Wearing a cross in Britain could leave you jobless

Following close on the heels of David Cameron's plans for homosexual and lesbian marriages to become legal we now have, according to The Sunday Telegraph, a fresh move to ban Christians from wearing any religious symbols in the workplace.

This appears to be both bizarre and Stalinist and it looks as if Cameron is set to go the route of Obama by losing the Catholic vote in the future.

The move has been prompted by two women who are taking their case for the freedom to wear a cross or crucifix at work  to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg where Article 9 states that:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance"

The Government is opposing this appeal and, if successful, will have no hesitation in implementing the law making it possible to dismiss employees who wear a cross.

Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, has weighed in with support for the right to express one's Christian faith by means of wearing symbols or jewellery and accused ministers of sidelining the established faith of the country.
Where are the Catholic Bishops?

Heads down below the parapet as usual I'm afraid, no sign of any Christianity from that quarter.

I actually do have reservations regarding the wearing of a cross or crucifix as an item of adornment, it seems to me that it rather trivialises the supreme sacrifice that Christ made on the cross, but, if a person wishes to wear it openly only a diabolical influence would wish to ban it surely?

A Sikh male may even wear this in school in
parts of the country - but a cross is out!

Meanwhile, of course, Sikhs may wear their turbans, bracelets and carry daggers and Muslim women may wear the niqab face mask - all without a challenge of any kind.

When the time comes to cast a vote in the future, I am going to find it hard to find a home for my "cross" - in fact, I even may ban it, certainly from the Conservative Party.

Ban the Burkha is becoming the call sign of the right wing extremists

It had to happen, of course, the English Defence League and National Front thugs are now spouting off about banning the burkha.

It's a good line to take as it is, in my view, the single most obvious way of stating "I'm set apart from you lot" and, for that reason, it does need banning, but it's a pity that the extremists have nobbled it so that more moderate voices may not use it for fear of being branded fascists.

The burkha mask is set to become the line in the sand of Islamic fundamentalist progress; to many Muslim people it represents the very essence of their faith and you cross that line at your peril.

France seems to have carried off a burkha ban very successfully but it may be too late for Great Britain. Some time ago I posted about parts of the country becoming no go areas for non Muslims and now it is starting to happen.

Sign of the times?



London's Tower Hamlets has been "Islamized" by person or persons unknown and declared a no go area for smoking, alcohol or music; it's almost enough to make me want to start up smoking again. And I would just desire above every other avenue open to me to process through the borough with a train of like minded folk singing plainchant!

It would be a step too far to say that we would carry an alcoholic supply with us - anyway, street drinking should be banned; I am with them there.

Apparently, the offending posters have been popping up all over the East End and council workers are rushing around ripping them down and the police are looking into it. If the Met force is anything like our local constabulary I would say that the poster stickers are quite safe.

But this activity is going to spread and it won't be long before dress code is added to the list of don'ts. "Don't expose your face if you are a woman over the age of 12" will be the next rallying cry.

And when that happens, we are only a hop and a skip away from Shariah Law and a public flogging for not wearing your mask.

Scroll forward another twenty years and it will be a public flogging (or worse) for being a Christian.

We live in interesting times as the Chinese say.

Burning the Koran was wrong, very wrong

I doubt that anyone who reads this blog would disagree with my headline; I intensely dislike the extremes of Islam, I believe it to be a harsh and brutal faith but I believe that it was wrong of Pastor Terry Jones to burn a copy of the Koran. We owe respect to all faiths and should indulge in debate rather than abuse.
Pastor Jones (I hope he's not of Welsh extraction) has done what he has been threatening to do for a long time. This week he held a mock "trial", dressed himself up as a judge and declared the Muslim Faith guilty of crimes against humanity. The sentence of burning was then carried out.

Photo: CBS News

Terry Jones has offended Muslims and
condemned Christians to more persecutions

One cannot help but feel that it was the media attention that fed this bizarre character to the extent that he finally carried out what he has been threatening for many months. What result has it produced? So far 12 plus innocent people have been blown up by a bomber in Afghanistan, you can be sure that there will be more to come. Pastor Jones will accept no responsibility.
How fragile our existence appears to be when one man with a following of around 50 people can set in motion a sequence of events that will result in an increase in the persecution and even death of Christians in Muslim countries.

Fundamentalist Muslims around the world seem beyond the law and appear to act violently towards the west as the mood takes them. I use the word "Fundamentalist" when speaking about the Islamic minority that surface at times such as these, but I fear the Pastor's actions will make fundamentalists out of many erstwhile ordinary Muslims - all will respond with anger and violence to the burning. Pity their poor Christian neighbours who will suffer the result of bigotry and crass stupidity.