CHURCH AND STATE

Religion; faith that would not die despite the triumphant claims of modernity. Still there; (some of it) and having supplied the founding principles of our society back to antiquity it still appeals to people in a way that this country's irreligious enemies do not understand. Much of our freedom of conscience and expression evolved from the bloody lessons of past religious intolerance. And look, here come the old times back. Here's where thoughts of divinity meet our ancient constitution and morality -and who and what threaten them.

If the ‘What’s gone wrong with Britain’ crowd had a Chaplain-General, it would likely be the blogger known as ‘Archbishop Cranmer.’ Forthright, faithful, Anglican, and small ‘c’ conservative, ‘His Grace’ writes with wit, expertise and zeal on Church and State, faith and our nation’s foundations, modern follies and ancient truths. With his angelic eye ever turned on our enemies and The Enemy, I have to confess that this is the blog of first resort in matters spiritual, national, and constitutional.

Read his sermons here.

Or you just might fry.

Anglican Mainstream seeks to uphold the traditional teachings of the Anglican Church and to uphold our four nations' bloodily-acquired religious liberty in times when being a Christian - amongst other faiths - is becoming a perilous profession; at work and in the larger world. It offers encouragement and advice, as well as places and themes around which to rally for traditionalist Anglicans, Orthodox, evangelicals,Anglo-Catholics, Charismatics and mainstream churchgoers.

Read about their work and their words here.

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Geert Wilders is being prosecuted by the Dutch courts for words and film critical of Islam and Islamism. It seems he thinks that these events are neither coincidences nor the product solely of Western foreign policy.

From Wikipedia: Attempts to prosecute Wilders under Dutch anti-hate speech laws in June 2008 failed, with the public prosecutor's office stating that Wilders' comments contributed to the debate on Islam in Dutch society and also had been made outside parliament. The office released a statement reading: “That comments are hurtful and offensive for a large number of Muslims does not mean that they are punishable. Freedom of expression fulfils an essential role in public debate in a democratic society. That means that offensive comments can be made in a political debate.”

Wilders has called for the banning of Islamic books while simultaneously arguing for his own personal freedom of speech, so he’s hardly what you’d call a free speech purist.

However, on 21 January 2009, a three judge court ordered prosecutors to try him. Their statement argued that "In a democratic system, hate speech is considered so serious that it is in the general interest to... draw a clear line" and that "The court also considers appropriate criminal prosecution for insulting Muslim worshippers because of comparisons between Islam and Nazism made by Wilders". If convicted, he may get 16 months of jail time and a fine of 9866.67 Euros.

Threats made by this man have recently prevented his film Fitna being shown in the House of Lords.

Whatever you think of the man and his message he is not only being censored by over mighty government here and abroad; he is under threat of imprisonment for stating his honest opinion. And all this in the middle of a war against the West being led by co-religionists of some of his harshest critics.If freedom of speech has a motto it must surely be; ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’

It’s one of the things that make our culture and our country so good. Support him or learn more here.

It gets worse.

The heirs of Churchill and Atlee have decided that the legally elected Dutch MP Geert Wilders may not enter our country for fear that 'his words' will cause violence.

Something tells me it won't be any Dutchman causing violence when Fitna is shown.

It gets better.

There is a central blog for those who would support him, support freedom of speech, and freedom in general against the Islamist intimidation here.

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Some people seem to think that political Islam poses some kind of cultural and security threat to our country and the West in general.
The Anti-Islamist Coalition publicises the political, military and cultural effects which the religion of Peace is having on our civilisation. Read about their work here.

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Edinburgh adoption row 2009

Here’s something well worth a look at.

Julia highlights the victorious two-year campaign by Edinburgh Social Services to take two children away from their natural grandparents and have them adopted by a gay couple. And here’s the newspaper article it came form.

There are lots of ways to look at this one and in this case I think that the gay angle is just the icing on a politically-correct cake: it looks on the face of it the last tick-box ticked by the social workers in charge, but the Catholic Church and local businessmen are treating that as important, too.

I haven’t found an on-line campaign point of contact yet, and I’m looking for one, and please send me info if you have it but just for now, but here’s a link to a pdf that has the numbers of all Edinburgh’s councillors, here are the contact details for the city’s MPs , here are all 6 of the MSPs, and here’s a link to the Archdiocese of Edinburgh for those wishing to offer the campaign any support.

I hope to receive more detailed information later.

This page contains information about the City Council’s complaints procedures and this is their Social Care direct page with all the usual contact addresses.

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