POLITICAL CORRECTNESS FAILS TO SCORE AT OLD TRAFFORD
Life Bite by Nick Thompson
One of the paradoxes of our modern world went on show at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ (Old Trafford) last Saturday.
Our world is dominated by political correctness, so we have to be careful about what we say. In fact I remember the bulk of a meeting I attended as an observer wasting the best part of an hour debating the use of inclusive language when one of the attendees used a masculine verb.
However, if you were at Old Trafford last Saturday you would have witnessed the most deplorable scenes of abuse I have ever heard when Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was subjected to the most appalling treatment at the hands of Manchester United fans. Has anyone raised a note of objection? Not one. Has Sir Alex Ferguson – that guardian of football’s morals – issued an apology? Not even a sniff of it. Have the police taken any steps? Actually their excuse is that they haven’t received a single complaint.
But they will arrest Christians for preaching the gospel and warn others about race hatred while doing nothing about the virulent abuse suffered by a thoughtful, if sometimes myopic, football manager from France.
So if you want to escape the strictures of PC language it would seem that all you have to do is pop down to Old Trafford for an Arsenal game and take out your frustration on Arsene Wenger. Apparently it’s fair game and, coming in the week that Carlton Cole covered the back pages following the race abuse he received from Millwall fans, all I can assume is that maybe we still dislike the French sufficiently to suspend all PC issues when it comes to Anglo-French engagement.
Meanwhile a preacher has won the right to have his case referred to the European Court of Justice following an accusation that a state-supported radio station aimed at the Asian community discriminated against him because of his Christian beliefs.
Church of Scotland minister Rev Mahboob Masih was a volunteer presenter on Awaz FM, but his services were terminated after six years behind the microphone following a debate on air about the uniqueness of Christianity which angered the station’s Muslim management.
In a ground-breaking decision, his case will be referred for a preliminary ruling to the ECJ to decide if volunteers are protected by anti-discrimination legislation.
Awaz Radio is a non-commercial community station heavily supported by the state serving the Asian community of Glasgow.
In speaking of the uniqueness of Christ, Rev Masih had simply responded to questions raised by listeners, which raises the issue of whether freedom of speech is really tolerated in Britain.
If you have stumbled onto this blog and are not a Christian, get yourself a hot drink, pull up a comfy chair and then tuck into the following article written by one of the best in the business:- All Of Grace by Charles Spurgeon
Tags: Christian Life