Monday, January 19, 2004
These demonstrations in France provoke a response from the Government which uses exactly the language that you'd think would be used to signal that the rights of religions to express themselves unhindered had been allowed, but no:
"It is only through dialogue, the path of compromise and mutual respect that each person can find his place in the republic," said [French Interior Minister Nicolas] Sarkozy.
The sooner we dump all religions the better for humanity, but we're not going to get there by banning them or limiting their exhibition. The seperation of church and state is something to strive for but to suggest that if you force a child to worship then they'll never realise the whole thing is a crock, then I'd have spent most of yesterday morning in Church. The strongest human impulse is towards freedom, the danger isn't from Christianity or Islam or any religion, but from those on the right wing of each who are frightened that their manipulation of teaching for their own power (Why do you think that one of the most electrifying issues for Catholicism is reproductive health and sex? Free that up and the transvestite in Rome doesn't have a chance) is coming to an end.
"It is only through dialogue, the path of compromise and mutual respect that each person can find his place in the republic," said [French Interior Minister Nicolas] Sarkozy.
The sooner we dump all religions the better for humanity, but we're not going to get there by banning them or limiting their exhibition. The seperation of church and state is something to strive for but to suggest that if you force a child to worship then they'll never realise the whole thing is a crock, then I'd have spent most of yesterday morning in Church. The strongest human impulse is towards freedom, the danger isn't from Christianity or Islam or any religion, but from those on the right wing of each who are frightened that their manipulation of teaching for their own power (Why do you think that one of the most electrifying issues for Catholicism is reproductive health and sex? Free that up and the transvestite in Rome doesn't have a chance) is coming to an end.
