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Posted in Government, Human Rights, Politics on Sep 1st, 2009
According to Children’s Secretary, Ed Balls, social workers ‘change lives’. Despite that attraction, and despite an appeal from many ‘famous’ people (Samantha Morton, Michelle Ryan, Sadie Frost, Goldie) adding their names to a UK campaign to recruit more social workers, I won’t be changing career myself (even if that were practically possible) or encouraging others to think [...]
Posted in Existential, Human Rights, Humanity, Mortality on Aug 1st, 2009
Matthew Parris on his death:
When I die, and if I have to arrange it myself, I will consult nobody, and do it unassisted if I can. I entertain not a flicker of moral or practical doubt on the subject, and never have. Speaking only for myself — in such matters one should never judge for [...]
Posted in Education, Health, Human Rights, Humanity, Morality, Relationships, Religion on Jul 28th, 2009
Despite what the (American) religious right may teach, just saying “No” to yourself doesn’t always work.
Many of us already knew that, but it’s now official. The truth is out at last – abstinence-only programmes make the situation worse. To the surprise of few, it has recently emerged that George W. Bush’s “abstinence only” [...]
Posted in Faith, Human Rights, Isolation, Religion, Society, Travel on Jul 20th, 2009
No, it wasn’t a lightning bolt (though that would have been much more effective). It was a metal bolt that sheared off and caused a minor problem that needed to be repaired. And because it needed to be repaired, the ferry, the Isle of Arran, was drafted in to replace the Isle of [...]
Posted in Faith, Health, Human Rights, Morality, Religion, Society on Jul 15th, 2009
I know. It’s easy for me. I’m a man. I don’t have to wear the things. My gender is the one that has largely tried to dictate over the centuries how women should dress. I write what I am about to write with appropriate trepidation and guilt.
Posted in Faith, Human Rights, Religion, Science on Jun 26th, 2009
There seem to be more and more cases where religious people are claiming that their faith prevents them from doing their job. If they are then asked to continue doing the job that they were employed to do, some are claiming that they are facing religious discrimination.
In recent months I have been aware of:
an employee [...]
Posted in Faith, Health, Human Rights, Humanity, Law, Morality on Jun 2nd, 2009
As any Roman Catholic priest or nun will tell you, extra-marital sex is clearly a sin and should be punished, severely. I am grateful to the National Secular Society for the following:
Catholic school that unfairly dismissed an unmarried mother loses appeal
A Catholic school that sacked an unmarried teaching assistant after she became pregnant has lost [...]
Posted in Human Rights, Isolation, Morality, Religion on May 21st, 2009
To deliberately malnourish and beat children so that, in some cases, their bones are broken, is bad. To systematically sexually abuse them over a number of years is evil. And for some remote, generalized individuals years later to say “Sorry” is not good enough.
The physical scars of endemic emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of thousands [...]
Posted in Government, Human Rights, Isolation, Morality on May 8th, 2009
British newspapers appear to be making a big story out of a recent Royal decision to take note of modern Britain.
Some Hindus and Muslims objected to the name and the insignia of an honour established by the Queen 40 years ago to recognise distinguished service in the former colony of Trinidad and Tobago. The Trinity [...]
Posted in Censorship, Creativity, Human Rights, Isolation, Literature, Religion on May 5th, 2009
Ok. I have a confession to make. And I feel the need to point out that I did the deed during a difficult time in my life. But I have to admit that I have bought and read all of Dan Brown’s books.
I turned to the The Da Vinci Code for some light relief and [...]
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