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Tony Blair & religion;; former PM's views & comments
Topic Started: Sunday, 24. June 2007, 17:35 (1,204 Views)
Rose of York
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Independent Catholic News

Independent Catholic News
 
LONDON - 27 March 2008 - 110 words

Pax Christi plans silent vigil at Tony Blair lecture

On 3 April Tony Blair is going to give the first in a series of talks at Westminster Cathedral. His theme will be Faith and Globalisation.

The Catholic peace movement Pax Christi is planning to hold a silent vigil in the Piazza in front of the Cathedral from 6.30 that evening (the talk is at 7pm) to call to mind and to public attention, Tony Blair's involvement in the Iraq War and ongoing occupation, in his involvement in the decision to replace Trident, as well as other aspects of his premiership that have created global polarity rather than global solidarity between peoples.

For more information call: 0208203 4884 or visit: www.paxchristi.org.uk


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Rose of York
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Am I correct in thinking the Catholics of England and Wales (and donors from other countries) donated money for the erection and upkeep of our mother Cathedral, on the understanding that it would be solely a place of worship, and a fitting home for the Blessed Sacrament?
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william of bow
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Indeed Rose, "the pennies of the poor".

Can't say that I support this little piece of publicity by the "Stop the War" Coalition (aka Socialist Workers Party and fellow travellers). What is worse and more blasphemous? Tony Blair pontificating in the Cathedral about 'his' values? Or a bunch of loud (mouthed), Trotskyite "Stop the War" protesters?

What I do find worrying is Robin Best saying this:
Quote:
 
He added: "No doubt Blair will be pontificating about the 'values' and 'morality' of his 'faith' and how they guided him in making 'difficult' decisions, like the slaughter of up to one million Iraqis and the total destruction of their country in an illegal war.


This is pretty close to blaming the Catholic Church for the Iraq war. This I don't like but would be par for the course for the rabid atheists and seculars who support such causes.


Quote:
 
Thousands of demonstrators who object to his role in taking Britain to war in Iraq are planning to disrupt the event by drowning out his words.


Wistful thinking on behalf of the STC. Last time I looked, the recent demo called by the SWC in central London attracted a few hundred.

William
William of Bow

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Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed: a passage which some have considered as a prophecy of modern journalism.
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Rose of York
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william of bow
Mar 28 2008, 05:13 PM
What I do find worrying is Robin Best saying this:
Quote:
 
He added: "No doubt Blair will be pontificating about the 'values' and 'morality' of his 'faith' and how they guided him in making 'difficult' decisions, like the slaughter of up to one million Iraqis and the total destruction of their country in an illegal war.


This is pretty close to blaming the Catholic Church for the Iraq war. This I don't like but would be par for the course for the rabid atheists and seculars who support such causes.

The Catholic Church will get the flak, although Blair was not a Catholic when he was PM.
Keep the Faith!

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PJD

"The Catholic Church will get the flak, although Blair was not a Catholic when he was PM."

Quite Rose.

But not everyone necessarily thinks logically, or indeed fairly.

PJD
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sumermamma

William of Bow,
The Catholic Church and the Jews get blamed for just about everything. Nothing changes.
sm
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Fortunatus

william -- my experience tells me that it is always advisable to knock at least one and more likely two zeroes off any figure given by the SWP and their "useful idiots". So tens is more likely than hundreds, just as the figure of "up to one million Iraqis" is about on a par with "up to 8meg" for a download speed!

I don't have any more of a problem with Blair speaking in Westminster Cathedral than I've had with anything else he's done in the last decade but I wonder when the craze for holding meetings in churches started. It seems to me to be disrespectful of He whose House it is to bring secular matters into the place.
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Rose of York
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Fortunatus
Mar 28 2008, 09:55 PM
but I wonder when the craze for holding meetings in churches started. It seems to me to be disrespectful of He whose House it is to bring secular matters into the place.

Presumably Jesus gets kicked out for the duration.

Not good.
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william of bow
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Vaughan House, which is a conference centre would be appropriate. But it doesn't have a large capacity. The Cardinal hopes to 'make a killing' with Blair's lecture and the Cathedral can take a couple of thousand with no problem.

I will not rehash all the 'issues' involved for some Catholics and the "Blair Conversion". But is it too much to hope that Tony might deliver a more thoughtful and nuanced message concerning globalisation. My fear is it will be a very 'gung ho' shout out for the Pepsi Cola culture - how wonderful is the multi national global village.

William
William of Bow

Quote:
 
Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed: a passage which some have considered as a prophecy of modern journalism.
[G.K.Chesterton]



Check my Blog: http://www.williamonthehill.typepad.co.uk
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Rose of York
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The demonstration took place. Media reports say a few hundred, not the anticipated thousands, took part. The demonstration was not mentioned on BBC 1's late night news, so it appears that it had little impact.

The full transcript of the lecture will be available shortly. I propose starting a new thread so we can discuss it.
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Rose of York
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The Cardinal's Lecture, 3rd April 2008.

Speaker Anthony Blair



Here is the introduction. For the full lecture please click on the link.
Link




Quote:
 


FAITH AND GLOBALISATION


Let me summarise my argument to you this evening.

Under the momentum of globalisation the world is opening up, and at an astonishing speed. Old boundaries of culture, identity and even nationhood are falling.

The 21st C world is becoming ever more interdependent.

In this world, religious faith, crucial to so many people’s culture and identity, can play a positive or a negative role. Either positively it will encourage peaceful co-existence by people of faith coming together in respect, understanding and tolerance, retaining their distinctive identity but living happily with those who do not share that identity. Or it will work against such co-existence by defining people by difference, those of one faith in opposition to others of a different faith.

In this context, inter-faith action and encounter are vital. They symbolise peaceful co-existence.

That is my primary argument. It is directed to people who have religious faith and those who have none.

However, I then go further and argue that religious faith is a good thing in itself, that so far from being a reactionary force, it has a major part to play in shaping the values which guide the modern world, and can and should be a force for progress. But it has to be rescued on the one hand from the extremist and exclusionary tendency within religion today; and on the other from the danger that religious faith is seen as an interesting part of history and tradition but with nothing to say about the contemporary human condition.

I see Faith and Reason, Faith and Progress, as in alliance not contention.

One of the oddest questions I get asked in interviews (and I get asked a lot of odd questions) is:
is faith important to your politics?
It’s like asking someone whether their health is important to them or their family.
If you are someone ‘of faith’ it is the focal point of belief in your life. There is no conceivable way that it wouldn’t affect your politics.


Conditions complied with

Link
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Rose of York
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I am impressed!

Quote:
 
Let me summarise my argument to you this evening.

Under the momentum of globalisation the world is opening up, and at an astonishing speed. Old boundaries of culture, identity and even nationhood are falling.

The 21st C world is becoming ever more interdependent.

In this world, religious faith, crucial to so many people’s culture and identity, can play a positive or a negative role. Either positively it will encourage peaceful co-existence by people of faith coming together in respect, understanding and tolerance, retaining their distinctive identity but living happily with those who do not share that identity. Or it will work against such co-existence by defining people by difference, those of one faith in opposition to others of a different faith.


The days have gone when protestants lived here, Catholics there, muslims somewhere else, Buddhists in the Far East.

Until people of all faiths and none learn to live side by side, and respect each others' culture, there will be no prospect of peace anywhere in the world. Let us pray that we live to see the day when there will be no bombings and maimings in the name of God. one step forward would be an end to tit-for-tat retaliations. There has been violence and hatred between Christian denominations, let alone nominal Christians and muslims.
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Rose of York
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The speech is available on video, click this link please.

http://www.rcdow.org.uk/lectures/
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william of bow
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It was a politicians speech delivered by a consumate politician. Whatever else it might be it was most emphatically not a speech about the Catholic faith by a Catholic.

He cited two authors - Karen Armstrong, a heretic, and Stephen Dawkins, an atheist whom he claimed to have influenced his thinking. He ought to have cited the third, more important author and influencer of Blairs rather flakey ideas - Hans Kung. Kung virtually manufactured and marketed the rather silly idea of this "Universalist" so called world religion which is current flavour of the month with the United Nations and with Blair.

The Holy Fathers most important book on this same topic of Interfaith dialogue - Truth & Tolerance might as well never have been written.

It was typical liberal nonsense - lets all be nice to each other. He very cleverly evaded all the difficult issues especially the one of fundamentalist, Jihadist Islam and how the world faiths ought to respond to that.

Had I paid good money to hear this performance I think I would have been rather disappointed.

Any response from good Catholics? Or even a Bishop or two?

William
William of Bow

Quote:
 
Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed: a passage which some have considered as a prophecy of modern journalism.
[G.K.Chesterton]



Check my Blog: http://www.williamonthehill.typepad.co.uk
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CARLO
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Thank you so much Rose for posting the link to the speech.

When I get time to watch the recording I will comment.

I hope this will be soon.

Pax

CARLO
Judica me Deus
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