Not Ashamed is a campaign which would like to sideline anyone who doesn’t adhere to a narrowly defined version of Christianity. I found out about it because Salford’s wannabe holy politico Richard Carvath signed up to the campaign, which was an automatic black mark against it. On December 1st the Not Ashamed crew are going to present a petition to ‘leading figures in public life’ which will say-
WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is good news for our nation. He is the only true hope and solid foundation for our society.
WE CALL on government, employers and other leaders in our country to protect the freedom of Christians to participate in public life without compromising biblical teaching and to promote in our society the values that are revealed through Jesus Christ and that have so shaped our nation, for the good of all.
In other words they don’t think the opinion of anyone who doesn’t namecheck Jesus is valid and they want the right to be law breaking hypocrites. The freedom they seek will be to do whatever they can to restrict the freedoms of others, even when those freedoms are legally protected. One or two bigoted registrars refusing to perform civil partnership ceremonies isn’t going to stop them happening, but when they feel empowered to spit the dummy every time the subject comes up they will add unnecessary stress to the proceedings. And the suffering inflicted upon children awaiting adoption but denied perfectly capable parents because they didn’t conform to an agency’s ideal would be even worse.
No metaphysical entity should be used as the foundation for our society. The people behind this campaign should be ashamed for pretending that their beliefs automatically make them better than followers of other, or no, religions.
Ian, you call anyone who doesn`t agree with your agenda bigoted and narrow minded,but the true irony of the situation is that you cannot see that is exactly what you are doing.Every time you promote your’freedom’ you are doing it at the expense of someone else`s.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t practise their faith. I am saying they shouldn’t pretend that it somehow makes them better than other people or use it to justify their narrow mindedness or inability to comprehend.
Whose freedoms am I trampling on? And exactly how? The only way I can imagine I’m restricting the freedom of the Not Ashamed crowd is that I won’t grant them freedom from the mockery and disapproval they deserve.
Ian,
I am a Christian. I don`t think of myself as being better than anyone else.I realise that we are all on more or less a level playing field.I do however come to realise that my condition was not ideal but it was not unchangeable.That is how I have come to realise that I needed saving(from myself)and needed a saviour.Religion probably does what you say and makes one(apparently) ‘feel better than the rest of humanity ‘.
But a true born-again, redeemed Christian is actually humbled by the fact that he cannot do a thing to save himself but needs a saviour.
There is a wide gap between the followers of Christ and the Religious community.
You may be humble enough to understand that your religion doesn’t automatically make you better than other people, but the Not Ashamed crowd aren’t. They should be castigated for their arrogance and ignored by the people they petition.