Religious stuff on a Sunday evening

Rowan Williams

Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, pours scorn upon UK Prime Minister David Cameron's economic policies in a new book, Faith in the Public Square. He also blasts the march of consumerism and thinks Muslim loyalty ought to reside in "the nation state" rather than "the international Muslim community". The Archbishop refers to Cameron’s “big society” austerity policies as “aspirational waffle...designed to conceal a deeply damaging withdrawal of the state from its responsibilities to the most vulnerable". Williams also expresses his frustration with the West's “rampant materialism and unquestioning pursuit of economic growth.” He is also very critical of the Iraq invasion and overspending on the military. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/23/archbishop-canterbury-rowan-williams-book

On the subject of Archbishops, Christine James is the first woman ever to become Archdruid in Wales and she will lead the 2013 National Eisteddfod ceremonies next year: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18563191 

Christine James - first woman Archdruid of Wales

And Booker Prize-winning author, Hilary Mantel, on why she thinks Catholicism "is not a religion for respectable people"...despite being raised Roman Catholic and educated at a convent school. The 59-year old writer said child abuse scandals involving Roman Catholic priests demonstrated the "cruelty and hypocrisy" of the church. She said of the paedophilia scandals: “The fact that it could happen, the extent of the denial, the cover-up, the hypocrisy, the cruelty... When I was a child I wondered why priests and nuns were not nicer people. I thought that they were amongst the worst people I knew. But in a cold-blooded way, as a writer I’ve had full value from Catholicism - I can say that. It’s a great training in doubleness - this looks like bread but it is actually a man’s body, this looks like wine but it’s actually blood. And that’s very much a writer’s way of thinking - she comes in and says good morning, but she means damn you to hell.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9262955/Hilary-Mantel-Catholic-Church-is-not-for-respectable-people.html

Hilary Mantel