Cinema ban on the Lord's Prayer

[Leafitout]

Surely if anyone finds this advert offensive they can choose not to watch it. I can't see the problem with showing it.

If your belief is something as trivial as a mere wish then it should not be a difficult issue for you to refrain from forcing your prayers on people.

Offred I referred to 'wishes' in the context of atheism involving an absence of belief in any deity(s).

Atheism is not comparable with a wish. It has the same status as Christianity.

Yeah. It must be tough when people challenge the special privileges they get in the UK.

ego There are a lot of people/groups that get demand special privileges in the UK because of what they believe, despite the negative effect it may have on others . In fact there have been quite a few threads here recently highlighting them!

I don't see how that is relevant to ego's point.

The Church of England has a huge amount of status and influence within state structures. They are categorically not discriminated against.

Saying you do not wish to have Christianity imposed on you is not discriminating against Christians.

Offred, what am I supposed to respecting, regarding lack of belief? Wishes? Do you respect everyone's wishes, especially when they refer to actions that only demonstrably affect them and not you (as with private, silent prayer).

How about my right to live with a lack of brief without having the religious views of others (which to me seem very wrong-headed) seeking to impinge or take precedence in the parts of public life that affect us all?

I am one who says atheism is a lack of belief, as distinct from a belief in and of itself, in part because theists often try to set up atheism as an active disbelief in a particular god or gods in general (and it's curious how many theists think that atheism is focused on their god), rather than an absence of belief equivalent to my lack of belief in, say, Aslan or Jane Eyre or any other fictional construct. And therefore they try to set up atheism as a sort of faith or belief system equivalent to religious faith.

I guess you could say that I believe that I have no belief in things that are fictional?

"Bertrand selfish? If I were selfish, you would be the least of my concerns."
We have discussed the eyewateringly selfish way you impose your wishes on others when it comes to faith. This is just another one to add to the list.

"There are a lot of people/groups that get demand special privileges in the UK because of what they believe," Name me some that have such privileges enshrined in law.

ego. I think most people on here would agree that just because some has a belief, it doesn't make their belief factually accurate. Your saying that Christians, because of their beliefs, shouldn't have any special privileges. In that case neither should any group of people who demand privileges because if a belief

The C of E expects special privileges in this country. It does not expect equal treatment and it does not treat people equally.

Indeed. Further than that though. It appears (as some adherents do) that it is entitled to said special privilege and not having it is discrimination.

*to believe

To be fair, Ego, I've never seen that one answered except on collective worship by Capsium who very honestly said she didn't mind when inequality worked in her favour on things like that.

Minnie, what sort of privileges (unequal or preferential treatment) do you mean? Useful to know what we're talking about.

England is not the UK. That law, as noted throughout the thread, is not a UK law it's an English law. I actuslly don't think any school should be forced by law to observe an act of worship. I think they should have the right to if they want it and that parents/children have the right not to attend. Isn't that the case?

No, quite right the principle of equality is the idea of equal status and no privilege for certain groups.

The Church of England inarguably has special privileges in this country that are not afforded to other belief groups.

I never mentioned trans people?

I'm confused now about thoughts and prayers being the same thing

Surely a thought is an internal thing and a prayer is meant to be directed externally and therefore they are different things?

Otherwise if it's just thinking then are you praying to yourself? If you are not directing it externally then what is the point? (I know there is no point but clearly you do).

Nope. It's in statute. All maintained schools in England and Wales must have an act of collective worship each day, that is "wholly or mainly of a Christian character".

And then of course there are all of the kids whose only option for a state education is at a faith school. New faith schools can be opened, there is no provision for secular schools.

I was merely stating that people wanting/getting special privileges because of a belief they hold seems to be quite acceptable, or is it only certain beliefs?