Healthy Debate? I think not!

Lent the time of preparation for Easter if used seriously can stimulate deep thought for some people about the way in which they live their lives. I am always suprised by people on the street who have no interest in religion who talk about giving up things for Lent. I suppose on a surface level this is at least somewhere to begin some sort of debate. What has been most frightening in the last few days is the terrible misinterpretation of the words of Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury about Sharia law. Watching the details unfold on Sky News in the gym on Friday morning I was horrified to see what was termed a debate between a moderate Muslim Imam and the shock jock James Whale. Whilst what the imam had to say was well thought out and reasonable, he was treated with some considerable distain and rudeness by James Whale who merely resorted to platudes and the sort of narrow minded propaganda that should have no place on any reasonable news programme. Both the television and newspaper coverage of the lecture have been appalling and especially the citing of "British" values whatever they are supposed to be. Many people too have used this opportunity to attack Archbishop Rowan in order to defend their own very British or perhaps I should say English approach to what they percieve Christianity to be. These are the sort of comments of those who hide behind the label of tradition to cover views that are all together more suspect and sinister. So amongst all this despair it was good to read of the launch of Affirming Liberalism in the Diocese of Oxford who aim is to rescue liberalism from being labelled "wooly" www.affirmingliberalism.org . It was their first day conference yesterday and I wish I had the opportunity to attend.
We prayed for Rowan in the intercession at the 12.15 Mass at which I presided today and several people thanked me for doing so. It is good to know that there are reasonable thinking people there. Perhaps Rowan's mistake is to assume that all people are as reasonable as him. So food for thought indeed and there is much need for a truly healthy debate.