The fault of the Church of England

It's Easter but how many people as they head into a short break really understand what the holiday commemorates?

One reason might be the Church of England, who Ron Liddle sets about in this week's Spectator magazine.

Lent is another of those things which is not what it used to be. It lacks the rigour of, say, Ramadan. By and large the Church of England does not demand that we be self-denying because it knows that we do not want to be self-denying. Perhaps it does not see the point in self-denial or deferred gratification anymore. But it’s more likely that it is too closely attuned to a society which is not terribly keen on even the briefest expression of asceticism.

The Church has

manipulated itself into a position whereby it can accommodate any adjustment to its own faith and ideology in order to make sure that it is in step with what it believes to be popular thinking.

Tony on why we should all do God

This week's New Statesman is guest edited by Alistair Campbell and features a very special columnist by the name of T Blair on why we should do God

He recognised that in office

it was best, in my view, not to shout that too loudly from the rooftops

but

Out of office, seeking to make a contribution to important public and policy debates in a different way, I feel no such restraints. Indeed, as the years of my premiership passed, one fact struck me with increasing force: that failure to understand the power of religion meant failure to understand the modern world.

and according to the former PM

Religious faith and how it develops could be of the same significance to the 21st century as political ideology was to the 20th.

Stop Press-Protestants win the Olympics

Over at Cramer,his reverence has taken a different look at the Olympic medal table and re tabulated it in means of religion.

Thus he finds that

The Gold medal winning religions of the world are therefore:

Christian 209

Buddhist 77

Muslim 10

Atheist 5

Hindu 1

Of which of the winners

Protestant 120

Orthodox 46

Roman Catholic 43

Now is not the time for drunken knights to appear

Gordon Brown may well be reaching for his copy of Murder in the Cathedral this morning but whether drunken knights will be tuning up at Canterbury Cathedral is another matter.

The government, opposition and the Press have been quick to distance themselves from the Comments of The Archbishop of Canterbury with his interview for Radio 4's World at one in which he suggests that British Muslims would be better served under Sharia Law.

The mere mention of sharia law brings thoughts of amputations and public floggings to the thoughts of Westerners,but before we all jump on the bandwagon,it is important to examine Rowen William's comments.He wasn't advocating the imposition of sharia law in Britain,simply saying that in some cases it might be appropriate.

Those cases are not the satrict interpretation of the law which leads to women who are raped being stoned to death.They are the cases where civil disputes can be amicably sorted by local Muslim councils.

Yes there is no practical way that two laws can run side by side,we all accept that but why should English law be above taking the best bits of other legal systems.We react today as though our system is perfect.It is far from that as many would testify.

The Telegraph leader is worth a read on this issue.It maintains that it is the messenger that is wrong rather than the message.

The idea is not as outlandish as it may first appear.
There are already sharia councils in this country to which Muslims turn for advice and religious sanction in matters such as divorce. Likewise, Orthodox Jews have recourse to the Beth Din over, for example, dietary laws, divorce and tenancy disputes.
A further instance of legal sensitivity to religious belief is the ability of Christian doctors to opt out of abortions. So Dr Rowan Williams's argument that there should be "a constructive accommodation with some aspects of Muslim law" is, to a certain extent, recognition of a situation which already exists.