Shocking win for Stephen Green
Do we want ‘Christian Voice’ telling newspapers what they can publish? No, we damn well don’t. We don’t trust ‘Christian Voice’ to choose wisely; we prefer to take our chances with competent newspaper editors rather than with puffed-up publicity-seeking tiny-minded religious zealots.
See the South Wales Echo grovel:
It has come to our attention that in an article on Wednesday, July 16, headlined ‘If God considers gays and abomination why did he create them?’, our columnist Dan O’Neill offended a number of Christians. We would like to apologise for any offence caused to those people who believe the article insulted the Christian faith, Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible.
Well how sickening. Why would they like to apologize? Any columnist is bound to offend a certain percentage of readers. One who is determinedly bland and boring in order not to offend anyone simply offends all the people who don’t like bland boring writing. It’s no good trying to put out a newspaper that won’t offend anyone! 1. it can’t be done, and 2. it damn well shouldn’t be done. And it certainly shouldn’t be done when what is supposed to have been ‘insulted’ is ‘the Christian faith, Jesus Christ and the Holy Bible.’ They can all take care of themselves, one way or another.
Andy Armitage provides the offending passage at Pink Triangle. The columnist was musing on what Stephen Green (Mr ‘Christian Voice’ himself, the dweeb) would have made of that weird Jesus guy:
This Jesus feller swans around all day with a dozen other blokes. No women. Mark that, no women. And he wanders off into the mountains now and again to spend quality time with his, uh, favourites (Mark.9:2). He picks up small boys and girls and puts his hands upon them (Mark 10:16) And he was seen in a garden when one of his mates came up and kissed him (Matthew,26:48). Suspicious, eh?
The point is that Green is a tool, not that Jesus is a child-groper, so what does Green do but act like a tool again. But the Echo simply jumped when Green said jump. We should all get together and go stand around the Echo’s offices complaining about how offended we are. You too, Mediawatchwatch.
The Freethinker set up a petition. I posted it on Facebook as well as in News, but there are only ten more signatures so far. Go on, fill it up, do us proud – and do the Echo embarrassed.
A petition won’t help. Just stop buying the stupid rag. Unlike fundamentalism which thrives without scrutiny, newspapers die without attention. Ignore that kind of stupidity long enough and someone will lose their job because they’re not bringing in the cash.
If only there really were militant secularists. If people knew that caving in to religious fundamentalism would only get them the same harassment from another group, they wouldn’t do it.
Trinity Mirror, who owns South Wales Echo,
in October 2005 hit the news for “cancelling Christmas” as its latest cost cutting measure.*
Perhaps it should consider in August, 2008 “cancelling Christians” as its latest cost cutting measure.
It will surely hit the news and sell more papers.
What an abominable thought!
Pink Triangle, sayeth:
“That has now been removed from the online version of the column.”
South Wales Echo e-edition, sayeth:
“Flip through pages and skim headlines, all on your computer. Enjoy South Wales Echo exactly as it appears in print.
“Exactly, who is fooling who, here?
Never trust a country that sings hymns when they’re happy.
Just to say – that I added my signature to the online petition.