Nice to see the world moving on...

[Whickerman]

Actually, that title is sarcasm

Have a look at this report. The wife of Northern Ireland's First Minister, (Peter "no i wouldn't go see the republic's football team as they have some coloureds in there now" Robinson) (source - Sunday Times, 8-6-08) is Mrs.Iris Roinson. She is a Born-again Christian, and member of the ultra Protestant DUP.

She is quoted as stating during a BBC interview that homosexuality is "disgusting, nauseous, loathsome, shamefully wicked and vile", and offered to put gay people in touch with a psychiatrist who would help make them heterosexual...

Given that she is entitled to her view - for the record, so am i and it's my view that she's a bigoted moron - should she keep the position she holds as the DUP's health spokesperson?

If politics and religious belief can't be separated, should the person concerned hold political office?

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/vile-g ays-need-help-to-change-insists-dup-leaders-wi fe-1401325.html

[tranmerekid]

yes it was not long ago the ira were blowing proddy gays up
Caitriona Ruane
Party: Sinn Fein
Constituency: South Down
funny how she now speaks up for them.
not seen anything in the mail about this

[Whickerman]

Way to sideline an argument there.

Yes the IRA were murderers - no disagreement there. So what's that got to do with the question...?

[tranmerekid]

sarcasm

[jno]

wow, what a woman! My short answer is I can't believe she has the job, but it's up to the Irish to throw her out of it.

[Oneeyedvic]

If politics and religious belief can't be separated, should the person concerned hold political office?

She's a (twice) elected member, and if that is what the electorate want, then that is democracy.

[beejay1124]

due to their co religionists being maimed / murdered by ira-just maybe that made become 'ultra-protestant'
when mentioning ira you forgot to describe them as being 'ultra roman catholic'-(also forgot to add sinn fein and scum)
i too agree that homosexuality is 'disgusting etc...' and i am not a d u p supporter
what irish will throw her out?-as it is not the electorate -as they are British

[Loosehead]

You nail the question yourself. It's her right to have her views and it's your right to find those views abhorrent. I find a lot of left wing liberalism abhorant but I wouldn't suggest those views should bar people from political office. Same here. As vic says, to hold poilitcal office you need to attract voters, she has done, she is elected. It's self regulating if people don't like her views then they won't vote for her, perhaps they vote because of her views or possibly despite of them who knows?. The basic principle is that in a democracy occsionally people we disagree with get elected, get over it.

[New Judge]

I could not have put it better myself, loosehead.

All politicians will have personal views which will cause controversy among the electorate.Those that voice them, in my view, deserve support and praise (however objectionable the views may seem to some).

I only wish it was a little more prevalent in Westminster where pernicious party politics has all but removed any free thought from the MPs there. Even when so-called "free votes" are called, the whips are still in evidence trying to get their fodder to toe the party line.

So, to answer your question, Whickerman, politics and religous belief (and indeed any other sort of belief) cannot and should not be separated. We need representatives who are able to think for themselves, make their views known and vote in the divisions appropriately. It is up to the electorate to support them or not as they see fit. After all, nothing is said when "Muslim" candidates stand to attract the "Muslim" vote (and they, strangely, hold similar views on homosexuality to Mrs Robinson). So why should Christian views be vilified in such a manner?

And just a point of pedantry to clarify what beejay1124 raised. The "British" that throw her out (or otherwise) are those resident in Northern Ireland only. The lady in question is a member of the Stormont Assembly and other British citizens are not entitled to vote in elections to that body. Whether you call them "Irish" or "British" is one of the main reasons the Assembly was formed in the first place!

[Gromit]

You would not have to go far to find an extreme Catholic or an extreme Muslim who would share with her views on homosexuality. Though they may not be likely to vote for her politics.

[jno]

just to repeat Whickerman's question, though... it isn't whether it's wrong for her to be an MP but whether it's wrong to be the party spokeswoman on health when her views on the subject are odd, to say the least. The voters can't evict her from this particular post; they could perhaps laugh her out of it, if they found her views laughable.