h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Why do the Norse deities, Greek deities and pagan British deities count for nothing when British legislation is decided.

OK, that's a disingenuous rhetorical question.

What I mean to say is:

What on earth is the justification for giving contemporary religions a say in British legislation?

Hello What is the justification for not giving them a voice?

My sock doesn't like muffins. I trust my sock. Ban muffins.

Been waiting all day listening to the news what you would have to say and I agree with your first post

Sorry , Morning Roy

Mornin'. I shouldn't be up right now, and soon won't be. Thor told me to sleep....

Havent the faintest idea what socks and muffins have to do with your posting or is this an in house thing.

Muffin = deity. Socks = gays. It's not an in house thing, just a metaphor.

Oops. Muffin = gays, sock = deity!

"What on earth is the justification for giving contemporary religions a say in British legislation?"

None - no more than any other pressure group anyway. I don't see why they shouldn't try to influence legislation any more than any other campaigners. Whether they are full of rancid ruminant refuse is another question, of course.

Most pressure groups don't have a presence in the house of lords...

So not being privvy to english papers does this mean a religious group that does not like gay people is trying to exhert pressure on the way your govenrment forms its laws

That's probably true Roy, but I'm sure one or two do. The House of Lords was never supposed to be about equality though.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6243323.stm

This is what Roymondo is talking about hayayfi. A law has been passed to stop discrimination against homosexuals, religious groups are trying to get it scrapped.

I don't think they have a leg to stand on here, incidentally.

Why do they want the law scrapped?

Because it's a fundamental part of their beliefs that they have the right to criticise gays. It's written in their books therefoore the state is impinging on their religious freedom if they're not allowed to preach what their books tell them.

Agreed. Rarely to we here Outrage or any other gay pressure groups insisting on a ban on religious organisations on the grounds that they cause violence and unrest.
(Go-on Mr. Tatchell. I dare you. Please?)

Simulpost.

But is it a fundemental part of their beliefs I am not ofay with most religions but I have not come across anything to date that says in black and white that you should deprive someone of their rights or verbally assult them because they are homosexual. I know the bible speaks about how God feels about it from a Chirstian perspective but I must have missed the part where He said "go ahead and persecute people I am all for it"!

I think it's in Leviticus where he says gays must be killed. Now no one is saying that Christians want to kill gays, but it's not a particularly healthy starting point.