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Let's discuss fundamentalism in the UK!


blessalessi

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@samurai_sarah you have sunshine?  It's been pissing with rain all week here.  I'm so grumpy because I want to be gardening.

I just threw dinner in the slow cooker so I can read later, but have to go out soon.  I'll need those extra ferrets in about 4 hours though.  Please thank the ones who are doing overtime. :)

I have heard of both Jeff Green and the Christian People's Alliance but don't know enough about them.  The UK is definitely in danger of being Fundyfied - you must resist!

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On 04/05/2016 at 9:16 PM, caszandra said:

So who are they supposed to vote for instead?

I'd assume the scottish christian party is the only lot they would consider. Torries are a no as are Labour due to having lesbians as their leaders, so it doesn't leave much choice for them.

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1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

@samurai_sarah you have sunshine?  It's been pissing with rain all week here.  I'm so grumpy because I want to be gardening.

I just threw dinner in the slow cooker so I can read later, but have to go out soon.  I'll need those extra ferrets in about 4 hours though.  Please thank the ones who are doing overtime. :)

I have heard of both Jeff Green and the Christian People's Alliance but don't know enough about them.  The UK is definitely in danger of being Fundyfied - you must resist!

I'm in northern Germany right now (on a uni year abroad). On 26th April, it SNOWED, and this week it's been blazing hot sunshine and I've been in shorts! 

Sometimes I find myself looking up right wing parties on Wikipedia. A new Mayor of London was recently elected, who's Muslim. Not much of a big deal... except to the Britain First candidate (far-right wackos) who turned his back when the new Mayor made his winning speech. It boggles the mind that people think of voting for far-right loonies. Even the Tory bloke (equivalent roughly to the Democrats in some ways) was accused of running a racist smear campaign against this new Mayor (Labour.) 

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7 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

@samurai_sarah you have sunshine?  It's been pissing with rain all week here.  I'm so grumpy because I want to be gardening.

I just threw dinner in the slow cooker so I can read later, but have to go out soon.  I'll need those extra ferrets in about 4 hours though.  Please thank the ones who are doing overtime. :)

I have heard of both Jeff Green and the Christian People's Alliance but don't know enough about them.  The UK is definitely in danger of being Fundyfied - you must resist!

Yup, we had sunshine for the day. Used the opportunity to have a bbq in the park, in a blazing hot 15°C! And we weren't the only ones. :)

The ferrets who are doing overtime are happily snacking on the treats @caszandra donated, and are ready to come fetch you any time!

From what I can tell, so far fundies in the UK are mainly sabre-rattling. In the last general election a grand total of 18.000 or so (UK wide) voted for the Christian Party. But they are getting louder. Definitely something to keep a close eye on!

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I'm diving in now!  Please ready the exhausted ferrets.  Thanks in advance!

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6 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

I'm in northern Germany right now (on a uni year abroad). On 26th April, it SNOWED, and this week it's been blazing hot sunshine and I've been in shorts! 

Sometimes I find myself looking up right wing parties on Wikipedia. A new Mayor of London was recently elected, who's Muslim. Not much of a big deal... except to the Britain First candidate (far-right wackos) who turned his back when the new Mayor made his winning speech. It boggles the mind that people think of voting for far-right loonies. Even the Tory bloke (equivalent roughly to the Democrats in some ways) was accused of running a racist smear campaign against this new Mayor (Labour.) 

Hope you enjoy Germany!

To the bolded: No matter how he wants to explain it, the fact remains that it was rude.

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I'm glad the ferrets enjoyed their treats and I hope they managed to get some sleep after a busy few days, I'm getting ready to head down the rabbit hole before going out this afternoon to enjoy the 25°C sunshine, hope you are getting the heat as well @samurai_sarah.

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Paging @pamplisest- Are you still in the rabbit hole? Need the ferrets?

@caszandra

Lucky you! We've "only" got 16°C, but it's sunny. Enjoy the heat while it lasts! :)

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Can I just ask, why ferrets in particular? Always been interested 

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3 minutes ago, samurai_sarah said:

 

Lucky you! We've "only" got 16°C, but it's sunny. Enjoy the heat while it lasts! :)

I'll try and send some your way. Really keeping my fingers crossed that this is not our "summer" lol.

I went part way down the rabbit hole and did write a loooong post that went *poof into the ether when I tried to post it, will dive back down later tonight and re-write my post if I can.

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32 minutes ago, caszandra said:

I'll try and send some your way. Really keeping my fingers crossed that this is not our "summer" lol.

I went part way down the rabbit hole and did write a loooong post that went *poof into the ether when I tried to post it, will dive back down later tonight and re-write my post if I can.

You and me both! Thanks for trying to send some our way. :)

And yes, please dive back in. Can't wait to hear what you think!

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45 minutes ago, samurai_sarah said:

Paging @pamplisest- Are you still in the rabbit hole? Need the ferrets?

@caszandra

Lucky you! We've "only" got 16°C, but it's sunny. Enjoy the heat while it lasts! :)

I went down the rabbit hole briefly but came out again to sleep.  I had a really long day.  I'm preparing to go in again now so keep the ferrets on alert!

It's horribly similar to US Fundy ranting.  I hope it is just sabre rattling and they don't gain traction.

38 minutes ago, mango_fandango said:

Can I just ask, why ferrets in particular? Always been interested 

Curious explained it here: http://www.freejinger.org/topic/24061-the-specularium-part-4-where-everything-is-on-topic/?page=2#comment-1004569

I forget where the FJ discussion was about Raquel's mystical orange penis ferret, perhaps on yuku, but it was hilarious.

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Just now, Palimpsest said:

I went down the rabbit hole briefly but came out again to sleep.  I had a really long day.  I'm preparing to go in again now so keep the ferrets on alert!

It's horribly similar to US Fundy ranting.  I hope it is just sabre rattling and they don't gain traction.

(snip)

Ferrets remain on standby. :)

I agree that it sounds very similar to US Fundie ranting. In some places they ramble on, and on about the special relationship between the US and the UK. There's also this brilliant bit, where they compare themselves to the Pilgrims (can't find it at short notice, sorry). History fail?

I hope it's just sabre-rattling, but the rattling seems to be getting a bit louder. There's the "Try praying" campaign. Funnily enough they put those posters on the backs of buses. Every time I'm driving and see one, I automatically think "Surely your driving can't be THAT bad". And some groups are trying to picket clinics that provide abortions. Thankfully local groups are on to that one.

It's definitely something worth watching. And if it's just sabre-rattling, then so much the better!

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On ‎09‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 3:15 PM, samurai_sarah said:

There's the "Try praying" campaign. Funnily enough they put those posters on the backs of buses.

Finally saw my first one of these posters yesterday on my drive home, well maybe not my first time seeing one but defo first time noticing one. Gotta say that if I didn't already know what it was for I would be left scratching my head about why I need to try praying, like praying for what exactly? World peace? A lottery win?, they didn't think that campaign through very well, I imagine most people don't even remember seeing the poster never mind try to remember the web address in teeny tiny writing to go check out later.

After my Monday went skew wiff with the kiddos accident and a busy rest of the week, I am going to try and head back down the rabbit hole today and re-write my post that went *poof into the ether on Mon morning. If you don't hear from me within a few hours please send the rescue ferrets to find me and drag me back here to sanity, ta in advance!

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@caszandra

I suspect a lot of people have the same feelings when they see the "Try praying" stuff. I also suspect that it made a lot of sense to the people who came up with it, but leaves the rest of us bemused.

The UK division of rescue ferrets is primed and ready to retrieve you! Also, I don't know what kind of magic you worked there, but we've had sunshine almost all week. Thanks for sending the good weather our way! :)

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Just now, samurai_sarah said:

Thanks for sending the good weather our way!

Your welcome, now we just need to work out how to stop it from leaving Scotland, maybe a giant rope that we can tether to the Sun and tie the other end round a big tree somewhere! But :shhhh:, we need to keep the plan on the down low from the rest of the world cause they might get upset with us :wink: :laughing-jumpingpurple: 

And now back down the rabbit hole I go! Honest Guv, I wasn't here, no siree not me....

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29 minutes ago, caszandra said:

Your welcome, now we just need to work out how to stop it from leaving Scotland, maybe a giant rope that we can tether to the Sun and tie the other end round a big tree somewhere! But :shhhh:, we need to keep the plan on the down low from the rest of the world cause they might get upset with us :wink: :laughing-jumpingpurple: 

And now back down the rabbit hole I go! Honest Guv, I wasn't here, no siree not me....

Wait, the big yellow thing in the sky has a name? I've been calling it "Bob", and wondered who was going to pay the gas bill for all the warmth it seems to provide. I also sacrificed a miniature turnip to it, so it'll stay. Your plan sounds better though. Let's keep it! :pb_lol:

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Bob popped out again this afternoon! Quite unexpectedly after our return to winter yesterday( Friday). Long may he stay.

I have been reading the interesting story about the birth of the rescue  ferrets. Do they have names? I have used their services a couple of times. 

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LOLOLOL @samurai_sarah, poor mini turnip being sacrificed :crying-yellow: Yeah I think the tree plan will really work!

 

I am going to start my review of the Christian Party with their Education Policy. Right off the bat we have a quote from Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it". They then point out that Education is a devolved matter and each constituent nation has it's own priorities but never mind that, we will change it and have the whole of the UK under our control to do with as we see fit. This is a selection of what the Christian Party want to do in schools and my own thoughts on these matters.

Christian Party Members of Parliament will:

Reinstate the teaching of classical subjects.  Well blow me down with a feather, can someone tell me when schools stopped teaching classical subjects? Oh wait, one of the things kids need to learn under this edict is a better appreciation of the role Christianity as an influence for good. Who cares about anything else as long as we have that, right.

Support the use of reasonable force by teachers to maintain discipline in schools. We want to give teachers the right to hit your children and there is nothing you can do about it.

Reinstate mandatory Christian religious education in schools. They want to abolish the teaching of other world religions in any school and promote their version of Christianity as the One True Faith and fuck you if don't conform to this.

Ensure proper balanced teaching and debate in schools around the concepts of evolution and creation and design. Creationism is the One True Way the world was created, we will tell you about evolution maybe but don't for one hot minute believe in it cause IT'S NOT TRUE!!!!11!!! eleventy.

Ensure schools are not forced to change their values by employing those who disagree with those values. If you aren't a True Christian you won't be welcome to teach in the nations schools.

Promote vocational training in schools, colleges of further education and universities. They are going to link this to what jobs are needed so say goodbye to having any choice in what you want to study, don't want to be a Doctor, tough shit sunshine that's what your going to be as we don't need anymore Drama students.

Reverse and halt plans for sex education in Primary Schools. Oh noes the big bad government want to teach 5yr olds about sex and Homos, be gone with you to the fire of hell for even thinking of doing this to our kids! Seriously I have just had an email from school about the lesson plans for this sessions "Sex Ed" classes, it is not called sex ed but Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Education and this is the plan for what the 7/8yr olds will be learning about -

P3 Lesson 1 - Living Things, where they’re from.
Aim - Children will know and understand where humans come from.
P3 Lesson 2 - Bullying, let’s deal with it!
Aim - Children will understand and be aware of issues surrounding bullying and how to deal with it. The children will also consider their responsibilities towards others focussing on bullying situations.
P3 Lesson 3 - Girls and Boys, all friends together.
Aim - Children can identify positive attributes within relationships. Children will also consider perceptions relating to gender.
P3 Lesson 4 - Life Changes, express yourself.
Aim - Children develop a vocabulary that helps then to understand and express their feelings. They will understand how to manage feelings and reactions of themselves and others.

Absolutely nothing to do with sex and how to do it and nothing about "teaching the homosexual agenda"

Call for sex education classes in secondary schools to be on a parental opt-in basis.  You can opt in or out but look below to see our new and improved Sex Ed classes

Ensure that chastity before marriage and faithfulness within marriage, as the best and safest sexual practice, will be taught and promoted as an integral part of any sex education curriculum. Welcome to Sex Ed children, get married, have sex only then, the end. Yeah sure that is going to work really well.

Seek to end the promotion and teaching in schools of homosexuality as a family relationship. Let's show how homophobic and bigoted we really are, begone with you to the fire of hell, only one man and one woman can ever be a family.

I need to go and bathe myself in :brainbleach: before attempting to read anymore of this shite. I am hopeful and almost certain that given not one of them got anywhere near the Scottish Parliament at the election that it will continue to be a small minority who hold such abhorrent views.

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50 minutes ago, samurai_sarah said:

Wait, the big yellow thing in the sky has a name? I've been calling it "Bob", and wondered who was going to pay the gas bill for all the warmth it seems to provide. I also sacrificed a miniature turnip to it, so it'll stay. Your plan sounds better though. Let's keep it! :pb_lol:

We've also got the warmth over the border here in Cumbria (the county known for rain) but Mum and Dad are on holiday in Devon and having rain - makes a nice change!!!

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That 'Try Praying' campaign thing has been everywhre on my walk to uni. It really does confuse me, cause apart from the obvious issues, I also don't tend to wander down the road thinking about my worst problems, and if I did, I'd be so absorbed (cause self centred xD) that I'd never notice what a poster was saying. So it seems like they'd only encourage people who are in on it. Like, I'm already a christian and they vaguely annoy me. I imagine they're much more annoying to atheists and I can't imagine how they'd feel to people who are religious but not christian. Like, most other religions pray too...

Also,  has anyone looked at the website? http://www.trypraying.co.uk/

Quote

'A conversation on a train went like this. The guy in his 20s was asked, “Do you ever pray? ” His reply was, “Yes. I prayed for two people who were seriously ill. One died and the other got better.” He concluded he’d had 50% success.'

That just seems offensive.

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  • 1 month later...
On 14 May 2016 at 5:27 PM, caszandra said:

Ignore this

Ok, sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I was googling something else and came across another very religious looking school like the Sunshine one mentioned previously. It's called Christian Fellowship School- the name immediately gives away the nature of the school. It goes from 4-16, and has a nursery. There are three houses: Bethel, Shiloh and Penuel. It's located in Liverpool. It opened back in 1981.

http://www.cfschool.org.uk

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  • 2 weeks later...

Apologies if this is being discussed elsewhere, I tried via the search function and couldn't find any threads specifically on this; thoughts?

Christianvoice.org.UK 

I don't know if it's me being naive/blind but fundamentalism doesn't seem to be as visible/promoted in the UK as the U.S. by I've seen the stats (estimates of course) and it's by no means a small number.

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I googled Stephen Green, who seems to be the driving force behind Christian Voice, and he reminds me of a British Steve Anderson... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/5388626.stm

I also found an article claiming that he beat his wife before they divorced, but it was from the Daily Mail which I like to take with a huge pinch of salt. Even so, he doesn't sound like much of a charmer.

ETA: I'm falling down a rabbit hole here! This is a section from the Daily Mail article I mentioned before:

Quote

 

Then, in 1997, when their children were 16, 14, 12 and ten, the family moved from the Home Counties to a remote small-holding in ­Carmarthenshire, west Wales. ‘The boys loved the outdoor life and my daughter enjoyed riding. I thought she could have a pony. I believed it would work out well for us all,’ recalls Caroline. 

But her optimism was wildly ­misplaced. Green had another agenda: he wanted to remove his growing family from urban life and isolate them from ‘evil’ influences so he could exert complete control over them. He forced them to live in a ­dilapidated mobile home into which the children were squashed in bunk beds; conditions were spartan and overcrowded and there were no home comforts.

‘The plan had been that Stephen would renovate the derelict farmhouse we’d bought, but it soon became clear he had no intention of doing so,’ recalls Caroline. 

‘First, he told us the Bible decreed we should work the land before rebuilding the house. He used the kids as child labour. They had to plant seeds, ­cultivate crops and ­harvest them. They had very little free time.’

Caroline’s freedom was also restricted. ‘If I spoke to a friend on the phone for too long, Stephen would tell me off for “gossiping”. My free time consisted of visiting the supermarket. 

‘Even when I helped out at a ­Christian centre, he would be insanely jealous.’
Friends and family, too, were ­alienated by his behaviour. ‘To begin with they visited, but Stephen made them work on the farm: ­digging potatoes, haymaking, ­cutting corn. It was nine to five, not just the odd hour.

‘He’d tell women visitors that they were dressed inappropriately if they unbuttoned a blouse too far or wore short skirts. He was downright rude. In the end, nobody visited. We became virtual recluses.

‘He had very high expectations of the children; nothing they did was ever good enough,’ recalls Caroline. ‘He bullied them mentally and manipulated them. ‘And they always had to be ­chaperoned. He wouldn’t countenance them having boyfriends or girlfriends.'

 

‘It is hard to overstate the extent of his control. We were shut off from the world. The children weren’t allowed to watch TV unless he approved of the programme; they were only allowed to mix with other Christians. They could only listen to Christian music.’

Looking back, she says: ‘I suppose we survived by being devious. When he was away on Christian Voice ­business, they were allowed to play by my rules.’

By now Stephen was immersed in Christian Voice, which allowed him the autonomy and freedom to express his increasingly bizarre views unchallenged. As its founder and director, he was answerable to no one.

 

 

 

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