A bit of background perhaps. I am forever on edge when it comes to church and state. On the one hand, I honestly believe that men (and women) 'of the cloth' have no place combining those roles with life in political office, as so many in this country appear to seem altogether too comfortable with. That said, of course I think politicians should be open to influence by faith. But we are in the world, not of the world and there's a very definite line in my book. It's one of the few things I think the American Founding Fathers got bang on the money...
No short honour was mine then, to be vindicated by the following horrific quote from page 4 of Tuesday's Telegraph:
DUP and Ulster Unionist MLAs suggested the Troubles should have been declared a war, which would have allowed Provisional IRA members to be " put six feet under".
DUP MLA William McCrea said: "In many ways, I wish that it had been declared a war, because our army could have taken the Provos on and they would have been put six feet under where they belong. Sad to say, that did not happen."
(read the full article here)
Just to confirm the obvious, that's the REVEREND William McCrea giving that wonderful peace of Christian love, forgiveness and goodwill. I'm not really that angry - because I'm not really surprised. Whilst in no way wanting to undermine the horrors of the Troubles, nor wanting to specifically target the Free Presbyterian Church (about as difficult as kicking an ugly rock, and about as useful) I'm just again disappointed to see that people who should be talking reconciliation and setting the example are, as is the way in our wee province, the ones with the firebrands and pitchforks.
And then we wonder why 'Christian'='fundamentalist bigot' in the eyes of so many.
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