This morning’s Daily Telegraph reports that a couple in Rotherham, acting as foster parents, have had their foster children removed by Rotherham Social Services. Why? Criminal record? – No! Child abuse? – No! Why then? – Because they are members of UKIP which the ignoramuses at Rotherham BC “after careful consideration” (as if!!!) consider to be a racist party. By the way the action was apparently triggered by an anonymous tip off.
You only have to read this blog to know the views I have held about UKIP. I have long believed that it damages the very things it claims to stand for by creating division on the political right. However there is no way I would accuse it of being xenophobic or racist – nor would I consider that membership is a proper concern of the officials of Rotherham BC – or any other public official. This action is of a piece with the Trafford Housing case reported the other day and is further evidence that the Liberal Establishment becomes more Stalinist by the day.
Having said that I am also concerned to read that Lord Carey seemingly wants the Church of England to flout its own constitution to consecrate women bishops in spite of the failure of the Measure to pass Synod this week. More ministers and MPs (nominally Tory ones at that) have also joined in the hysterical outrage and want the Church to change its voting system so as to produce the outcome they want. Shame on them. For what they imagine to be political gain they flout every Conservative principle in the book. I was struck by the comment of a Greek Orthodox priest who says that the Synod members prayed for the guidance of the Holy Spirit but then refused to believe that He had answered their prayer.
St. Paul warned against doing evil that good may follow. In humility let all reflect that the good they wish is only good in their eyes and that God, whose ‘thoughts are not your thoughts’, might see things differently.
PaulJ's bench.......... 