What this Ed West fails to see is that when one wants to take public office, his ideas, wether they come from his faith or elsewhere, can and should be investigated and criticised. And the question of loyalties obviously arises naturally, especially when the organisation a candidate belongs to is reactionary like the Opus Dei.
It seems to me that there are two ways to achieve a secular society. Either convert the majority to atheism or reduce the influence of religion in government to vanishing point. I don't mind which the NSS is using.
West's subsequent comments on his own article are even worse. With great intellectual dishonesty, he confuses goodness with charity and charity with religious charity. When I give money to Cancer Research UK, I give money to charity, but cannot care less about spiritual reward.
What this Ed West fails to see is that when one wants to take public office, his ideas, wether they come from his faith or elsewhere, can and should be investigated and criticised. And the question of loyalties obviously arises naturally, especially when the organisation a candidate belongs to is reactionary like the Opus Dei.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that there are two ways to achieve a secular society. Either convert the majority to atheism or reduce the influence of religion in government to vanishing point. I don't mind which the NSS is using.
ReplyDeleteWest's subsequent comments on his own article are even worse. With great intellectual dishonesty, he confuses goodness with charity and charity with religious charity. When I give money to Cancer Research UK, I give money to charity, but cannot care less about spiritual reward.
ReplyDeleteGood comment. You should post it up.
ReplyDelete