Gavin Orland » Bearly believable

Bearly believable

Monday 26th November 2007 21:37 in Religion | 8 comments

A teddy bear When I heard this story mentioned in a news re-cap on Radio 4’s PM programme this evening I thought it must be some kind of joke (the presenter Eddie Mair has a very wry sense of humour). Even I, well aware of the absurdities of religion and of the menace of political correctness, could barely believe what I was hearing. But it is true.

Make no mistake about it: this kind of religious word control is a direct threat to global freedom. Who predicted George Orwell’s totalitarian state would come in the form of a religion? You had better believe it has happened, and it wants to spread. Resist it vocally.

Nobody has the right to dictate what name a teddy bear has, for goodness’ sake, and nobody has the right to subject this poor woman to “40 lashes”. She has done nothing wrong. She didn’t even name the bear!

By being so paranoid, a religion only amplifies its own intrinsic weakness. The woman might have been forgiven for thinking it would be considered respectful to name the bear “Muhammed”, and in any case (and this is the most ironic thing) it is hardly surprising this name was the children’s first choice when one considers it is a name drummed into them from birth.

This story would certainly be funny were it not so very frightening. It is essentially a case of religion having shot itself in the foot, and if the Sudanese even lay a finger on that innocent woman the British government must come down on them with maximum force and defend her to the hilt. I will be utterly ashamed to be British if they do not.

Let’s be absolutely clear. We rational humanists do not want a military showdown with the forces of irrationality. Frankly we want nothing to do with them. But if they threaten us and our freedom (and thereby threaten civilisation itself), if they encroach on us (as they do already), if they threaten us by refusing to apply standards of reason, compassion and evidence to all areas of their lives without selectivity, we will take the necessary steps to defend ourselves, our families, and humankind itself, without any hesitation. And we will prevail.

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This woman has now been sentenced to 15 days imprisonment, and I am beginning to conclude that there is no option but for civilised nations but to eventually face a military showdown with the idiotic forces of superstition and irrationality. We must try every other option first, but well, if if comes to it, Iâ€™m with Sam Harris. We have to face it. And youâ€™d better choose your side.

Comment by Gavin — Thursday 29th November 2007 #
It is interesting that the British government has taken a utilitarian line of this issue. It has said whatever it thinks it must say in order to aid the woman’s release. The alternative would be to point out that the whole basis of the complaint is absurd (religion itself is absurd). A rule utilitarian might favour the latter.

Comment by Gavin — Thursday 29th November 2007 #
“Who predicted George Orwellâ€™s totalitarian state would come in the form of a religion?”

Much as Margaret Atwood irritates me, wasn’t that very much the setup for The Handmaid’s Tale?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Handmaid’s_Tale

Comment by cloudsoup — Friday 30th November 2007 #
Hi David,

Thanks. I was not aware of the novel. I’ll have a look at it.

Gavin

Comment by Gavin — Friday 30th November 2007 #
Bigger post here:

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/cloudsoup/november_2007/the_handmaid_s_tale.htm

Comment by cloudsoup — Friday 30th November 2007 #
Great post on The Telegraph there. I am not entirely right-wing but certainly do tire of how it is always the USA that is assumed to be the threat when we have such atrocious regimes as that in Sudan and Iran and (previously) Iraq. I’m currently reading Nick Cohen’s book “What’s Left?” on the way left-wing do-gooders often appease these terrible regimes, such is their extreme dislike of (perhaps jealousy of) the United States.

Comment by Gavin — Friday 30th November 2007 #
Gavin, the only political party I’ve ever joined was the Labour Party. I have an instictive shudder re:the Tories, as a Welshman brought up in the Welsh Valleys. But as my missus was brought up a Tory, I’m claiming a sort of re-evaluation.

The Left sold out to totalitarianism before, over Stalin, in the 30s, 40s, 50s. That middle-class liberal tendency to excuse the most appalling horror continues now.

I think the revelation for me has been that virtue doesn’t live with the Left.

I’m still inclined towards a leftish view – it’s just that I can’t stand the economic illiteracy and disregard of liberty of my fellow travellers.

Comment by cloudsoup — Friday 30th November 2007 #
Interesting stuff, David. Shame to hear of anyone being “brought up” with a political persuasion any more than with a religion.

I have just posted the following to the BBC site:

“This incident is outrageous on so many levels it’s hard to know where to begin. The UK government must use every sanction possible in order to secure the release of this woman. It must also come to its senses and stop pandering to the “sensitivities” of religious groups. Reason and humanism (as opposed to faith and political correctness) must be re-instated as our central guiding forces if we are not eventually to find ourselves in the same backward state Sudan is in now.”

Comment by Gavin — Saturday 1st December 2007 #

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