Comments on: The Pope is wrong: Britain’s equalities legislation strengthens “natural law”

By: Soondra

Soondra — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:40:37 +0000

How fortunate for Harriet Harman that this rotten bill has only been scrutinised by the Vatican (and th Lords). It would have been better if Parliament had looked more into it. This is the worst kind of legislation, establishing a “socio-economic” duty on public bodies to consider the impact of their actions on equality. One shudders to think of local councilors hiring equality auditors to consider the impact of a cleaning contract.

In comparison the impact on religions is, as has been pointed out, limited.

How does Harman get such a free ride from the left wing press? Instead of being up in arms that her useless husband, Labour’s least effective Treasurer Jack Dromey, looks set to get a safe seat without an all female shortlist, we’re instead looking at the non-issue of the Papal comments. Amazing

By: Nash

Nash — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:06:01 +0000

I think it is called “natural justice” NOT “natural law”. Most laws have a “natural justice” clause which overrides other clauses.

By: Tim Worstall

Tim Worstall — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:55:15 +0000

“I feel the Pope is out of date in his thinking. He is still adhering to Scriptures written thousands of years ago”

Well, yes Lynda. That’s his job, d’ye see?

“grounds of sexual orientation in those roles where it was relevant. “…..”the freedom to exercise their belief in a reasonable way.”

The kicker there is who gets to define the words “relevant” and “reasonable”.

By: Fab 5: Tuesday 2 February 2010 | The Young Fabians Blog

Fab 5: Tuesday 2 February 2010 | The Young Fabians Blog — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:57:04 +0000

[...] point about freedom vs. equality. Meanwhile, Daryn McCombe, writing for Left Foot Forward, disagrees, suggesting natural law and UK equalities legislation are [...]

By: Letters From A Tory

Letters From A Tory — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:17:12 +0000

“the religious right begin a scaremongering campaign claiming an end to their freedom in the name of equality.”

It’s not scaremongering when a judge recently ruled that gay rights “trump” religious rights as far as the law is concerned. Despite being non-religious myself, it is obvious to me that this is an overt attack on freedom of expression for religious groups and is therefore an attack on freedom of expression for everyone else.

By: Francis

Francis — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:45:45 +0000

The concept of natural law is discredited? Someone had better telephone John Finnis at Oxford and Robert George at Princeton (to name two among many) and let them know.

By: Peter Roberts

Peter Roberts — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:22:56 +0000

I suspect ratzinger knows very little about anything natural let alone law.
Outside the hothouse of roman catholic theological the concept of natural law is more or less discredited.
We certainly don’t need any lectures on what is natural from a man who is the head of a church which has broken every law of natural justice to cover up endemic paedophilia among the roman priesthood.

By: Philip Painter

Philip Painter — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:03:17 +0000

RT @leftfootfwd: The Pope is wrong: Britain’s equalities legislation strengthens “natural law”:
http://is.gd/7zdF0

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:00:19 +0000

@Matthew Taylor – if it’s of any interest, there’s a fascinating article on broadly this subject here – http://www.communio-icr.com/articles/PDF/rowland35-3.pdf

By: Lynda Edwards

Lynda Edwards — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:14:59 +0000

I feel the Pope is out of date in his thinking. He is still adhering to Scriptures written thousands of years ago when the world was a different place.
Much of what the Bible says is common sense but the business of expecting people to grow up, marry and having children is out of date. This world is so overcrowded I believe our Maker is organising the human race to slow the population growth. This is why many people are naturally drawn to their own sex or just live on their own. Even some heterosexual couples prefer not to have children.

I am heterosexual but live on my own. I never felt any maternal feelings and don’t regret it. Don’t get me wrong – if people feel the need to have children and are able to care for them and bring them up in a satisfactory way then I am pleased to see them become parents.

I feel it is a sad mistake for a celibate Pope to tell couples how to lead their lives. It doesn’t seem natural for priests to be forbidden to marry – no wonder the Pope has strange ideas about sex!