Oh dear. It turns out I’m in favour of the marginalisation of religion in public life. People talk about this as though it’s a bad thing. But I’ve had a decent think about what I’m in favour of and — hmm, bit of a surprise —it’s definitely that.
Take gay marriage. Support it, don’t support it, what do I give a damn? I think it’s wrong to be against it, as it happens, both logically and morally, but if you aren’t indulging in actual hate crimes, then that’s your business, not mine. Or rather, it should be. But for some reason, when you’re a church, it isn’t. And it’s annoying.
You’ll have heard about this letter, which was read out in every Catholic place of worship last Sunday, which railed against coalition plans to let chaps marry other chaps? Of course you have. We all have. It was a very big deal. But why? I literally do not know a single person who was in a Catholic church on Sunday to hear it. No, wait, that’s not true. There was a woman from work who wrote an article about it; I know her. But that’s it. So why do I have to care? So, the Catholic church has issues with gay marriage? Fine. Why is this my problem? Indeed, why is it anybody’s problem, except for theirs?
Hold that one, and consider St Paul’s. A bunch of folk camp outside a cathedral, as a protest against inequality. Or City greed. Or something. A bit incoherent, sure, but a timely debate. But then the Church (a different church this time) gets involved. There follows agonised editorials, resignations, priestly hand-wringing and all the rest of it. Suddenly nobody is talking about the City any more.
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