Losing My Religion

Yesterday's criminal justice Bill descended into the sort of medieval insania which only the thorny issue of "the gays" can inspire.

The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill is a wide-ranging piece of legislation that seeks to reduce anti-social behaviour and give protection to householders defending their property against intruders. In this regard, it was fairly boring, even given the fact that Jack "Chuck Norris" Straw had previously revealed himself to be a bit of a have-a-go-hero; in his conference speech he told the swooning audience that he'd wrestled criminals to the floor and had them bang to rights on no less than three separate occasions. Remember kids, if you've got a problem, and nobody else can help, maybe you can hire...Jack Straw!

Disappointingly, this part of the debate was not as raucous as it could have been, although Conservative MP Nick Herbert tried to score a point or two by snidely remarking that Chuck had never shown any marked enthusiasm for the Suspicious Youths Loitering Suspiciously (Summary Execution By Householders) Bill, which the Tories make a point of introducing annually as a Private Members' Bill. He didn't press it too hard, though, presumably for fear of a roundhouse kick to the face.

It was the last-minute insertion of a provision to introduce the offence of incitement to homophobic hatred that got everyone hot under the studded collar. Mildly requesting that Straw "reassure the House that he will take full account of the wish to preserve freedom of speech for those expressing Christian views," John Redwood sought to remind the House that holding and spreading hateful views that may encourage violence against minorities is okay as long as you aren't an athiest. Liberty and all, you know?

Westmonster is no fan of Richard Dawkins, but quite why in the twenty-first century a belief in a big bloke with a beard who sits on a cloud surrounded by chicks playing harps entitles you to do as you damn well please whilst everybody else has to obey the law has always been something of a mystery to her. Nevertheless, the Christian lobby seem to be relatively well organised, as this article today's Times demonstrates.

Now it looks like the Government will have a battle on its hands when the Bill gets to the Lords, where, in January 2007 during the debate on the Sexual Orientation Regulations, the word "sodomy" was used on more than one occasion.

What an age we live in.

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 9 Oct 2007 8:05 AM. Permalink