Wants ‘Christians and people of other faiths’ to reflect on the putative relationship between law and religion.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
The postmodernist archbishop
Feb 11th, 2008 10:51 am | By Ophelia BensonI read the whole archepiscopal speech a couple of days ago; that makes two of the archbishop’s speeches I’ve read in their entirety in the last couple of weeks. That’s a lot of waffly Williamsese to get through. I would love to do a really thorough line-by-line fisking, because every line deserves it – but it would take forever, and would be a baroque kind of luxury, because no one is convinced by the archbishop anyway. So I’m not going to do a line-by-line job, but I could give you a few highlights. Would you like that? Okay then.
One item is that it takes him until the bottom of page 3 (of very closely-printed pages) to acknowledge the elephant … Read the rest
He’s just making it worse
Feb 11th, 2008 9:38 am | By Ophelia BensonPart of the “burden and the privilege of being the Church” in the UK meant, Dr Williams said, the clergy needed “some coherent voice on behalf of all the faith communities living here”…The relationship between law and religion was a subject on which “Christians and people of other faiths ought to be doing some reflecting together”, he added.
No it isn’t, because there shouldn’t be any such relationship, for reasons which the Archbish himself mentions in the speech – without, of course, perceiving them as reasons.
… Read the rest[A]s any Muslim commentator will insist, what is in view is the eternal and absolute will of God for the universe and for its human inhabitants in particular…[S]haria
There is nothing woolly-liberal about communitarianism
Feb 10th, 2008 1:59 pm | By Ophelia BensonMatthew Parris considers the archbishop dangerous.
… Read the restIt is not useful, it is not even interesting, to begin an argument on whether Sharia should be given some kind of status within British law, unless you think there are otherwise potential conflicts…Unless, therefore, Dr Williams is proposing that elements of Sharia should be tolerated even though they appear to conflict with the general law, he is saying nothing interesting. They do conflict. And what happens when they do? The moment a private law appears to defy the general law, one question, and one alone, becomes central. It is the question of consent…Of group members, of course – and first – we must ask: is consent real, unanimous, complete? Is there duress?
Matthew Parris Says the Archbish is Dangerous
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Is consent real, unanimous, complete? Is there duress? Is there undue influence?… Read the rest
The Archbishop Clarifies
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Christians cannot claim exceptions from a secular unitary system if they are not willing to accommodate other religious consciences.… Read the rest
Blogging Darwin
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Every single week, we at Nature publish new research that reinforces and further enlightens the Origin. … Read the rest
Nick Cohen on Silencing With Libel Laws
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Rich organisations and people can use British courts to suppress the freedom democratic societies rely on.… Read the rest
Catherine Bennett on the Archbishop’s Miracle
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
His challenge to equality under the law was so comically extreme that it clarified the issues handily.… Read the rest
Ruth Gledhill on What the Archbish Wants
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Be sure to read the para just below the YouTube links. Then tear your hair.… Read the rest
BBC Explains: Sharia is Not So Bad
Feb 9th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Some people have concerns, but it’s all a mistake really. Sharia is quite nice. Cheer up.… Read the rest
Archbishop Under Pressure to Quit
Feb 9th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He is said to be shocked and hurt by the hostility his comments have provoked.… Read the rest
Riazat Butt on Settling Marital Disputes
Feb 9th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A woman wanting divorce usually needs the consent of her husband. Men have the right of unilateral divorce. … Read the rest
Andrew Brown on Unwilling Martyrs
Feb 9th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
There are people at Lambeth Palace who could have told Williams; some did, but he thought he knew better.… Read the rest
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown on Archy’s Idea
Feb 9th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He is naive to the point of folly if he imagines it is possible to pick and choose the bits that are relatively nice to the girls.… Read the rest
When Yasmin met Archy
Feb 9th, 2008 11:46 am | By Ophelia BensonYasmin A-B explains what Archy doesn’t get. Too bad he didn’t ask her before he jotted down the speech.
… Read the restWhat Rowan Williams wishes upon us is an abomination…He would not want his own girls and women, I am sure, to “choose” to be governed by these laws he breezily endorses. And he is naive to the point of folly if he imagines it is possible to pick and choose the bits that are relatively nice to the girls…Look around the Islamic world where sharia rules and, in every single country, these ordinances reduce our human value to less than half that is accorded a male; homosexuals are imprisoned or killed, children have no free voice or autonomy, authoritarianism rules
Andrew Brown is Optimistic
Feb 8th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He likes ‘the archbishop’s vision of a kinder, more feminist, sharia.’ Meanwhile, back on planet earth…… Read the rest
Sharia in Ontario, Almost
Feb 8th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Homa Arjomand argued that the recommendations would push back Canadian law by 1,400 years.… Read the rest
BBC Claims ‘Mixed Reaction’ to Archbishop
Feb 8th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Then scrapes bottom of barrel to find enough people in favour to justify claim.… Read the rest
The Archbishop’s Lecture in full
Feb 8th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Dr Williams has been reading Tariq Ramadan.… Read the rest