RELIGION AND THE LAW

 

15. Apr. 2010. – 11:09:45

On April 11th I wrote on the topic "THROWING SHOES IN PUBLIC IS NOT JUST A "SYMBOLIC" POLITICAL GESTURE;IT IS AN ACT OF VIOLENCE". The essence was that the words of the judge seemed to fly in the face of the concept of the old adage equality before the law. The British Humanist Association is a charity supporting and representing non religious people within our society where religious fundamentalism of one sort or another appears to be increasingly vocal and not just confined to the extremist elements within Islam.

Last week an Employment Tribunal found against a nurse who had claimed that she was discriminated against when she was asked to remove a crucifix from around her neck. BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson said, "Many observers share our concern about the false and misleading narrative that increasing numbers of churches and aggressive Christian lobby groups are attempting to create when they react to or actively promote cases like this. The story they are telling has it that Christians are being marginalised from public life and persecuted at work, when in fact churches retain enormous privileges and there is no evidence at all that employment discrimination against Christians is a real phenomenon. Freedom of religion or belief is a precious freedom, but its interests are not best served by attempting to talk up claims of persecution and discrimination."

Extremist members of the three monotheistic religions are increasingly crying "foul" when in conflict with the legal process. I`ve mentioned Islamist shoe throwers but Chassidic Jews in East London have whispered of anti Semitism when planning decisions have gone against them. Religious discrimination in general and anti Semitism in particular is a scourge within any society as any reading of history will demonstrate. When that discrimination tends to positively favour in law those of any denomination the effects are equally pernicious but perhaps take longer to percolate and filter through to public awareness. At a time when six hundred and thirty six parliamentary seats are up for grabs appeals to religious factions for votes based on discriminatory wish lists should be avoided for all our sakes, for those with religion and equally for those without.