or 
I am considering carefully whether to stand again for Police Commissioner. I am well aware that Tony Hogg, the victor in the previous police elections, has had problems delivering on his promises. Should I stand as a matter of principle? Perhaps it is a matter of duty if that makes sense to you.
Anyway, one decision I have managed to make and that is that I shall start blogging more frequently. And this morning I noted a couple of things that got me thinking. One was the strange and almost perverse decision of the Russians to ban "sexual deviants" from driving cars. This begs the question in my mind if not in yours: What do ISIS and Russia have in common? Answer, a crudely judgmental attitude to their minorities.
I have heard ISIS described as Manichean, meaning it is dualistic. There is only good or evil in the ISIS worldview, no shades of grey. Slightly inappropriate as the Manichaens were quasi-Christian, none the less they have a point. And perhaps the Russians are the same. Everything has to be black or white. You are either for us or you are against us.
Certainly both ISIS and the Russians have brutish attitudes to the minorities in their midst. ISIS kills them and Russia merely crushes them. So sad.
But consider your own attitudes to members of minorities. How do you view a Muslim woman who chooses to dress in such a way as to completely veil her face? How do you view a transgender man who chooses to walk through the streets dressed in woman's clothing? How do you view gypsies who set up a camp without permission? How do you view Polish migrants who come to the South West to work as flower pickers? How do you view gays, Jews, Mormons, whomever? If you are a man do you place an equal value on women? If you are young do you place an equal value on the old?
We should all examine our consciences regularly and conduct an exercise in love. I mean that. We should regard the other as we regard ourselves. Better indeed than we regard ourselves because so many of us think of ourselves as less than we should be. Unless we can place an equal value on everyone we are found wanting. Remember Pastor Niemöller.
Anyway, one decision I have managed to make and that is that I shall start blogging more frequently. And this morning I noted a couple of things that got me thinking. One was the strange and almost perverse decision of the Russians to ban "sexual deviants" from driving cars. This begs the question in my mind if not in yours: What do ISIS and Russia have in common? Answer, a crudely judgmental attitude to their minorities.
I have heard ISIS described as Manichean, meaning it is dualistic. There is only good or evil in the ISIS worldview, no shades of grey. Slightly inappropriate as the Manichaens were quasi-Christian, none the less they have a point. And perhaps the Russians are the same. Everything has to be black or white. You are either for us or you are against us.
Certainly both ISIS and the Russians have brutish attitudes to the minorities in their midst. ISIS kills them and Russia merely crushes them. So sad.
But consider your own attitudes to members of minorities. How do you view a Muslim woman who chooses to dress in such a way as to completely veil her face? How do you view a transgender man who chooses to walk through the streets dressed in woman's clothing? How do you view gypsies who set up a camp without permission? How do you view Polish migrants who come to the South West to work as flower pickers? How do you view gays, Jews, Mormons, whomever? If you are a man do you place an equal value on women? If you are young do you place an equal value on the old?
We should all examine our consciences regularly and conduct an exercise in love. I mean that. We should regard the other as we regard ourselves. Better indeed than we regard ourselves because so many of us think of ourselves as less than we should be. Unless we can place an equal value on everyone we are found wanting. Remember Pastor Niemöller.
No comments:
Post a Comment