The worst of an extremely bad bunch have won

[fpb]

I have refused to vote in the Italian elections, holding that none of the candidates on offer were worthy of even reluctant consent by a free man. Or by anybody free to choose. To have to choose between supporting Veltroni, Berlusconi or the lesser lists is a choice that demeans a human being, and I will not make it. Until the Italian political

Comments

Re: As for the Tory Blur's comfortable conversion - and your earlier comments.

[fpb]

While regrettable, your experience of some idiot fanatic doesn't count. As well make Jack T.Chick the standard for American Protestantism. (And some Europeans do. Incredibly, I could introduce you to a lecturer in North Irish studies from the University of Tubingen who has described the Methodist George W.Bush as a "fundamentalist" - God help us all.) My point is that if I were to declare myself a credente in my native country, my embarrassment would be that I do not come up to the level that we all, including the opponents of the Catholic Church, expect of credenti. But even my opponents would not instinctively regard me as infantile, ignorant, or backward, and they would not be surprised - as a good friend of mine from Canada was - that I do not believe in the six-day creation. And I still think that you do not realize the depth of ignorance, prejudice and contempt that is routinely bred into English minds by the school system, the BBC, and the newspapers. You believe that the local survivals you encounter are typical. I am certain that they are not. The only lively Christian communities in Britain are immigrant, and that is reflected in the swiftly growing number of Anglican ecclesiastics of immigrant background - reaching, by now, as far up as the Archbishop of York. It is becoming impossible to find native Englishmen who go to church on Sunday, even in the villages that have always been supposed to be the heartland of English Anglicanism.

AS for the Government's attitude to the Church and to Christianity in general - since you insist -
http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/590381/witchfinder-balls.thtml
http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/search?q=Homosexual+activists+want+Catholic+schools+closed

and so on. This kind of hate speech from government has become quite common, and the only consolation is that as they are as incompetent and gutless as they are loud-mouthed, it will be a long time before their chatter can be taken seriously.

Re: As for the Tory Blur's comfortable conversion - and your earlier comments.

[stigandnasty919]

I think you misunderstand my mentioning of the idiot fanatic. I did not mean to imply that he was typical of Christians, but that is not to say that the experience does not count. Jack T Chick may not be typical, no I'll rephrase that to avoid confusion, is not typical of American Protestantism, but for many people he is the experience they have of it. This may explain, if not

I won't comment further on the prejudice against Christians, except to say that I consider it to be wrong and admit that my experience is limited to 'the Celtic Fringes' and some parts of north East England. But our experience is different and I'm not going to deny the veracity of your experience.

Re: As for the Tory Blur's comfortable conversion - and your earlier comments.

[fpb]

I think we will still disagree on many matters, but may I say it is a pleasure to debate things with someone as calm under fire and as courteous as you.

Re: As for the Tory Blur's comfortable conversion - and your earlier comments.

[stigandnasty919]

Likewise Fabio. I'll just apologise for the little cut and paste error in my last post. The sentence:

Jack T Chick may not be typical, no I'll rephrase that to avoid confusion, is not typical of American Protestantism, but for many people he is the experience they have of it. This may explain, if not...

should have ended 'condone, the vehemence of some idiot fanatics on the atheist side of the debate.

I was sunmoned to assist in the cleaning of a turtle tank and watch an episode of 4400 with my daughter, (an offer I could not refuse), and screwed up the pasteing.

Re: As for the Tory Blur's comfortable conversion - and your earlier comments.

[fpb]

Sounds like you've got your priorities straight.