The usefulness of Occam's Razor

Having quietly simmered all week over the gay adoption row currently enlivening the op-ed columns, I think the application of Occam’s Razor is called for.

Let’s peel away the first layer of superfluity: this row takes place within the context of an Act which does not legislate on adoption per se, but on the unacceptable presence of discrimination against lesbian, gay and bi people in the provision of goods and services in general. The Act, and in particular the proposed Regulations, state that, broadly speaking, refusing to offer any service of any kind to anyone on the basis of their sexuality will be illegal. That is the wider context of this particular row.

Applying our honed blade to the next layer, it becomes apparent that the Churches’ choice of Church-based adoption agencies as a stick with which to beat the Act is very deliberate. Adoption is an obviously emotive issue even if you remove the sexuality complication — it involves vulnerable children and all kinds of imaginary threatening demons are being conjured up by using it as the particular locus for discussion. The implication is that predatory people of the worst kind would be able to adopt children if the Act’s provisions removed the Church’s trusty protection of proper values in its own adoption agencies.

Why is the Church arguing on this issue? Is it that they genuinely feel the chalice of religious freedom will be dashed to the ground by the Act? If so, why do they not argue so publicly and ferociously against other laws?

The Razor says: they do not wish to be forced to act impartially towards people of different sexualities, and this is because they are homophobic.

Homophobia is the vein running under everything in this row; it is the vein which sustains the row. The question at issue is whether an organisation should be exempted from having to observe human rights because it is, to a greater or lesser extent, institutionally and traditionally homophobic.

The point of the legislation is that there is no place for homophobia in the ethics of equality. The Churches which raise objections do not do so out of a regard for the welfare of children. Their distaste for gay people is their motivation, and this should not be sanctioned by the law of the land.

tags: [gay] [sexuality] [religion] [rights] [homophobia] [church] [equality]

Info - Orange network down in Belfast!

What a bummer. And there I was, all ready to give them hell for accidentally barring my phone or something. So in case Google reaches this in time for it to be of any use, I’ve just talked to Orange, and they said the network is down in Belfast and will be down for possibly the rest of tonight, but will definitely be restored tomorrow.

Does anyone know how to claim money back from mobile networks in compensation for lost network time?

Lucombe Oak fallen!

Belvoir Forest’s Lucombe Oak (Quercus x hispanica ‘Lucombeana’) has fallen! Peripathetic is told that it was standing yesterday, and we didn’t notice any massively violent winds last night, despite the forecast, but there it is: a very rare and large tree, a shoot from the original Exeter hybrid, lost. :o(

Oh well. Wind, eh?

tags: [trees] [oak] [lucombe] [dendrology]

Miscellany

Did anyone know about Camden Town tube station in London being covered with rather exuberant graffiti over Christmas? I didn't, but the results are... colourful. Can’t say I think they’re art, but I do like it when staid British authority gets sneaked up on and laughed at every now and then. Unless, of course, the taggers in question actually damaged any tiles or fixtures, in which case I’ll ’ave ’em myself!

The BBC has compiled a list of 100 things it didn’t know this time last year. I’m assuming that’s the same as 100 things everyone didn’t know, but looking at some entries I’m not so sure. But they’re diverse — the torrid revelation that most Indian guys find standard condoms too big (can’t say the same), the worrying stat about hospital keyboards and MRSA, ditto cow farts.

Others I definitely did know — the consistency of the brain, coprolalia, cats frightening bears, the medical benefits of music, and that thinking about muscle can make you stronger.

A landscape architecture blog has a magnificent photo of a bit of the new machine inside CERN’s Large Hadron [*] Collider, while ages I posted a photo of a huge cavernous chamber there.

[*] I typed that, first, as Hardon Collider. Heh. Heheheh.

Get all your South Park episodes. And here too. Videos of cool and freaky physical properties here. Finally, if you like rocks and intrigue, read about Cerro Torre.

tags: [london underground] [tube] [weird] [cern] [southpark] [science] [climbing]