The Election and The Pope by Sharon Dolan

“We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another” – Jonathan Swift

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

There is a hung parliament in Great Britain. If ever there was a walking advertisement for proportional representation, well people now we have it. The election has dominated the news coverage, on both sides of the channel, over the past number of weeks. Something else has also appeared in the news over the last number of weeks, which had my ears prick up.

This autumn, Pope Benedict is popping by Britain’s way. And as with all official visits, the foreign office has been busy out planning the meet and greets, the kissing of the babies, and the Queen.

A memo that was released told of the British foreign affairs department ‘ideas’ for this upcoming event. It contained a list that would, not only be offensive to the Pope himself, but to many practicing Catholics. Among the ideas, that were tooted, where references to the opening of an abortion clinic, and the blessing of a gay marriage.

I wish I could say I was completely appalled by this memo, but to be honest I wasn’t. Vaguely amused? Yes.

Everyone under the sun could see that no one was, in any way seriously, thinking about making these ‘ideas’ a reality. The ‘grave’ error was that civil servants saw fit to write down what had obviously been a moment of fun.

Civil Servants serve their country. They are employees of the state. Whatever the make up of the new British government, the country will in effect be run, as is every country, by the self same people who wrote that memo. As such they represent over 60 million British citizens, whether they be catholic, protestant, muslim, hindu, agnostic, or atheist.

We all know that these times are not the Catholic churches finest. Abuse scandals loom large on a global scale, and the church, in general, has taken more then a few knocks and attacks. Not least here in our own fair island.

That civil servants should display such a dismissive attitude towards a religion, that is the chosen faith of millions of ‘their’ citizens, is to me something that is regrettable, ill thought out, and inappropriate.

The Catholic religion is not the only religion that has had its name in the news. The Islamic fate has made an appearance as well.

Last Friday I read that Belgium has banned the wearing of the burqa in public.

The law was passed unanimously in the politically fragmented country. It outlaws appearing in public "with the face fully or partly covered so as to render them no longer recognisable."

If you are caught wearing the burqa you could be fined between €15 and €20, and possibly be jailed for up to a week.

France is also to begin considering a similar draft law in May.

Amnesty International, attacked the bill saying that it set "a dangerous precedent."

"A complete ban on the covering of the face would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or the niqab,”.

This has brought out conflicting emotions in me. On one hand I do not believe that the state has the right to interfere in either the private life, or indeed the religions views, of any citizen.

My belief in this aside I have questioned, many times, the existence of the burqa and the niqab. Whether it is indeed a choice made by each woman, willingly and of her complete free will. But I will be the first to freely admit that, as someone raised an Irish Catholic, it is not something I know enough about, or possess enough experience of, to give a definite opinion. I will continue to remain in my state of ambivalence, but the passing of this law has troubled me.

Everyone has the freedom to choose to belief in a god, or not; or choose to worship in an organised religion of their choice, or not.

I, for my part, am an agnostic. I respect the views of anyone who believes in a faith. I just choose to not partake.

Whatever our personal opinions and feelings on a topic, the choices made by others, as long as they are made freely, should be respected.

What we don’t know frightens us. It makes us uncertain and as a result breeds prejudice. And nothing, ever, shows the dark side of human nature more than our views on another’s religion.