The Barmy Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s latest ploy: encouraging Christians to “…wear proudly a symbol of the cross of Christ on their garments each and every day of their lives”; couldn’t possibly be divisive could it?
Countless examples of disruption and dispute could be cited to demonstrate why large employers – such as the civil service – specifically prohibit exhibitions of personal faith in the workplace – Because It’s A No-Brainer!
Perhaps his implorations should be answered reciprocally.
Everybody – not just Christians – should be encouraged to display signs of their personal position on religion ‘each and every day of their lives’ too,
I’ll be wearing my ‘Happy Human’ and atheist ‘A’ badges from now on – and if challenged I’ll refer objectors to The Tartan Cardinal’s Office.
You can get your badges here:
‘Happy Human’ – http://www.humanism.org.uk/shop/apparel
Atheist ‘A’ – http://store.richarddawkins.net/collections/jewelry-1
You can if you want to, but I wouldn’t dream of telling anyone else what they should do. I’m inclined to agree with Andrew, when he was on BBC NEWS 24: http://youtu.be/eDqTSfEWKmk
Ian – don’t you think that is a tad divisive as well? Sauce for goose. kettle/Pan! etc etc. I think most Christians who wear the cross do it out of devotion not to antagonise non-Christians (I’ve been there and done that!!).
Now! Being TOLD to wear it as an act of defiance against these nasty and aggressive secularists! Then that is something else. But surely if we don’t agree with that we shouldn’t be doing the same? So, in this very rare instance I shall be disobeying my Abbott.
Margaret. I followed your link .http://youtu.be/eDqTSfEWKmk Very impressed with Andrews response. I hadn’t seen that. Thanks for the link.
It’s a dilemma isn’t it?
Religious people are admired for wearing symbols of their faith – and strongly encouraged by their leaders to do so.
Non-religious people wearing similarly self- identifying emblems are accused of being confrontational or divisive.
It reminds me of the ‘hymns & prayers’ / ‘no hymns & prayers’ arguments at humanist funerals. Non-religious people are seriously concerned about offending religious people by omitting them … Religious people have no such compunctions around offending the non-religious by asking for them to be included.
So – whilst I have every respect for Andrew’s views and immense admiration of his eloquence – I’ll continue to wear my badges [and display my ‘Born Again Atheist’ car number plate] … because not doing so might lead to the assumption that we’re all religious – and I’d hate people to think that of me!
Sorry, but I just can’t see your point. I wear a religious symbol because of devotion, but I wouldn’t even dream of wearing it as a way of confronting non-religious. I respect most profoundly every one’s right to believe or not whatever they like, but just because of that, I also have a right to believe that wearing a religious symbol will give me protection, or whatever my reasons (or anyone else’s) are for wearing it. Isn’t there a bit of looking for trouble where there’s none in all this issue?
I wholeheartedly support your right to believe whatever you choose to believe Andy. But the truth is displaying signs and symbols serve another purpose too. It’s a step further than simply believing it’s proclaiming your particular belief to everybody – not caring whether they want to know or not.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s motives clearly go much further than simply encouraging practising Christians to be proud of their beliefs. He and other senior clergy are desperate to hold on to the disproportionate privileges and exaggerated status the church has enjoyed for so many years.
Getting foot-soldiers to demand the right to wear symbols of faith – particularly where employers specifically prohibit such jewellery – is an undisguised attempt to establish ‘special-case’ status for Christianity [in particular] and religion [in general].
But surely, even if I was proclaiming my particular belief to everybody there should not be a problem; if someone doesn’t care what is it to him? In the same way someone who did not want to read this blog wouldn’t have to.
Also, I wouldn’t classify wearing a cross around your neck as a disproportionate privilege; bottom line, it is freedom of speech. I think that Cardinal O’Brien just wants to make that point to Christians; that they have the right to wear those symbols. And he simply encourages them because it is seen as a good thing to do in the church. I just feel the whole thing is being blown out of proportion.
seems an ‘A’ symbol on a chain would be better. It would overcome the problem of forgetting to remove the badge each time we change clothes