Dear Daily Mail #2

Let's get the awkward paragraph out of the way first, so we all know where we stand.

I'm an atheist. I don't believe in God. I'm on board with the idea organised religion is the opiate of the masses. I have inherent disagreements with most of the holy books, regarding their views on violence, women, and homosexuality. People can believe what they want to believe in their own homes. You can wear your crucifixes and it really doesn't bother me. I'm slightly envious of the spiritual comfort you have, if anything, and I know a number of beautiful, accepting, and loving believers of different faiths. I think religion is at it's best when it is loving, accepting, and forgiving, and not about judging people or pressing your beliefs upon them.

But this article (unsurprisingly from the Daily Mail) really gets on my nerves.

Melanie Phillips argues that preaching Christianity should not a crime. And no, it shouldn't. But I'll tell you what is a crime. Hate speech. The 1994 amendment to the Public Order Act 1986 forbids "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or (b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, thereby causing that or another person harassment, alarm or distress"

And I think standing in the middle of a shopping centre shouting that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination pretty much harasses, alarms and distresses gay people.

What really pisses me off is Phillips' blatant hypocrisy. If an Imam had been standing in the middle of the shopping centre, repeating the same speech, word for word, I doubt she'd have been leaping to their defence, because apparently "Islamic fundamentalism poses a real threat to the human rights of gay people". Well true, it does, as does Christian fundamentalism.

The last time I checked England wasn't a Christian country. The Bible is not "the moral code that underpins our civilisation". Hence the fact we don't have laws dictating you should marry your brother's widow, or that you should beat disrespectful children. We're a multi-faith society, and let's keep it that way.