There are quite a few glaringly obvious reason why certain individuals are angered by Church Teaching and so despise the Pope for preaching the Gospel, but for me, the most interesting one of Professor Steve Jones, the geneticist, leading luminary in the Galton Institute (formerly the Eugenics Society) who, thanks to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, now has access to large quantities of human embryoes to run tests on them at the University College London (UCL) and God alone knows what else! If you read this article from 2004, it makes it quite clear just how into eugenics and just how into creating a vision of a 'new eugenics' which somehow loses its Nazi roots Professor Steve Jones is. It's almost, er, in his DNA, so to speak. Here is the letter he and other rich atheists have signed...
We, the undersigned, share the view that Pope Ratzinger should not be given the honour of a state visit to this country. We believe that the pope, as a citizen of Europe and the leader of a religion with many adherents in the UK, is of course free to enter and tour our country.
However, as well as a religious leader, the pope is a head of state, and the state and organisation of which he is head has been responsible for:
Opposing the distribution of condoms and so increasing large families in poor countries and the spread of Aids.
Promoting segregated education.
Denying abortion to even the most vulnerable women.
Opposing equal rights for lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Failing to address the many cases of abuse of children within its own organisation.
The state of which the pope is head has also resisted signing many major human rights treaties and has formed its own treaties ("concordats") with many states which negatively affect the human rights of citizens of those states. In any case, we reject the masquerading of the Holy See as a state and the pope as a head of state as merely a convenient fiction to amplify the international influence of the Vatican.
They even got his name wrong! Anyway, here is a letter, which you can sign, and we can send to The Guardian ahead of the Pope's visit telling readers why we welcome the Holy Father to the UK...
We, the undersigned, welcome His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI to the UK as both Head of State of the Holy See and as leader of the World's one billion Catholics and to the Catholic community of the United Kingdom. We believe that his presence in our country comes at an urgent and pressing time, highlighting the trends in our country that serve only to denigrate human rights and human dignity. We support him wholeheartedly because in guarding the Deposit of Faith he:
Opposes the destruction of human life in the womb and values human life from conception to natural death.
Opposes the trend towards refashioning the institution of Marriage, thereby denigrating its inherent stability, rooted in the natural order, as being between one man and one woman.
Opposes the trend in the UK towards testing on human embryoes, experimenting upon them and stripping the unborn of dignity, under a hitherto illusory and deceitful justification that this form of experimentation will yield medical benefits for mankind.
Has worked tirelessly to change the culture of the Catholic Church to take very seriously allegations or incidences of child abuse. He has, in his Church career, made the scourge of child abuse an issue which should be brought to the attention of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to be investigated and acted upon effectively, setting up child protection procedures and policies which now make the Catholic Church the safest place for a child to be. He has offered his time, his prayers and has met personally victims of child abuse and has made statements of the Church's penitence regarding crimes committed by clergy against the child, promoted reconciliation and healing of the victims.
Promotes a vision of humanity which advocates a culture of life, stability, marriage, lifelong fidelity and love in which children are welcomed, rather than destroyed, in which human beings are open to new life, opposing vigorously a culture that treats the possibility of new life with contempt.
Upholds the innate, God-given dignity of all human beings regardless of their sexual orientation or social background and upholds the rights and dignity of society's most vulnerable, the poor, the starving, the outcasts, prisoners, the mentally ill and distressed, the disabled, elderly, sick and all those who are so often disregarded by the rest of society. We thank him for encouraging the Faithful regularly to serve those who are on the margins of society and in whom Christ is served.
Proclaims the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, Christ Crucified. His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI proclaims that because of Christ's Life, Death and Resurrection, men and women can be reconciled to their Creator and hope for Heaven within His Church..
There are so many reasons for welcoming the Holy Father to this country, but the two letters signify the clash of cultures caused by the Church - the Sign of Contradiction to the World.
Sign in the comments box if you would like and I'll send it off.
Do we require towns where we live for these letters? Didn't look like it for Fry, Jones and Rayner! Anyway, here's the list so far. Keep 'em coming! More signatories than the letter for Fry and Co already!
Daniel Mallon, Mossend, Bellshill, Scotland
Katherine Rickards, Horsham
Dr Justin Wong (Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge)
Mary Blyth
Antonia Robinson
Richard Yates, Worsley, Manchester
Mac McLernon, Blackfen, Kent
Rev Fr Patrick Brennan
Fr. Stephen D. Brown, University of Bradford
Seth Phipps
Fr Raymond Blake, St Mary Magdalen Church, Brighton
Natasa Wilkie
Laurence England, Brighton
Michael Nicholson
Paul Waddington
Damian Ryan
Ros Pearson
Dominic Heaney
Patti Fordyce
Elizabeth McLernon, Brighton
Oscar Pinnington
Lucy Pinnington
Dr. Timothy Stanley, Leverhulme Fellow, Royal Holloway College, University of London.
Pauline Gately
Mike Forbester, York
Anthony Dickinson
Mr. & Mrs. David Bradley
Annie Mackie-Savage
Jeff Mackie-Savage
Leo Darroch, International Federation Una Voce
Terry Martin, Horsham
Fr Nigel Griffin, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Guy Nevard
Annalisa Panelli Hamilton
Maureen Dawson
Benedict Kobus
Dr Anthony Dykes, University of Manchester
Claire McMillan, Aberdeen
Professor David Paton (Chair of Economics, Nottingham University)
Dr. Isobel Camp
Delia Gaze
Daniel Gribbon
J Hickey
Paddy Stanford
Jim Roche
Kevin O'Brien
Robin Farrow
Brian Crowe, Stronsay, Orkney
Margaret Crowe,Stronsay, Orkney
Clare Griffiths
Carol Ann McKechnie
Michael McKechnie
Emma Rose McKechnie
Callum McKechnie
Ryan McKechnie
Dominic Newman
Father John Boyce
Sandy Morris
Sue Sims
Ray Doherty
Major D Wilson
Michael Carchrie Campbell
Liz Masebo
Patrick Carberry, London
Clare Carberry, London
Liz Masebo
Helen Parry
Marguerita Carroll
Dr Brian Sudlow, University of Reading
Karla Mayers
Erica Mayers
Kevin Burgess
Fr. Mark Naughton
Nick Holland
Celia Longley
David Jones, London
Edward Thompson
Marysia Dembinski
Judith Benson
George Horvath, Brighton
Dianne Brennan, Brighon
Michael Armes, Brighton
Best we get this in to The Guardian before the end of the working day. Well done for signing!
It is now...SENT!
I wonder if they'll print it? I mean, we know they're a liberal paper, into freedom of speech and opinion and the like, so ideologically at least, I can't see any reason why they'd omit this letter. We've got more signatories than Stephen Fry, after all...
96 comments:
Bones, Count me in...
I sign the bottom letter welcoming the Holy Father!
Mac McLernon
Excellent Letter! Please add my Name: Rev Fr Patrick Brennan.
I'll gladly sign Laurence.
Fr. Stephen D. Brown
University of Bradford
Great letter - please add my name to the signatures (Seth Phipps).
God bless you - doing something useful, unlike the likes of me, just sitting around grumbling about how terrible it all is!!!
Add my signature
Brilliant. I definitely want to be included.
Natasa Wilkie.
Laurence England, Brighton
Michael Nicholson
Please add my name:
Paul Waddington.
Damian Ryan
Please add my name
Dominic Heaney
Superb letter - count me in.
Patti Fordyce
Please add my name (thought am not sure about 'the' at the start of your letter! +Edwin
Please add my name.
I gladly add my signature
Geoffrey Pitts
We would like to sign - Oscar and Lucy Pinnington
Good work Laurence - put me down. My title is: Dr. Timothy Stanley, Leverhulme Fellow, Royal Holloway College, University of London.
What a ghastly bunch of intolerant, Neo-Nazi goons those signatories are. In a more enlightened age, they'd be burned for heresy. trs
Thank you so much for this.
Please add my name.
Pauline Gately
Please add my name
Michael Ryan
Count me in.
Mike Forbester
York
I am a no-one but a simple layman and I am happy to sign with the thought in mind of the blood and testimony of the Martyrs of England, Wales and Scotland.
Anthony Dickinson
Mr. & Mrs. David Bradley
will gladly sign this excellent letter!!
Add ours too please!
Annie Mackie-Savage
Jeff Mackie-Savage
I've posted this on the Catholic Answers Forum and hopefully a few signatures will come from there too.
A wonderful initiative. Please add my name.
Leo Darroch, International Federation Una Voce.
Terry Martin
Please add my name:
Fr Nigel Griffin
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Ill Sign, Guy Nevard.
I sign the letter welcoming the Holy Father!
Annalisa Panelli Hamilton
Please add my name - Maureen Dawson.
Please add my signature.
Benedict Kobus
I sign
Dr Anthony Dykes
University of Manchester
M13 9PL
Please post on my behalf
Claire McMillan
Aberdeen
I would like to be included on the signatures for this excellent letter.
David
Professor David Paton
(Chair of Economics, Nottingham University)
Isobel Camp
Please, add my signature.
Dr. Isobel Camp
Please sign me up: Delia Gaze
But please also get rid of the 'the' before 'His Holiness'!
Please add my name:
Daniel Gribbon
J Hickey:
God bless our Church and we welcome His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, who is Christ's vicar on earth, to our country.
I agree with every one of your statements.
Paddy Stanford.
Maybe specify 'The Holy See' rather than 'Vatican City'.
Jim Roche
I agree with all you say. Please sign me up.
Paddy Stanford.
It is my dearest wish to sign and welcome His Holiness to Great Britain
Robin Farrow
Add our names please:
Brian & Margaret Crowe,Stronsay, Orkney.
Thanks and well done!
I'm an American and not in Britain, but if I were to be included as a member of the English-speaking world, I'd like to be signed
Anita Moore, Esq., OPL
Excellent letter, happy to put my name to it. God bless our Holy Father and may his visit to our soils be a positive faith affirming experience for all involved.
Clare Griffiths
Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful response. God Bless.
Please add our names to this list.
Carol Ann McKechnie
Michael McKechnie
Emma Rose McKechnie
Callum McKechnie
Ryan McKechnie
Dominic Newman
Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful response. God Bless.
Please add our names to this list:
Carol McKechnie
Michael McKechnie
Callum McKechnie
Ryan McKechnie
Emma Rose McKechnie
Father John Boyce
Please add my name.
Sandy Morris.
Sue Sims
But I do wonder whether the Grauniad will print it...
Sign me up!
Richard Yates, Worsley, Manchester
Thank you!
Ray Doherty
Add me too:
Major D Wilson
Add my signature too.
Please add my name
Liz Masebo
Thanks Laurence, count us in.
Patrick and Clare Carberry. London.
Please add me too:
Dr Brian Sudlow, University of Reading
Please add my signature.
Marguerita Carroll
Please add the following names:
Ann Parry
Kenneth Parry
Helen Parry
Add these names please:
Karla Mayers
Erika Mayers
David Jones, London
Celia Longley
I hope that the Guardian print your excellent letter!
Nick Holland
Avertantur retrorsum, et erubescant.
Please add. Many thanks and God Bless.
Fr. Mark Naughton
Please add my name to the signatories because our society needs to given the truth as much now, if not more, than ever before.
Please add my name:
Edward Thompson
Please add my name.
Judith Benson
Please add my name
Marysia Dembinski
Please add my name:
Daniel Mallon
Mossend
Bellshill
Scotland
Count me in!
Katherine Rickards
Horsham, West Sussex
Sign my name -
Dr Justin Wong,
Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge
I would certainly have signed if you had left it open a little longer. I am sure you would have obtained many more signatures if you had left it open for say a full 24 hours. Perhaps you could suggest a further letter. I blog as Fr. Mildew by the way.
Very sorry that I saw this, alas, too late.
Thank you for writing this letter in support of the Holy Father, which I would have gladly signed.
Yes, Father, but I thought that if there were a chance, getting it in today would be better. It isn't necessarily about numbers - it shows that Mr Fry does not speak for all - he speaks for the 'celebriati'.
So sorry that I saw this too late -- my husband and I would have been delighted to sign.
-Antonia Robinson
Thank you for defending our Holy Father. We will have a great 4 days.
I think I'm too too late but if a reluctant Anglican is welcome to sign, count me in!
I'd sign but I'm too late. I hope the letter is printed - and if it is that it gets the same amount of coverage on Radio 4 as the other letter.
Ashley Monk, B.D., M.Th. Bangor, Gwynedd
Sorry, Laurence, I'm dissenting on this one.
Apart from the ante-penultimate paragraph one could replace or substitute the words "Dalai Lama" for "Benedict XVI" in this letter.
We need the Pope to unapologetically reach the Gospel of Jesus Christ not the Good News of Human Rights - Egalite , fraternite etc..
I hope the Pope is going to speak about Our Lord Jesus Christ and Commandments he has given us to follow. Less talk of Human Rights and more talk about the duty of the Creature towards Christ Jesus his Creator.
Then we need to hear an outspoken message about the need to ask Our Blessed Mother to intercede for us to the Father.
Sorry Bones but your letter misses the mark.
Sorry "preach" the Gospel of Jesus Christ not "reach"!
Bryan. Good point.
It is The Guardian and I wanted the letter to act as a rebuttal to the points raised by Fry and Co.
On reflection, you are right. Without the redeeming Blood of Christ, shed for us, it does not make much sense.
Please add my name
Neil D'Aguiar
Director of Spirituality
Richard Challoner School
Count me in!
David Martin, London
I would also sign but I have been out all day and presumably have missed the deadline.
I will be pleasantly surprised if the Guardian prints the letter.
Dr John Fannon
If I'm not too late, please add me
Angela Bennett
And me if possible. Dr Rupert Beale
If too late, hsave a signature in spirit.
Richard Collins
I think I'm too late - but good job!
Good to see you last week!
Cathy Kay
This letter has helped me feel stronger. Please add my name.
If not too late I should like to sign the letter.
Good job in standing up for the Pope and the people of the Church. Liz Gonzalez.
I'm sorry I missed it!! Perhaps my thoughts of support can be counted instead. I'm dismayed at the negativity coming out regarding the Pope's visit - even from quarters otherwise respected!
Yes, I too would like to have signed the letter - Mike Telford
Post a Comment