What is it with The Daily Mail?
What is it with The Daily Mail?
What is wrong with this paper? Is it so antediluvian that any religion other than Protestant Christianity is seen as some kind of threat or is it just that journalists working for them have forgotten the meaning of the word ‘investigate’?
Today’s edition carries a story about two elderly men accused of sexually abusing children over several decades. This is a horrific story and the two men are answering to these accusations in the appropriate place – Court.
However, The Mail has its twist in their reporting of the case: the two men are ‘pagan’, don’t you know?
Will the Mail ever accept this kind of behaviour has nothing to do with Pagan practice or ethics – or the practices and ethics of any other religion? Such actions are out and out criminal behaviour, no more, no less. A small investigation into Paganism and its ethics would have enlightened the Mail on this matter.
The Wild Hunt have reported on the Mail’s story and they ran a statement about these matters from the Pagan Federation:
“The Pagan Federation believes that sexual activity between consenting adults is a matter only for those consenting adults. However, in no way is any sexual activity engaged in with children or vulnerable persons ever appropriate. Such activity does not form a part of any Pagan path and, should any Pagan be found to be engaging in sexual activity with a child, officers of the Pagan Federation would not hesitate in communicating those concerns with the appropriate authorities.”
Hopefully, the PF’s statement has been brought to the attention of the editor of the Mail. Such people are anathema to any religious organisation, including Paganism, as the PF statement makes very clear.
Let’s hope that is clear enough for the Mail.
