Intolerance to opinions

Lord Carey the ex-Archbishop of Canterbury is at the centre of a censorship controversy concerning his views on homosexual marriage. London's Kings College is considering to remove his photograph from an array of Alumni because student activists have opined that his views on gay marriage are offensive.

I am not a Christian and I am not opposed to homosexuals being married. I also believe that the church's views on this matter are wrong. However, it is not my church and church members should be allowed to express their opinion. In fact I believe that their opinions should be welcomed; the Church of England is not advocating that homosexuals should be imprisoned or sanctioned and it has not opposed the laws allowing secular homosexual marriage. I am prepared to debate the liberal and secular view with church members; there is no need to try to brow beat them into acquiescence.

Expressing an opinion about social values should not be condemned. There are no doubt some people who believe that 16 should not be the age of consent to marriage and that it should be raised to the age of 18 or whatever. Should they be condemned for expressing such and opinion? Some people believe that any sort of sex outside of marriage is sinful - should they be condemned too?

We have become an intolerant society which has been become too quick to condemn un-conventional opinions and too quick to stifle free speech. It seems that none of this is government inspired but it comes from a general shift of social mores. This is dangerous. Free speech is important and there is no need to stifle it by insulting someone or organising demonstrations against it. It is the job of a University to encourage free debate about social values.

Doctor Carey has been accused of being a hypocrite because he condemns racism but does not support homosexual marriage as if the two stances are equivalent. Well they are not. Racism stems from ignorance. There is no such thing as race when applied to human beings as all of us are members of the same sub-species. A University is perfectly entitled and in fact has a duty not to promote ignorance, therefore "racists" should be allowed a platform. Opinion about social behaviour and social values is a completely different matter; Christians and Muslims are perfectly entitled to their views as long as they do not try to impose their values on a secular society by force or sanction.

In my opinion there few forms of censorship  which are justified excepting child pornography and incitement to hatred and violence. Where national security is at stake then censorship could also be justified but subject to judicial review. In most other cases censorship is not justified not matter how offensive the views are.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11434880/Kings-College-London-facing-censorship-claims-amid-Lord-Carey-gay-marriage-row.html

 Lord Carey or the present Archbishop of Canterbury cannot be accused of this below. It is preposterous to think that the Church of England is still a part of the middle ages.

http://www.petertatchell.net/religion/2000.htm.

This week we have seen the leader, Nigel Farage, of the UKIP party, being harassed when taking lunch with his family at a local pub.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32009961

Once again this reflects intolerance that has gone too far.  I do not support Mr Farage's views about most things  and I have no intention of ever voting for him. I support his right to express his opinions, however.  He is not supporting the use of violence or inciting hatred and his party is a legitimate one which commands the support of a substantial minority of the electorate.

Mr Farage is entitled to eat his lunch in a pub in peace without being harassed by a mob. He is just as entitled to this as the Prime Minister or the Leader of the Opposition.

I regularly go to this pub for a Sunday lunch; the bar staff and the clientele are all reasonable and friendly people and country ramblers are welcome. Why should they have to put up with mob rule as well? If Mr Farage comes into the pub while I am there I will gladly leave him in peace to get on with family business or political business for that matter.

The best way to oppose his opinions is to vote for a  party that does not share his views and there are plenty to choose from.