Rule of law

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7232661.stm

The above is an interesting statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury, England. I am a confirmed secularist and so do not agree with the proposition that religions should be permitted to over ride the rule of law. BUT I do agree that the rule of law should accommodate religious observances and loyalties, or for that matter other loyalties as well, as long as the exercise of these practices does not impose on another’s liberty or harm anyone else.

It's like weddings, in order to be legally married in the UK, you must be married according to the legal requirements, but there is no law stopping you (and I would fight any such law) having a religious ceremony.(The only problem is that a wedding in the Church of England is automatically a legal marriage, I believe and so that’s not a true secular position, but then there is of course the history of the Church and the law in England and so there are problems, with this whole aspect of the secular theory.)

In general I do not think you can have a working multicultural society where sections of the society live in isolated communities each complying with their own religious "laws" there must be an over riding rule of law which all members of society must comply with, but that rule of law must allow for people to comply with religious practices or any other loyalties they may have.

To say that individuals can not have more than one loyalty for example to their faith, their country or their whatever is patronizing. Individuals are complex and that’s the joy of living in a multicultural/liberal society, as an individual you can express your various loyalties without limit, subject to the limit not to harm and impose yourself on another of course.

I do not want to defined by just one thing be that my religion, my political affiliation, my job, my sexual orientation, my ethnicity or my nationality, I am a complex person who has many loyalties and interests and I know that I am not the only one. Jigna