Further to my last posting on this subject, I have actually started to take part and have added the following yesterday:
"Preface
To paraphrase what is stated on the Labour Party membership card, the Labour Party is a democratic socialist party and believes that by the strength of common endeavour we can achieve more than we can achieve alone. That we are here to help build a community where power, wealth, and oppurtunity are in the hands of the many and not of the few.
The Labour Party is not a party which supports rampant and unfettered private enterprise, but neither is it a party which believes that society should be dictated by an overwhelming policy of nationalisation; bureaucratic and suffocating. We believe that it is important to encourage freedom of the individual, but with an encouragement to social and civic responsibility. As President John F. Kennedy of the United States of America stated in his inaugural speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” The Labour Party may have fostered such diverse politicans as Hugh Gaitskell and Aneurin Bevan, Tony Crosland and Richard Crossman, Dennis Healey and Michael Foot, but all have shared the same aim in the last century. That is to govern with social cohesiveness, compassion, and responsibility. To give others the oppurtunities that previous generations did not have."
And on 'secularism and religion' I added at the end
"We are however, aware of the concerns on these issues given by Christians, Jews, and Muslims, amongst others, and will endeavour to listen, sympathise with, and acknowledge those concerns, even if at times we will disagree."
In response to:
"No religious rule may take precedence over the democratic laws of the United Kingdom. Provided this is the case, our secularism is expressed as equal treatment of religions, and by not promoting or discouraging any particular faith or all, or by demanding the removal of religious symbols from the public gaze."
I would like to add on to this. How, for an extreme example, would one deal with satanists etc.. or for a lesser example, 'quakery', because one could not afford them the same religious freedom as, say, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddists, Hindus, Sikhs etc..
Please let me know your thoughts on that and I will try and think through a well thought-out moral and social position accordingly.
2 comments:
How, for an extreme example, would one deal with satanists etc.. or for a lesser example, 'quakery', because one could not afford them the same religious freedom as, say, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddists, Hindus, Sikhs etc..
Why not?
The best and only guarantor of religious freedom is secular society under the rule of secular law and with a strict separation of church and state.
As far as Satanists, Quakers and others go the position should be no different to that which exists for any other religion - you have the freedom to believe what you like and practice your chosen faith provided you do so within the law.
Marriage is a prime example of where this already operates - we have a civil process set out in law for marriage (and divorce) which all UK citizens are required to observe.
Faith groups which permit polygamous marriages - in the main this is some Muslims and Mormons - remain free to enter into as many religious 'marriages' as their religion permits but are allowed only one civil marriage at a time in secular law.
By the same token if someone from a fringe religion really feels it necessary to sacrifice a chicken or two in pursuit of their faith then why not?
As long as they comply with the law as it applies to such matters then what's the problem - the chicken ends up dead whether its being dedicated to His Satanic Majesty or prepped ready for Sunday lunch, the only real difference being that the hicken gets a bit more of a sideshow to watch while on 'death row' if its round at the Satatnist's house.
I'm satirising a litte, of course, but the basic principle is sound - beleive what you like as long you stay within the law.
All that's needed here, really, is a commitment to disestablish the Church of England and end its special status in law and we have the basic framework necessary.
I meant quakery as in quacks, not quakers. I do support the disestablishment of the C of E, as fond as I am of it, but toi take an extreme example further. Someone dies as a result of a satanic child sacrifice, the satanists concerned are caught and insist, truthfully, that they are operating within the laws of their faith.
One has to be very careful about legislation where religion is concerned, as it can cause all kinds of problems that one cannot immediately forsee
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