And as a committed atheist, I told them I took great offence at that, and I would be complaining to the authorities.
No, of course I didn't! I took their condolences in the spirit in which they'd been offered. As any normally-balanced person would.
But I can understand the actions of these midwives:
Senior midwife Jenny Collins, from Colchester Hospital University NHS Trust, said: 'We are not happy about the use of the word "angel" on a card in the bag giving information about Whisperer because we suspect that it has the potential to offend some parents at what is an extraordinarily difficult and sensitive time for them.What they are worried about, of course, is not the fear of offending anyone.
'Not all religions believe in angels and secular people certainly do not.'
They are worried about the legions of busybodies and professional grievance-mongers taking them to court. Them. Not the well-meaning Whisperers group. But the NHS.
Which is why passing useless and sledgehammer legislation causes more problems down the line, by encouraging the 'You have a right never to be offended, and if you are, it's someone's fault, and they should pay!' attitude.
So it would be nice to see the ConDems repealing it, wouldn't it?
Surely at some stage if everyone just said "fuck this, I'm not playing your stupid games anymore" and ignored all the busybodies then the legal system would just fall over and the coalition would be forced to can all this nonsense.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, everyone is too scared to do anything, so now we have people who truly believe that the word angel is going to offend someone who has just lost their baby.
For fuck's sake, I think they'll have bigger things to worry about, and if they are offended then fuck 'em anyway for being so utterly evil and heartless, karma will take care of them anyway.
This needs to stop and only individuals can stop it.
'They arranged a service of rememberance...'
ReplyDeleteJulia, I think you mean 'remembrance' - one of the many tragic side-effects of atheism is the inability to spell this word.
However, I do agree with your sentiments and also those of the splendidly robust Timdog.
i am not religious in any way shape or form, due to a severe heart abnormality our 1st son was 'born an angel' in 2008, i have always called him an angel it's just a nicer way of referring to him not being here than saying the dreaded 'dead baby' or 'stillborn' because personally i don't like those 'labels', we have a little Angel bouncing round the clouds. so my reference to the term 'angel' isn't a religious one.
ReplyDeleteplenty of things regarding certain people and their so called religions that offend me but like everyone else i just have to get on with it.
Seek, and ye shall find, Julia.
ReplyDeleteKnock, and the door shall be opened unto you.
Seek, and ye shall find, Julia. Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.
ReplyDeleteSorry for double post. It keeps doing that. It is getting on my nerves now.
ReplyDeleteSome militant atheist was on Radio 2 yesterday trying to defend this while not insulting the Angel lady.
ReplyDeleteHe had no argument whatever except to keep repeating that 'perhaps 1 in a hundred' "might take great offence" to which she responded that, like anon above, she took offence at being labelled the "bereaved parent of a dead baby"..
Likewise AP, I am not religious at all but went along with due process following the death of both my mum and dad because courtesy requires it.
"Surely at some stage if everyone just said "fuck this, I'm not playing your stupid games anymore" and ignored all the busybodies then the legal system would just fall over..."
ReplyDeleteProblem is, most people don't. They keep their heads down.
It's the British reticence - try this in rather more hot-blooded countries and expect to stand in the smoking remains of you office, saying 'Wha' happen?'
"Julia, I think you mean 'remembrance' - one of the many tragic side-effects of atheism is the inability to spell this word."
D'oh! Can't even blame the iPhone for that one.
In fact, can't blame the iPhone in future, now it has spellcheck!
"...plenty of things regarding certain people and their so called religions that offend me but like everyone else i just have to get on with it."
Indeed. If only everyone went back to the old definition of tolerance...
"Sorry for double post. It keeps doing that. "
Yes, Google's been playing up a bit lately.
"Some militant atheist was on Radio 2 yesterday trying to defend this while not insulting the Angel lady."
Oooh, I missed that!
Very true.
ReplyDeleteI think atheist parents are the least likely to get annoyed by things like this. It's far more likely that Muslims and Christians will be offended if an atheist group handed the parents a card saying "It's dead. Get over it."
Can't blame the atheists really. Just look at all the attention the Mohammedans have got from this strategy.
ReplyDeleteBetter watch out when I say 'Bless you' when someone has either sneezed or been kind to me...
Indeed, I think it's absurd that anyone would object to offending and insulting the parents of stillborn children. If you can't insult the highly vulnerable in the hours immediately after they've lost a child, who can you insult? It is our God-given right to offend these so-called "parents" and no NHS busybody can take that away from us.
ReplyDelete"If you can't insult the highly vulnerable in the hours immediately after they've lost a child, who can you insult?"
ReplyDeleteThere is, of course, no intention to offend or insult whatsover.
But why should that stop those perpetually seeking out offence, and those utterly terrified that they may somehow facilitate that?
It is, after all, the God-given right to take offence, and feel that delicious thrill at having mortified and upset someone seeking only to do you a kindness, isn't it?
I get the impression that what actually happened is that Jenny Collins advised them (quite rightly) that they shouldn't use the word "angels", AND proposed a safer alternative, this group asked for their members' opinions on their Facebook page, and it was moving quite happily toward a non-controversial resolution, until the gutter press weighed in and presented it as a Christians Are Being Persecuted story. Which in reality, it never was. It was just a well-meaning group who naively thought "angel" was uncontroversial, and an NHS staffer pointing out that it could be and suggesting a perfectly good alternative. It takes some sort of evil genius (the sort you have to be to work for the Daily Mail) to turn that into the bizarre, only-tenuously-connected-to-reality, rabble-baiting story it became.
ReplyDelete"...this group asked for their members' opinions on their Facebook page, and it was moving quite happily toward a non-controversial resolution, until the gutter press weighed in and presented it as a Christians Are Being Persecuted story. "
ReplyDeleteWell, except for the fact that the founder of the group gave the interview, you might have been right.
"It takes some sort of evil genius (the sort you have to be to work for the Daily Mail) to turn that into the bizarre, only-tenuously-connected-to-reality, rabble-baiting story it became."
An evil genius? Or someone scared stiff of the 'I've a human right to be offended and create merry hell' brigade?
The Daily Mail, "scared stiff of the 'I've a human right to be offended and create merry hell' brigade"? That's hilarious, considering that the IAHRTBOACMHB doesn't actually exist outside the Daily Mail's imagination.
ReplyDelete"The Daily Mail, "scared stiff of the 'I've a human right to be offended and create merry hell' brigade"? That's hilarious..."
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed. The 'someone' that I was referring to was the Trust, however.
And yes, they most certainly do run scared of such loons. Because it miught cost them money.
"considering that the IAHRTBOACMHB doesn't actually exist outside the Daily Mail's imagination."
Without such people, most MSM and local papers wouldn't exist for long.