Political or politic?

[D-Rider]

.... so where and when have you ever been prevented from displaying signs of christianity? I must confess I have never come across this.
If there ever is a mocking of christians it tends to come from other brits whose families have been here for generations. Don't think I've ever come across antagonism from someone who follows another faith.

TBH it's some (that's SOME not all BTW) of this equal opportunities legislation that is making things difficult for christians. For example our church has a servery that is open to the public. The idea is they can come and eat lunch and that there is a christian atmosphere and ethos in the place - and if people want to talk about things, there are people there who can talk and listen. I think that people dropping in would expect this facility to be staffed by christians given that it is at a church. However if we employ anybody to work there, equal opportunity legislation prohibits us from requiring the employee to be a christian. Same goes for our office administrator. Now that's not because anyone wants to deny access to jobs to people of no faith or a different faith - but some for roles such requirements are important.
None of this I see as being caused by other faiths - in fact, they must be struggling similarly with such things.

[Samray]

Be interesting to see what Tim and his colleagues view is

He's been outta circulation for a while, off playing games again. Due back soon.

[Samray]

.... so where and when have you ever been prevented from displaying signs of christianity?

There have been many reported cases of corporate and establishment rules in this respect.
Airlines and schools spring to mind.

[D-Rider]

.... so where and when have you ever been prevented from displaying signs of christianity?

There have been many reported cases of corporate and establishment rules in this respect.
Airlines and schools spring to mind.

Indeed .... but I don't think this is caused by other faiths - more to do with people in these organisations that really have little understanding that these things don't actually bother other faiths and put needless stupid rules in place as a result of their own ignorance.

[Kenif]

Ok, my apologies for any increases in blood pressure.

I would tend to go with D-Rider's last words. The majority of well-publicised (some would call unlawful) bans on freedom to express traditionally British/Christian views are instigated by a minority of well-meaning but massively misguided white, christian, middle-class folks. Their sole motivation being the fear of causing offence by not being able to understand those from different cultural and social backgrounds. The headline grabbing items always go with the faith or race based idiocies (it sells more papers) but it applies across the board. You only have to look at some of the (patently unwanted) community projects set up by those who think they know best and are therefore entitled to tell you how to live your life.
Think 'nanny state', the constant abrogation of responsibility, combined with the constant drive for 'empowerment' and the headline grabbers are just that; another symptom amongst many.

[BikerGran]

All religion in general has done is cause contstant wars and killed very many millions of people for the last few thousand years, so how can that be good for the world.

It's not religion that's done that, it's evil people misusing the name of religion for their own ends.

If there really is any kind of god, why do so many innocent kids die every year through starvation or disease.

Mahatma Ghandi (think he was a Hindhu?) said (and it's still true) - "The world has enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed". Still true today - people again!

I only have time for religious people who truly want to help other people of any other religion, these could certainly be Christians or Muslims if they suspended all the other nasty sides of religion, but so many of them are totally incapable of doing this.

I completely agree with this, which why although I am definitely a Christian (a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ) I am no longer a member of any particular organised church as I find them too narrow-minded. Though I'm, not sure where I would have learned about these teachings if I had not previously been a member of a church......

Religion is well past it's sell by date for me, and people should just live with each other with no predjudice for colour, sex, wealth or any other reason.

Trouble is, someone needs to teach them that - and they sure as hell won't get taught that by any government-run agency!

[D-Rider]

Well said BG - particularly your first statement

[mangocrazy]

Nice one, BG. Can't find fault with a word of that.

[HowardQ]

I was confirmed into the C of E when I was a teenager, but gradually realised I was questioning too much, then realised that I could not accept it any more.
Another issue at that time was that the man caused me to be a Christian, was the Vicar (David) at the church where I went to the local youth club. He sold religion in a brilliant way and he and his wife did absolutely everything for the local people, and inparticular the kids of all ages. He ran the football team, we changed for the match in his garage and kitchen, his wife did refreshments at half time. Young teenagers always have problems and he talked to all of them, they all thought of him as a friend. This was at a time when if "youngsters" went to church, the older people looked down their noses at tut tutted at them.
Then one terrible day 40 odd years ago we had the Sheffield Hurricane, which killed quite a few people. The chimney stack of the vicarage blew off and collapsed into the bedroom where his wife was asleep. She was killed instantly by an "act of God".
David never recovered, he was completely broken as we all were, none of us could come to terms with the fact the best Christian we had ever known should lose his wife this way.
He eventually moved away and we never heard from him again, I started to move away from Christianity and never came back.
I just questioned more and more after this.
(Sorry about going on, but whenever I talk on this subject, this always comes back into my head.)

BG, I partly agree with your views on the first point, but the established religions have never ever done enough over thousands of years to stop people carrying out evil in their name, whether you look at the Crusades, Northern Ireland, Iraq or whatever.
I have a great deal of time for people of any religion who help and respect all other people. For me the best religious people are those he keep it more on a personal level.
On your last point I dont think the churches or the politicians will ever be able to teach us to all live together in peace. This has to come from our own inner thoughts, really we all know it is the only way to go.