Time for disestablishment methinks ?

[MrGongGong]

As a non Christian I am very sad to hear that the otherwise wise archbishop of York seems to think that the church owns who should be allowed to get married or not. I regard my own marriage as equal to the civil partnerships of several gay friends. I have no problem with Christians doing their own thing BUT to inflict this view on the rest of us is a bit much really. Surely it's time that we got rid of the established church ?

[BBMmk2]

I feel it's time the CoE were seperate from goverment. How can a proper Christian Church be associated with politics in the first place?

[Richard Tarleton]

I feel it's time the CoE were seperate from goverment. How can a proper Christian Church be associated with politics in the first place?

The CoE does not have a place in the executive, but rather in the legislature, and this is clearly an anachronism. There's no reason why people should have a seat in the House of Lords simply by virtue of their subscribing to a particular set of beliefs or superstitions. On the contrary, I think it should be a disqualification

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

her rh indoors wouldn't like it

[MrGongGong]

The CoE does not have a place in the executive, but rather in the legislature, and this is clearly an anachronism. There's no reason why people should have a seat in the House of Lords simply by virtue of their subscribing to a particular set of beliefs or superstitions. On the contrary, I think it should be a disqualification

Actually (and probably bizarrely for some ?) I think that the bishops should be involved in parliament as should a handful of rabbis , imams and people with other beliefs.......... our politics is too dominated by bean counters rather than people who have actually thought about the world ! But I don't think that one church should have sway over us all as is the case with an established church

[Richard Tarleton]

Actually (and probably bizarrely for some ?) I think that the bishops should be involved in parliament as should a handful of rabbis , imams and people with other beliefs.......... our politics is too dominated by bean counters rather than people who have actually thought about the world ! But I don't think that one church should have sway over us all as is the case with an established church

Mr GG, why "beliefs"? I don't see why someone believing six impossible things before breakfast, like the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland, makes them a suitable person to sit in the House of Lords. Why stop at bishops, rabbis or imams in that case?

The idea that the opposite to someone who "believes" is a "bean counter" or someone who "hasn't thought about the world" is indeed bizarre.

[spasuit]

Actually (and probably bizarrely for some ?) I think that the bishops should be involved in parliament as should a handful of rabbis , imams and people with other beliefs.......... our politics is too dominated by bean counters rather than people who have actually thought about the world ! But I don't think that one church should have sway over us all as is the case with an established church

And why should believing in unprovable nonsense mean you have *thought about the world*? Quite the opposite....

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The idea that the opposite to someone who "believes" is a "bean counter" or someone who "hasn't thought about the world" is indeed bizarre.

Many of the "bean counters" are also religious. It isn't a case of either/or.

[MrGongGong]

The idea that the opposite to someone who "believes" is a "bean counter" or someone who "hasn't thought about the world" is indeed bizarre.

who suggested that it was the opposite ?
not me
My feeling is that politics is too dominated by certain groups of people ......... "businesspeople" for example

[amateur51]

who suggested that it was the opposite ?
not me
My feeling is that politics is too dominated by certain groups of people ......... "businesspeople" for example

And lawyers and media types (Gove, Johnson, Bradshaw, Mensch)

[Richard Tarleton]

who suggested that it was the opposite ?
not me

bean counters rather than people who have actually thought about the world

You appear to equate "believers" with "people who have actually thought about the world". Apologies if I misunderstood you.

I do think that politics these days are dominated by apparatchiks who have gone straight into politics from nowhere, with no experience of other walks of life, and that both benches are full of clones, but that's another problem.

[amateur51]

.... and that both benches are full of clones, but that's another problem.

Clones?

Really?

http://www.nms.ac.uk/images/prof_i_wilmut_and_dolly_360px.jpg

Round em up, Mr Speaker Bercow!