Just watched an excellent little documentary on five (yes, really, on Channel Five) presented by Stewart Lee. In Don’t Get Me Started: What’s Wrong With Blasphemy? he discussed attempts by religious groups to censor public debate and their apparent belief in the right not to be offended, taking in faith schools and religious education along the way.
If it’s repeated at any point (no sign of it in the schedules), do try to catch it. His interviewees included Evan Harris, Helena Kennedy and Shami Chakrabarti. It’s a liberal secularist’s wet dream.
Are you a liberal secularist or are you just pleased to see me?
I though Evan’s contribution was excellent Polly Toynbee’s too. The self-interested promotion of faith schools and the pandering to religious groups is one more reason why Blair needs to pack up and sod off now. That started in America in the Reagan era and its results are being felt in places like Ohio where creationists on the Education board are trying to mandate the teaching of intelligent design and direct teachers to criticize global warmong and stem cell research.
Desperate to get a copy of this show. If you know of anywhere where I can download it, or whatever, could you drop me an email?
NICK
The interview with Alan Moore (and I joked when I saw it about his namesake, not realising that it was his namesake himself) is defying copyright on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cam2kK7J_8k
i haven’t seen this show but it sounds interesting. i personally think that people have a right not to be offended in the sense that, for example, asians have a right to not be called “pakis.” but religion is a bit different as you choose it, it’s not like your race or sexuality or gender or whatever… religion is a belief. you are allowed to criticise other beliefs, like what music you like or what football team you support, so why should religion be any different?
if religious people have a right to not be offended by people disagreeing with their religion, then i want a right to not be offended by people disagreeing with my football team or fave band!
(i hope that comment made sense, my english is not very good)
You can get it using BitTorrent
http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3521397/Don_t_Get_Me_Started__What_s_Wrong_With_Blasphemy_Stuart_Lee
or
http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/455541/939594/
I haven’t seen it…which is a great shame because I was in it…
can’t seem to download it either…still I’m glad it was liked
i will tell you whats wrong with this country were all to scared to stand up for our own rights whats up with us all .children are not allowed to have christmas plays because of muslim beliefs well iam sorry but we have being doing school plays before you lot came here and why should we stop on your say so its all rigt for tyhem to have diwali we dont have a say any more we are the second class citizens in this country not them. name a few more i could go on but i would just be wasting my time.
Erm… You know Muslims don’t celebrate Diwali, right?