THEN AND NOW

As I watched the original chat show discussion about the controversy surrounding the making of the Monty Python film The Life of Brian last night, it struck me how familiar the debate was between the "believers and followers" of yesterday and the "non-believers and skeptics" of today.

The only thing that has changed is what people believe in - or what they are encouraged to believe in. Now we are more multi-cultural and multi-religious than we were in the 1970s, it seems the common ground that can unite all spiritual faiths is a belief in health - the body as a temple, the air as divine right, the environment as holy ground.

The Bishop and Muggeridge, in the youtube video above of the debate, defend their beliefs. They are the same as those who pump out the propaganda on smoking and climate change today. Both share the same fear and insecurity that anyone should question their deeply held beliefs and find them factually or scientifically inadequate. Both seem worried that people might choose to disbelieve their religion if they researched it a bit more.

What John Cleese says about the teaching of religion at school, (about 21 - 22 mins in) the people who blindly follow anything without question, and the need for critical thought in everything we are told to ensure we remain a free thinking free society is as true today as it was then.

Unfortunately too many believers in the Church of the Smoke/Eat/Alcohol Free has led to out and out witch hunts and the scourge of heretics who would rather think for themselves and see for themselves where the truth lies.

More and more I am becoming dishearted to see these so called "progressives" are taking us further socially backwards in time. I guess it won't be long before I'm lighting my cig on top of the bonfire - except a last cigarette before execution would probably be refused on Pious grounds from the Book of Good Health.

* The debate between the committed Christian and the Pythons brought me echoes of the debate I had with a Smokerphobic "believer" recently who would have pregnant smokers bullied in the street for their heresy.

Judge for yourselves between what was said then and what is said now. There isn't much difference but for the subject matter. Then God's word was law and now it is the "scientists" - both suffer little children to come unto them...