Love Will Tear Us Apart

It doesn't say much about me really that the thing that initially attracted me to this programme was the Joy Division soundtrack that I came across while channel hopping. The gist is the same as usual - lots of santimonious people prophesizing doom for the Anglican Church if it lets its vicars get married - sorry, enter into Civil Partnerships - because it says so "very clearly" in Leviticus (the bit that doesn't talk about not eating seafood, wearing more than one type of material at any given time, and sacrificing doves after your period.) In the meantime, Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London who looks a bit like John Peel, threw all his toys out of the pram and sacked a vicar for being honest about his sexuality (hmm, telling the truth clearly an alien concept in the Anglican Church). Two things irritate me about all this. (Actually, a lot of things irritate me about this, but I'll stick to two for now.) The first is that it says a lot of things in the Bible, and I would think that, given the state of our world at the moment, dog-collared blokes engaging in a bit of bum sex is the least of our worries. Apparently this is "a fundamental issue". At least, it is according to the two old men who appeared periodically throughout the programme forecasting destruction and plunges into the fires of hell etc, who looked a bit like characters from a Two Ronnies sketch, but I can think of some far more fundamental issues we should be contending with at the moment. Off the top of my head, there's that little skirmish that's been going on in Iraq for the past couple of years, not to mention the threat of a nuclear holocaust. Oh, and world hunger. But I guess we should really put all that on hold while we all have a go at the "gays". The second thing I find a bit odd is this doom-and-gloom, oh-no-the-church-might-split-what-on-earth-will-become-of-it melodrama. Now, it's not like the church hasn't split before, is it? In fact, you lot whining on about this only came to exist in the first place because a fat bloke wanted a divorce and had a bit of a barney with the Pope over it. Now I like to think we've moved on s bit since the 16th century so I'm not advocating a good old rape and pillage and general destruction of St Michael's Camden or All Souls Langham Place (depending on which side you're on, and at any rate I think you'd get in a fair bit of trouble with English Heritage these days as most of those building are listed), but if the church does split, is it really the end of the world? No. No, it isn't, is it? Now I believe it was Homelessness Sunday this week, so grow up, get up off your arses and do something useful. Or, dare I say it, Christian.

Thank you.

Talking of religion, I have just stumbled across this on the BBC website and can't quite understand why You, The Public have voted Thomas a Becket your second Most Hated Briton. After Jack the Ripper. Not much comparison, really. Actually, I'm amazed You, the Public have even heard of him, and that might be the explanation. Maybe You thought You were voting for David Beckham. Either way, I can think of a few other historical figures who are probably more worthy of your dislike than him. Henry VIII, for example. General Haig? Oswald Mosely? Enoch Powell? Or, dare I say, Thatcher?

***

I came across a job today which I almost applied for. Then I noticed that, in amongst the blurb about how "you will be an ambassador for the university, and should maintain its high standards and reputation at all times" they had consistently spelt "its" incorrectly.