Archbishop demands special fibbing rights
When religious leaders start talking about “religious rights” what they are generally getting at is that they want special exemptions from the sort of normal inquiry that might expose their beliefs for the hot air that they are. No such beating around the bush though for Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor who is demanding that the BBC should suspend its impartiality rules when it comes to religion, and just be biased in favour of Christianity.
Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, said: “Cardinal O’Connor speaks like a classic demagogue. His desire to have no contradiction to his message is authoritarian and anti-democratic. Religion already has hours of time of TV and radio in which no-one is allowed to question or comment. Thought for the Day is one such slot, where preachers of all hues are allowed to make blatantly political pitches for religious points of view, and no-one is allowed to interrupt. Mark Thompson’s enthusiasm for the Catholic Church is beginning to suggest that his approach to religion is not entirely balanced or objective. If he listens to the Cardinal, he risks undermining the BBC’s precious heritage of trust as an impartial voice for the whole nation – not just the Church.”
Sunday 27 Apr 2008 | Paul | Religion, TV
