That politicians – along with many other things – do not understand science has been obvious for quite a time now. What is more disturbing though is this report in the Telegraph that they often manipulate it for their own ends. Yet more evidence that our politicians, and civil servants too, are not up to the job they so often fail to do.
After a lifetime of gentle tolerance, I am starting to feel that it is a citizen’s duty to be rude, just to signal to governments that they have no right to enforce sweetness. Authority must police law and order and equal rights, but has no sway whatsoever over our thoughts, opinions and freedom to say disobliging things about each other. In return we — Christians, Muslims, humanists, whatever — have no right to take offence, put out fatwas or whimper behind the law’s skirts.
Libby Purves in The Times (again). I would just like to add a ‘me too’ to the above.
‘What we are witnessing is not the resurgence of religion, but its death throes.’ It is something I have said many times before about the apparent recent upsurge in religious inanities, now AC Grayling says it too.
The unresolved problems of division and tension in our society are not going to be addressed by burying them underground and forcing everybody to abide by an empty etiquette of tolerance. That is simply storing up more explosive trouble for the future. We need genuine tolerance that allows the expression of views with which you vehemently disagree, more clear opinions and sharp debate not less, a no-holds barred argument about the sort of society in which we want to live. That must involve the liberty to criticise Islam, Christianity or any other religion as wrong or even ‘wicked’ – the freedom for
Mick Hume at Sp!ked. There is more, and it is a good read too.
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