Text 24977, 86 rader
Skriven 2006-11-12 08:45:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Elton
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Some things in England never change.  Many liberals in the US believe 
the same way.  At least he had the guts to say how he feels.

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http://www.drudgereport.com/flash1.htm

ELTON JOHN: 'I WOULD BAN RELIGION COMPLETELY'
Sat Nov 11 2006 15:42:55 ET

Sir Elton John wants religion banned completely -- because he believes 
it promotes hatred of gays. 

Speaking to the Observer Music Monthly Magazine the singer said religion 
lacked compassion and turned people into "hateful lemmings".

The PRESS ASSOCIATION reports: In a candid interview for a dedicated Gay 
issue of the magazine he shared his views on topics as varied as being a 
pop icon to Tony Blair's stance on the war in Iraq.

He said there was a lack of religious leadership, particularly in world 
politics, and complained that people do not take to the streets to 
protest any more.

Sir Elton said: "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred 
towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays.

"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their 
religion. From my point of view I would ban religion completely.

"Organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really 
hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

He added: "The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are 
the leaders of each religion? Why aren't they having a conclave? Why 
aren't they coming together?

"I said this after 9/11 and people thought I was nuts. Instead of more 
violence why isn't there a meeting of religious leaders? 

"It's like the peace movement in the Sixties. Musicians got through to 
people by getting out there and doing peace concerts but we don't seem 
to do them any more.

"If John Lennon were alive today he'd be leading it with a vengeance," 
he said.

Sir Elton said people were too busy blogging on the internet to go out 
onto the streets to stand up for what they believed in.

"They seem to do their protesting online and that's not good enough. You 
have to get out there and be seen to be vocal, and you've got to do it 
time and time again.

"There was a big march in London when Britain decided to join the war 
against Iraq and Tony Blair is on the record as saying 'the people who 
march today will have blood on their hands'. That's returned to bite him 
on the ass," he said.

Sir Elton compared his place in British culture with that of the Queen 
Mother's.

He said: "People come to me and I'm a bit like the Queen Mother. I never 
get those problems. I don't know what it is with me, people treat me 
very reverently.

Referring to his "wedding" to long-term partner David Furnish, he said: 
"It was the same when Dave and I had our civil union - I was expecting 
the odd flour bomb and there wasn't.

"Dave and I as a couple seem to be the acceptable face of gayness, and 
that's great."

He pledged to continue to campaign for gay rights saying: "I'm going to 
fight for them whether I do it silently behind the scenes or so vocally 
that I get locked up.

"I can't just sit back; it's not in my nature any more. I'm nearly 60-
years-old after all. I can't sit back and blindly ignore it and I 
won't."

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