Philip
On Moderation
Reading that it is LGBT+ history month, I was thinking about why it seems there isn't the same level of acceptance or respect for people's religion or faith, particularly in this country? And when/if is this likely to change?
Progress has been made in moving away from homophobic language/behaviour within the last 50 years, more so in the last 20; currently racism is in the spotlight and hopefully this too is firmly moving in the right direction even if there is still a long way to go; sexism including women's rights made a lot of progress in the 20th century; mental health is receiving greater support and coverage now than it was before, partly helped by the pandemic. But as far as religion is concerned, it feels, if anything, like things are going slowly in the wrong direction.
A person's faith, or lack of, is something that is personal to them. However, there does seem to be an undercurrent in this country of either ridicule, unease, or even just general resentment towards people of just about all religions or faiths; and currently not a huge amount seems to be being done to stand up to it from the powers that be. I won't go into some of the more unsavoury examples but a broader theme is that people who believe in God are 'crazy', 'not living in the real world' etc. If similar questioning/ridiculing statements were made across social media towards a footballer who announced they were gay, or if an MP came out with homophobic comments in the commons, then the people making the discriminatory remarks would be hung, drawn and quartered. But when it comes to religion, particularly towards Christianity, it feels like there is more tolerance to discrimination against people with these beliefs.
Progress has been made in moving away from homophobic language/behaviour within the last 50 years, more so in the last 20; currently racism is in the spotlight and hopefully this too is firmly moving in the right direction even if there is still a long way to go; sexism including women's rights made a lot of progress in the 20th century; mental health is receiving greater support and coverage now than it was before, partly helped by the pandemic. But as far as religion is concerned, it feels, if anything, like things are going slowly in the wrong direction.
A person's faith, or lack of, is something that is personal to them. However, there does seem to be an undercurrent in this country of either ridicule, unease, or even just general resentment towards people of just about all religions or faiths; and currently not a huge amount seems to be being done to stand up to it from the powers that be. I won't go into some of the more unsavoury examples but a broader theme is that people who believe in God are 'crazy', 'not living in the real world' etc. If similar questioning/ridiculing statements were made across social media towards a footballer who announced they were gay, or if an MP came out with homophobic comments in the commons, then the people making the discriminatory remarks would be hung, drawn and quartered. But when it comes to religion, particularly towards Christianity, it feels like there is more tolerance to discrimination against people with these beliefs.
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