Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Is there some sort of economic madness loose in €uroland?


69% of Finns shown to be economically illiterate, the payment would exceed the total national income.

A number of countries are in trouble over oil prices. Venezuela has inflation at 110%.

Goldman thinks oil prices could fall another 50%

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/12036287/Britain-is-no-longer-a-Christian-country-and-should-stop-acting-as-if-it-is-says-judge.html

By John Bingham and Steven Swinford
12:01AM GMT 07 Dec 2015

Comments: 1963 Comments as I type...

Britain is no longer a Christian country and should stop acting as if it is, a major inquiry into the place of religion in modern society has concluded, provoking a furious backlash from ministers and the Church of England.

A two-year commission, chaired by the former senior judge Baroness Butler-Sloss and involving leading religious leaders from all faiths, calls for public life in Britain to be systematically de-Christianised.

Its central recommendation is for a national consultation exercise to draw up a 21st Century equivalent to the Magna Carta to define the values at the heart of modern Britain instead of the Government’s controversial “British values” requirements.

It says that the decline of churchgoing and the rise of Islam and other faiths mean a "new settlement" is needed for religion in the UK, giving more official influence to non-religious voices and those of non-Christian faiths.


Baroness Butler-SlossBaroness Butler-Sloss Photo: PA

The report provoked a furious row as it was condemned by Cabinet ministers as "seriously misguided" and the Church of England said it appeared to have been "hijacked" by humanists.

The report, by the Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life, claims that faith schools are "socially divisive" and says that the selection of children on the basis of their beliefs should be phased out.

It also accuses those who devise some RE syllabuses of "sanitising" negative aspects of religion in lessons and suggests that the compulsory daily act of worship in school assemblies should be abolished and replaced with a "time for reflection".

The report backs moves cut the number of Church of England bishops in the Lords and give places to imams, rabbis and other non-other non-Christian clerics as well as evangelical pastors.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, (second right) arrives for the General Synod of Church of England meeting at The University of York. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, (second right) arrives for the General Synod of Church of England meeting at The University of York. Photo: PA

Meanwhile the coronation service for the next monarch should be overhauled to include other faiths, the report adds.

Controversially, it also calls for a rethink of anti-terror policy, including ensuring students can voice radical views on campus without fear of being reported to the security services.

And it also recommends new protections for women in Sharia courts and other religious tribunals – including a call for the Government to consider requiring couples who have a non-legally binding religious marriage also to have a civil registration.

It also suggests that Thought of the Day on BBC Radio 4's Today programme should include non-religious messages.

French police injured in row over burka A woman wearing a black veil Photo: ALAMY

The Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life has attracted particular controversy because of the seniority of those behind it.

Its patrons include Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Woolf, the former chief justice, and Sir Iqbal Sacranie, the former general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain.

While gathering evidence the commissioners met key players including Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury; Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi; the Home Secretary Theresa May, and senior executives at the BBC and Channel 4.

The Church of England said the report was a "sad waste" and had "fallen captive to liberal rationalism".

Abolishing current human rights laws will create uncertainty and give clever lawyers a field day, says former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, 82, served as the most senior judge in England and Wales for five years until 2005 Photo: ANDREW CROWLEY

A spokeswoman for the Church of England said: “The report is dominated by the old fashioned view that traditional religion is declining in importance and that non-adherence to a religion is the same as humanism or secularism."

A source close to Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, described the report's recommendations on faith schools as "ridiculous".

The source said: "Nicky is one of the biggest champions of faith schools and anyone who thinks she is going to pay attention to these ridiculous recommendations is sorely misguided."

The report highlights figures showing the decline in people who say they are Anglicans from 40 per cent in 1983 to less than a fifth in 2013.

Nicky Morgan arrives at 10 Downing Street as David Cameron names his new cabinet, May 11, 2015Nicky Morgan arrives at 10 Downing Street as David Cameron names his new cabinet Photo: Reuters

It says: "Three striking trends in recent decades have revolutionised the landscape on which religion and belief in Britain meet and interact.

"The first is the increase in the number of people with non-religious beliefs and identities. The second is the decline in Christian affiliation, belief and practice and within this decline a shift in Christian affiliation that has meant that Anglicans no longer comprise a majority of Christians.

"The third is the increase in the number of people who have a religious affiliation but who are not Christian."

Photo: ALAMY

It goes on to say: "The increase in those with non-religious beliefs, the reduction in the number of Christians and an increase in their diversity, and the increase in the number of people identifying with non-Christian religions: these are the settled social context of Britain today and for the foreseeable future, as is the unsettled and unsettling context of the international environment".

Its central recommendation is for a national consultation exercise to draw up a 21st Century equivalent to the Magna Carta to define the values at the heart of modern Britain instead of the Government’s controversial “British values” requirements.

“From recent events in France, to the schools so many of our children attend and even the adverts screened in cinemas, for good and ill religion and belief impacts directly on all our daily lives,” said Lady Butler-Sloss.

A religious education classA religious education class Photo: ALAMY

“The proposals in this report amount to a ‘new settlement for religion and belief in the UK’, intended to provide space and a role for all within society, regardless of their beliefs or absence of them.”

The 150-page report sets out a major shift away from Christianity in Britain – particularly the Church of England – with the number of people describing themselves as having no religion jumping from less than a third of the population to almost half in just 30 years.

At the same time it highlights the growth of non-Christian faiths, especially Islam, and an explosion in the number of newer Pentecostal and evangelical Churches outside of the traditional denominations.

But the report stops short of calling for the disestablishment of the Church of England, arguing that the special status of Anglicanism in England and the Church of Scotland north of the border, has helped other faith groups and “enables them to make their voice heard in the public sphere”.

The House of Lords during the State Opening of ParliamentThe House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament Photo: PA

But it adds: “The relationship of the Church of England to the state has changed and is changing, and could change further.

“The pluralist character of modern society should be reflected in national forums such as the House of Lords, so that they include a wider range of worldviews and religious traditions, and of Christian denominations other than the Church of England”

It goes on to call for all national and civic events – including the next coronation – to be designed to reflect “the pluralist character of modern society”.

Although the commission does not call for the abolition of faith schools, it questions the fundamental premise on which they exist.

“In England, successive governments have claimed in recent years that faith schools and free schools create and promote social inclusion leading to cohesion and integration,” it says.

The world's most haunted hotelsThe world's most haunted hotels Photo: Alamy

“However, it is in our view not clear that segregation of young people into faith schools has promoted greater cohesion or that it has not been socially divisive, leading to greater misunderstanding and tension.”

But it also questions the approach to religion in universities and colleges, including measures to curb extremism on campus- particularly demands for lecturers to report students showing signs of extremism.

“Free debate should be possible without fear of students being labelled as extremists or attracting the attention of the security services,” the report argues.

“That all said, universities will deal better with religion if they approach it as something that belongs to their intellectual discussions rather than an external factor with which they have to cope.”

A woman prays in churchThe Lord's Prayer is powerful Photo: REX FEATURES

It also urges the Government to rethink its approach to the Muslim community in general, including consulting those it considers to have less “palatable” views on policy.

It says: “In its selection of organisations with which to engage the Government must guard against the perception that it is operating with a simplistic good Muslims/bad Muslims distinction, or between ‘mainstream moderates’ and ‘violent or non-violent extremists’.”

The report also suggests setting up an “advisory panel” of religious “experts” to examine complaints about coverage of religion in the press.

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said the report did not go far enough.

A church organistA church organist Photo: AFP/GETTY

“There are some sensible recommendations in the Commission’s report, but there is no escaping that the Commission is composed of vested interests and is unlikely to make recommendations for any radical change. Disestablishing the Church of England should be a minimum ambition for a modern Britain in the 21st century.”

“This report promotes a multi-faith approach to public life which is completely at odds with the religious indifference that permeates British society."

The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester, said: “As to the next coronation, I hope it doesn't come for a long time but when it comes, it will be an important occasion to reaffirm the constitutional basis of the nation.

“This is Judaeo- Christian through and through, with the monarch promising to uphold 'the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel'.”

I say get rid of churches and don't celebrate Christmas this year in case we offend anyone , also stop nativity plays at schools ..

The source said: "Nicky is one of the biggest champions of faith schools and anyone who thinks she is going to pay attention to these ridiculous recommendations is sorely misguided."

Isn't she one of the tory party fateful?


I would get rid of her and JB.

I say bring back golliwog badges that you can buy with marmalade.

Re-instate the black sheep in the nursery rhyme, Baa Baa Black Sheep.

Long Live Noddy and Big Ears.

And if your crap at football, tennis, cricket, rugby etc tough shit! Either learn or go on a diet!

I couldn't agree more Chris, the vast majority see the above as totally innocuous, the PC brigade have created problems where there aren't any. At the same time the so called hate preachers can spew their bile untouched.
2517

Exactly George. Don't get me started on the jobs for the boys Health and Safety Mob. :0)

2517

It depends on which side of the fence you are on.

Is that Fred bleating on again ??

Remember the Blackboard is now a chalk board Chris .

No he is just verifying the point I made.
2517

Aye Jimmy you couldn't make it up LOL!!!

Here is a treat for the lefties on here. A famous quote from Lenin in response to liberal democracy.

“To decide once every few years which member of the ruling class is to repress and crush the people through parliament- this is the real essence of bourgeois parliamentarism. Liberal democracy is thus seen as an archetypal bourgeois system which is ‘ hemmed in by the narrow limits set by capitalist exploitation’ and is thus ‘ a democracy for the minority, only for the propertied classes, only for the rich.’

True enough though Haystack.

Problem is, the other side are worse!

Hays won't understand this C+P/

But remember who whipped his party over the vote on Syria and why he did it!

Perhaps, they were missing a good thrashing!

"Or do they follow Edmund Burke’s classic formulation that the highest duty of an MP is to exercise his or her individual conscience and judgment? “It ought to be the happiness and glory of a representative to live in the strictest union, the closest correspondence, and the most unreserved communication with his constituents. Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion, high respect; their business, unremitted attention… But his unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you, to any man, or to any set of men living… Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”


I lean to the Burkeian definition of the role of an MP. I’d rather have his or her honest judgment than a slavish obedience to opinions imposed on them. But there is no law about this. Most MPs manage to muddle through, answering the accountability conundrum by striking compromises between their own opinions and the sometimes conflicting demands of their leadership, their members and their constituents."


Also, what is the opinion those who are whipped and vote against their "conscience", even though they considered it pragmatic to do so?

.

EU's Donald Tusk tells David Cameron: no deal over welfare plan

Donald Tusk, president of European Council, gives Prime Minister February deadline to complete EU renegotiation, as he warns there is 'no consensus' for welfare reforms



Paul Nuttall, the Ukip deputy leader, said Mr Cameron now has no choice but to campaign to leave, after privately promising to support an exit if his demands were ignored.

“President Tusk has called Cameron’s bluff. Britain has been told we will get no substantial change on welfare benefits for EU migrants. Cameron must now follow through on his threat to campaign to leave the EU as he has not received even the minor changes that that he asked for."



full story here:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/12037568/EUs-Donald-Tusk-tells-David-Cameron-no-deal-over-welfare-plan.html

Max.

it is OK.

Cameron can cosy up with Marine Le Pen and really be a breath of fresh air the UK and Europe.

Imagine Marine and Dave and the neo-cons right wing divvying up Europe.