Andrew Copson, BBC News 24, 31 May 2009

Is widespread "indifference" to Christianity a kind of discrimination?

Did the BHA ("a funny lobby group of atheists" according to the "Christian journalist" interviewed here) really draw up "a plan to show how Christians should be dealt with in the work place", which recommended that talking about religion should get you the sack?

Well, no, and no, obviously.

Here the BHA's Andrew Copson is interviewed on BBC News 24 responding to a Telegraph story which tried to implicate the BHA in "discriminating" against Christians. When the story is repeated later and a Christian journalist gets chance to respond, she says "our understanding of individual freedom, the dignity of each person; you can't understand that unless you understand our Judeo-Christain heritage".

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• andrew copson
• bbc
• telegraph

[ggab7768]

Good lord, that woman was a mess. So much anxiety and fear trying to burst out. She looked like she could explode at any moment.

She want's to know why the government would trust the money to a "funny lobby group of atheists"? I wouldn't trust this woman with bus fare.

[WillSKB88]

"lovely traditions"

like witch-burning, homophobia, condom-hating, abortion denying... oh so quaint.

[TheBrradsullivan]

my gosh i cannot stand the smugness of religious people " when secularists start caring for lepers, that will be nice " ....umm you mean hospitals!

[kasroa]

"When secularists open homes for incurables..."

You mean like, oh I don't know, hospitals?!

[ahmedeox]

Why the hell would the government pay to indoctrinate your children in faith schools? EUROPE IS NOT JUDEO-CHRISTIAN!!! EUROPE HAS A GRECO-ROMAN HERITAGE!!! The right of freedom of speech, freedom of thought go all the way back to the greeks! The "Judeo-Christian Heritage" is nothing but a long trail of blood. And atheists cannot open their own homes for the elderly BECAUSE THEY PAY FUCKIN TAXES, AND THEY DON'T ASK PEOPLE FOR MONEY!!! NOT LIKE YOUR CHURCHES!!!!

[bersa888]

Refusing jobs to religious people and making fun of them...?! Are we already in the 22nd century? ;-) Man, England - and most of Europe - is light years ahead when compared to the USA...

[ThePurpleSpeck]

Okay, so I'm not usually crude enough to resort to block caps, but YOU UTTER UTTER MORON, WOMAN. WE HAVE A SECULAR HEALTHCARE SERVICE. IT'S CALLED THE FUCKING NHS.

[Fatpie42]

If only they'd had the good sense to have both Andrew Copson and that highly uninformed woman on at the same time, he could have set her straight on a few things. Not least on the functions of the BHA. She's upset that a secular organisation is working to prevent religious intolerance in the workplace, but she'd apparently be really happy if secularists did something good and unselfish for others. Please make up your blooming mind!

[WillSKB88]

I think sex as recreation is a matter of personal taste and opinion but ultimately I believe it's about expression of love and happiness. It's about forming a good relationship :).

Sex merely for procreation? What about the people who just can't have sex? Must they be denied the privaledge. What about the fact that sex is pleasurable and all primates naturally do it for fun? There's some more of tha natural law stuff ;)

Take care

[WillSKB88]

Lol sorry :P my last post I promise.

Ok I'll check out those books, I do enjoy reading!

Thanks for the dialogue! Will

[WillSKB88]

Ah interesting :) you might be interested in Liberation Theology? I've not read a great deal on it but I'm currently doing research into education for empowerment - Paulo Freire comes up quite often.

Yeah was a good chat, :) take care. I'll look into Thomas Woods.

Also, I recommend Thomas Paine - one of the American forefathers who had ideals based on the separation of church & state.

Night night!! :)

[WillSKB88]

It's all about choice, on which our modern, enlightened, western culture is foundered upon and we are much happier without interference of theocracy, judging everyone's choices - there is no free will in that and there is no sanctity or justice.

Liberté, equalité, fraternaté.

Democracy and human rights.