Cardinal joins anti-poverty rally

[T_i_B]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4623579.stm

The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales will lead a march against poverty ahead of the G8 summit.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor said the rally, linked to Live 8, was a real chance to encourage fairer trade and highlight debt in the developing world.

The protest is aimed at pressuring the G8 leaders, meeting at Gleneagles on 6 July, to write off third world debt.

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said the "moral awakening" about the issue was the greatest since the 18th century campaign to end slavery.

[fasttense]

1. What do you know, a religious leader putting into action

what Christ actually said.

[T_i_B]

2. And here's another one

It's just that the media (as well as the secular left) would rather ignore any attempt by the Church to create a fairer society.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1514974,00.html

The Church of England demanded last night that the government stop its forced removal of asylum seekers to troubled Zimbabwe.

The call came as a cabinet rift over this emotive issue threatened to widen, with ministers understood to have expressed profound concerns about the government returning people to a country whose President, Robert Mugabe, is under attack for abuses of human rights.

The Church's call for the government to act was unusual. 'There is suffering and danger facing those asylum seekers deported to Zimbabwe,' said a spokesman.

'The situation there demands a compassionate response from our government and an urgent reassessment of their policy.'

[trotsky]

3. I think the "secular left" gets rather perturbed

at the selective ways "the Church" chooses to fight for a "fairer society."

[T_i_B]

10. So Debt relief for Africa is somehow bad...

...simply because it is supported by the Church?

I guess the Iraq war must have been a good thing then, as that was opposed by the Catholic Church. :eyes: Ditto the ethnic cleansing of Robert Mugabe, which the Church also has spoken out against.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4629193.stm

[trotsky]

12. I said *selective*.

Sure, the Iraq War was opposed. Yet Ratz supported Bush over Kerry.

Debt relief for Africa is great. Telling them they can't use condoms or birth control is stupid.

:eyes: indeed.

[beam me up scottie]

4. What do you want?

A ticker tape parade?

Most of us on the "secular left" also do our share to "create a fairer society" WITHOUT a book/preacher telling us to so or expecting recognition now or rewards in the afterlife.

[T_i_B]

9. Actually it will be a parade!

I case you haven't noticed, that is the form most demonstrations take!

And I don't see why Clergy should not be out there calling for a fairer society too do you?

[beam me up scottie]

13. Of course they should be

but I don't think they should get any more credit than anybody else.
Isn't that sort of their job ?
The rest of you are the ones going the extra mile.

[onager]

5. You MUST be in Britain...

The American media never misses a chance to pimp the wonders of religion. And if they have to re-invent the story to work in the Jesus angle, they will.

BTW, I love the irony of a Cardinal--in his shiny red ballroom gown, his huge gold crucifix, and his kissable ring--going to an anti-poverty rally.

[beam me up scottie]

7. Why do you hate

god ?

[onager]

8. I don't...

...not any more than I hate the Easter Bunny, at least.

[Taxloss]

6. I wouldn't call the front page of the Observer

being ignored by the secular Left.

[T_i_B]

11. Religious leaders make plea to Blair on G8

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/06/28/uplea.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/06/28/ixportaltop.html

Senior religious figures have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, urging him to press for a radical commitment to help the world's poorest countries when he chairs next week's G8 summit.

The letter is signed by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks, chairman of the Council of Mosques and Imams Sheikh Zaki Badawi and Free Churches Moderator David Coffey.

It is the first time the faith leaders have spoken together publicly since their statement in March 2003 calling for peace ahead of the Iraq War.

Today's letter urged all the leaders gathering in Perthshire to use their power to meet the internationally-agreed Millennium Development Goals of halving extreme poverty and cutting infant mortality by two-thirds by 2015.