Freedom of Speech - it's for all!

The London School of Economics is not a place I've ever visited.  Indeed, I have always thought of it as being something of a hot-bed for radical socialism!   It came as a surprise, therefore, to read that, at a 'Freshers' Fair' on Thursday, members of its atheist society were forced to cover up satirical T-shirts depicting Jesus and Mohammed.  Security guards and Students' Union officers threatened two representatives of LSESU Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Student society with expulsion after several students complained about the shirts, which featured characters from the 'popular' “Jesus and Mo” web-comic.

Stephen Evans, of the National Secular Society, said: "There is something very disturbing about the curtailing of free speech on university campuses simply on the grounds of claimed offence. Being offended from time to time is the price you pay for living in an open and free society. If any religion is off-limits for open debate we are in a very dangerous situation.".   On Friday, that champion of free speech (for himself!), Richard Dawkins, waded into the row, describing the SU reps as “sanctimonious little prigs”. He tweeted: “I'm "offended" by backwards baseball caps, chewing gum, niqabs, "basically" and "awesome". Quick, LSE Student Union, ban them all.”

It's interesting that it is often people like Richard Dawkins and the National Secular Society who are at the forefront of attempts to stifle Christian comment.  Many will recall that, in July, the progress of a pro-children campaign stalled after a truck carrying two of its mobile billboards was vandalised and the driver of the van displaying them was threatened, in central London. The "GayMarriageNo Thanks" group released billboards aimed at highlighting the fact that children do better with married birth parents, and arranged for the poster to be driven around London on an advertising truck over two days. However, after the driver received abuse and the truck carrying the billboards was vandalised, the advertising company, Adtrailers Ltd, informed Alan Craig, campaign director for GayMarriageNoThanks, that they were “unable to send out the advertising truck today following yesterday’s campaign day. Unfortunately the driver out yesterday received threats, the truck was vandalised and there have been several offensive complaints received.” A company representative also informed Mr Craig that people had made personal threats by email, and over the 'phone, which were “horrific”, “violent stuff” and “the worst I have known”.

I know that the incident took place some time ago - but I don't recall either Mr Dawkins, or the National Secular Society, championing the cause of free speech, or referring to the perpetrators of the vandalism, and the threats, as "sanctimonious little prigs”!

It's the same old story - those who shout the most loudly about tolerance and free speech for themselves, are often the first to deny either to those who happen not to agree with them!  It's a pity that they don't analyse the old adage: "What's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander"!

Let us (not) pray!

So, the marginalisation, and erosion, of our Christian culture continues.  Today's news that the High Court has ruled that it is “unlawful” for local town councils to begin their formal meetings with prayer has, rightly, been received with dismay by many - apart from, of course, the Bideford Town ex-councillor who took the Council to court, and the National Secular Society that supported him.

However, this judgement (against which, at least, the Council has been given leave to appeal), opens up a whole 'can of worms'.  It's just three months since, in my capacity as a Force Chaplain, I officiated at a service of remembrance for those members of the former Lanarkshire Constabulary who had died in either the Great War, or World War II.  I made no apology for the fact that I conducted that service in accordance with the Christian tradition - and none of those who were present complained!  Indeed, I had a number of folk come to me afterwards to thank me for what I had said, and the way in which I had conducted the service.  To the best of my knowledge, not all were 'church members', never mind being disciples of Jesus.

Does this judgement, if allowed to stand, mean that a police officer - serving, or former - who is an atheist can take me to court because National Secular Society lawyers could argue that (s)he was being "indirectly discriminated against", in breach of human rights laws?  Now, of course, the judgement was not given on the 'Human Rights' grounds, but on a point of statutory construction of local government legislation.  However, it was on so-called "human rights grounds" that the case was brought - a situation of which many gave warning when that legislation was adopted by ex-PM Tony B Liar (whose QC wife made a pretty penny out of it!).

It is, perhaps, a little ironic that this case judgement has been given as the nation celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of the accession of the present Queen.  Bideford Council had, apparently, previously warned that if the National Secular Societ won its case there could be "far-reaching consequences", including the abolition of the Coronation Oath.  Indeed, if Her Majesty is going to continue to use the sort of wording to which I have referred in my previous post, then she is in danger of having her annual Christmas address to the Nation and Commonwealth banned!

Once again, as has been so frequently demonstrated by the homosexual/lesbian lobby, it seems that those who shout so loudly for tolerance of their position, are the first to deny such tolerance to others!