http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/02/equality-laws-unjust-pope-uk

http://www.secularism.org.uk/petition-the-pm.html

Above are two links. The first outlines the latest of the Pope’s condemnations against our government’s equality legislation, its ‘threat to religious freedom’ and contradiction to ‘Natural Law’. The idea of a ‘Natural Law’ as Christian doctrine is one that has always baffled me. The name itself appears to possess some kind of implicit authority, and yet, as far as my theological knowledge can tell, the biblical connections are pretty tenuous. If Jesus’ intentions were to disregard the happiness of couples and strip disadvantaged children of the possibility of adoption into a loving home, then fair enough, I just think that they probably weren’t. ‘Natural Law’ seems to place issues of sexuality and gender identity on a sort of reverse pedestal of sinfulness. Christians acknowledge their sinfulness every time they worship, every preacher, by his or her own standards, is a sinner. Would Jesus place some sort of higher discrimination against these particular issues? Even if, as a Christian, you do question the morality of abortion, homosexuality, or gender identity, surely you are not completely blinded by the implicit positives that come out of the legislation.

Anyway, this takes me to the second link. The Pope’s upcoming visit to the UK is currently to be funded by state money. It is kind of contradictory for a government that has just passed these legislations to fund a papal visit that’s focus will undoubtedly be, in part, a criticism of our society’s gradual moral degeneration and our government’s progressive attitude towards social issues. A call for ‘missionary zeal’ as the Pope puts it. In fact, it’s not just contradictory, but sort of unnecessary. There is pretty much absolutely no reason why our money should go towards it. So it is a petition for the catholic church to pay instead. I am not against the visit, just against having to fund it. Please sign if you agree.