The other day the media in the UK made a fuss about how Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were launching a promotion for the UK in Europe.
How did they start this promotion? Not by showcasing our products for one.
The tour started with them driving around Berlin in a Mini. Not the original Mini, manufactured for many years in the UK but in a modern Mini made by that well known manufacturer BMW (I seem to recall they are German).
To add insult to injury, whilst the Mini is presently made in the UK, BMW are planning to move more production to Europe, leaving Oxford simply as the spiritual home of the Mini.
Being the spiritual home of the Mini does nothing for our economy, but promoting it will doubtless help BMW and hence Germany as the home of BMW and also the countries making the Mini, presently Austria produces some models and there will be new production in the Netherlands.
Some will apparently remain in Oxford but I doubt that will last long and the UK will get sidelined as a minor parts supplier soon.
If we are promoting the UK, can we at least do it with a true British product please!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
The Moral Compass
Over recent weeks there appears to be a lot written in the press about where we get our moral guidance from.
As an atheist I find it amazing when Christians claim that moral behaviour is derived from their God and that those who do not follow their religion cannot have morals.
I am sure that those of other religions also claim to have the only true moral guidance, from their religion. These I am less likely to read about as the focus in the UK press tends to be about Christianity, amid claims that this is a Christian country (despite evidence to the contrary).
There are two key problems with these claims, both well known but seemingly ignored by the religious.
Firstly, if what they are saying is true, they are only prevented from committing murder, rape, crime and so on by guidance from their God. The Bible is the guide for Christians and anyone reading it can see that there is much that is immoral by the standards of the majority of right thinking people. We only need to look at the treatment of homosexuality in the Bible and the many references to mass slaughter.
Secondly it is clear that the majority of atheists have good moral standards, something that the religious would claim to be impossible.
Certainly there are good and bad in both camps, but there is no evidence that religion is essential to be moral.
It is about time that religious people stopped trying to claim the high ground on this and accept that moral behaviour is a characteristic of the majority of the human race.
As an atheist I find it amazing when Christians claim that moral behaviour is derived from their God and that those who do not follow their religion cannot have morals.
I am sure that those of other religions also claim to have the only true moral guidance, from their religion. These I am less likely to read about as the focus in the UK press tends to be about Christianity, amid claims that this is a Christian country (despite evidence to the contrary).
There are two key problems with these claims, both well known but seemingly ignored by the religious.
Firstly, if what they are saying is true, they are only prevented from committing murder, rape, crime and so on by guidance from their God. The Bible is the guide for Christians and anyone reading it can see that there is much that is immoral by the standards of the majority of right thinking people. We only need to look at the treatment of homosexuality in the Bible and the many references to mass slaughter.
Secondly it is clear that the majority of atheists have good moral standards, something that the religious would claim to be impossible.
Certainly there are good and bad in both camps, but there is no evidence that religion is essential to be moral.
It is about time that religious people stopped trying to claim the high ground on this and accept that moral behaviour is a characteristic of the majority of the human race.
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