Hateful bigotry from Nairn's SNP Councillor on Highland Council

(Please see UPDATES at end)

Nairn has four Councillors on Highland Council and one of these is Councillor Liz MacDonald, who represents the SNP. The article below appeared in our local [weekly] newspaper yesterday:

Councillor MacDonald (SNP) stands by her "butcher's apron" remark to Labour man - article appearing in "Nairnshire Telegraph" 19th August 2014 (Unfortunately our local weekly newspaper in Nairn does not have an on-line presence.) - Hateful bigotry from Nairn SNP Councillor Liz MacDonald - Click here to see an enlargement. Click here to see an enlargement.

Whilst I find her "chip-on-shoulder" and plain nasty views deplorable, it is at least good that these have been exposed in our local newspaper. I think that all her comments deserve a good 'fisking', but I think this particular extract from the article above of one of her quoted remarks illustrates perfectly the kind of person she is:

"I was surprised that he had gone to the press about it because it was a tweet between us."

How naïve does someone have to be to make such a comment? Presumably if she had wished it to remain private she would not have tweeted publicly about it (but see below), but perhaps sent a 'direct message' instead, nor would she then have spoken about it to a reporter from "The Nairnshire". However, this particular remark says something more about Councillor Liz; this person, an elected Councillor, has a habit of blocking people from viewing her Twitter feed who have criticised anything she has tweeted in support of the SNP. For example, I am myself blocked from viewing her tweets because a couple of months ago I responded to a tweet from her suggesting, in response to one of my tweets, that I should get a copy of "Scotland's Future" to enable me to comment knowledgeably. This is a document put out by the Scottish Government (which currently is SNP led). I responded that I had indeed ordered this document soon after it was published and that I had subsequently read it cover to cover. I also commented that I found it merely a propaganda document (a 'manifesto' if you will) for the SNP and that it is vague on detail and provides no real factual information to allow people to make an educated and considered decision on how to vote in the forthcoming referendum. It is really just a very lengthy list of forecasts and wishful thinking. I realised some time later that Councillor Liz had blocked me as a result and I am aware that others locally have been blocked by her too, for having had the temerity to dissent from SNP 'dogma'. To be clear, I was never rude to her, but it is equally clear that she is unwilling to engage in meaningful debate and frankly doubt she merits holding public office with such a closed-minded attitude toward free debate. Our local newspaper "The Nairnshire" has performed a valuable public service by revealing the attitudes of our SNP Councillor when it comes to open debate.

Finally, it is unsurprising to me that the "The Nairnshire" article has gone unmentioned so far in another well-known Nairn blog; the writer is a supporter of the SNP cause and is usually very quick to comment on important articles appearing in our local 'rag'. Perhaps realising the devastating 'own goal' which the remarks and tweets made by Councillor Liz represent, he has preferred to draw a veil over it? She may regret that someone has decided to publicise her noisome tweets, but Twitter is part of social media and she will have to get used to it - or alternatively she might care to go into a sound-proofed room where she would be able to spew out her hateful rhetoric to her heart's content and not risk others becoming aware of her bigotry.

This article expands upon my tweet on this topic earlier today, here.

UPDATE (Wednesday 20AUG2014 16.45 BST) I have just noticed that our local councillor Liz MacDonald has unblocked me on Twitter; I can't say precisely when or why this has happened, but perhaps it is as a result of this blog article and my tweet earlier today. In any case I wanted to record this fact and that I am pleased about it.

2nd UPDATE (Tuesday 30DEC2014 21.18 GMT) As a result of visits to this article over the past couple of days and the last few weeks from some major media organisations (e.g. BBC and BSkyB amongst others), I decided to [try and] visit Ms MacDonald's twitter feed (@Liz_Nairn) this evening and discovered that I have once more been blocked from viewing it or following it; I have no idea how soon after I mentioned above that I had been 'unblocked' I was 'reblocked' as I don't follow her tweets and have not attempted to visit her Twitter feed since I last wrote here about it. Undoubtedly my article, entirely accurate and factual as it is of course, is acutely embarrassing to this person, but quite frankly it was/is no more than she deserved/deserves. I read a few days ago that it is now SNP policy to block 'dissenters' from their 'dogma' systematically and although I have no idea of the accuracy of the comment I read about this (in Facebook, as it so happens, in one of the pages I follow there) it does seem to have the ring of truth, for the SNP does seem to be a deeply 'paranoid' and closed-minded organisation.

The consequences for the Conservatives if ..

.. some Conservative MPs succeed in derailing the Coalition Government's plans to legislate for same-sex marriage. Well, it is difficult to know for certain, but what is absolutely clear is that I shall never vote Conservative again if they do succeed.

Over the past few days there seems to have been concerted action by a number of Conservative MPs who oppose same-sex marriage to galvanise opinion amongst fellow Conservative MPs so that they will vote next week to oppose the proposed legislation to allow it. They have asserted that if such a measure is approved a Conservative majority government will be impossible in future. A prominent 'spokesman' for this point of view has been David Burrowes MP (Conservative, Enfield-Southgate), for example here (published in the Telegraph on Friday, 1st February) - I heard him on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 on Friday morning pushing this line of reasoning. Against this line of reasoning one has the Prime Minister, David Cameron, stating that he supports same-sex marriage not despite the fact that he is a Conservative, but because he is a Conservative, a point of view shared by gay Conservative MP Nick Herbert, who believes (as do I, to be clear) that: "A much bigger danger for the Conservatives is to go the same way as the Republicans in the US, losing by failing to see that society has changed and with it attitudes to gay people."

Against those Conservatives, such as Mr Burrowes, who say the 'sky will fall in' for the Conservative Party if gay-sex is legislated for (a doubtful assertion in my view) is the sure certainty that people like me, who resigned from the Conservative Party in 2001 when Iain Duncan Smith became its short-lived and disastrous leader and who has voted for the Conservatives only sporadically since or abstained, will never ever vote Conservative again if MPs such as Mr Burrowes succeed in derailing this vote and very probably will, in addition to merely abstaining (by 'spoiling' my vote) as I have occasionally done in recent elections, will very probably vote for another political party completely, specifically one that has the chance of damaging the Conservatives the most. (Point of information - I live in a part of the UK where a Conservative MP, or MSP, is never likely to be elected, except under the MSP 'list' category, however.)

In summary, I would love to be able to return to being a Conservative Party member as I consider it to be the best manager of the UK economy in the long term, but nor will I be so masochistic as to support a Party when, even today, too many of its members seem to despise gay people. Demographics clearly show that opposition to same-sex marriage is highest amongst older voters, whereas younger generations are much more favourably inclined toward it, or at worst indifferent. My hope is that sufficient Conservative MPs will see where their own long-term interests are by reflecting more accurately the views of British society as it is now, rather than what it may have been 30+ years ago and what they wish it still was, and instead voting overwhelmingly for the legislation supported by the Prime Minister, by voting for the future and for the personal liberty and freedom that has been the hallmark of progressive Conservatism over the decades.

Logically the Conservatives should have won a handsome majority 2010, against one of the most unpopular (Labour) governments and Prime Ministers (Gordon Brown) in living memory, but did not do so because of the residual memory of the Conservatives as the 'nasty' party, because of some of its retrogressive policies - despite the desire of people like Mr Burrowes to resurrect the failed socially conservative policies of people like Iain Duncan Smith and others who think like him, the electorate has clearly rejected this course. People like Mr Burrowes are, to be realistic, 'flogging a dead horse' electorally speaking - it's time they recognise this.

More hate mail from the Catholic Church on same-sex marriage

A letter from a number of senior Catholics, plus over a thousand Catholic priests, has today been published in the Daily Telegraph on the topic of same-sex marriage. I am quoting the letter in full below, together with the name of every signatory. Not of course because I agree with what is said in the letter, but because I want to record here the depths to which this so-called 'Christian' organisation will stoop to further its hateful bigotry. Also to place on record here the names of those who have lent their support to this bigotry so that all may know who they are - they will have to answer for their action one day I hope. Personally, I would like to see the charitable status of the Catholic Church revoked in the UK - it offends and disgusts me that my taxes contribute to the funding of this hate-peddling organisation. There are many flaws in logic in the letter and a few actual falsehoods (e.g. it is factually incorrect that Catholics may currently participate fully in the life of this country, given that a Catholic many not be Monarch of the UK, not a situation which I feel acceptable, whatever I may think of the Catholic Church). Quite why an organisation which forbids its own personnel from entering into any kind of marriage (priests and nuns are bound by vows of celibacy and chastity) can be considered a source of moral guidance on marriage of all subjects is really rather bizarre, don't you think? In any case, the legislation being proposed will not force any religious organisation to marry same-sex couples if it does not wish to, any more than the Catholic Church is forced to go against its 'doctrine' by marrying divorced persons. Nor do some heterosexual couples who choose to get married necessarily have to procreate by having children, either because they do not wish to or because one or other of the couple cannot do so. Are these marriages any less valid? Whether the Catholic Church itself chooses to marry same-sex couples or divorced persons is, to be quite honest, a matter of supreme indifference to me, but they should certainly not be able to exercise any kind of veto about such unions taking place under civil authority or by religious organisations that do wish to perform them; the same comments apply to the Church of England, incidentally. There are, despite the scaremongering that the Catholic Church seeks to engage in, NO negative consequences in legislating to permit same-sex marriage - instead it will be a very positive development both for those directly involved and for the wider community by encouraging stable family units. I don't particularly 'like' divorce, any more than does the Catholic Church, but I do not believe same-sex marriages will diminish in any way the value of heterosexual marriage or reduce its stability, rather they are likely to increase the cohesiveness or society as a whole. Whether a married couple (heterosexual or same-sex) stays together long-term in happiness is entirely a personal matter between the two people concerned and about which outsiders very often have little useful to contribute, except to wish the best for the couple involved and perhaps, if invited to do so, to offer a sounding-board for them to discuss the ways in which their marriage may be failing. I think the Catholic Church would be a much better and more worthwhile organisation if it were to re-evaluate its stances on these and other matters.

It would appear that, for whatever reason, the Catholic priest at St Mary's Church in Nairn, Rev. Francis Barnett SJ, does not appear as a signatory to the letter, as a matter of information.

The letter in full (to read it in the Daily Telegraph, click here and scroll down the page):

Same-sex marriage law SIR – After centuries of persecution, Catholics have, in recent times, been able to be members of the professions and participate fully in the life of this country. Legislation for same-sex marriage, should it be enacted, will have many legal consequences, severely restricting the ability of Catholics to teach the truth about marriage in their schools, charitable institutions or places of worship. It is meaningless to argue that Catholics and others may still teach their beliefs about marriage in schools and other arenas if they are also expected to uphold the opposite view at the same time. The natural complementarity between a man and a woman leads to marriage, seen as a lifelong partnership. This loving union – because of their physical complementarity – is open to bringing forth and nurturing children. This is what marriage is. That is why marriage is only possible between a man and a woman. Marriage, and the home, children and family life it generates, is the foundation and basic building block of our society. We urge Members of Parliament not to be afraid to reject this legislation now that its consequences are more clear. Rt Rev Peter Brignall - Bishop of Wrexham Rt Rev Terence Drainey - Bishop of Middlesbrough Rt Rev Philip Egan - Bishop of Portsmouth Rt Rev Malcolm McMahon - Bishop of Nottingham Rt Rev Mgr Keith Newton - Ordinary, Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham Rt Rev Daniel Mullins - Bishop Emeritus of Menevia Rt Rev Philip Pargeter - Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Birmingham Rt Rev Patrick O’Donoghue - Bishop Emeritus of Lancaster Rt Rev Francis Walmsley - Bishop Emeritus to HM Forces Rt Rev Mgr Edwin Barnes - Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham Rt Rev Francis Baird OSB - Abbot of Prinknash Rt Rev Dom Aidan Bellenger OSB - Abbot of Downside Rt Rev Abbot Cuthbert Brogan OSB - Abbot of Farnborough Rt Rev Dom Paul Stonham OSB - Abbot of Belmont Very Rev Hugh Allan O Praem, Very Rev Leo Chamberlain OSB MA Very Rev Dom Michael Clothier OSB, Very Rev Michael Copps OFM Very Rev Damian Humphries OSB, Rt Rev Anthony Maggs CRL Very Rev Senan Mahoney OCSO, Rev Emmanuel Mansford CFR Mitred Archpriest Alexander Nadson, Very Rev Daniel Seward Cong Orat Very Rev Bernard Swinhoe OSB, Very Rev Henry Wansbrough OSB Mgr John Allen, Mgr Peter Anglim, Mgr John Armitage, Mgr Keith Barltrop Mgr Anthony Barry, Mgr Provost David Bottrill, Mgr Anthony Boylan Mgr Vincent Brady, Mgr Christopher Brooks, Mgr John Conneely Mgr Provost Peter Cookson, Mgr John Corcoran, Mgr Jim Curry Mgr John Daly, Mgr Canon Gerard Dasey, Very Rev E Alan Denneny Mgr Walter Drumm, Mgr Gerald Ewing, Mgr Jeremy Fairhead, Mgr Timothy Galligan Rev Mgr Canon Jeremy Garratt, Mgr Vincent Harvey, Mgr Martin Hayes Mgr Provost Sean Healy, Rev Mgr Philip Holroyd, Rt Rev Mgr Brian Kinrade Mgr David Kirkwood, Mgr Canon John Maguire, Rev Mgr Thomas McGrath Canon Sean P McTernan, Mgr Canon John Moran, Mgr Provost Cyril Murtagh Mgr John Nelson, Mgr William Nix, Mgr Patrick O’Dea, Mgr Gordon Read Mgr Phelim Rowland, Mgr John Ryan, Mgr Bill Saunders, Mgr Canon Francis Slattery Mgr Richard Stork, Mgr Andrew Summergill, Mgr Adrian Toffolo Mgr Canon Harry Turner, Mgr Canon Aidan J Turner, Canon Colm Acton Canon Grzegorz Aleksandrowicz, Canon Michael Bell, Canon Vincent Berry Canon Joseph Boardman, Canon Michael Brockie, Canon Pat Browne Rev Canon Patrick Chrystal, Canon John Clark, Rev Canon Joseph Collins Canon Francis Cookson, Canon Dunstan Cooper, Canon Philip Cross Canon Thomas Dakin, Canon Colin Davies, Canon Michael Fitzpatrick Canon Michael Flook, Canon Sean Gilligan, Canon John Gordon, Canon Sean Grady Canon John Griffiths, Canon John Gunn, Canon Alfred T Hayes, Canon Michael Hazell Canon Robert Horn, Canon Joseph Kelly, Rev Canon Bernard Lordan Canon Michael Loughlin, Canon Brendan MacCarthy, Canon Bosco MacDonald Canon John Madden, Canon Bernard Massey, Canon Anthony McBride Canon Michael McCreadie, Canon Jonathan Mitchell, Canon Bernard Morgan Canon Paul Moxon, Canon Bernard Needham, Canon Kenneth Noakes Rev Canon John F Nunan, Canon Kevin O’Connor, Canon John O’Regan Rev Canon Timothy O’Sullivan, Canon James Pannett, Canon Luiz Ruscillo Canon Timothy Russ, Canon Colin Taylor, Rev Canon Paul Townsend Canon Tom Treherne, Canon Peter Turbitt, Canon Gerard Wharton Rev Richard Aladics, Rev John Berry, Rev Raymond Blake Rev Sir Charles Dilke Bt Cong Orat, Rev Peter G Edwards, Rev Ian Farrell Rev Timothy Finigan, Rev Stewart Foster, Rev Peter Geldard, Rev Marcus Holden Rev Ian Ker, Rev Michael Marsden, Rev Paul Mason, Rev Aidan Nichols OP Rev Andrew Pinsent, Rev John Saward, Rev Alexander Sherbrooke, Rev Paul Watson Rev Benedict Bullen Abuo, Rev William Adams, Rev Dominic Adeiza Rev Andreas Agreiter MHM, Rev John Ahern, Rev Andrew Alexander CJ Rev Jim L Allen, Rev Andrew Allman, Rev Michael Amalados Rev Joseph Alex Angodage OMI, Rev David Annear, Rev Stewart Ansbro Rev Matthew Anscombe, Rev Oliver Antao, Rev Francis Antwi-Darkwah Rev Ivan Aquilina, Rev Michael Archer, Rev George Areekhuzhy Rev Vincent Gabriel Arnold OSB, Rev Kingsley Arulananthem Rev John Ashton SDB, Rev Michael Ashworth SJ, Rev Anthony G H Attree Rev Benedict Austen OSB, Rev James Austin, Rev Francis Austin Rev Cyril Axelrod CSsR, Rev Roman Badiak, Rev John Baggley Rev Christopher Baker, Rev David Baker, Rev John Ball, Rev Graham Bamford Rev John Bane, Rev David Barnes, Rev Nigel Barr, Rev Lee Barrett Rev David Barrow, Rev T Bartnik SDB, Rev Michael Bateman, Rev John Batthula Rev Michael Beattie SJ, Rev Gordon Beattie OSB, Rev John Beirne Rev William Bellamy, Rev George Bennett, Rev Lee Bennett, Rev Bill Bergin Rev Chris Bergin, Rev Jerome Bertram Cong Orat, Rev Kazimierz Bidzinski Rev Jonathan Bielawski, Rev Robert Billings, Rev Denis Blackledge SJ Rev John Bland IC, Rev James Blenkinsopp, Rev Peter Blundell Rev Brendan Blundell OFM Com, Rev John Boland, Rev Andrea Bord Rev Chad Boulton OSB, Rev Bill Boyd SDB, Rev Bernard Boylan, Rev Cornelius Boyle Rev Terry Boyle, Rev John P Bradley, Rev Owen Brady, Rev Michael Branch Rev Michael Brandon, Rev Laurence Brassill OSA, Rev Martin Breen Rev Raymund Brennan, Rev Tom Breslin, Rev Malachy Brett, Rev Silvio Briffa Rev Charles Briggs, Rev Marcus Brisley, Dom Nicholas Broadbridge OSB Rev Paul Brophy, Rev S D Brown, Rev Michael Brown, Rev Alexander J B Brown Rev Joseph Brown SDB, Rev Andrew Browne, Rev Antony Brunning, Rev Gary Buckby Rev Martin Budge, Rev Sylvester Bukenya, Rev John Bosco Bukomba, Rev Paul Burch Rev Timothy Burke, Rev Michael Burke, Rev David Burns, Rev James Burns Rev Peter Burns, Rev Gerard Burns, Rev Andrew Burns CSsR Rev Peter Burns OSB, Rev Peter Burrows, Rev Francesco Buttazzo Rev Keith Butterworth, Rev Alfred Buttigieg SJ, Rev Keith Byrne OSA Rev Gerard Byrne, Rev Denis Caddle OAR, Rev John Cadwallader CJ Rev Malcolm Cairns, Rev John Cairns, Rev Xavier Calduch, Rev James Callaghan Rev Kevin Callaghan CSsR, Rev Francis Calnan SCJ, Rev Raymond Camilleri OFM Rev Charles Cammack MHM, Rev Duncan Campbell OP, Rev Gordon Campbell Rev Michael Campion, Rev Francis Capener, Rev Darren Carden Rev Brendan Carmody SJ, Rev Dom Matthew Carney OSB, Rev Patrick Carroll Rev Sean Carroll, Rev Louis Caruana SJ, Rev Louis Catterall SMM Rev John Causey, Rev Pietro Celotto CS, Rev John Chandler, Rev Bernard Charnock Rev Mongkhon Charoentham, Rev Neil Chatfield, Rev Paul Chavasse Cong Orat Rev Eric Cheetham, Rev Gregory Chillman OSB, Rev Simon Chinery Rev Anto Chittilappilly, Rev Anthony Cho OFM, Rev Jacob Choi OSA Rev Dominic Chukka, Rev Aloysius Church SJ, Rev Krzysztof Ciebien Rev Bogdan Cisek, Rev John Clancy CSsR, Rev Edward Clare, Rev James Clark Rev Peter Clarke, Rev Roger Clarke, Rev James Clarke, Rev Martin Clayton Rev Damien Clemas AA, Rev Anthony Cogliolo, Rev Michael Cole Rev Ray Collier SSC, Rev Allan Collins CSSp, Rev John Collins Rev Martin Collins, Rev Michael Collis, Rev Christopher Colven Rev Augustin Conesa, Rev Mark Coningsby, Rev Philip Conner Rev Mark Connolly CSSp, Rev Thomas Connolly, Rev Francis Conway OFM Rev John Cooke, Rev Leo Cooper, Rev John Cooper, Rev Robert Copsey SOLT Rev Edward Corbould OSB, Rev Eamon Corduff, Rev Charles Corrigan CSsR Rev Anton Cowan, Rev Peter Coyle, Rev Ronald Crane, Rev Tom Creagh-Fuller Rev Thomas Crean OP, Rev John Cribben, Rev Michael Crumpton, Rev Janos Csisco Rev Bryan Cunningham, Rev Thomas Cunningham, Rev Christopher Cunningham Rev Brendan Curley, Rev H A Curtis, Rev V J Curtis, Rev Anthony Cussen SMA Rev Justin Daanaah, Rev Victor Dakwen, Rev James Daley MHM, Rev John Danford Rev Francis Daniel OMI, Rev Francis Davidson OSB, Rev Jeremy Davies Rev Jeremy Davies, Rev Royston Davis, Rev Stephen Day, Rev Philip de Freitas Rev Bernard de Smet OSB, Rev Anthony de Vere, Rev Tesfamichael Debesay Negusse Rev Patrick Deegan, Rev Salvador Del Molino IMC, Rev John Delaney OFMCap Rev Edward Delphine OSB, Rev Anthony Delsink, Rev Robert Devaney Rev Martin Devenish MCCJ, Canon Robert Dewhurst, Rev Richard Diala CM Rev Paul Diaper, Rev Gary Dickson, Rev Casmir Dike, Rev Stephen Dingley Rev Michael Docherty, Rev John Docherty OAR, Rev Anthony Doe, Rev James Doherty Rev Francesco Donega, Rev Daniel Donohoe SDB, Rev Brian Doolan Rev William Dowds MHM, Rev Francis Doyle, Rev Anthony Doyle, Rev Tom Dubois Rev Richard Duffield Cong Orat, Rev Joseph Duggan SJ, Rev Michael Dunn OP Rev Michael Dunne, Rev Roy Dunstan CRL, Rev Wieslaw Duracz, Rev Sean Durcan Rev Bruce Dutson, Rev Paul Dynan, Rev Philip Dyson, Rev James Eamer CP Rev Patrick Earley, Rev James Early, Rev William East, Rev Richard Ebo Rev Andrew Ebrahim SDB, Rev Ignatius Edet, Rev Tim Edgar Rev Robert Ehileme SMM, Rev David Elder, Rev Anthony Elder, Rev John Elliot Rev David Elliott, Rev Simon Ellis, Rev John Eze MSP, Rev Reuben Ezebuofor Rev Josaphat Ezenwa, Rev John Fairhurst SJ, Rev Isidore Faloona OFM Rev Marcel Fangoo CSSp, Rev Robert Farrell, Rev Joseph Farrell Rev David Featherstone, Rev John Feeley, Rev Joseph Feeley Rev Anthony Fernandes SDB, Rev Malcolm Ferrier, Rev Michael Fewell Rev Kevin Firth, Rev Simon Firth, Rev Kieran Fitzharris SVD Rev Sean Flannery OAR, Rev Martin Flatman, Rev John Fleming Rev Gerald Flood, Rev Francis Flynn, Rev Kieran Flynn SMM, Rev Frank Flynn Rev Maurice Flynn OCD, Rev John Fordham Cong Orat, Rev Bernard Forshaw Rev Thomas Forster, Rev Andrew J Foster, Rev David Foster Rev Peter Foulkes, Rev Kevin Foulkes, Rev Peter Fox, Rev Bernard Fox MHM Rev Anthony Frain SDB, Rev Jesus Frances OAR, Rev Anthony Franey Rev Gerald Freely, Rev Russell Frost, Rev Tony Furlong IC Rev Joseph Gabiola, Rev Andrew Gallagher, Rev Michael Gallagher Rev Michal Garbecki MIC, Rev John Garry SPS, Rev Austin Garvey Rev C S Geddes, Rev Daryl George, Rev Matthew George, Rev Paul J Gibbons Rev John Gildea, Rev Brian Gilmore SVD, Rev Peter Glas, Rev Malcolm Glaze Rev David Glover, Rev Dominic Golding, Rev Thomas Goonan SM Rev Krzysztof Goralski, Rev Piotr Gordon, Rev Maurice Gordon Rev Timothy Gorham OSB, Rev Brendan Gorman, Rev David Gornall SJ Rev Martin Gowman OSB, Rev Paul Graham OSA, Rev Donald Graham Rev David Grant, Rev Reg Gray OFM, Rev Brian Gray, Rev Andy Graydon Rev Patrick Greasley, Rev Charles Michael Grech OFM, Rev Julian Green Rev Martin Griffin MSFS, Rev Austin Griffin, Canon Michael Griffiths Rev Gregory Griffiths, Rev Damien Grimes MHM, Rev Bernard Guest CMF Rev Roger Guiver, Rev David Gummett, Rev Mark Hackeson, Rev Peter Hackett SJ Rev Kentigern Hagan OSB, Rev Bernard Hahesy, Rev Kevin Hale, Rev Denis Hall Rev Henryk Halman FDP, Rev John Hancock, Rev Stephen Hardaker Rev Richard Hardstaff, Rev Paul Hardy, Rev John Harris, Rev Philip Harris Rev Jonathan Redvers Harris, Rev Michael Harrison, Rev Peter G Hart Rev Austin Hart, Rev John Hartley, Rev Edmund Hartley, Rev David Hartley Rev Richard Harvey, Rev Gerard Hatton, Rev Gerard Haugh, Rev James Hawes Rev Padraig Hawkins, Rev Simon Hawksworth, Rev Raglan Hay-Will Rev Colm Hayden, Rev Andrew Headon, Rev Simon Heans, Rev Ian Hellyer Rev John Heneghan, Rev Kevin Hennessey, Rev Simon Henry, Rev Patrick Hibbert Rev Jonathan Hill, Rev John Hindley, Rev John Hitchen Rev Dom Xavier Dinh Ho OSB, Rt Rev Dom Jerome Hodkinson OSB Rev Thomas Hoole, Rev Kevin J Hooper, Rev Tim Hopkins, Rev Michael Hore Rev John Horn, Rev Ian Hoskins, Rev Peter Houghton, Rev Angelus Houle Rev Austin Hughes SCJ, Rev Paul Hughes, Rev John Humphreys, Rev Andrew Hurley Rev Peter Hurley, Rev David Hutton, Rev Patrick Hutton, Rev Edward Huwanga Rev Cosmas Ikirodah, Rev John Inglis, Rev Dominic Innamorati, SCJ Rev David Irwin, Rev Christopher Jackson, Rev Ian Jackson Rev Frederick Jackson, Rev Matthew Jakes, Rev Bengt-Ove Jakobson CHS Rev Howard James, Rev John James, Rev Dylan James, Rev Habib J Jaujou Rev Slawomir Jedrych MS, Rev Leonard Jioke, Rev John Johnson Rev Paul Johnson, Rev Norman Johnston, Rev Paul Johnstone Rev Michael Johnstone, Rev Michael Johonnett, Rev Peter Jones Rev Michael Jones, Rev Kevin Jones, Rev Michael Jones, Rev Lawrence Jones Rev Bryan Jones, Rev Darline Joseph MSFS, Rev Martin Joyce Rev Cornelius Joyce, Rev Sebastian Mari Kajko CFR, Rev Auson Kamugisha SDS Rev Jason Karippai, Rev Dominic Kavanagh, Rev Nicholas Kavanagh Rev Christopher Keen, Rev Seamus Keenan, Rev Peter Kelly MAfr Rev Gerard Kelly, Rev Chris Kelly CP, Rev Fergus Kelly CM Rev Daniel M Kelly, Rev Michael Kelly, Rev Tom Kelly SCJ Rev Joseph Kendall, Rev Jim Kennedy CMF, Rev Thomas Kennedy Rev Joseph Keogh, Rev William Keogh, Rev Brendan Killeen, Rev Malcolm King Rev David King IC, Rev Paul King, Rev Kieran Kirby, Rev Michael Kirkham Rev Peter Kirkham, Rev Michael Kirkpatrick, Rev K Kita, Rev Leslie Knight Rev Peter Knott SJ, Rev Leonard Kofler MHM, Rev Thomas Kolangaden OSB Rev Vitalis Kondo, Rev Jaroslaw Konopko OFMCap, Rev Marcin Kordel CRL Rev Tadeusz Kordys, Rev Stanislaw Kowalski, Rev Joseph Kuttivayalil MSFS Rev Philip Kuzhipparambil, Rev Michael Lakeland, Rev Douglas Lamb Rev Michael Lambert AA, Rev Patrick Laydon, Rev Michael J Leadbeater Rev John Leahy SSCC, Rev John Lee, Rev Francis A Leeder Rev Cadoc Leighton OPraem, Rev Shaun Lennard, Rev Gerry Lennon Rev Sean Leonard, Rev Paul Leonard, Rev Simon Lerche, Rev Michael Lester Rev Timothy Lewis, Rev Gareth Leyshon, Rev Gladstone Liddle Rev Christopher Lindlar, Rev Robert Livesey, Rev Denys Lloyd Rev Paul Lomas, Rev Barry Lomax, Rev David Long, Rev Michael Lovell Rev Michael Lowenthal, Rev Alexander Lucie-Smith, Rev Jimmy Lutwana Rev James Lynch, Rev Peter Lyness, Rev James Mackay, Rev John Mackie Rev Anton Madej SCJ, Rev Stephen Magro OFM, Rev Jim Maguire Rev Vincent Maguire MCCJ, Rev Canon Peter Maguire, Rev Derrick Maitland SJ Rev George Malecki SDS, Rev Ambrose Maliakkal IC, Rev Anthony Mangnall Rev Francis Maple OFMCap, Rev Jean-Laurent Marie, Rev Luke Marrapillil Rev Francis Marsden, Rev John Marsh, Rev Peter Marsh, Rev Bernard Marsh Rev Richard Martin SSC, Rev Paul Martin, Rev Terry Martin Rev Michael Mason, Rev William F Massie, Rev Michael Masterson Rev Franco Mastromauro MCCJ, Rev Pius Matthew, Rev Stephen A Maughan Rev Ambrose May OFMCap, Rev Laurence Mayne, Rev Marcelino Mayor OAR Rev Alexander McAllister SDS, Rev Canon Nicholas McArdle Rev Daniel McAvoy SMM, Rev Ian McCarthy, Rev Ian McClean O Praem Rev Austin McCormack OFM, Rev Michael McCormick, Rev Francis McCullagh Rev Christopher McCurry, Rev Gilmour McDermott, Rev Kevin McDevitt Rev Denis McGillicuddy, Rev Brian McGinley, Rev Brian McGrath OFM Rev James McGrath, Rev Rick McGrath, Rev Owen McGreal Rev Brendan McGuinness SDB, Rev James McGuire SDB, Rev Peter McGuire Rev Dom Simon McGurk, Rev Peter Jude McHugo CJ, Rev Bernard McInulty OSB Rev Leslie McKenna SJ, Rev Tony McKentey, Rev B McKenzie, Rev John McKeon Rev Patrick McKeown CP, Rev Dcn Stephen McKevitt, Rev Mgr Patrick McKinney Rev James McKnight IC, Rev Michael McLaughlin, Rev Hugh McMahon CM Rev James McManus CSsR, Rev Bernard McNally, Rev Neil McNicholas Mgr Michael McQuinn, Rev Thomas McShane SCJ, Rev Duncan McVicar Rev Desmond Meagher, Rev Augustine Measures OSB, Rev Robinson Melkis Rev John Meredith, Rev John Metcalfe, Rev Richard Meyer, Rev Shaun Middleton Rev Jan Milcz CSsR, Rev Paul Millar, Rev Philip Miller, Rev Robert Miller Rev Donald Minchew, Rev Mark Minihane OSA, Rev Dominique Minskip Rev Augustine Monaghan MHM, Rev Francis L Mooney, Rev Gregory Moore Rev Mark Moran, Rev Myles Moriarty SM, Rev Rob Morland SMA Rev Richard Moroney, Rev Ivor Morris, Rev Martin Morris, Rev Allen Morris Rev Michael Morrissey, Rev Kevin Moule, Rev Lazarus Msimbe SDS Rev Clement M Mukuka, Rev Kevin Mulhearn, Rev Kieran Mullarkey Rev Michael Munnelly, Rev Brian Murphy, Rev Brian Murphy, Rev Jeremiah Murphy Rev Agnellus Murphy FI, Rev Aidan Murray SDB, Rev Peter Murray SM Rev Dom Gervase Murray-Bligh, OSB, Rev Kieran Murthagh SSCC Rev David Musgrave ISch, Rev Richard Mway, Rev Joseph Narikuzhi Rev Masaki Narusawa, Rev James Neal, Rev Peter Nealon, Rev Arthur C Nearey Rev Edmund Neizer, Rev Roger Nesbitt, Rev Brian Newns, Rev Peter Newsam Rev Peter Tien Dac Nguyen, Rev Hoan Minh Nguyen, Rev Guy Nicholls Cong Orat Rev Ambrose Nicholson, Rev Joseph Nnabugwu, Rev Sunith Nonis Rev James Norris OSB, Rev Dermot Nunan, Rev Joel Nwalozie, Rev Kefa O Nyakundi Rev Bernard O’Brien, Rev Gerard O’Brien, Rev John O’Byrne CMF Rev John O’Callaghan, Rev Patrick O’Connell, Rev Kieran O’Connell Revd Tom O’Connell, Rev Bernard O’Connor OSA, Rev Joseph O’Connor Rev Dominic O’Connor, Rev Martin O’Connor, Rev Andrew O’Dell AA Rev Michael O’Doherty, Rev Kevin O’Donnell, Rev John O’Donnell Rev John O’Donoghue, Rev William O’Gorman, Rev Denis O’Gorman CRL Rev James O’Hanlon, Rev Conleth O’Hara CP, Rev Eamonn O’Hara Rev Mark O’Keeffe, Rev John O’Leary, Rev Maurice O’Mahony CSsR Rev Michael O’Neill MHM, Rev Michael O’Reilly, Rev Des O’Riordan SDB Rev Kevin O’Shea CM, Rev David Oakley, Rev Mark Odion Rev Emmanuel Ogunnaike, Rev Martin Orme, Rev Dan Oryema, Rev Francis Osman Rev Julius Otoaye, Rev Robert Pachuta, Rev Arockia Mariadass Pagyasamy OCD Rev Jean Marie M Paluku, Rev Geoffrey Parfitt, Rev W Alfred Parker Rev Richard Parsons, Rev John Pascoe, Rev Andrew Pastore Rev Anthony Pateman, Rev Colin Patey, Rev Sunny Paul, Rev Ken Payne Rev Maurice Pearce, Rev John Pearson, Rev Basil Pearson, Rev Stephen Peate OCSO Rev Anthony Pellegrini, Rev Anthony Pennicott, Rev Leon Pereira OP Rev John Peyton, Rev John Hai Pham, Rev Joseph Ngoc D Pham Rev Anthony Pham-Tri-Van, Rev David Phillips, Rev Terry Phipps Rev Stephen Pimlott, Rev Saju Pinkkattu-Thomas OFM, Rev Richard Plunkett Rev Geoffrey Pointer, Rev Gabriel Polo FI, Rev Chris Posluszny Rev David Potter, Rev Eamonn Power, Rev Peter Preston SDS Rev Graham Preston, Rev Philip Price, Rev Malcolm Prince Rev Michael Purbrick, Rev Louis Purcell MHM, Rev Steven Purnell Rev Innocent Joseph Putthentharayil CM, Rev Leo Pyle Rev David Quarmby, Rev Peter Quinn SDB, Rev Philip Quinn, Rev Gerard Quinn Rev Emanuel Rajan, Rev Nicodemus Lobo Ratu, Rev John Ravensdale Rev Mgr Alex B Rebello, Rev Alexander Redman, Rev Padraig Regan CM Rev John Reid, Rev Francis Reid, Rev Carlito Reyes, Rev Neil Reynolds Rev John Rice, Rev Andy Richardson, Rev Edward Richer Rev Roberto Riezu OAR, Rev Yaroslav Riy, Rev Joseph A Robinson Rev Keith Robinson, Rev Alan Robinson, Rev Lucas Rodrigues SFX Rev Cecil Rogerson, Rev Dominic Rolls, Rev Peter Rolph, Rev Bill Rooke Rev John Rooney MHM, Rev Mark Rowles, Rev Philip Rozario OSB Rev Wojciech Rozdzenski, Rev Christopher Rutledge, Rev David Ryan Rev John Ryan, Rev Henry Ryan, Rev William Ryan, Rev Thomas Ryan SMA Rev Joe Ryan, Rev Paschal Ryan, Rev Sebamalai Saba Rev Robert Sahayaraj-Susainathan OCD, Rev Anthony Sammarco Rev Martin Sanderson OFMCap, Rev Mario Sanderson, Rev Denis Sarsfield Rev Guy Sawyer, Rev Peter Sayer, Rev John B Scanlan, Rev Nicholas Schofield Rev Feliks Sciborski, Rev Jimmy Sebastian, Rev John Seddon OSB Rev Michael Sellers, Rev Jean-Claude G Selvini, Rev Patrick Sexton Rev Desmond Sexton, Rev Peter Sharrocks, Rev Gerard Sheehan Rev Fred Sheldon, Rev John Shewring, Rev Tomasz Siembab, Rev Chris Silva Rev David Skeoch, Rev Gerard Skinner, Rev Anthony Slack IC Rev James Smale CSsR, Rev John Smethurst, Rev Christopher Smith Rev Geoffrey Smith, Rev Philip Smith, Rev Michael Smith, Rev Brian Smith Dom Daniel Smyth OSB, Rev Bernard Snelder MHM, Rev Bernard Soley Rev Michael Spain OCD, Rev Stephen Squires, Rev Simon Stamp Rev Andrew Starkie, Rev Kazimierz Stefek, Rev A Stelmach, Rev Brian Stevens Rev Martin Stone, Rev Bryan Storey, Rev Damian Sturdy OSB Rev Brendan Sullivan MHM, Rev Timothy Sullivan, Rev Tony Sultana SDB Rev Francis Sutherland SDB, Rev Charles Sweeney MSC, Rev Allan Swift Rev Mark Swires, Rev Anthony Symondson SJ, Rev Patrick Tansey Rev Aldo Tapparo, Rev Robert Taylerson, Rev Brian Taylor, Rev Michael Teader Rev Cyril Thadathil, Rev Christopher Thomas, Rev John Patrick Thomas Rev Simon Thomson, Rev Sean Thornton, Rev Peter Tierney Rev Joseph Tirello FDP, Rev David Tobin IC, Rev Greg Tobin Rev Luis Tomas IMC, Rev Keith Tomlinson IC, Rev Adrian Tomlinson Rev Dennis Touw, Rev Adrian Towers, Rev Simon Treloar, Rev John Trenchard Rev Jeremy Trood, Rev John Troy MCCJ, Rev Adrian Tuckwell Rev Gerry Tuite FDP, Rev Paul Tully, Rev Raymond Tumba OSA Rev Derek Turnham, Rev Petras Tverijonas, Rev John Twist Rev Thomas Udie, Rev Francis Umendia OAR, Rev Andrew Unsworth Rev John Vallomprayil SDS, Rev Edward van den Bergh, Rev Ian Vane Rev Peter Vellacott, Rev Gregory Verissimo, Rev Mark Vickers Rev Alberto Vico CS, Rev Neil Vincent, Rev Peter Wade Rev Francis Wadsworth OFM Conv, Rev Marcus Wakeley, Rev David Walford Rev James Walsh, Rev Anthony Walsh, Rev Patrick Walsh, Rev Gary Walsh Rev John Walsh, Rev Thomas Walton, Rev Joseph Wareing SJ Rev Peter Wareing CMF, Rev Chris Warren, Rev Frank Waters SDS Rev Stephen Watson, Rev Christopher Webb, Rev William Wells Rev Ivan Weston, Rev Michael Weymes, Rev Brian Whatmore, Rev Joe Wheat Rev Richard Whinder, Rev Joseph Whisstock, Rev Joseph White Rev John White, Rev David J White, Rev Christopher Whitehouse Rev Thomas Wilberforce CSSp, Rev William Wilby, Rev Peter Wilcocks SJ Rev John Williams, Rev Alan Williams SM, Rev John Williamson O Carm Rev Stephen Willis, Rev Edmund Willoughby SJ, Rev William Wilson Rev Gerald Wilson OAR, Rev Adrian Wiltshire, Rev Simon Winn Rev John Winstanley, Rev John Wisdom OPraem, Rev Bruno Witchalls Rev Slawomir Witon, Rev Thomas Wood, Rev John Woods, Rev Jeffrey Woolnough Rev Stephen Wright, Rev William Wright OSB, Rev J Colin Wright Rev Alan Wright, Rev William Young, Rev Theodore Young OSB Rev David Young OFM Conv, Rev John Younger, Rev Ryszard Zalewski Rev John Zampese SX, Rev Paul Zielinski, Rev Renato Zilio CS Rev Philip Ziomek, Rev Bartholomew Zubeveil CSSp

Bigot of the Year 2012 - Cardinal Keith O'Brien

Stonewall have named Roman Catholic Cardinal Keith O'Brien, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, as their 'Bigot of the Year' for 2012, in particular because of his visceral opposition to same-sex marriage.

The Catholic hierarchy have reacted with fury and have 'demanded' (just who do these people think they are to demand anything!)that the Scottish Government and two banks (Barclays and Coutts [part of the RBS group, incidentally]) withdraw their sponsorship. The two banks have already indicated to Stonewall, apparently, that they may indeed withdraw their sponsorship if this particular award is not dropped from next year's awards.

It is rich for the Roman Catholic Church to claim it is being intimidated and vilified by Stonewall when it is this 'sky-fairy cult' that has a long history of intimidating and vilifying anyone who disagrees with what it grandly calls its 'doctrine', not to mention covering up the abuse of children by its paid agents (aka 'priests') over many decades. Cardinal Keith O'Brien deserves his title of 'Bigot of the Year' awarded to him by Stonewall, for that is what he is - a bigot. He may not like being held up and named publicly, but his bigotry is a matter of simple objective observation. When he alters his odious viewpoint and issues a public recantation of his hateful language in respect of gay and lesbian people it will be time enough to consider relieving him of his deserved 'badge of shame'.

Incidentally, as a customer of RBS I shall be making my views known to it. I find it quite deplorable that it's subsidiary, Coutts, is even considering bowing to the pressure from the Roman Catholic Church; rather than withdrawing its support from Stonewall it should re-emphasise its support, even if its own financial situation makes it difficult for it to continue its charitable donations at earlier levels. This is not solely a matter of money, but about where Coutts stands on this moral issue.

Protest The Pope - Day 2

Another excellent article in the series from the Made in Scotland blog here, to mark the second day of the 'State Visit' of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK.

Need a reason to protest the Pope - aside from the child-abuse excuse?

Reason #3 - he actively promotes discrimination, seeing homosexuality as "an intrinsic moral evil".

Read more here.

Protest The Pope - Day 1

Another excellent article from the Made in Scotland blog here, to mark the first day of the 'State Visit' of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK.

Need a reason to protest the Pope?


Reason #2 - he spreads HIV/AIDS.

Read the rest here.

Protest the Pope - the day before

(Please see the UPDATE at the end of this article)

Ever since this blog began in April 2002 (the article
THE VATICAN RESPONSE TO PRIESTLY PAEDOPHILIA appeared here on 29 April 2002 and an earlier article The Sickness at the Heart of the Catholic Church appeared on 20 March 2002 in the comment area of my main website, before I began this blog), I have been writing about the scandal of paedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church and the efforts of the Church hierarchy to cover-up the criminal behaviour of a very significant number of its paid agents (priest and other clerics) in many of the countries in which this 'cult' operates. The Church protests that it has now changed its ways and perhaps it has, to a very limited extent, but if so this change is solely the result of the draconian financial penalties that have been imposed upon it by the civil authorities in particular in the US. But I remain to be convinced that the ethos of the Church has changed fundamentally whenever it thinks it can 'get away with it'. The Roman Catholic Church remains basically an international criminal conspiracy in my view.

Of course paedophilia is only one of the Roman Catholic Church's faults (far too mild a word of course); amongst a litany of evil doctrines, high in the list of 'also-rans' must come the Church's policy of forbidding contraception, even in countries where the transmission of HIV/AIDS is endemic, or of forbidding abortion even in the case of rape (child or adult). It is totally sickening. The leader of this sick institution, Pope Benedict XVI, begins a State Visit to the UK tomorrow so as a Head of State he will be afforded much more respect and consideration than he has any right to expect or deserve. Why was he ever invited?

To commemorate this shameful episode, I am reproducing the whole article which appears today in the blog Made in Scotland; he lives in London so will perhaps be able to attend the 'Protest the Pope' demonstration and march there on Saturday 18 March 2010, but even though I cannot do so I am with the protesters in spirit:

QUOTE

Pope Benedict XVI begins his four-day Papal state visit to the UK tomorrow.

Need a reason to protest the Pope?

Reason #1 - the international criminal conspiracy to cover up for mass child rape.

From Saturday's Guardian.

The Case of the Pope: Vatican Accountability for Human Rights Abuses by Geoffrey Robertson (Terry Eagleton welcomes a coolly devastating inquiry into the Vatican's handling of child abuse) The first child sex scandal in the Catholic church took place in AD153, long before there was a "gay culture" or Jewish journalists for bishops to blame it on. By the 1960s, the problem had become so dire that a cleric responsible for the care of "erring" priests wrote to the Vatican suggesting that it acquire a Caribbean island to put them on. What has made a bad situation worse, as the eminent QC Geoffrey Robertson argues in this coolly devastating inquiry, is canon law – the church's own arcane, highly secretive legal system, which deals with alleged child abusers in a dismayingly mild manner rather than handing them over to the police. Its "penalties" for raping children include such draconian measures as warnings, rebukes, extra prayers, counselling and a few months on retreat. It is even possible to interpret canon law as claiming that a valid defence for paedophile offences is paedophilia. Since child abusers are supposedly incapable of controlling their sexual urges, this can be used in their defence. It is rather like pleading not guilty to stealing from Tesco's on the grounds that one is a shoplifter. One blindingly simple reason for the huge amount of child abuse in the Catholic church (on one estimate, up to 9% of clerics are implicated) is that the perpetrators know they will almost certainly get away with it. For almost a quarter of a century, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the man who is now Pope, was in supreme command of this parallel system of justice – a system deliberately hidden from the public, police and parliaments and run, so Robertson maintains, in defiance of international law. Those who imagine that the Vatican has recently agreed to cooperate with the police, he points out, have simply fallen for one of its cynical public relations exercises. In the so-called "New Norms" published by Pope Benedict this year, there is still no instruction to report suspected offenders to the civil authorities, and attempting to ordain a woman is deemed to be as serious an offence as sodomising a child. There have, however, been some changes: victims of child abuse are now allowed to report the matter up to the age of 38 rather than 28. If you happen to be 39, that's just tough luck. As Robertson wryly comments, Jesus declares that child molesters deserve to be drowned in the depths of the sea, not hidden in the depths of the Holy See. How can Ratzinger get away with it? One mightily important reason, examined in detail in this book, is because he is supposedly a head of state. The Vatican describes itself on its website as an "absolute monarchy", which means that the Pope is immune from being sued or prosecuted. It also means that as the only body in the world with "non-member state" status at the UN, the Catholic church has a global platform for pursuing its goals of diminishing women, demonising homosexuals, obstructing the use of condoms to prevent Aids and refusing to allow abortion even to save the life of the mother. For these purposes, it is sometimes to be found in unholy alliance with states such as Libya and Iran. Neither is it slow to use veiled threats of excommunication to bend Catholic politicians throughout the world to its will. If Pope Benedict were to air some of his troglodytic views with full public force, Robertson suggests, the Home Office would have been forced to refuse him entry into Britain. In fact, he argues, the Vatican's claim to statehood is bogus. It dates from a treaty established between Mussolini and the Holy See, which Robertson believes has no basis in international law. The Vatican has no permanent population, which is a legal requirement of being a state. In fact, since almost all its inhabitants are celibate, it cannot propagate citizens at all other than by unfortunate accident. It is not really a territory, has no jurisdiction over crimes committed in its precincts and depends for all its essential services on the neighbouring nation of Italy. Nor does it field a team in the World Cup, surely the most convincing sign of its phoniness. "Petty gossip" is how the Pope has described irrefutable evidence of serious crimes. His time as the Vatican official in charge of overseeing priestly discipline was the period when, in Robertson's furiously eloquent words, "tens of thousands of children were bewitched, buggered and bewildered by Catholic priests whilst [Ratzinger's] attention was fixated on 'evil' homosexuals, sinful divorcees, deviate liberation theologians, planners of families and wearers of condoms". Can he be brought to book for this? As a widespread and systematic practice, clerical sexual abuse could be considered a crime against humanity, such crimes not being confined to times of war; and though Ratzinger may claim immunity as a head of state, he is also a German citizen. The book comes to no firm conclusion here, but the possibility of convicting the supreme pontiff of aiding and abetting the international crime of systemic child abuse seems not out of the question. The Vatican, in any case, is unlikely to escape such a fate by arguing, as it has done already, that the relations between the Pope and his bishops are of such unfathomable theological complexity that no mere human court could ever hope to grasp them. This is a book that combines moral passion with steely forensic precision, enlivened with the odd flash of dry wit. With admirable judiciousness, it even finds it in its heart to praise the charitable work of the Catholic church, as well as reminding us that paedophiles (whom Robertson has defended in court) can be kindly men. It is one of the most formidable demolition jobs one could imagine on a man who has done more to discredit the cause of religion than Rasputin and Pat Robertson put together.

UNQUOTE

UPDATE (Friday 17SEP2010 16.45 BST) Commenter James Higham below has, subsequent to his somewhat ironic and 'smiling' comment here, written a very cowardly article in which he refers to me in the most unpleasant terms - because I believe in being open and honest in what I write and believe - unlike the weasel James Higham - I am linking to his article so that anyone inclined may read his rancid thoughts, although my own view is that two-faced bigots like Mr Higham deserve scant attention.

Betty Bowers on "A Bible-based Marriage"

Very amusing, although shocking - but completely based upon Bible quotations. Hypocrisy ain't quite strong enough a word for some Christians' interpretation of their 'Holy Book'. The kicker is of course at the very end of the video-clip:

New York and its Islamic Center ('mosque') controversy

Amidst all the nonsense I've been hearing from the US about whether a 'mosque' should be permitted at 'Ground Zero' or not, it is a profound relief to have someone like Keith Olbermann come out and say clearly (and as usual quite loudly - that man should watch his blood pressure!) that the US should be a defender of freedom, not its oppressor. Mind you, I've been railing for years about the US's recourse to what most civilised people consider to be 'torture' and 'extra-judicial incarceration' in its response to events since '9/11', a stain upon American deomocracy that will take many years and probably decades to erase. To be clear, the so-called 'mosque' is not a mosque at all, but a multi-purpose cultural centre and although it will have a prayer room it will also have sports facilities, nor is it 'at Ground Zero', but several city blocks away and will not be visible from the old World Trade Center site. Anyway, watch this subject being aired in Keith Olbermann's unique style; incidentally he points out that a small Islamic Center has been operating nearer to 'Ground Zero' without incident since 1970, before the World Trade Center was even built:



(thru Chicken Yoghurt)

Über-"sky-fairy" enforcer Pope Benedict may be invited onto R4 'Thought for the day'

In terms of the 'logic' of the BBC this is probably not unexpected. It is a programme I usually listen to, because I have BBC Radio4 on in the morning when I'm still in bed, although the alarm clock is actually set to Radio3 when it 'goes off' in the morning and I switch to Radio4 a little later. It has always struck me as bizarre, however, that it seems to be implied by the BBC's resourcing policies that only persons who believe in 'sky-fairies' are considered eligible to take part. Don't people who are 'humanists' or 'atheists' have useful things to say? I hope we're not potentially going to be subjected to this horrible old bigot simply because the Director General of the BBC, Mark Thompson, is an adherent of this particular brand of 'sky-fairyism'.

The Pope tries to justify his support for inequality ...

Such false words from the holder of what is supposed to be one of the world's great religious organisarions in support of policies designed to marginalise whole sections of the community:

"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."

- the temerity of this odious creature in professing to be a 'Christian' appals me. I suspect strongly that 'the Son of God' (if you believe in this particular 'sky fairy' myth, which I don't) would have folks like the present Pontiff slung out of the temple if He came back amongst us.

As anyone who reads my blog knows I am not exactly a supporter of our present Government, but I acknowledge readily it is they who have brought more equality to the LGBT community than any other in our history.

The Pontiff tried the same kind of pretty crude pre-election progaganda in Spain early in 2008 prior to the last General Election there, to express his [tediously predictable] opposition to the marriage law brought in to allow gays and lesbians to marry by the present ruling Party a few years ago. Needless to say even a staunchly Catholic country such as Spain traditionally is, wisely chose to ignore the views of this dreadful old bigot when it came time to vote.

I certainly don't want my taxes used to pay for this visit!

Iris Robinson - says it all really!

PS/ Personally it bothers me not in the least that Iris Robinson had an affair with a young man 40 years her junior; both were adults and NO laws were broken in this regard. Good luck to both of them. On the other hand the lady is an unmitigated hypocrite because her own personal beliefs certainly would not condone her 'adultery'. As for the rest, her homophobia, well her personal beliefs are hers and she has the right to hold them - except that her being a legislator (as an MP and an MLA) does concern me a great deal. Then there's her financial probity, or more correctly her lack of it - that I do take GREAT exception to.

Hope she gets better soon ... then she can serve her prison sentence, which is certainly something she deserves.

Iris Robinson and the NI political fallout

I had begun to prepare a lengthy article about the recent 'revelations' relating to Iris Robinson, MP MLA and her financial and personal arrangements several days ago. However, I have decided to hold that article in abeyance for the present.

Basically, and not to put to fine a point on it, even though I have no religious faith and certainly do not consider myself a 'Christian', whatever else I may be, I prefer to show more sensitivity and understanding at this difficult personal juncture for Iris Robinson and her husband Peter, currently First Minister of Northern Ireland, than she and some of her co-religionists have shown toward the 'gay community' of which I am a part. I have grown quite tired of hearing over the years the excuses of and for religiously-motivated bigots such as Iris Robinson toward homosexuals and others whom she considers morally deviant, and she is merely the latest in a lengthening number of such people whose own moral failings, according to their own standards, both in the UK and in the US, have been brought by their own behaviour into the public domain, not to mention in this case her own apparent flouting of the law in regard to matters of financial probity.

However, because I do have some human decency, unlike these odious hypocrites, I am not going to write more at this time. I hope very sincerely that the psychiatric treatment that Iris Robinson is said to be undergoing at this time has positive results for her and that she will recover her mental stability in the course of time.

If there are major constitutional developments in Northern Ireland flowing from this in coming days/weeks as seems at present to be a distinct possibility then I will obviously have to write about it, but will endeavour to do so in as sensitive a manner as I can - because I am a decent person, unlike Iris Robinson and those who think like her.

Scottish Parliament likely to pass new hate crime law

The BBC report linked to states: 'The Offences Aggravated by Prejudice (Scotland) Bill, which would have the effect of widening the definition of hate crimes, would bring Scotland into line with the rest of the UK.' Also included in the report is this: 'The effect of the new law, Under the legislation, crimes motivated by hatred of gay or disabled people would be considered as aggravated offences.'

I may not be a supporter of the Bill's sponsor, Green MSP Patrick Harvie, but I see passage of this Bill as an unequivocal 'good thing'. The Conservatives, however, are as usual on the wrong side of history apparently as they opine idiotically, according to the report: '... it could create a two-tier justice system, allowing some victims to gain more rights than others'.

If the article reports the Conservative view accurately then what they seem to be saying sounds suspiciously, whisper it please, 'socialist', for they seem to want all victims to suffer 'equally' - have no real idea what they are trying to say here, but it sounds like the worst kind of Labour-lite nonsense.

Earlier reports here and here amplify the debate about this Bill, from the latter of which the antediluvian views of [Scottish] Conservative Justice Spokesman Bill Aitken may be gleaned. It really is time the Conservatives 'get with the programme' and stop trying to dress-up naked prejudice and bigotry as a worry about equality - it doesn't wash! Will I vote 'Conservative' tomorrow in the European elections - I had more or less decided to, but now I'm not so sure.

Blogger who's a "little bit homophobic" bores on with his petty prejudices

(Please see the PS/ at the end)

God! I thought I had got over this fellow's witterings.

Yesterday he wades into the debate about a gay Church of Scotland minister who is suffering some opposition to him taking up his new appointment in Aberdeen and comes up with this nonsense:

"As far as I am aware, within most religious circles it is (to put it mildly) frowned upon to be gay. A dead homosexual approaching St Peter at the gates of heaven will have his or her angel wings on a very shoogly peg, or so the apparent religious teachings would have us believe, Church of Scotland included. "So if religion is inflexible in its intolerance of homosexuality, why should it be any more flexible in its intolerance of homosexual clergymen? "Centuries old religion isn't the kind of thing you get involved with to try to change from within like your local Rotary Society. If you don't like the rules, join a different club. "I'm with the conservative religious zealots on this one, and that's saying something!"

- actually, it's not saying anything we didn't already know - that he's highly prejudiced on this topic. As for the sentence "If you don't like the rules, join a different club.", if this idiotic statement was to be taken seriously, and applied, then folks like him wouldn't be supporting a fundamental change in our 'club' (aka 'The United Kingdom') by supporting the SNP aim of independence, they'd be going somewhere else and setting up their own 'club', just like the Pilgrim Fathers (also religious obsessives, of course) did some centuries ago. Again by this idiotic argument we'd still have slavery today - it's like something out of the script of Pleasantville where the burghers of that fine town believed in the 'non-changeist view of society'. Now I don't share the views of SNP supporters, that's no secret, but I don't dismiss their [to me 'crackpot'] ideas by telling them to cease and desist and go someplace else, just because I happen to disagree with them.

He told us last year he's a teensy-weensy bit 'homophobic' - I'd say it's rather [a lot] more than that. See the follow-up post to that one, too. And as usual with this person, when challenged by a commenter, he quickly admits how half-baked are his arguments (and not just on 'gay issues', but a whole lot more besides) and how IGNORANT he is - and he sure is! It truly astonishes me how much he is respected as a blogger. He tells us he is an accountant and prides himself on his statistical prowess, which he uses to try and forecast electoral outcomes - fair enough, good show ol' bean. However on a lot of matters where opinions and half-decently thought-through ideas are concerned, well I'm afraid he's basically a modern-day version of Alf Garnett, but this time with tartan trews. I hadn't been aware of his religion until recently, but he revealed here that he is in fact a Roman Catholic - this may help to explain some of his core beliefs, I suppose. Granted he is open about some of his prejudices and for that I applaud him [no, really], but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore his basic prejudices when evaluating his seemingly oh-so-rational arguments.

I was brought up in the Church of Scotland, as it so happens, although I have a pretty mixed family background in religious terms, but I realised I did not believe in 'sky fairies' a long time ago. Quite apart from the fact I'm a gay man, I also sometimes wear clothing made of two different types of thread and do love a plate of oysters - watch this if you wonder why all this is relevant. If a religious organisation wants to proselytise any sort of weird idea, fair enough, provided they keep out of matters affecting an individual's rights in civil society, such as in this case employment matters or other fundamental rights; the Church of Scotland is very anxious to retain its charitable status (which inevitably affects me as a tax-payer) so I think, quite frankly, they should consider very carefully how they deal with employment matters. Why should it get a free ride if it allows prejudiced employment practices in its own organisation?

Now, should I press the 'publish' button on this ad hominem diatribe I've just written? Probably not, but I've had just about enough of pig-ignorance masquerading as sweet reason from this guy, so I'm letting my baser instincts have the say on this. No doubt I'll be back for more in due course, unfortunately, the next time something he writes causes a 'jaw-drop' reaction on the part of this particular reader.

PS/ (added 7 June 2009) As a belated postscript, a commenter has said this about me:

"You are seriously hard work!"
- I don't deny it, and frankly in the case of not-so-subtle homophobes such as the subject of this article, and his apologists, being 'awkward' and 'hard work' is a positive necessity! To be clear, I regret not one word of what I have written here and I think my interpretation of the comments is absolutely 'spot on'. And this is my blog so I am totally unapologetic about having the last word here on this matter as the comments are now beyond the period when all require my prior approval before appearing.

The modern face of the Church of England

What a sick shower these people are.

OK, so the Bishop of London has given the Stock Exchange chaplain a 'wrap over the knuckles' for suggesting all gay men should have 'sodomy' warnings tattooed on their bodies, but it is quite extraordinary that this bigot was ever a chaplain to begin with; I just don't believe that his 'unorthodox' views have only developed recently, unless he has undergone some kind of profound mental transformation recently. No, the truth is (I think), that his odious views were probably quite well known before to his associates in the Church and they chose to do nothing about it until he actually put his views in his blog, when it couldn't really be covered up any longer. His plea that his remarks were satire and not to be taken seriously are belied by his follow-on comment, absolutely typical of his knid of bigot:

'What I have got against them is the militant preaching of homosexuality.'

Well, Rev. Peter Mullen, I'm even more upset by your militant preaching of 'sky fairy' malarkey! I thought Christianity was supposed to be about love and compassion?

Frankly, people who believe in ANY kind of organised religious dogma need their heads examining! When will people grow up and realise there are no 'sky fairies' and that when we die, well - we die. And that's it.

If true this is appalling homophobia!

The employment trubunal hearing in Edinburgh continues, but if the allegations being made by a dismissed employee are found to be believable then it is an appalling case of homophobic bigotry. The details published in the linked article seem pretty damning on the face of it. I will be trying to follow this case to see what decision is reached.

Evangelism and academic rigour in the Highlands

There was a very interesting letter in Tuesday's Inverness Courier which I reproduce in full:

Little chance of training in intellectual rigour Sir, Like Graeme Mochrie (Courier 4.7.08) I became an increasingly concerned member of the audience at the recent Eden Court Lecture by Rev Prof Andrew McGowan, Principal of Highland Theological College. This is clearly an Evangelical Christian Institution first, and, an academic one very much second. Prof McGowan's honest answers to questions on attitudes within the college to creationism and to homosexuality, together with the heated debate at the 2006 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, prior to approval of the college to provide the academic training for Church of Scotland ministers and readers, all suggest a college unsuited to a future as the equivalent of the divinity faculty of a fully functioning UHI. Last week I was privileged as a guest to attend a graduation ceremony at the University of Aberdeen where one of the main academic speakers referred to the new graduates going out into the world with minds trained to be "sceptical, curious and intellectually rigorous." Not much chance of that at the Highland Theological College I fear. Floris Greenlaw (Mrs), Knockchoille, Druimkinneras, Kiltarlity, Beauly

It so happens that I too have attended a talk given by the Rev Prof Andrew McGowan a couple of years ago, although the subject wasn't principally about theology (he was giving a light-hearted talk about his experiences as a Chaplian on board cruises run by The National Trust for Scotland [of which I have for decades been a member]), I have to say that at the time some of the supposedly humorous comments he made left me feeling distinctly unamused.

What is interesting about the letter, though, is that it states loud and clear just what the principal focus of Highland Theological College is and the writer's worries about the academic rigour to be expected of such an organisation in its projected role as a 'divinity college' of the future UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands). On the other hand, why this is a surprise to anyone is a surprise to me; I have long considered this part of Scotland (and particularly those parts of the country north and west of Inverness) to be the 'bible belt' of Britain - you know, the part of the country where a hotel owner made a terrific fuss a few years ago about renting a room to a gay couple (see also here). It's not only in the north of Scotland that this kind of thing happens, unfortunately. The poor old Rev Prof Andrew McGowan is merely reflecting the rather squalid religious pond in which he swims. And for anyone who reads this and takes offence at my blunt remarks - tough!

That's so ... homosexual (said with a disdainful curl of the lip)

This quite amusing story just shows the ridiculous lengths to which some bigots will go to avoid using the sexual deviants' own word for themselves:

THE American Family Association has a strict policy to replace the word "gay" with "homosexual" on its news website - but it created a problem with sprinter Tyson Gay. The association's computer's auto-corrected the US sprint star's name to Tyson Homosexual. Here's an extract of an Associated Press story as it ran on the association's OneNewsNow Christian news website: Tyson Homosexual was a blur in blue, sprinting 100 meters faster than anyone ever has. His time of 9.68 seconds at the U.S. Olympic trials Sunday doesn't count as a world record, because it was run with the help of a too-strong tailwind. Here's what does matter: Homosexual qualified for his first Summer Games team and served notice he's certainly someone to watch in Beijing. "It means a lot to me," the 25-year-old Homosexual said. "I'm glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me." The embarassing blunder has since been fixed, although it's still visible on the site's search page.

There's a link from that article to a blog at the Washington Post, where the blog post is followed by an absolutely enormous number of comments, rather too many of which (for my taste) are completely wacko, for example this is one of many by one MarkF:

Joe G-A-Y, I don't accept that to believe that same-sex activity is wrong amounts to bigotry. I lived the same-sex way for over thirty-years. I know it from the inside, thoroughly, as one who was dedicated to it. I always saw the disgusting and depressing side of it, yet I still believed that somehow I could turn all that around myself. I didn't want to look at the evil that was in my own heart. Of course I never showed that side of me to those outside of the same-sex community, because I was ashamed of it. Now I know that the whole concept of same-sex behavior is flawed and deceptive, just like many things in life are. The same-sex life is a never ending search for happiness that always leads to a sad or un-fullfilling end. A man cannot be happy if he denies his own masculinity. That's a person at war with himself. I stepped off of and out of the same-sex way and things look a lot different to me now that I have. We have a lot of problems in the world that are caused by immorality... divorce, broken homes, children with no family, kids having kids, and the most common problem of all is heartbreak that comes from casual relationships. No one can believe that this is good for us. It is hypocrisy to just focus on people with same-sex attraction and to ignore all the rest of our problems. But it is also wrong to let it be thought that the same-sex way is not one of pain and suffering, just the same as adultery is.

- a very pertinent question is posed by another commenter:

So, anybody here want to be the first to have newly-straight MarkF marry their sister? Anyone?

(thru Bill and Kent)

US church cancels memorial service for gay navy veteran

How a supposedly Christian organisation in Houston (Taxas) deals with people whose lifestyle it does not approve of. I'm afraid I find it very difficult to contain my rage when I read this kind of pseudo-sympathetic claptrap from the church's pastor, the Rev. Gary Simons:

"We did decline to host the service - not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle. Had we known it on the day they first spoke about it - yes, we would have declined then. It's not that we didn't love the family. "Even though we could not condone that lifestyle, we went above and beyond for the family through many acts of love and kindness."

The deceased is Cecil Howard Sinclair and his sister described the church's actions thus: "It's a slap in the face. It's like, 'Oh, we're sorry he died, but he's gay so we can't help you.'" - she described some of the church's comments about the alleged content of some pictures [when staff members putting together his video tribute allegedly saw pictures of men "engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing."] as "a bold-faced lie".

There's so much more I could write here, but I think it is simpler for people to read the linked article for themselves; it's clear enough to me just how much of a charlatan this so-called Christian pastor is.