Shocked by ruling on prayers
I WAS horrified to learn that the case regarding prayers before a council meeting returned a judgment which ruled it as not against the human rights of atheists but did say that saying prayers was beyond the powers of the council as set out in the 1972 Local Government Act.
This case was brought forward by the National Secular Society who said it breached the human rights of atheists and discriminated against them.
The Communities and Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles MP, has promised to act swiftly to restore freedom to local councils to begin their meetings with prayer by bringing forward Section 1 of the Localism Act into force before the end of February.
In my opinion it is an absolute disgrace that this case got so far and, whilst I support my fellow MP in addressing this, it signifies yet another attack on the Christian faith in our country.
When I was a councillor, I stood with my fellow councillors and asked God’s guidance in the meetings. This was not an attack on anyone’s human rights – it was simply realising that we need the help of God in our lives and dealings.
We need to stand firm in the fact that, as Queen Victoria said, the greatness of Great Britain and her empire was reliance on the word of God.
Now, more than ever, this must be the case and I will be standing firm in this and ask for your prayerful support as my colleagues and myself battle in council, in Stormont and in Westminster to remain true to the Word of God and the principles contained within.
Jim Shannon
MP for Strangford
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Comments
There are 16 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
amadeus
Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 03:33 PMThis dispute has raised the hackles on all sides. May I suggest an effective solution? Let there be a time of silence at the start of the meeting - then anyone who has a faith can pray, silently to their own god, without offending anyone else present. Atheists etc can make use of the time to gather their thoughts or peruse the agenda. No one is excluded, no one is offended. It really should be that simple.
colmorrison
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 07:09 PMIf you yearn for theocracy, look to Saudi Arabia - they have an impressively low crime rate, I believe. Not tempted? No, didn't think so. To put this issue in terms Jim Shannon would understand, how would he feel if these prayers were delivered in Irish? Excluded, discriminated against, marginalised, that's how.
rthomas
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 10:12 PMMaybe if religion and state affairs had been more intertwined we might not be in this near state of anarchy in the UK.
loe
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 12:01 PMThere is no evidence for god(s)... try goggle 'Russell's teapot' and kiss my arse
colmorrison
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 11:38 PMIf the prayer is so inconsequential, why are they so insistent on having it? Let's be clear, this is not about some council having a few moments of prayer, this is about setting a precedent for religious meddling in state affairs, above what there already is. If you were turned up to work and someone insisted on having a prayer, then spoke an invocation to Satan, or Odin, how would you feel? Welcome to our world. The discrimination starts with a few prayers, but it doesn't end there.
rthomas
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 10:43 PMWhat baffles me about all of this is why the Atheists are so hot and bothered about a short prayer that they don't even need to attend!. Could it be that whenever they hear a prayer their conscience is pricked and they wonder that when they die that , as an athiest of some notoriety stated on his deathbed, they will be "taking a fearful leap into the dark".
colmorrison
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 04:52 PM"The Bible states quite clearly that there is sufficient evidence in creation to show the existence of God so that we are without excuse." - so we should believe the Bible because the Bible says so? Are you really so gullible? I can make you a fortune, because God told me so. Just give me your bank account details... "Atheists incredibly believe that it all came about by chance" - that is a straw man, or at the least a gross misunderstanding of scientific knowledge as we currently know it. "As for the other atheist comments by driving Christianity from the public square, they are replacing it with nothing." - that is a bald lie. The alternative is secularism, a societal system informed by modern moral philosophy, which denies any group (including the atheists) special privileges. "many of them reject Christianity because its standards are to high" - on the contrary, Christian standards of evidence, rationality, scepticism and tolerance are much too low to be acceptable, at least to me.
ardens
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 11:05 AMThe Bible states quite clearly that there is sufficient evidence in creation to show the existence of God so that we are without excuse. Atheists incredibly believe that it all came about by chance but such are the odds against there is as much possibility of me winning the lottery twice a week for the rest of my life which would be quite a feat seeing I do not participate. As for the other atheist comments by driving Christianity from the public square, they are replacing it with nothing. Which then means we are singing from the atheist hymnsheet and dancing to their tune. That is what they want because many of them reject Christianity because its standards are to high and they do not wish to leave the sins the Bible condemns.
G_E_F
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 06:54 AM"Councils are given back right to pray at meetings as Eric Pickles signs an order to protect the ancient tradition" 'Town hall chiefs have been handed the power to hold prayers at the start of council meetings in defiance of the courts. Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles yesterday signed an order giving local authorities the right to maintain the centuries-old tradition. He stepped in after the High Court last week backed a controversial campaign to abolish acts of worship during town hall meetings' Read more: http:www.dailymail.co.uknewsarticle-2102915Eric-Pickles-signs-order-let-councils-say-prayers-meetings.html#ixzz1miKBQAag
colmorrison
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 10:57 PM"it signifies yet another attack on the Christian faith in our country." - no, it was an attack on Christian privilege in a strictly civil environment. As for comparing it to footballers blessing themselves, that's laughable - the ruling was against prayers being on the agenda of the meeting - the football equivalent would be if the referee blew his whistle to begin a minute's prayer before the match commenced. The recent Ipsos MORI poll that showed only 31% OF UK CHRISTIANS actually observe their religious beliefs and practices was a deadly blow to religious influence on the state. There is a suggestion only 54% of the UK population identifies as Christian, meaning only 17% are observant. Of the same self-identified group, 74% believed religion should remain a private affair.
Adamwilliam
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 06:48 PMMP Shannon you as usual are a hypocrite. You preach sectarian bigoted hatred most of the year and now today you are pretending to be a Christian. What a ar$e of a donkey you are (apologies to donkeys ).
s magowan
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 10:28 PMDM maybe nobody has told you yet, but the bossman from whom an RC priest takes his orders ie the Pope and all the other Popes before him have in their encyclicals made it abundantly clear that there is no salvation uoside the see of Rome,in other words if you are not an RC you won't be going to heaven.So if they are going to ban prayers because of offence to other religions,then why do they not stop sportsmen,particularly footballers from blessing themselves as the come unto the pitch before the start of a game?
loe
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 08:30 PMI'd love to believe in god is there was some evidence for hisher existence.
John Dale
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 11:36 AM"... it was simply realising that we need the help of God in our lives and dealings." - If you're incapable of doing your job without having to allow time during the work schedule to make magic incantations to your imaginary friend, then you're obviously not up to the job in the first place. You should step aside and let a grown up have a go.
DM
Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 10:09 AM"This was not an attack on anyone’s human rights – it was simply realising that we need the help of God in our lives and dealings." It would be an attack on those Muslims (well there aren't any in NI), athiests, Jews or other religious groups who disagreed with the Free Presbyterian view of God. I think Jim Shannon (and certainly Jim Allister) would be the first to object to a Roman Catholic priest saying the prayers before council meetings, even though its the same God!!
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