Is this right?

[Quillan]

From the Torygraph but othr papers are also running the article.

Christians have no right to wear cross at work, says Government

To me it matters not either way but lets have a level playing field. If you ban people from openly wearing a cross because it's "not a requirment of their faith" then neither are a lot of other things that people from other religions wear. Does this mean that the Bishops who sit in the House of Lords will be banned from wearing theirs?

[woolybanana]

Quillan, it is not a ban, but the government wishes to establish that is not a right either. This has come about because one group is insisting on wearing a public mark of their faith as an in-your-face symbol, whereas such symbols have been worn for centuries without problems.

[idun]

I have nothing against it if they also get rid of skull caps and scarves too. [:D]

[woolybanana]

Wearing a cross is not a part of Christianity but a mere affectation whereas in other religions some symbols are part of the faith, eg Sikh turbans.

[powerdesal]

Neither the burka nor the hijab are requirements of Islam, so they too are affectations.

[Hoddy]

I agree Wooly. I was brought up in a very 'low church' Church of England where wearing a cross would have been seen as ostentation. A crucifix would have been absolutely beyond the pale.

Hoddy

[Quillan]

My wife wears a cross, sometimes under her shirt and other times outside and she was baptised CofE. The reason she wears it is because it belonged to her mother. Likewise my mother had one of those charm bracelets and on that was a cross that belonged to her mother. Its more centimental than it is religious.

Surely it's not a matter or being technically correct but more of what is perceived. People identify religion many ways but most identify by the cloths and other items a person wears. I think to to pick on something like this is fundamentally flawed and whilst we are being forced in to accepting multiculturalism which often involves religion as well that rather than getting people to join together we are actually driving them apart. To use this example because it may cause offence to people of other religions is not fair as some could say that to them other peoples clothing or objects is defining their religion and may be equally repugnant to them. Basically you have religious tolerance, something I agree with, which includes something a individual wears as an outward sign of their religion or you don't. Whichever way you go it needs to be the same for all.

Politically this is not much different to what was discussed in another thread about Sarkozy and there are far more important things to worry about at the moment.

[woolybanana]

Q, I think that the problem is that some of the more whacky Christians, perhaps coming initially from the good old US of A are insisting on bigger and bigger crosses in inappropriate situations.

But you are right that the forced acceptation of multi-culturalism is creating tensions that may have to be addressed by making the UK secular, as in France. Though this would be sad as I always thought CofE and related religions were quite harmless and unassuming and my own views of multi-culturalism are not printable on a family forum!

[Quillan]

Elizabeth 1 as I seem to remember from school went to great lengths to make the CofE a tolerant church having seen the excesses of 'Bloody Mary' and her father. As you say there seems to be 'extremists' involved in everything these days from religion through sexuality to animal and human rights. I wonder what ever happened to the middle road of  common sense and live and let live?

My new religion does not abide people who fart. I am going to put posters up round Essex saying that farters should be hung, in front of their families of course. [;-)] To think that some consider us to be a 'civilised and caring society'. [:(] If there is a God I suspect he has laughed so much the tears are running down his legs at the naivety of us all.[:D]

It's nice and sunny here at Stade de France, slight wind (no I don't mean human but then you never know) and the temps is about 16 deg. I am looking forward to getting mildly drunk during the celebrations at the rugby bar in three hours time.

[PaulT]

I am just thankful that I do not believe in any Gods - would the World be a lot more peaceful if everyone else also did not believe in any Gods.

No doubt though arguments and wars would take place because one group would like red smarties and the other blue - there again look at how some footbal supporters behave to those of another team.