Mione Goldspink's article for the Bishop's Stortford Flyer December 2015
Local Matters with Mione Goldspink
I was saddened to see the resignation of the young Conservative District Councillor so
soon after his election in May. As an atheist he felt most uncomfortable when Christian
prayers were said at the beginning of the Full Council meetings, so he proposed a
motion that this practice should be discontinued. After a short debate this motion was
overwhelmingly defeated. None of the speakers attempted to understand Cllr
McNeece's genuine discomfort and none of them showed any willingness to reconsider
the practice. If he had been a Jew or a Muslim I am sure that more conciliation would
have been shown. I am not an atheist, I am a Christian. Three of the world's great
religions - Judaism, Islam and Christianity (all with a common history before Abraham)
share some common instructions - that we should worship God and that we should
deal kindly with our fellows. Some of our fellows are atheists and agnostics, and I
believe that we should treat them all with respect, with kindness and with courtesy.
There have been other problems about religion reported in the local press. There has
been a fuss over the annual Shoe Box Appeal - the Samaritans Purse, and Operation
Christmas Child. Shoe boxes have been filled with little gifts and sent to poor
disadvantaged children in developing countries. They are sent as Christmas Gifts by
loving, generous people. The controversy is about a comic book, which it was claimed
sometimes accompanies the boxes, and the newspaper writer claimed that this
booklet stated that we are all sinful and that the punishment for sin is death. I was
horrified by this report, so I looked on the website and was completely unable to find
any support for this story. Instead I found a jolly little cartoon book which tells a little of
the Christmas story. I would be perfectly happy to read this book to any child.
Religion can be a dangerous force. Many horrible wars have been fought in the name
of religion. There were the Crusades. In the Middle Ages heretics and witches were
burnt. In our own country Protestants and Catholics have fought and killed each other
in Tudor Times, and perpetrated dreadful acts of torture and barbarity. Now in modern
times ISIS has arisen as a cruel perversion of Islam. I am writing this just after the
horrific shootings, explosions and killings in Paris. Innocent civilians have been
slaughtered by fanatics who are unwilling to share the world with people of different
views. We are all appalled and upset. Our leaders need understanding and wisdom as
they attempt to find solutions to these incredibly complex problems. Christians will pray
in private and in Churches for everyone who has been touched by these awful events.
The message of Christmas is "May Love, Hope and Peace come to all mankind". I truly
pray that this will happen.
Mione Goldspink. (Chairman Bishop's Stor9ord Liberal Democrats).
email: mionegoldspink@hotmail.com