No religion on the census

As my regular leader will testify, I like to tackle religious issues on a Sunday and none more topical than one that also involves the forthcoming census!

The British Humanist Association - of whom it has frequently been said "Who?" - is running an advertising campaign to tell people who aren't religious to say so on the census. You can even go their web site and sign a pledge. Wowza!...

The theology think tank Theos has criticised the campaign as 'misconceived' and 'unnecessary'.

The BHA was forced to change its original campaign slogan 'If you’re not religious, for God’s sake say so’, after the Committee of Advertising Practice advised that it could cause "widespread" and "serious" offence. The campaign is targetted at people who might tick the 'Christian' box in answer to the question 'What is your religion?', even though they are not practising Christians and would not normally go to church.

Now, let's put this in perspective :

I'm not religious and I don't go to church. In fact, I despise organised religions although I'm not an atheist. I might be a bit on the agnostic side, but only because my concept of God and an afterlife doesn't include heaven and hell and a man with a big white beard. I do, however, believe in the principals of Christianity so would most likely describe myself as christian (note the small 'c') even though I don't believe Christ was the son of God.

I'm not easily offended, and certainly cannot see how the wording of this advertisement could possiby cause widespread and serious offense to anyone with a brain bigger than the size of a pea.

I'm also not stupid. I do not need some half baked moron to tell me what to fill in on a census form.

I do however agree with one statement made by these idiots - this campaign is absolutely unnecessary! Especially as the question about religion is clearly marked 'optional'...