in these debates is the essential fact that there are several categories of “faith schools”.

The category of which I have most, although possibly out-of-date, knowledge is Church of England schools. Following the recommendations of the Dearing report, the Church of England has a policy of not “bussing in” students to fill their school with “faithful Christians”. The student composition reflects the local population. Indeed, one Church of England in the North of England has 90% Muslim pupils.

There should not be selection based on “declared religion” and I agree with Joe’s advocacy of parallel provision for worship if there is a significant student population in the school which does not hold the main faith of that school. Indeed, I think this policy should extend to declared atheists.

All in all, I agree with Dr Evan Harris’ proposed bill of a few years ago (2004 or early 2005 I think) which proposed an end to inequalities in the faith school system. I note that the Bill was even supported by David Trimble.

My bedtime reading at the moment (and I suspect for several months to come, due to my somewhat plodding reading speed) is Roy Jenkin’s Gladstone. A note by Jenkins against a quote from Gladstone on page 32 caused me to chuckle:

There then follow nine balancing subordinate clauses of a convolution which make the net effect almost impossible to follow.

Remind you of anyone?

Oh goodness me. Just when you have been lulled into a false sense of security, up pops Anne Atkins Radio 4′s “Thought for the day“.

Oh crikey.

As usual, I have to brace myself and remind myself not to be judgmental, before I have heard what she has got to say.

So, I try to ignore the smug, patronising and sanctimonious tone and the hushed, melodramatic delivery which seems to be designed to give the “thought” an air of reasonableness and authority, but instead gives Ms Atkins’ unreasonable views a blood-chilling air.

Instead, I try to hear what the message is and properly evaluate whether it is valid. Calm. Calm. Calm.

Suicide is wrong, she says. The Chief Rabbi told her this and she told a 10 year old boy this and he never contemplated suicide again. That was her gist. Here it is in her own words:

I was once privileged to be talking to a ten year old who had seriously contemplated ending his life: he had an undiagnosed disability, and it seemed a reasonable response to the in-tolerable situation he was in. “Has no one ever told you,” I remembered the late Chief Rabbi’s succinct political incorrectness, “that suicide is wrong? As killing anyone is wrong.”"Is it?” he said, astonished.And told me, years later, that he never considered suicide again.

It’s no good. I can’t control myself a second longer.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

That’s better.

‘Suicide is wrong. There. Done. Sorted. ‘

That’s just brain-burstingly over-simplistic. Where’s the Christian compassion in that?

‘It’s wrong. So there.’

Dear me. But of course, Atkins’ treatise seems to assume that suicide is increasing – but it isn’t – it’s decreasing. And the Brigend incidences are still possibly, according to the Samaritans, a statistical anomaly rather than any significant associated trend.

I find myself clinging to the memory of Rev Chad Varah, a Christian priest who saw the need to extend the hand of friendship to fellow humans going through loneliness and thoughts of suicide.
That’s the real Christian attitude to those contemplating suicide which I would like to keep in mind – not Anne Atkins’ “It’s wrong – so there – nah, nah – nah, nah, nah”.

What gets me is that, by allowing this woman on “Thought for the Day” there appears to be a presumption that she represents some form of constituency within society.

Are there really any other people who think like Ms Atkins? I find it hard to believe.

I can’t take it any more!