Lib Dem Leader Tim Farron Steps Down Citing Anti-Christian Suspicions

[Vixen]

Shame to see Tim Farron step down as party leader, despite winning a further four seats for the Lib Dems.

He came across well in the TV debates, making quips about Theresa May's absence, for example.

He cited as a reason he had to handle suspicions about his Christian faith, but said he would never have imposed them on anyone else.

Pretty similar criticisms have been advanced against Arlene Foster and her Democratic Union Party.

Of course, religion and politics is far more apparent in Norn than it is in mainland UK.

It's a shame that Tim's faith is deemed as being something to be ashamed of.

 

[Seismosaurus]

It's a shame that Tim's faith is deemed as being something to be ashamed of.

If his faith made him adopt bigoted views, then it's not a shame at all that it's something to be ashamed of. Such views should be challenged.

 

[Vixen]

If his faith made him adopt bigoted views, then it's not a shame at all that it's something to be ashamed of. Such views should be challenged.

Farron said he was constantly being baited by gay men, simply for his faith.

Do you think such behaviour is right? In which way does it differ from intolerance?

 

[bruto]

Farron said he was constantly being baited by gay men, simply for his faith.

Do you think such behaviour is right? In which way does it differ from intolerance?

I would say it depends on what they were after, and what constitutes "simply for his faith". If the baiting was to out him as a homophobe whose policies would reflect the attitude, then I'd say it's fair game.

I don't know what the situation really is there, but it certainly is not at all uncommon in the US for Christians to complain of victimization when the nearly automatic dominance of Christian principles and values is questioned.

 

[MikeG]

The situation here, bruto, is that is incredibly rare to even know if a politician is religious or not. It is a non-subject here, ordinarily, but Farron made the mistake of making some rather inappropriate comments and linking them to his christian beliefs.

 

[Seismosaurus]

Farron said he was constantly being baited by gay men, simply for his faith.

"Baited" in what way?

The reason he has given for resigning is that he "could no longer reconcile his strong Christian faith with his responsibilities as leader of the party." Nothing to do with being baited.

 

[dudalb]

The situation here, bruto, is that is incredibly rare to even know if a politician is religious or not. It is a non-subject here, ordinarily, but Farron made the mistake of making some rather inappropriate comments and linking them to his christian beliefs.

This. It is possible to adapt a "I personally think it is wrong, but I don't think it should be illegal" view,but Fallon failed to do that.
BTW, what Denomination is Fallon?

 

[dudalb]

The situation here, bruto, is that is incredibly rare to even know if a politician is religious or not. It is a non-subject here, ordinarily, but Farron made the mistake of making some rather inappropriate comments and linking them to his christian beliefs.

Looking up Farron..whom, as a Yank, I knew little about, since the Lib Dems are pretty much a minor power in Uk Politics..I see he voted in favor of Gay Marriage. I wonder if he was a victim of simply phasing his beliefs badly.

 

[MikeG]

......BTW, what Denomination is Fallon?

Again, not something anyone here would ever ask. I haven't the faintest idea, and I doubt it would be easy to find out. I for one wouldn't know what to do with the information if I heard it: it would be meaningless to me. If someone were known to be christian here, the most that would ever be asked is "catholic or protestant?", and then only in the rarest of circumstances.

 

[baron]

Farron said he was constantly being baited by gay men

I'm glad you got the spelling right, otherwise the resultant abbreviation would be a certain slur.

So, he was our MP, a nice guy but I didn't agree with him on much. He won the seat only by a few hundred votes and now he's given it up. It seems clear to me that his reason is that he does not actually believe homosexuality is acceptable and he's unable to reconcile the statement he was pushed into making with his beliefs. As such it's totally right he should resign as the leader of a so-called liberal party.

- "The consequences of the focus on my faith is that I have found myself torn between living as a faithful Christian and serving as a political leader."

 

[MikeG]

.....He won the seat only by a few hundred votes and now he's given it up. ........

Has he? I've not seen that anywhere. He has quit the leadership, but none of the sources I'm reading have him as quitting his seat. Do you have a link?

 

[baron]

Has he? I've not seen that anywhere. He has quit the leadership, but none of the sources I'm reading have him as quitting his seat. Do you have a link?

My mistake, then, I thought he was.

 

[angrysoba]

Sorry, I can't work out if he has given up the leadership because other people have made the mistake of thinking his liberalism and Christian beliefs are incompatible or if he actually sees a contradiction between his Christianity and his expected liberalism.

In other words is he admitting he is unsuitable or blaming others for their mischaracterizarion of him as being unsuitable?

 

[Seismosaurus]

In other words is he admitting he is unsuitable or blaming others for their mischaracterizarion of him as being unsuitable?

If the BBC quote above is accurate, it sounds like the former.

 

[angrysoba]

Farron said he was constantly being baited by gay men, simply for his faith.

Do you think such behaviour is right? In which way does it differ from intolerance?

I don't know what you are referring to, but I listened to his resignation speech on the Guardian website and I wondered who he was quoting. I didn't catch the name at first but the words sounded like a Boy George song.

His speech was interrupted by the telephone ringing - no doubt a gay man calling up to bait him.

 

[angrysoba]

If the BBC quote above is accurate, it sounds like the former.

It sounds to me like he is trying to have it both ways. And I am not trying to make an innuendo here.

 

[MikeG]

I think the catalyst for this decision may have been the resignation of Brian Paddick from the Lib Dem front bench team a few hours earlier, citing "concerns about Tim Farron's views". Paddick is gay.

 

[ddt]

Sorry, I can't work out if he has given up the leadership because other people have made the mistake of thinking his liberalism and Christian beliefs are incompatible or if he actually sees a contradiction between his Christianity and his expected liberalism.

In other words is he admitting he is unsuitable or blaming others for their mischaracterizarion of him as being unsuitable?

The Guardian has his resignation statement in full here. This quote:

To be a political leader – especially of a progressive, liberal party in 2017 – and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible’s teaching, has felt impossible for me.

suggests he thinks they're incompatible, the whole seems more to point to mischaracterization. It's clear as mud to me.

I can see roughly three stances here:
1) "I'm a Christian and I'm fine with gay people. After all, Christ mingled with hookers and tax collectors too".
2) "I'm a Christian and I think being gay (or having gay sex) is a sin, but I think that's no basis for government"
3) "I'm a Christian and I think being gay is a sin, and I want to impose that view on everyone"
The latter seems extremely unlikely, what with Farron being a Liberal member since he was 16. But he's given conflicting evidence whether it's (1) or (2).

This Guardian article embeds the youtube with the 2015 interview where he evades giving a straight answer to the question "do you think homosexuality is a sin" three times in a row (from ca. 2 minutes into the interview).

And then the rooster crowed.

 

[angrysoba]

And then the rooster crowed.

Heh heh! I could be misremembering but I think he has said at some point, "as a Christian I believe in compassion..." or some such (maybe on Question Time but maybe this is a false memory implanted by the Tyrell Corporation).

Whenever someone says "as a Christian/Muslim/Jew/Hindu, I believe..." then you can hardly complain about being asked if any other political issues will be affected by your religious beliefs.

On the video the phone rings while he is making his resignation speech. Was this being live streamed and if so didn't someone realize the phones would start ringing from the press during the speech?

 

[dudalb]

Again, not something anyone here would ever ask. I haven't the faintest idea, and I doubt it would be easy to find out. I for one wouldn't know what to do with the information if I heard it: it would be meaningless to me. If someone were known to be christian here, the most that would ever be asked is "catholic or protestant?", and then only in the rarest of circumstances.

I think it is revelent, given his denomintion's doctrines might be a key to his beliefs. And there are often huge differences in doctrine between Christian Denominations.