Andrew Copson chooses 5 books on Humanism

[ProfessorDavey]

Non sequitur to the issue of people wanting religion out of politics.

A totally biased misrepresentation of secularism - secularism is about formal structures, in no way does secularism prevent religious people being involved in politics, nor using their religious beliefs to inform their political opinions. What is does object to is a state religion, religions (and religious people) being given special privileges due to their religion. It objects to people being placed in positions of political power specifically due to their office within a religious organisation (e.g. our current situation with Bishops in the HofLs), it objects to state funding of religions.

Does secularism prevent a religious person attaining high political office and power - of course not.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

A totally biased misrepresentation of secularism - secularism is about formal structures, in no way does secularism prevent religious people being involved in politics, nor using their religious beliefs to inform their political opinions. What is does object to is a state religion, religions (and religious people) being given special privileges due to their religion. It objects to people being placed in positions of political power specifically due to their office within a religious organisation (e.g. our current situation with Bishops in the HofLs), it objects to state funding of religions.

Does secularism prevent a religious person attaining high political office and power - of course not.

Prof you seem to me to be in denial of the question of keeping religion out of politics. However the atheist philosopher and lawyer Mary Warnock has written on it.

http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dishonest-to-god-9781441145420/

[ProfessorDavey]

Prof you seem to me to be in denial of the question of keeping religion out of politics. However the atheist philosopher and lawyer Mary Warnock has written on it.

http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dishonest-to-god-9781441145420/

Have you read her book? Or do you presume to know her views without having actually read them.

[Shaker]

Prof you seem to me to be in denial of the question of keeping religion out of politics.

The only question here is, why can't you name anybody of this opinion and the evidence of them stating it?

[ProfessorDavey]

Have you read her book? Or do you presume to know her views without having actually read them.

Radio silence from Vlad.

So I ask again - Vlad have you read Mary Warnock's book?

[Gordon]

Prof you seem to me to be in denial of the question of keeping religion out of politics. However the atheist philosopher and lawyer Mary Warnock has written on it.

http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dishonest-to-god-9781441145420/

What does she say (a precis would be useful)?

[Nearly Sane]

For info, here's an interview with Warnock at the time of the publication of the book.


https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/2378/no-nonsense-laurie-taylor-interviews-mary-warnock

[ProfessorDavey]

For info, here's an interview with Warnock at the time of the publication of the book.


https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/2378/no-nonsense-laurie-taylor-interviews-mary-warnock

Yup - I haven't read the book but did read that interview a few days ago. Perhaps the key quote being:

'In her new book, Dishonest to God: On Keeping Religion out of Politics, she’s trained her no-nonsense approach on all those religious bodies and groups that seek to claim some special right to adjudicate upon the moral issues of the time. But although this takes up the bulk of the volume she also appends a chapter in which she argues for the significance and importance of religion and religious thinking in everyday life.'

Seems perfectly reasonable to me - implication being that her concern is over religious groups and organisation being given special status in political debate, particularly on ethical issues as if these organisations are, by default, somehow the arbiters of morality. Yet she is clear that the importance of religious belief to an individual (who might themselves be involved in politics) is highly significance and should be protected.

[Sebastian Toe]

Have you read her book? Or do you presume to know her views without having actually read them.

He'll have plenty of time to read it once he follows through on his stated aim of leaving this forum! (Jndefinitely of course!!)