Comments on: Atheist group slams award to infantile Christian homophobe

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:50:51 +0000

As they say over on barryboys.co.uk, “bloody trumpton”.

By: Buffy

Buffy — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:37:13 +0000

Cool, so can I legally refuse to serve RRRW Christians because they offend me?

By: Stuart H.

Stuart H. — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:43:10 +0000

Can you imagine the furore if a Protestant fire officer in Glasgow refused to put out a fire in a Catholic school?
Doesn’t seem to be far off what this bigot was allowed to do. If he won’t give out safety advice to people his idiot faith doesn’t approve of, how can he be trusted in an emergency.
He’s a disgrace to the service. Come to think of it, so are his employers for apologising to the biscuit-munching throwback.

By: remigius

remigius — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:22:58 +0000

I think this case highlights a breathtaking set of double standards.

Barney McGrew was rewarded because Strathclyde Fire & Rescue had failed to take into account his religious beliefs. And yet at any recruitment stage we are told it is wrong to do just that. If they had taken those very same beliefs into account then, and refused him the job on the reasonable grounds that his beliefs would compromise his ability to carry that job, they would have still been sued.

This is happening more and more. The cases referred to above; last weeks hero – retarded bus pilot Ron Heather; all those moon-worshippers who get a job in Threshers then complain cos they have to serve beer.

I don’t believe that these people are genuinely offended. I think they are just taking the piss.

We should be allowed to discriminate at the recruitment stage. Not on grounds of race, sexual orientation or disability, but in areas where a persons fictive morality is in conflict with their ability to do the job at hand.

By: David L

David L — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:26:27 +0000

Without wanting to get into too much of a theological debate. There are no eye-witness accounts. The first gospel was written either in or just after 70AD as it mentions the destruction of the Temple of Jeruselum (sp?) which occured in 70AD. Before that all we have is letters by Paul which Scholars (i.e people much more qualified than you to debate the subject Bob) date it about about 49CE. Paul never met Jesus, he only talks about his crucifition, journey into hell and ressurection (never mentions his previous life) as taking place on a spiritual realm, not on Earth. Both of which written way after his death, and neither author met him. Not exactly eye-witnesses.

By: Stuart W

Stuart W — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:18:59 +0000

I was once politely asked by a uniformed man to stop handing out leaflets in a shopping centre (for a windows company I worked for as a kid) as I had no permission; a simple mistake, which he realized.
Sounds like my teenage self could have explained a thing or two to our dear departed chum…

By: Barry Duke

Barry Duke — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:06:06 +0000

The time has come, guys, for me to restore a measure of sanity, good humour and a semblance of politeness to this blog (honestly, some of the language would make a parrot blush!) So ALL Bob’s comments from now on will be deleted. If some slip through, please don’t rise to the bait, and just ignore them. They will be expunged as and when I have the time.

It’s clear from his comments that when one puts 21st-century technology in the hands of people who cannot grasp the concept of internet etiquette, and who possess the mentality of bronze age goat-herds, a great deal of annoyance and disruption is bound to follow.

Goodbye Bob â€“ shame I cannot say it was a pleasure to meet you.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:02:47 +0000

Stuart W: It is not a “persecution complex” when you get dismissed from a job for refusing to compromise your beliefs by lying. Also I was once ejected from a train station by a porter because he objected to my leaving Jesus leaflets about, a clear case of persecution.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:59:47 +0000

Your title accuses Mr Mitchell of being a homophobe. Surely it is not “homophobic” to disagree with Gay behavior. Surely it is only homophobic to hate gays. Just because we disagree with what they are doing doesn’t mean we hate them.

Masked grappler accuses Christians of having no evidence. There is plenty of evidence for the resurrection of Christ – eye witnesses who saw Jesus alive after His death

By: valdemar

valdemar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:22:38 +0000

Right on, Stuart. Freedom of speech for all means we all run the daily risk of being offended. Trouble is, with religion, there’s an in-built refusal to accept criticism. This is because, deep down, they all know that faith is not enough to deal with doubt. Intimidation and censorship are needed to bolster faith, or it withers and dies.