Decry piety and create a fairer world
 I see
that Tony Blair has joined the hysterical masses in lavishing posthumous
praise on the Pope. Was I on holiday when this man performed
acts of such selflessness and goodness that it offset his dogmatic condemnation
of birth control among some of the poorer countries of the world, particularly
where Aids is rife? Or his support for the
view that anyone who wishes to have sex for other than procreational reasons
is guilty of sin, his marginalisation of women and intolerance
towards homosexuality? Could it be that Blair
is a moral coward who dares not speak out against organised religion? Religious
dogmatism, as sustained by the Pope, is an outlook shared by precious few.
The sooner we realise we should condemn rather than encourage piety, the
sooner we can get on with creating a fairer world based properly on reason
and justice.
Ian Hindle, Bolton
It was with real dismay that I read Peter Tatchell's crass and ill-advised
comments (Metro, Mon). While people the world over (even those who didn't
necessarily agree with the Pope's policies) rightly mourn the passing of
a true champion of basic human rights,Mr Thatchell has seen the event of
the Pope's passing as nothing more than a glorified soundbite opportunity.
Shame on you.
Andy Seaman, London E3 U
It is sad to hear of Pope John Paul II passing away but I can't help feeling
a sense of hypocrisy that the Vatican disapproved of Terri Schiavo's husband
for allowing her feeding tube to be removed after enduring 15 years in a
vegetative state, yet when the Pope refused to return to hospital he was
allowed to die with dignity in his own bed. Perhaps the Roman Catholic Church
would feel differently about euthanasia if the Pope was forced to spend the
next 15 years unable to speak, move or see anything other than a hospital
room.
Vincenzo Benghiat, London SW17
It was interesting to read the Queen has expressed her 'deep sorrow' following
the death of Pope John Paul II. Perhaps she might now speak out against the
archaic rules which dictate a Catholic cannot become monarch and that an
heir to the throne who marries a Catholic must give up succession. These
prohibitions only encourage discrimination against Catholics ,for example
Northern
Ireland,and have no place in society.
Kevin Anthony, London W12
Should Peter Tatchell (Metro, Mon) be a Catholic, he would know that it is
sex within marriage that is blessed by the Church. If he does it outside
marriage, he doesn't follow the Church's teaching anyway and it doesn't matter
if he wears a condom or not. And if Frances Kissling (Metro, Mon) so desperately
wants to become a woman priest, she's got her 'free choice' to go to any
Protestant/Anglican denomination.
AA Lucas, South London
[Metro Apr5,2005]
Aids deaths are not Pope's fault
Peter Tatchel's critique of Pope John Paul II's 'opposition
to the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV' (Metro, Mon) is unfair.
ThePope should not be blamed if people die of the virus. The problem goes
back to poverty, education and values that include man's personal responsibilty
in all his actions issues that this Pope also championed. If people want
to have sex, then it must be with one partner. If that partner is affected
with HIV, it's only wise to prevent the spread of disease by abstaining from
sex.
Pietro Albano, Nottingham
Ian Hindle (Metro,Mone) makes some very telling remarks about the Pope but
has missed one very important point about Tony Blair.
It seems to me the Prime Minister is more scared of his wife and upsetting
her on these matters than anything else. In the past, she has been allowed
to express some very ill.advised views on many subjects, seemingly unchecked
by her spouse.
Please, please, please, no more pictures of St Cherie The Martyr.
Anthony Garland, London W2
[Metro Apr6,2005]
Vote for your future, not the here and now
As a fellow young professional, I find Laura Pennell's reasons
why we don't vote a little short-sighted. We shouldn't be voting for the
short-term perks but for the long-term good (or bad) the parties will do
for the country as a whole. Besides, it's a
chicken-and-egg situation; if we can't be bothered to vote, the politicians
won't bother to come up with policies to appeal to us next time round.
Stuart Lucas,
London W2
Grow up, Laura Pennells. I am 50 years old, work full-time, do not drive,
do not have children, have private healthcare and have paid off my
mortgage, so none of the political parties can offer me anything.
However, I will vote and I will vote for the party whose policies I believe
will help other people. It is called having a social conscience. Try it.
Susan Lawrence,
London SW2
Election candidates are promising benefits to Muslims such as the building
of mosques and funding for faith-based schools, but party issues such as
supporting gay marriages and down-grading drug classifications contradict
Islamic values and teachings. This should inform Muslims that to vote in
this democratic system is to compronaise their beliefs.
Muhummad Azeem Ally Moosun,
London N1
[Metro Apr19,2005]
Whatever your religion, put faith in the vote
I feel angered that, at a time when there will doubtless be
a low turnout of voters in this General Election, Muhummad Moosun is encouraging
the Muslim population not to vote (Metro, Tue) as apparently it is a compromise
to the Islamic faith. Surely, instead of not voting, the Muslim population
could use their vote to their advantage, to promote Muslim values and beliefs
and not waste a valuable right. If to vote in this society is contradictory
to Islamic ideals, then surely to live and contribute to it is, too? This
is not a Muslim country so, of course, there will be some aspects that Muslims
may not agree with, as there are for me. As a Christian, I am going to use
my vote the best I can and encourage all other faiths to do the same.
A Griffiths, Bristol
As Britain is a multicultural society, it is right that building mosques
and faith-based schools for the Muslim community should be part of the election
manifestos. But so should the rights of other members of our society, such
as gays, Jews and any other minorities. It should not be a compromise to
anyone's beliefs to vote for the party that he or she most believes in. At
least the needs of minority groups are being recognised, which is more than
can he said for many other countries in the world.
Karma Jaya-Ratnam,London W1
[Metro Apr20,2005]
Learning to compromise is life in this country
If Muhammad Moosun does not want to indirectly support matters
that contradict his religious beliefs (Metro, Tue), he should leave the country,
because even if he does not vote, his taxes will contribute to those things.
We are so far from the just and fair world we are capable of achieving but
apathy and greed ensures the current status quo.
I cannot stop 11million children dying annually through poverty
or President Bush invading another country but, by voting, I can help
create a world that can. My Islamic faith requires me to work for the greater
good of humanity. I must vote.
Abdurahaman Jafar, London E16
In response to the letter from Muhammad Moosun, I am shocked at his suggestion
that when Muslims vote, they are compromising their heliefs. What Mr Moosun
fails to understand is that he is living in a Western country with its belief
system based on Christianity, not Islam. If we were, then his statements
may he valid. This country is doing everything it can to encourage a
multicultural society. I believe that, by living here, we Muslims need to
adapt to the way of life and accept the many cultures and lifestyles. Doesn't
Islam teach tolarence? Do not encourage others to abstain from voting because
of your own narrow-mindedness.
N Shariff London W1
[Metro Apr21,2005]
Pope was no Nazi
 I was appalled to read your article regarding
Cardinal Ratzinger (Metro, Wed). I found it disgraceful that Metro wrote
about him being a former member of the Hitler Youth without mentioning that
it was compulsory to join it at the time. Not only was Cardinal Ratzinger
forced to join the Hitler Youth, he left the organisation as soon as he possibly
could. He never enrolled inthe Nazi party and, finally, it is a well-known
fact that his farrily and he were strongly anti-Nazi before and during the
war.
Name and address withhe1d
Your article on the new Pope once again highlighted the appalling hypocrisy
of the Catholic Church. Joseph Ratzinger's supporters claim his experiences
under the Nazis convinced him the Church has to stand up for truth and freedom
and yet he describes homosexuality as a 'tendency
towards moral evil'. The real truth is that some people are born homosexual
and should be free to live their lives without bigoted and ignorant comments
like that.
Louie Purday, London SE5
Is the new Pope any relation to the guy who used to play Cliff in the sitcom
Cheers?
J Dar,Cheshire
We shouldn't pontificate over cardinal's sins
So the Pope didn't have any choice but to join the Hitler Youth
(Metro,Thu)?
What about all the thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses who went
to concentration camps rather than go along with a madman like
Hitler? The Catholic Church was quite happy to go along with Hitler, because
Hitler was a Catholic and was until the day he died.
Michael Russell, Bradford
I am appalled that Cardinal Ratzinger became a cardinal in the first place,
having had such a colourful past. His father was a police chief during the
Second World War - did they have a close relationship with the Gestapo? Or
perhaps all his family did what they did because somebody forced them to.
As far as I - concerned, the only people who were forced to do something
are either dead or went to the concentration camps. Everybody else did have
a choice, especially in Germany. The fact is that the Catholic Church did
not oppose either Hitler or Mussolini. It just suits them to forget about
it now.
Name and address withheld
As soon as it was known that the new Pope was German, the media of this country
started the usual Nazi stereotypes again. What a bunch of narrow-minded and
xenophobic island bigots.
Jürgen Flach, London W1
How dare J Dar (Metro, Thu) suggest the new Pope looks like Cliff off Cheers.
More like Tony Hancock, if you ask me...
Greg Bell, London N22
When I saw the, Pope on TV during the news, I thought: "Isn't that the guy
off 'The Vicar Of Dibley?' After looking closely, he does bear a striking
resemblance to Frank Fickle from the show.
Michael Cochrane, Blackpool
[Metro Apr25,2005]
My Comment : I do not think there should be such a fuss made about
one man - nor should he command the moral beliefs of so many - as
for voting - those that explain to Mr Moosun that he is in
the UK and not some other country are correct - however - A Griffiths
slightly misses the point - voting is nothing
to do with religion - or shouldn't be - and so telling
other faiths to vote is almost as misguided as Mr Moosun - voting
is about policies for the country - and this may include moral policies -
that various faiths have various moral outlooks is not in dispute - how they
arrive at them is - being brainwashed with bigoted outlooks by the pope is
not a good idea. Neither is is a good idea for building mosques to be
part of party manifestos - this is how racism starts- those who are White
British are being marginalised - and will resent money being spent on mosques
- policies in general do not allocate funds to build Christian churches -
they have to find their own money - and so should those of the Islamic faith
- why should I vote for anyone who puts funding into mosques?
Such policies are divisive and segregationist and advocate separatism
- much as I am for the individual - multiculturalism is not helped
by government funding of mosques.If JW's went to concentrations
camps rather than support Hitler,one wonders why they
see fit to persecute everyone else,and try and impress their
own beliefs on people,now they are free,
you'd think they'd have learned their lesson. I have to
agree somewhat with Mr Flach - whilst there maybe some reason to question
current movements of those of Islamic faith,seeing as though Britain is fast
becoming narrow-minded by virtue of the likes of Mr Moosun - not all Germans
are or were Nazi's - even so the comments concerning the new pope still leave
questions in one's mind as to whether he was an entirely pertinent choice.
For me,the question is acadmemic - the Catholic faith,along with all the
others is something that only damages mankind - and we'd be well rid of the
whole nasty business.To AA Lucas - I ask this - What if Frances Kissling
happens to be Catholic? She is given Hobson's Choice - that is what is wrong
with faiths - it creates lepers and outlaws and is not inclusive of the
variety of human beings - I despise what faiths teach because of this
and because of the lack of attention to what is TRUE. |
BENEDICT XVI's papacy could be in serious trouble after he revealed
his boss doesn't listen to him. God's representative on Earth says he asked
the Almighty to spare him from the post but 'evidently, He didn't listen
to me'. He was spealking to German pilgrims who gave the first Pope to hail
from their county in centuries a hero's welcome. Speaking in his native German,
Benedict told the audience that, when it became clear he was getting many
votes, a cardinal slipped him a note. It was to remind him about Christ calling
Peter to follow him, even if he didn't want to go. He said he had hoped to
spend his last years living quietly and peacefully, adding: 'I prayed to
God, "Please don't do this to me".' The smiling Pope shook hands with
well-wishers as they chanted: 'Benedict sent from God, Benedict sent from
God.' He then blessed a child offered to him. Despite being considered too
old to become Pope at 78, Benedict took on the Pontlif's role on April 19
after one of the fastest elections in a century. [Metro Apr26,2005]