Sedgemore's Law of Religious Rumpus

[TheBaldyMan]

from an article in The Guardian newspaper's http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/francis_sedgemore/2006/10/egotism_disguised_as_piety.html">'Comment is Free ...' section comes a suggestion for an axiom specifically for online threads discussing religion based loosely on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law">Godwin's Law.

Sedgemore's Law of Religious Rumpus:

"As any argument about religion progresses, the probability of believers complaining that unbelievers wish to ban them approaches one."

The articles author Justin Sedgewick is claiming that atheists and agnostics are being unfairly treated by religious commentators. He claims that non-believers are increasingly accused of trying to establish an atheist state in the UK.

It might be surprising to US readers that this article is pretty representative of the views of most Britons. The British as a whole are a godless lot, while 70% profess to be Christian barely a third actually attend church on a regular basis.

The tone of the article is strident and somewhat combative but I am interested in what other people think of this article.

[Warpy]

1. Thank you!

Few of us heathens want to ban any sort of belief system, although we do wish people would wake up to the sillier ones that are rackets designed to separate them from their property so the officials can live like sultans.

Just being here and saying we don't believe any of it and telling them we want nothing more than to be left alone is enough of a threat to most of them.

Misery may love company, but faith in the unprovable absolutely demands it.

[TheBaldyMan]

2. I hope you don't include those nice slackers that worship the FSM?

I wouldn't want to ban them. Even though they are extremely silly.

[Warpy]

3. Pastafarians don't tithe

nor are they required to attend services in large buildings they pay to build and keep up. Nor are they expected to do anything against their own consciences or self interest, like vote for conservatives.

Aaaar, why'd ye want ter ban 'em, landlubber?

[TheBaldyMan]

5. I don't want to ban them but they are a very silly religion, on a scale of

1 to 10 they rank about 57 million in the silly stakes. Well in excess of Frisbeetarians and adherents of the Alternative Tentacles Divine Light Mission, although nowhere near as daft as Scientologists and Mormons.

Kif-lam! Brother-Brother.

[Warpy]

6. I guess some folks just don't understand

satire and parody.

[beam me up scottie]

7. Wait, is he serious???

I guess you'd have to live here to understand why this country NEEDS a Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[struggle4progress]

4. Did I dwell in merry England, I should be a Disestablishmentarian.

The Irish, Scotch, and Welsh seem to outrun the English on this one

[FrancisSedgemore]

8. Justin Sedgewick?

Who the feck is Justin Sedgewick?

I think you mean "Francis Sedgemore".

I happened upon this site as a result of a Google alert on the text taken from my Guardian CiF article. I haven't the time to hang around and take part in this discussion, but just wanted to point out the error. Thank you for propagating Sedgemore's Law of Religious Rumpus.

TTFN

[TheBaldyMan]

10. so sry, Mr Sedgemore. Thank you for pointing that error out.

:blush:

[FrancisSedgemore]

9. church attendance stats

Just to add, BaldyMan, that your statistics on church attendance are a little out. The last UK census in 2001 provides accurate figures on demographics, and show that just over 70% of the population identify themselves as Christian in response to what is a partially loaded question that favours a religiously affirmative response. Church attendance, however, is only around 7% of those who - for whatever reason - proclaim that they are Christian. The Muslim population of britain is around 2.7%, and I believe that mosque attendance as a proportion of the Muslim community is higher than that for Christianity. Still, there is a discrepancy between those who declare allegiance to a particular faith community, and who actually practice the faith.

In reality, Christians make up no more than 5% of the British population. Cultural attachment by virtue of family tradition and even personal upbringing is meaningless. If you don't practice a religion, you cannot call yourself a member of said faith community.