A recent study by criminologist Mark Littler of Manchester University, involved 1200 young people being asked whether they had ever behaved dishonestly or committed any form of crime or, behaved improperly in any way ranging from faking a sick day from work or, failing to pay their fare on public transport to committing serious crimes such as vandalism, assault or burglary.

This group were also asked whether they attended a place of religious worship such as a church, synagogue or mosque and if so, how often. The study found a clear and unequivocal relationship between regular attendance at a place of worship and a lower likelihood of committing offences.

Although I now regard myself as a religious agnostic, I was educated at faith schools and brought up in a religious household. I believe that this background gave me three values; a conscience and an awareness of others needs before my own and a clear sense of the distinction between right and wrong.

That is what my religious upbringing did for me.

Axel,

Others have their opinion as do I. I believe in the power of prayer as I do in the power of hope. Outside of medical science, that is, sometimes, all that we have. When extreme desperation comes in one door, prayer and hope come in thru another.

We can, all of us, atheist and agnostic, pray to an un-named source for help for the life and well being of a sick person. What harm can it do ?

Re 316

ZRX61

Yet again, you are wrong. Empathy played no part. It was religion that was required. It was required because I wasn’t born with an understanding and an appreciation of the three values mentioned. Because of the unique circumstances into which I and millions of others was born – the pre-occupations of WW2 – our parents and our teachers had no time and maybe less inclination to instill moral values and concepts.

And there you have the answer to the central problems affecting society in the early 21st century. There you have the answer to crime, disaffection, selfishness, greed, loneliness and all the many disatisfactions that accompany the way we live our lives.

Separate the God/mystic part of religion from the part that espouses the three values mentioned and others besides, and you have a workable code of practice; a code for living one’s life with some degree of reasonable harmony. Who, to-day, will teach that? Not parents. They, themselves, do not know. Teachers ? They are generally incompetent to teach even basic numeracy and literacy so what chance the ‘three values’ ? As for teaching morality and its nuances? – huh!

So, religion has to be the weapon of last resort. That is a ‘weapon’ with damp powder and no ammunition pre-occupied as it is with ‘women’s rights, ‘women bishops’, ‘homosexual promotion and equality’ and full to the brim with commentators of every rank within the Church advertising their opinions on every subject under the sun apart from those which are the proper concern of the Church; pastoral care and moral example.

So gentlemen, before you unthinkingly rubbish religion, pause a moment. It isn’t just about Heaven and Hell and Purgatory and other practices and ideas which to-day have a flavour of un-acceptability, it is about a moral code; a set of standards and values by which we live our lives and without which, the quality of life at best, is diminished and at worst is intolerable.

The subject of this series of programs is too serious to be the butt of jokes and light hearted banter. This matter strikes at the heart of the civic well being of this Nation. We have to turn it around or the risk of continuing the slide into the anonymity and disgrace of membership of the Third World becomes all too real.

Re 109

I don’t think that anyone who knows of you thru the medium of these Forums, would agree with your self description of you having lost your dignity, self respect and pride. Neither could most of us ever imagine that you live in the kind of undisguised squalor which is such a feature of these programs.

CD (re 110) has it just about right. Even adjusting our perspective for the program makers hyperbole, the fact remains that the ‘stars’ of Benefits St. appear to be living a life of feckless criminality that perhaps has always been around, but now seems to be gaining extra ground and currency, and all without the continuous and vocal public condemnation that at one time past might have been their lot.

Re 115

There may be a lack of accuracy about just who is benefiting by what, when and how. There is no lack of accuracy about the self declared criminality of some of the stars of this show. There is no lack of accuracy when it comes to a very graphic description of the sheer dirt, degradation and squalor of the area inhabited by these same stars who, seemingly lack the awareness and the responsibility to do something about the pig sty they inhabit.

Do you believe that if the economy recovers to the point that jobs suitable for these people become plentiful that there would be a significant uptake? – I don’t.

They are at present, able to subsist perhaps with some difficulty – should it be fags and booze this week or, can I eat properly ? I believe that they are now ‘conditioned’ to live in this manner and until the payment of benefits are linked to some form of civic work of benefit to society, nothing will change.

We all can wring our hands and mouth platitudes till the cows come home. It will mean nothing to those most affected. They do need help – real help, not meaningless soundbites.

Re 7

frankvw

Well, it’s certainly good to know what our masters think of us. I’ll do my best to live up to expectations.