Onward Christian soldiers
A couple of stories in recent days could test the theories about mixing religion and politics:
No-one who knows South West Devon MP Gary Streeter would doubt the sincerity of his religious convictions or question why he chairs the all-party group So his over who should get the credit for saving the life (or should that be restoring the life?) of footballer Fabrice Muamba is very interesting, particularly given that Gary quotes his own 1983 "miracle cure" for a sore hand.
The second story concerns Cornwall Council's decision on Tuesday to restore an act of Christian worship to the agenda of its meetings, on the grounds that a Secretary of State carries more clout than a High Court judge. Secularists are not happy about this and are considering the legal position. As one councillor put it: "God has many mansions. But Cornwall Council chamber is not one of them."
I'm ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Devon’s Graham Smith, blogging on news, views and some fresh insights into West Country life, particularly the way government works locally and nationally.
Comment number 1.
At 29th Mar 2012, Compadre wrote:The Royal Family have been prayed for constantly by the church for hundreds of years and they're all hopeless. Proof that prayer doesn't work.
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Comment number 2.
At 29th Mar 2012, youngcornwall wrote:"As one councillor put it: "God has many mansions. But Cornwall Council chamber is not one of them."
And what would this councillor’s flippant reply be to this I wonder?
"Pray without ceasing".
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Comment number 3.
At 30th Mar 2012, P_Trembath wrote:What has 1 particular religion got to do with the running of a Council?
If they want to pray, turn up 10 minutes early, and pray on their own time. Or have a room set aside for religious or personal contemplation that can be used at any time of the day.
To waste one and a half hours debating whether or not to have prayers at the start of a council meeting is, not only disgusting, but a clear indication that a large proportion of councilors feel it something that could be done without.
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