Tectonic Plates

When the Deputy Prime Minister told us last autumn that tectonic plates were shifting, did he know something we didn’t? I don’t think so. Not even the most dedicated conspiracy theorist would ascribe to honest John Prescott such powers of prescience. He was, of course, describing the internal power struggle for the Labour Party leadership which has reached a new intensity. Given the distasteful spectacle of the two most powerful politicians in the land slugging it out while the nation mourns hundreds of British victims of the tsunami, many thousands of local victims and millions whose lives are ruined, it is not surprising there are those who say Prescott would be a better Prime Minister than either of them.

Mankind’s trivial pursuits pale into insignificance beside the destructive power of nature. No human intervention could have prevented it. But does that make mankind a slave to nature? Not a bit of it. The victims were of many faiths - and none. Does that make us give up on God? Has He given up on us? Does it prove there is no God? Absolutely not.

Nature has always been wasteful of human life. That is the human condition. From the spontaneous, natural discard of millions of fertilized human eggs, to the tragedy of AIDS and the havoc of malaria, drought, hunger and war, those of us with faiths are challenged to use our human powers to move onwards and upwards. We shall overcome – with the help of science. Science must be given its head – within acceptable boundaries decided by our elected representatives in Parliament. Science will not stop tsunamis, but it could well predict them and save as many lives as are saved by vaccination.

Another tectonic plate shifted under the BBC recently. When Auntie is at her best in news, current affairs, music and drama – she is unbeatably world class. But filming a stage show (which people have chosen to pay to see) which will give offence to millions of Christians, especially at Christmas-tide and when millions are mourning and praying, is about as crass as it gets. This was not BBC drama. It was not public service broadcasting. It was a commercial decision to win market share. It was giving unwarranted status to a sordid, dehumanising TV show.

I did not watch it. I don’t mind if you did – and I don’t want to ban it. Faith and tolerance will prevail. People can sneer at other people’s faith in our country – and not get shot or worse. But I’m blowed if I see why we should all pay for them to abuse us. And if the combined intellectual judgment of the BBC Governors and programme makers is that “Jerry Springer –The Opera” was worth it, then they shouldn’t be surprised if some of us beg to differ. If it’s a market place they want, roll on pay-per-view!

Robert Key MP
9th January 2005