I see Giles is being his usual contrarian self again.
“And this is why Christians should be delighted if, as I hope and expect he will, the Turkish president announces later today that Hagia Sophia will return to being a Mosque. The curse of secularism will be lifted and this holy space will return once again to the praise of Almighty God. Allahu Akbar.”
Platitude of the Day 
His public image these days is one of incessant trolling. On the Moral Maze , he’s introduced as ” priest and polemicist,” a description I presume of his own making.
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Giles chooses to define secularism in purely negative terms: a deliberate attempt to drive God out of the public domain. It isn’t, of course: it is aimed at separating religion from the the state and its institutions, so that nobody is discriminated against because of their religion or lack of one. It doesn’t mean suppressing religion, simply removing religious privilege.
What would the antithesis of Giles’s definition imply? The insertion of God and religion into every aspect of society, to an extent that would take us right back to the pre-Enlightenment, and permanent discrimination against non-believers. But that’s well over 50% of the population, these days; and most of that number have arrived at their lack of belief through their own efforts, not because they’ve been indoctrinated by wicked atheists. Giles is cross because most people don’t buy his theological nostrums any more. That is mainly because they are, literally, unbelievable.
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I’ve seen on Twitter how, when he’s called out for simultaneously holding two of his multitude of clearly contradictory and absurd positions (such as the notion that Christians and Muslims worship the exact same deity) – usually by other Christians – and is backed into a corner, he simply keeps doubling-down, because of course it’s not all about objective facts for him, it’s all about his feelings, and that he’s some kind of all-conquering pious warrior who can claim victory for his piety simply by dismissing facts, even in the teeth of them.
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It’s not inconceivable that Giles could become a Muslim. He’d find a way to maintain a reverence for Mr Jesus whilst indulging in an obsession for rituals & prayers. Maybe he’d get there via Roman Catholicism.
He’s such a contrarian that he’d switch faiths if someone double-dared him not to.
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Agree.I think he’s shown he’s capable of doing just about anything that would draw attention to himself.
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I wonder what Giles thinks his god thinks of the building that was originally a church that became a mosque then a museum and now a mosque again? Did he prefer the Christian prayers or the Islamic ones? Or did he actually prefer the museum?
On a similar theme, what does Giles think will happen to all the C of E churches that lie at the centre of villages and towns around the country when no one goes to them any more? In lots of places all over the country there are Methodist, Baptist and other churches that are now homes, mosques, temples or even pubs like the Pitcher and Piano in Nottingham. They aren’t special places filled with god’s spirit, they are just buildings. There are 4 churches in my local C of E group but I don’t think they have many parishioners. I am worried that the C of E is starting to ask for government or even lottery funding to keep them standing which I would vigorously oppose.
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Yes, PaulT, the poor building must be getting confused having been subjected to magical chanting to make it Christian then other magical words to convert it to Islam then other magic words to remove the magic when it was decommissioned.
Now they’re going to muck about with it again!
They shouldn’t be doing this – buildings have rights, ya know.
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Most CofE churches a very old buildings that would be very difficult to re-purpose. Most Methodist chapels are around a hundred years old and are basically just a rectangular brick shed. I have seen them being used as a joiner’s workshop where at least Mr. Jesus would feel at home in.
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If you fancy one, they’re asking £450,000:
http://fishergerman.reapitcloud.com/fsgrps/pdf.php?p=CHS170009
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Nice building which …
… is suitable for a variety of alternative uses,
subject to planning and listed building consent,
including:
• worship by other Christian bodies;
• concert hall/museum;
• educational purposes;
• residential;
• leisure use;
• light industrial; or
• office.
But apparently not a mosque … worship by other christian bodies only.
How about a Marie Stopes clinic or a LBGT Social Centre?
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Narcissism is the ‘de rigueur’ spirit of the moment. Giles is Britain’s aspiring Trump. I am a BBC fan except for it’s grovelling debasement to “belief’. I blame Lord Reith.
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