On selling one's soul to the right-wing homophobic devil...

[LeftishBrit]

There is a nasty Christian Right organization called Christian Concern, led by Andrea Minichiello Williams, about whom I have moaned in the past ;she believes the world is 4000 years old, and was invited to give a talk/sermon in one of our local churches in 2009, where among other things she advocated the replacement of our then MP by a 'pro-lifer', and got her 12 year old daughter to sing an anti-abortion song from the point of view of the embryo. Among other things, the organization is ardently homophobic.

They sponsor an annual one-week course for future 'leaders' called the 'Wilberforce Academy'. Much to my disgust Oxford University has been prepared to host them. Nowadays, a college's or university's financial survival depends on their hosting conferences in the vacations (it has been said that in a modern university the definition of 'term' is 'the period between conferences'). Nevertheless, there should be some limits. I thought it was just me who was horrified, and am glad to note that there is a lot of general concern about it:

http://liberalreflections.wordpress.com/tag/homophobia/

From this point of view, it's of some interest to see this earlier item from an Oxford University student newspaper:

http://oxfordstudent.com/2011/06/09/homophobe-christians-see-the-light/

[madrchsod]

1. 4000?

here i thought it was 8000.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Let's average it; problem solved!

[trotsky]

3. Well, she's just following her sincerely-held religious beliefs.

According to many here, we do not have a right to criticize those beliefs for fear of mocking her.

[LeftishBrit]

5. She has a right to her beliefs (even those that are readily contradicted by the facts, such as the

age of the Earth).

However, she, and her followers, do not have a right to force their rules on the country as a whole.

What bothers me, and many others, is not so much that some people are having a meeting to discuss their bizarre beliefs and prejudices, but that they are attempting to train young people to go into public life with the aim of enforcing these prejudices into law. ALL I need to make my life complete is a bunch of Palins and Santorums in my backyard! Due to cultural differences, I don't think that they will have the same impact as in America, but any impact is too much.

[dmallind]

6. Sounds like you have your own Christian Coalition

Last edited Wed Mar 14, 2012, 11:10 AM - Edit history (1)

If you don't stamp it out now within 40 years you too will have debates for the nation's leader centered on Biblical issues, no reproductive choice outside major cities, institutionalized homophobia, anti-science atavism, access to contraception limited, and virulent misogyny dominating the political arena (I would have added rampant xenophobia, but the UK already has that).

These are the inevitable outcomes of Christianity gaining major political influence. Learn from our error, please. It's a personal plea for me not just an altruistic one. I'm fortunate enough to have Britain as a built in refuge option if theocracy gets even closer here than it already is. Don't want a frying pan-fire choice.

[Plantaganet]

4. The organiztion is "ardently homophobic."

Do they know their course was named after the camper-than-camp John Inman character in "Are You Being Served?" - Mr Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries?:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Humphries

"I'm free!"