The BHA (British Humanist Association) has issued a Press Release today regarding the way the UK government has been well and truly stitched up by the catholic church (side note, spelling that in lower case got me tossed off a discussion board the other day for the crime of “disrespect”). As you might (or might not) recall, the Pope (the elderly chap who wears a dress and white hat), came to the UK for a visit last year. So who picks up the bill? Not him apparently, and I’m not sure how he pulled that scam, perhaps by claiming poverty, ah yes that would indeed be a credible argument (not).
Anyway, the new information we now have is that millions has been paid towards the spiralling costs of the Papal visit out of UK government budgets. This was sourced by diverting crucial funds, including cash from foreign aid budgets, that had been designated for helping some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
The BHA Press Release comments …
It is irrational and wrong for government to say that the money was paid to recognise the work that the Catholic Church does overseas as an NGO – questionable in itself – when the money was used to fund the state visit. Most people, including Christians, did not think that the British taxpayer should pay for the Pope’s visit in the first place, and many will be astonished to see the detrimental impact that this illegitimate use of public funds has already made.’
Sigh! … this is one of those moments when I can only utter a long complex collection of well-known anglo-saxon phrases to describe my feelings about all this.
The full BHA Press release can be found by clicking here.
The BBC also has the story here. The good news from the BBC link is that its being challenged by MP’s who are demanding to know why this was done (yea). The UK’s “Independent” newspaper also ran the story here. (double yea). Its important to throw a light on all this and highlight how taxpayer funds are being abused for the benefit of wicked religious cults like this one.
The Age of Blasphemy 