Pick’n'Mix: the 21st century approach to religious affiliation

In Steve Bruce’s 1995 book, ‘Religion in modern Britain: from cathedral to cult’, he wrote about how the British were not becoming any less ‘religious’ but were instead moving to a place where they picked and choosed the parts of ‘religion’ that appealed to them most. Dubbed the pick’n'mix approach to religiosity, it was seen to herald a move away from institutionalised forms of religion to those that were more diversified and increasingly privatised.

Others have since picked up on this shift. Jeremy Hardy for instance in The Guardian back in 2001 offered a more cynical reading:

When is a ‘terrorist’ not a ‘terrorist’? When they’re an Irish Republican ‘dissident’

Following the attacks on two British Army soldiers and a Policeman in Northern Ireland this week, I have been intrigued by the choice of language used to describe those committing such atrocities. At no time have I heard the term ‘terrorist’ used despite the actions of the perpetrators seemingly falling into the remit of ‘terrorism’. Throughout, those involved have been referred to as ‘dissidents’.

According to the Chambers Online Dictionary, a ‘dissident’ is:

someone who disagrees publicly, especially with a government

I guess that the Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) or Real Irish Republican Army (IRA) would disagree publicly with the British Government but killing three in as many days probably goes beyond a mere public disagreement.

In Search of the Great British Dream

This month’s chunk of Birmingham Post-lite (published 13th November 2008).

I celebrated the end of the Dubya era by watching a special screening of Oliver Stone’s, “W”. Stone could have easily pilloried George W., yet he prefers to present an image of the 43rd US President that is both amusing and frightening: someone whose qualities, character and life you’d dismiss were it not something that we had all lived through. Angry, aggressive and overly envious – as equally uncultured, boorish and coarse, natch – “W” presents a driven and extremely patriotic man who not only wanted to exorcise his own demons but those of his father also.

With Dubya’s demise, came the euphoria of Barack Obama’s overwhelming victory. Feeling much the same as I did in 1997 when Labour came to victory with an equally impressive victory, I hoped that the same sense of disappointment I feel now about Labour does not mirror how I’ll feel a decade on. Mr O, please take note.

Some of those feeling the greatest hope at Obama’s win have been African-Americans. Their expectation was most eloquently voiced by the rapper Jay-Z: ‘Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King could walk. Martin

This Week I’ve…(10th November 2008)

This week I’ve…

…watched Oliver Stone’s “W: the improbable President”

…listened to Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas”

…read Jeremy Paxman’s ‘The English’ (still at it – bear with me)

…laughed at my step-dad Ron (see below) who seems to be getting funnier as he gets older

…despaired at Harry thinking that ‘Run DMC’ had the same name as his grand-dad (‘RON’ DMC…!!!)

…had hope about Barack Obama’s victory in the US elections

…been completely random about Christopher Marlowe, Bono and Lucretius amongst others (for context, click here – this is what I’m attempting !!!)

Interested in what I’ve been doing previously…??? Then click here…

W: Dubya, the Improbable President

To mark last night’s momentous US elections, I was given the opportunity to preview Oliver Stone’s forthcoming biopic on the life of former US president, “W”.

The film is far from flattering but at the same time far from being an all-out ‘shock and awe’ attack on Dubya the man. Flashing back and forth between his early life and his first term in office, the film presents an image of a man whose early life lacked any real direction and meaning, been played out in the shadow of a former president former war hero father, a more academically minded and capable brother, and a variety of former presidents that he either wanted to emulate (Reagan) or wholly despised (Clinton). In one particular scene, whilst eating a sandwich and speaking with his mouth full – a recurrent image throughout the film – Dubya is shown bragging to Dick Cheney about how his running time has improved since the Afghanistan invasion and how it is far better than that of Clintons.