These are strange days for spiritual belief.
Once upon a time the line was clearly drawn between those who believed in God or not. It was all rather simple. However the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is concerned religion is becoming trivialised in our UK culture, and everything is getting a bit blurry out there – not least in the workplace.
It appears that tribunal lawyers are managing to win cases for aggrieved clients who claim they are victims of religious discrimination. Now, we are not talking about a BA staff member or NHS nurse wearing a cross at work, but, well, someone who believes in the BBC. Yes, you heard that right.
Now, I have to be honest, I have never considered the BBC as a religion, but Devan Maistry, 63, a former employee, insisted that he genuinely believed in the corporation's higher purpose and it had made clear that these were "the values to believe in".
While the Christian Church may have 2,000 years of historical, philosophical and theological reflection behind it, lawyers have successfully put the BBC on the same par, by using just a few paragraphs on the website to make a case. They include its mission to "inform, educate and entertain." Its values include the slogan: "We are the BBC: great things happen when we work together."
And lawyers have not stopped there in their use of the religious discrimination law, claiming protection for other minority groups such as opponents of foxhunting. Though not hunt supporters, I hasten to add.
Whether you have faith or not, I am sure that you will concede that there is a lot of silliness out there. The line to be drawn seems to be almost non-existent when it comes to common sense. The truth is the BBC will never answer the big questions of life. It cannot save you, heal or restore you - however much you may come to adore The Great British Bake Off and Strictly Come Dancing - or even Songs of Praise.
Turn on the TV News and you'll see the many hundreds of thousands of people across the Middle East who are experiencing the cost of real religious discrimination. It is hard not to be moved when we hear of the horror stories of ISIS and how they go from village to village, asking who is Christian and who is Muslim before then beheading or shooting them, depending on their answer.
We have also seen the biggest exodus of refugees since the Second World War and witnessed the bravery of thousands of hungry, ill-equipped families walking the many miles in search of a better life across Eastern Europe. This is the kind of religious discrimination that should take up our time. Real lived out faith costs more than a job. We see this in Jesus who was no stranger to discrimination himself. In fact, it eventually led to his death on a Roman cross in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, I will continue to live by the words found in my Bible: "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
ASD
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