A CATHOLIC priest in Brighton is quoted in the Argus tonight as saying that he can no longer vote Labour – because they are hostile to religion.
Father Ray Blake, of St Mary Magdalen in Brighton, said faith communities in Brighton and Hove – officially Britain’s most godless city – were being overlooked in favour of the city’s “hedonistic gay lobby”.
Father Blake, pictured in tonight's Argus
The priest, whose church is in Brighton Pavilion constituency, said he did not believe any of the parties standing for election locally represented his religious views.
Writing in a blog to his parishioners he said:
I always used to vote Labour but I think that is impossible now, so contrary they have become to the very spirit of the Christian faith.
He added:
It is very tempting in Brighton for political candidates to pander to the more vociferous elements of the hedonistic ‘gay lobby’ and ignore the ‘faith’ communities and their concerns.
It is really quite outrageous how ignorant most politicians are about our faith despite, its contribution to Western artistic culture and thinking.
Father Blake added he would like to get a group of Catholics together to work out which party he could vote for.
This is how the main parties are described by Blake on his blog:
Labour: look at the record, they are pro-abortion, anti-family, coercive towards the Church, restrictive of religious freedoms, robbed us of our adoption agencies, are robbing us of our schools; under their watch the gap between rich and poor has grown, our children have become increasingly sexualised, the freedom of parents has been curtailed. Goodish on overseas aid but they start wars! Only seem to have one policy: Sexual Equalities, which for many of us will lead to sexualisation, inequality and oppression.
Consevatives: (sic) no radical change from Labour, they seem to be distancing themselves from their pro-family policies and “traditional” morality, at least they are, in theory, for smaller government, therefore they might respect personal rights. Not nice to the poor, tend to favour the middle-classes.
Liberal Democrat: extreme anti-Lifers and secularists, introduced abortion, radical but without real policies.
Green Party: I am not sure they have many policies, except to save the planet and regard mankind as a virus that is attacking it; their policies seem to take away human freedom.
Not surprisingly, Blake’s outburst has not gone down well with Argus readers. Prize for the funniest comment posted so far under the article goes to John60 who wrote:
I wonder if he prays to the holy ghost whilst he sucks his host? Religion eh? The root of all evil and the bible is truly the best fairy tale ever written. The only good church is one converted into a night club.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:52 pm
“at least they are, in theory, for smaller government, therefore they might respect personal rights”
I think there’s enough irony there to build a bridge out of. Good grief.
Also, he’s a bit wrong about his history, but that’s nothing new for a priest. It was a member of one of the parties which later formed the Lib Dems (David Steel, of the Liberal Party) who introduced the bill which became the Abortion Act of 1967, but it was the Labour government who provided it with the support it needed to be passed. Of course, this never stopped him and countless other Catholics in the UK from voting Labour all their lives.
To paraphrase someone I read recently: It is really quite outrageous how ignorant most priests are about our political system despite their continuing influence on Western politics.
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:50 pm
Religious zealots poking their unwanted noses into politics and whining about the unjustified diminishing of their influence is nothing new, but it does seem to be everywhere at the moment (and it will, I guess, probably get worse the closer we get to a general election).
I saw this quote this morning which I found particularly loathsome. It’s from Lord (should never have been allowed to have the title) Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury:
“We must constantly remind society of its Christian roots and heritage. As I wrote recently, if we behave like doormats, don’t be surprised if we are treated as though we are.â€
He added that Christians should “prevail upon politicians†to speak up for their beliefs.
For more, click on this link:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new.....in-UK.html
Equally distasteful is this article and video about the growing influence of xtians on the Tory hierarchy:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/1240.....ab49a.html
As ever, Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:23 pm
And I quote the good father: “vociferous elements of the hedonistic ‘gay lobby’†, vociferous??? Who talks like that to people
that believe in fairy tales. Wouldn’t “most obnoxiously loud†work better for the uneducated masses?
I quote again: “It is really quite outrageous how ignorant most politicians are about our faith despite, its contribution to Western artistic culture and thinking.
Well, the church has definitely commissioned the most beautiful cathedrals, grand sculptures, amazing murals, and unbelievable war campaigns. And it was all done with the blood, sweat and tears of the starving poor.
As far as thinking is concerned, religion has done everything in it’s power to hinder the advance of science (for instance, Galileo) and to modern day continues to promote the ignorance of the masses to maintain it’s power and influence. What is hilarious is that they do this claiming to be the anchor of morality, when in fact, history shows they are the most vicious gangs of murders who existed in modern times. I’m sure they’d love to have that power back. Nothing keeps the masses in line like a public witch burning.
NeoWolfe
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:26 pm
“The priest, whose church is in Brighton Pavilion constituency, said he did not believe any of the parties standing for election locally represented his religious views”. That’s a relief; it makes my choice so much easier.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:45 pm
I wonder how he would summarise the BNP’s policies? I’d say they were just about diametrically opposite to the Labour policies he dislikes
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:09 pm
In ten-a-penny fundie fashion, the priest sees society’s increased evaporation of bigotry against gay people as a personal assault on himself. Well boo hoo, the orders of a book written when the Earth was believed to be flat and describes the consumption of shellfish as an abomination, are not the ones ‘pandered to’ any more.
Whilst you are in the mood for whingeing wingnuts, witness the now beyond-barking Stephen Green directly link equal rights for gay people with a pensioner’s murder at the hands of her granddaughter. (Scroll down to bottom)
http://www.christianvoice.org......ss149.html
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Well im an operating dept. Practitioner and I work the stop (sucktion termination of pregnancy) list. I bet you im going to hell Lmfao!
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Gosh, I wonder why there isn’t a party for bigoted Catholics to vote for? Perhaps they should form one? Then the bigoted Protestants could do the same, and the entire UK could achieve the kind of democratic progress they’ve enjoyed in Ulster for generations.
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:25 pm
“If Christian men do not stand up for the risen, ascended Jesus Christ soon, this United Kingdom will surely go the way of the Cities of the Plain.”
I’m guessing Christian Women will be sitting down to vote…?
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:27 am
What’s he raving about? He seems to be against everything. When will these so called men of God shut up and go back to their altars and tend to their flock of sheep if there are any left and stop meddling in what is no concern of theirs mainly how we want to live our lives without having to constantly listen to their insipid rantings . Do they think we live in a theocracy? Reminds me of when I grew up here in Québec and priests would get up in their pulpit and scream that Heaven was blue and Hell was red to remind people to vote conservative. It worked for a long time until the masses through education wised up and rejected these attempts at mind control and today churches if they are not being turned into condos are practically empty on Sundays and we as a society have evolved and are a hell of a lot better off morally and economically than we were then when they had us under their thumb and women were looked upon as baby machines. When they become irrelevant they have to get back in the news by any means so what better ways than to dump on minority groups like gays to attract the sympathies of red-necks and pious hypocrites. He should keep busy by going back to his dark confessional and play with himself while listening to invented stories about sins of the flesh rather than pontificate on what does not concern him!
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:22 am
If this priest feels unrepresented by mainstream political parties he can contest the contituency seat at the next general election as an independent.
He can found his own faith-based political party bankrolled by the catholic church. I’m sure he’d get the backing of tens of voters who as yet have no-one to speak for them at Westminster.
Mind you, I’d never vote for a guy who looks like he belongs in a photo alongside Gary Glitter and Jonathan King.
Lost deposit anyone?
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:48 am
“Sexualisation”? Sounds like fun. Where do I sign up?
Seriously, though, the idea that people should be comfortable and happy with their sexuality and the sex act really is anathema to these people, isn’t it?
What a hateful, anti-human pile of bollocks this tawdry, semitic mind-virus is.
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Looks like the only voting options he has left are the BNP or the Monster Raving Loony Party.
How apt.
March 3rd, 2010 at 1:38 pm
He says Labour are ‘goodish on overseas aid’ – I’d have thought that was a problem, not a plus, for a Catholic priest as the Vatican blocks aid to countries who develop proper family planning & sex education policies!
BTW – I was briefly a Monster Loony member, and we wouldn’t have had him as a candidate either. Screaming Lord Sutch would spin in his grave at the very thought of it!
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Here we go again. I agree he should vote for the BNP, The British Nasty Party.
I suppose all the time we have The House of Lords things will not change.
I understand Nick Clegg is not religious. The talk was now America has a black President, it is most likely we will see an Atheist President one day.
From the comments in the Brighton Argus are anything to go by noone is taking him serious.
Speak out against and condem Church abuse then someone might take him seriously.
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:39 pm
We are at fault. We vote for people who seem to be above reproach, which doesn’t exist. So what we elect is criminals who are really good at hiding their past. Unrealistic expectations, unrealistic politicians. i.e. democracy doesn’t work. Neither do any other human institutions.
I lay at night and wonder if the human race can be saved, but, I drift off wondering if I give a damn. I have children, and I wish a good life and prosperity for them, but things are fucked up so bad, I wonder if the life ahead is worth living? Oh well, those are just dreams.
NeoWolfe
March 4th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
‘The world will know peace, when the last King is strangled with an intestine of the last Priest.’
D.A.F. Marquis de Sade.
March 4th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Surely, for catholic priests, BNP stands for Buggering Nonce Party
October 8th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Marcus, that’s a very interesting article about the Tory Party and Open Primaries. Open Primaries stink. The only logical fair way to choose a parliamentary candidate should be by OMOV. Open Primaries are designed to exclude the poor under the cloack of “democracy” from standing in internal party elections. David Cameron’s Conservative Party is called such for a reason – it has systematically dismantled its own internet democratic structures. See John Strafford’s COPOV website for more information on how Lord Ashcroft turned them into a totally top down structure