What's going on in the UK these days?

[bankside]

Just curious for news from Great Britain and I thought you might be provoked to share the latest. Given a certain inherent lack of obsessive national introspection, I thought you might have to be provoked to share the latest.

 

[anchihiro]

Erm....the queens jubilee.....getting ready for the olympics......it's raining right now, oh and someone just trotted past on a horse.

 

[bankside]

Yeah yeah, Jubilee, Olympics, rain....got all that. But a horse??!! That would be newsworthy here.

 

[broadshoulder]

Olympics, jubilee..

But Leverson rumbles on..its a guessing game of which of the great and the good of British society has (A) will be testifying (B) has had their phone hacked (C) has broken bread with Rupert Murdoch.

On the fun side Fearne Cotton has been absolutely blasted for her incompetent commentary on the flotilla..

In EE, Janine is getting married.

 

[unloadonme]

The PM left his daughter in the pub.

BBC News - David Cameron's daughter Nancy left behind at pub

 

[broadshoulder]

The PM left his daughter in the pub.

BBC News - David Cameron's daughter Nancy left behind at pub

They didnt realsie they had left her behind until they got home.

HINFY are going to have a field day with this. You can imagine the 'social services' jokes already.

 

[bankside]

good to know the security detail was paying attention.

"What have you done with the Prime Minister?!?! And what's that muffled screaming sound?"

"His wife has him, in the other car! I haven't done anything at all other than come to see if he would sign my copy of the Daily Mail!"

"Alright then; that sounds reasonable. Carry on."

 

[MassRuss]

In other news, the Church of England is ranting that marriage equality will "fundamentally change" marriage. Seems the twats have forgotten something. The C of E wouldn't EXIST if Henry VIII hadn't "fundamentally changed" marriage so he could divorce Katherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. Edward VI & Elizabeth I also made changes to the church, neither would have existed if Henry hadn't divorced Katherine (& beheaded Anne for Jane Seymore). I love British history, LOL.

Seems you guys across the pond have hypocrites, too. I'm wondering how these fools would act if Charles ever inherits the throne...Divorced & remarried. Charles III & Queen Camilla. No doubt they'll overlook it, like their American hypocritical counterparts, the much married Newt, Trump, Rush. The tea baggers who worship at the shrine of St Reagan also forget that Jane Wyman came before Nancy (& that Reagan raised taxes, but that another story).

And being an equal oportunity bitch this AM, many American Catholics (like Newt, & various Kennedys) I'm sure, purchased their annulments.

 

[broadshoulder]

In other news, the Church of England is ranting .

the Church of England never rants. It mumbles something inaudible and you have to lean forward to hear it.

Its shot itself in the foot about gay marriage. Its got its cassocks in a twist over nothing.

 

[Rosary]

HRH the Queen came over to Nottingham for the queen's diamond jubilee celebration this morning! I was overexcited when she waved to the crowd at the city hall balcony. Gotta love her, haha!

 

[bankside]

I bet you a pound that he will not reign as King Charles. I think he will go with King Philip as his regnal name. Heard it here first.

And of course the Anglican nonsense has to be ignored. I think the religion will fold within 20 years anyway. They're sucking up to the pope. Sucking up to their Nigerian theocratic wing. All that remains is a great lump of "cultural Anglicans" or "inertia Anglicans" who will eventually realise that being a non practicing Anglican and being an atheist are just as straightforward.

 

[MassRuss]

Interesting, here in MA, friends belong to an Episcopal Church. Very pro marriage equality, one of the higher ups even marched in Boston's Pride parade, in a group of pro marriage equality Episcopalians.

Do any of you over in the UK think the queen will ever remark on gay marriage?

bankside, you think he'll take Phillip? Elizabeth I would not approve, since Phillip II of Spain (her bro in law) sent the Armada!!
I've always thought, if not Charles III, then George VII for his grandfather.

 

[unloadonme]

Do any of you over in the UK think the Queen will ever remark on gay marriage?

For the time being at least, no. The Queen avoids commenting on political matters because as Head of State and a Constitutional Monarch she remains above politics. If legislation is approved by parliament converting the current civil partnerships into gay marriage (assuming there's actually a difference), Her Majesty will undoubtedly give Royal Assent.

 

[unloadonme]

I'd read in the boot Amer-speak, Brit-speak that the UK is one of the most irreligious places on the Earth.

If this is true, the actions and views of the Anglican Church may not matter much in the long run.

I prefer secular to irreligious!

You need to remember that there are 2 Church of England Archbishops and 24 Bishops in the House of Lords. They exercise an influence out of proportion to the views of the public.

 

[unloadonme]

Do you agree with the author's assessment of the UK as the most secular country in the world?

I haven't a clue. A quick Google search tells me that in most surveys about 2/3rds of people in the UK claim to have some religious belief or other. I don't know how that compares with other countries.

The majority of those 2/3rds are probably lapsed members of the Church of England. That church is pretty relaxed about most things (although not homosexuality) and it seems they're happy to have you even if you don't buy into most of what they preach. There was famously a Bishop of Durham called David Jenkins who said he didn't believe in the resurrection!

The difference between the UK and the US is partly that here most people keep their religion to themselves. Tony Blair, who converted to Roman Catholicism shortly after retiring as Prime Minister, claimed that he didn't make the change whilst he was in office because talking about religion would have made many electors think he was bonkers. In other words it's a vote loser whereas in US politics banging on about God seems essential. Can you imagine a professed atheist being elected to the White House?

 

[bankside]

There was famously a Bishop of Durham called David Jenkins who said he didn't believe in the resurrection!

You've also got archbishop rowan atkinson there talking glowingly about the eventual need to welcome sharia courts into the uk.

 

[Kulindahr]

Interesting, here in MA, friends belong to an Episcopal Church. Very pro marriage equality, one of the higher ups even marched in Boston's Pride parade, in a group of pro marriage equality Episcopalians.

Do any of you over in the UK think the queen will ever remark on gay marriage?

If she did, it would be something like, "I don't believe I'd enjoy it", or maybe a bolder, "It seems to me that it could be difficult for a monarch".

 

[bankside]

I take it you mean Rowan Williams and not Mr. Bean ?

Yeeeessss...That's exactly what I meant.......

 

[MassRuss]

I have a friend who went back home to England a few years ago. He couldn't understand the US obsession with a politician's religon, considering that most of the founding fathers were either agnostic or atheist. Makes no sense to me either. After all, the founders of certain colonies (MA, MD, RI, PA) were founded by folks escaping from religious persecution, hence the separation of church & state, which idiots like Santorum don't think exist.

With what I read, it seems that France is way more secular than the UK, who does have the C of E as it's main religion. The Queen is Defender of the Faith & head of the church, isn't she? France even frowns on wearing a cross, Star of David, & certainly veils.

Didn't I read where Charles wants to change the title to Defender of Faith, covering all religons?

 

[broadshoulder]

I'd read in the boot Amer-speak, Brit-speak that the UK is one of the most irreligious places on the Earth.

If this is true, the actions and views of the Anglican Church may not matter much in the long run.

i think it is one of them. I would say France, Germany, Denmark, Holland and Scandinavia come close. Although France and Germany have strong regional Roman Catholic areas.

Elizabeth I said "I do not wish to make windows into mens souls" Religion is pretty much kept out of politics. We've seen the damage it can do and don't really equate it with modern life. If a PM quoted religion to us it would be akin to him quoting the supernatural. And god help him if he made quality decisons on the supernatural. Also the Queen being head of church and state seems to work as she doesn't comment or have a role in either. She's just a figurehead.

I think my generation also has the example of Northern Ireland where two sides were bombing and murdering their way over an argument over which way to worship god (although Nationalism and gangsterism were in there too)

I do think we have a higher proportion of atheists over here though. Its no mistake that both Dawkins and Hitchens were British.