fidzbit

It came as a surprise to many people when religious leaders in England and Wales issued a challenge to the government about the closure of churches during the Autumn ‘firebreak’ lockdowns. Similar challenges are currently working their way through the Scottish court system due to the blanket ‘Tier 4’ restrictions which have been in place since Boxing Day 2020. Some churches did continue to meet, with social distancing measures in place, choosing not to comply with government guidance ( guidance not law - contrary to some exaggerated news reports).  A conversation with a friend yesterday set me thinking about this issue of religious freedom again. Let me tell you a bit about him. ‘Malcolm’ My friend Malcom (not his real name) lives in an Asian country where Christians are a minority. In recent years they have known active opposition from a nationalist government which aligns with the majority religion. The country has no ‘welfare state’ to fall back on so if you lose your job or