The end (of the week) is nigh

Well its all over for the working week and I'm knackered but looking forward to a night of drunkeness and debauchery (well some wine and a game of cards anyway).

I wanted to add since I was too busy at the time that I wrote a letter to our local paper last week and they actually printed it! It was in response to an article about the City I live in being called 'the most Godless City in Britain' (an idea which does not hugely displease me). Apparantly the Rev Archie Coates (I think thatwas his name) has decided to re-evangelise our City and solve all our social issues (drugs etc). Cheecky sod. Here's my letter

16 October 2009

In response to article ‘Most Godless city in Britain’ by Andy Chiles on Friday 16 October 2009

Apparently the Rev Coates has decided to fix Brighton and Hove’s social issues by ‘re-evangelising’ the City.

Does anyone else feel perturbed by the idea that in the 21st century this is felt to be required? His apparent assumption that ‘the most Godless City in Britain’ has problems caused simply by irreligion is disgusting. Lack of some kind of Deity in ones life does not cause people to become addicts or prostitutes and removing these people from a dangerous and harmful lifestyle will require rather more than an injection of faith based on an ancient text written by people with different social issues and agendas. The very idea that you can aid someone by this method is laughable since all it does is attempt to replace a difficult reality with an impossible fairy tale.

I also resent the assumption that most religious people are somehow better or at least more morally equipped than the non-believers. I am not a drug addict, I have never received an ASBO or had any trouble with the Police but I do not behave this way because I am afraid of an invisible beard in the sky who watches my every move. I behave this way because my own conscience and humanism inform me that it is the best course of action (or inaction).

Please also bear in mind that the Rev is using the oldest trick in the book (so to speak) by choosing the weak, helpless and hopeless for his ‘re-evangelising’ crusade. It is easier to convert these poor people than to attempt to convert those who are coping with reality using their highly evolved human brain and conscience. We all have problems and have a chance to overcome then (even if it’s not obviously so at the time) but replacing them with an escapist non-reality is at best pointless and at worst abhorrent.

I would also like to make the conjecture that Brighton owes it ‘vibrancy and life’ to the very fact that a good number of its citizens do not conform to a doctrine which prescribes a life of following the same rules, activities, prohibitions and dogma (as most religions seem to prefer). The Christian faith(s) in particular calls its followers ’sheep’ which pretty much sums up their attitude to their obedient, loyal and stultified flock.

Pretty good even if I say so myself. Vanity is one of my many and varied sins of which I am extremely proud. Wonder if I'll get an responses?