That Old Chestnut

As I was getting ready to leave the house this morning, listening as usual to the Today Programme, my attention was attracted by an item on the problems experienced by the touring production of Jerry Springer, The Opera. Stephen Green, chair of the integrist group Christian Voice was being interviewed. I have blogged before on this story (see below) which has been going on for months now. It seems that, in another misguided effort to do a godly deed (why can these people not devote their time and energy to proper Charity work?), Christian Voice has exerciced pressure on the theatres which were planning to host the show. There has apparently been death threats too, although it is not clear who they came from.

I do have a problem with the Today Programme interviewing Mr Green. We don't know with precision what his following is (by all accounts it is fairly limited) and giving him air time on what is perhaps the most influencial radio show in the country is giving much more credit than he deserves. At the same time, it might prove a good way to discredit his views. Simply listening to the man is, I think enough, to convince oneself of the ridicule and excess of his views. What is slightly more worrying however is that when given the opportunity in this morning's interview, and although he claimed that his organisation is a peaceful one, Mr Green did not deign explicitly condemn the death threats I refer to above. This should have been one of the first statements for him to make this morning. He did not do make that statement.

"Mighty god" forbids that this country should find itself on the same slippery slop as the US where religious fanatics are more and more vocal and defiant of both human and god's laws.

Previous posts on Christian Voice and the Jerry Springer story:
Christian Voice?
Jerry Springer, The Saga
Outrageous
Shutting the Voices Up

Tags: Christianity, Jerry Springer, christian voice, theatre, religion.

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