It's OK not to believe!
Secular Humanist Society Gibraltar
Press Release #6
Tue, 28th July 2015
SHSG APPOINT NEW MEDIA LIAISON OFFICER AHEAD OF SAME SEX-MARRIAGE SHOWDOWN
Terence Mustoe is an atheistic free thinker who has a passion for equality in the face of religious interference in the law, government and the public square.
Among the aims of the SHSG the one he is particularly keen to promote, as a priority, is the presumption that Gibraltar is a secular state guaranteeing human rights, with no privilege or discrimination on grounds of religion or belief. Clearly he believes there is some work to be done in this regard.
When interviewed he stated:
“One might ask what sort of work I have in mind, I shall expand. As I see it the burning issue of the moment is the matter of same sex marriage and the pursuit of genuine equality for all citizens of Gibraltar. To my mind, regardless of the arguments against the proposition, I see the root objections based firmly in religious belief, in other words religious factions attempting to enforce their faith based views on everyone, even non-believers, therefore attempting to enjoy an undeserved privilege while attempting to discriminate against fellow citizens on the grounds of religion or belief.”
When pressed on what this means in reality he answered:
“Once upon a (not too distant) time ago those who opposed the abolition of slavery also did so on religious grounds, citing the Bible as their mandate for doing so, with some ‘justification’ I might add, as their Bronze Age book clearly not only advocated, condoned and supported the practice, but also prescribed the means by which their fellow human beings should be beaten and to what extent, (within the religious law of course) even St Paul had something to say on the matter.
Does this mean I think those who now oppose same sex marriage hanker for the return of the days of slavery? Of course not (well I hope not) however, had they been there at the time, one has to wonder which view they might have taken in an historical context? As we might rightly now regard slavery as a vile practice today and its supporters as being both bigoted and wrong, how then shall we view those who now oppose genuine equality on the matter of same sex marriage on the grounds of irrational dogma in the coming years? Hopefully they will be seen as the intellectual dinosaurs they clearly are.”
But, we asked, do you feel same sex marriage might devalue traditional marriage which underpins our society?
Terence replied: “Same sex marriage will not undermine Western civilisation, it will not corrupt the young nor will it lead to the degradation of public life or hurt anyone else, it will however remove another plank of wholly undeserved authority from religious godfathers - and this my friends is the real reason they oppose it with such venom, disguised as it might be in pseudo rationale and legalese.
For myself I have no axe to grind with anyone of faith as long as that faith remains a private matter, does not enter the public square or attempt to legislate for those of other faiths or indeed those of no faith. One might think that having a sincere faith would make them happy, sadly not, they can’t be happy until other peoples children, other peoples interests, lifestyles, governments and private lives pay homage to it too.”
But aren’t you being a bit harsh on those who teach religious values?
“Of course I am; all this opposition to equality helps promote the comfortable lives and enhances the authority of a richly undeserving clergy, those very people (mostly elderly men) who might offer us the unfounded promise of a wonderful next life in a mythical heaven, even though they personally appear rather more interested in the advantages of this world, the only world we actually know we have and they will rob us of even that given half a chance. They don’t deal in salvation or well being, they deal in self interest, power and authority.
The historic, recent and current history of the Catholic Church does not inspire confidence in their ability or even their right to have an opinion on matters concerning human relationships, after all what would a collection of middle aged religious virgins know about human physical love?”
To learn more about the SHSG, it’s aims and intents. Please visit :
https:www.facebook.com/groups/shsgib/
email: info@shsgib.org