And state ‘education’ isn’t much better. I think sodomy is desperate and in no way should children be given the ‘advice’ of considering it a proper way to live.

*”Muslims believe that your behaviour is sinful”

In what way? In a recent poll of just over 1,000 Muslims, every single one thought homosexual behaviour was morally wrong.

Yet it’s the Christians who get the slanders and libel 99% of the time. Why’s that?

*”I heard somewhere that our bodies were temples”

Yes, they’re meant to be, so it’s a good idea not to have any wandering sexual organs finding their way into what should be out-of-bound orifices.

My point about the smoking ban is that millions of people are staying at home where they can smoke in comfort instead of socialising down the Dandy Ferret. It’s yet another way society is being manipulated.

What do you think of all those children at home breathing in the smoke that would otherwise have been wafting around the pub or club?

If the smoking ban is about health then I’m Alan Partridge.

“You got your gripe the wrong way round.”

I did say it was a toughie and that I chose to support local businesses. Pay attention.

*I’m not talking about villages of half a dozen people, I’m talking about viable business, like the only other post office in my town that was closed despite a major campaign to keep it open.

As for doctors, I don’t think we need any more public employees on £100,000 a year. A friendly post office where old folks can do their business and have a chat probably saves some of them going to the doctors for antidepressants.

Look at the whole picture.

*I really don’t think that anyone – at least not the government – is “actively promoting” homosexuality. How would that even work? ‘You should turn gay! It’s really awesome!’ What they are doing is actively discouraging people from discriminating against homosexuals – making thenm feel that their desires are as permissable as those of hetrosexual people.

*”How much is ‘too’ much? I’ve read his column perhaps a couple of dozen times. Maybe you’re right; it could be too much.”

Once is probably too much if you’re not, like me, reading him for giggles. But he’s the leading advocate of the, “Health and safety ruined my village fete”-argument.

*But that’s subjective. Muslims believe that your behaviour is sinful; you believe that the behaviour of homosexuals is sinful. That doesn’t give you a right to discriminate just because you happen to think that you have some kind of divine magician on your side.

*”No, I mean allowing grown men and women to smoke in privately-owned premises where the owners and staff are happy about it.”

I heard somewhere that our bodies were temples, and I heard somewhere else that Christianity wasn’t about tolerating sinful behaviour. Oh wait, it was in the paragraph above. Nevermind the Biblical contradiction – we’ll move on. Liberalism is about allowing adults to do what they want as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else. You wouldn’t want me going into a pub carrying a bucket of radioactive waste, so why should I be able to smoke a cancer stick?

*But it’d got absolutely sod-all to do with government “social engineering”, which is what you argued in the original post. It’s capitalism. The big chains eat up the market share of the small chains, mainly because of economies of scale. Social engineering would be using protectionist policies to save the small chain. You got your gripe the wrong way round.

*No, I think having a fully-staffed post-office in a village with about six people living in it is a gigantic waste of money. Sure, if we were living in the socialist society I’d like, that kind of thing might be possible, but when tax revenues are kept so low by neo-con governements, we really can’t afford it.

Full-staffed post office with ten customers each day vs. Three more doctors, working to save people’s lives

Hmm, tough choice.

So let’s see what YOU are saying…

* It’s no longer “tolerance of homosexuality,” is it? It is the active promotion of that lifestyle, of single motherhood or co-habiting ‘partners’. Of course marriage is going to be devalued and therefore one of the major strengths of a healthy society – family – will be greatly weakened.

I’m afraid this great Nirvana of ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’ is a saccharin dream sold to get you on board the social engineering express. We are beginning to see the fruits of it all in terms of a fractured society.

* You mean: “I read Richard Little John’s column in the Daily Mail too much.”

How much is ‘too’ much? I’ve read his column perhaps a couple of dozen times. Maybe you’re right; it could be too much.

* Christianity is not about “tolerance” when it comes to sinful behaviour. Sorry if some of us are refusing to have our lives dragged through the gutter for the sake of political correctness.

* You mean: “Spreading cancer (discouraged)”

No, I mean allowing grown men and women to smoke in privately-owned premises where the owners and staff are happy about it.

* You mean: “I like capitalism, but I also liked my corner shop. What to do?”

It’s a toughie. Personally, I like to support the smaller shops even if it costs me a bit more, although it doesn’t always. If you care about your community, you think to do these things. Not that I’m blowing my choice of instrument from the brass section, you understand.

* You mean: “I want my taxes to be lower, but I’m gonna cry about it if they take away redundant services.”

So you think post offices and police stations are redundant?

There are plenty of real ‘redundant services’ that should be cut and the money diverted to beneficial projects.

To quote someone called Andrew F, “Ha, you’re fun to read!”

* family (discouraged)

You mean: “tolerance of homosexuality (encouraged)”

* local community activities (cancelled due to health and safety, exorbitant insurance premiums or worry about being blamed if something goes wrong)

You mean: “I read Richard Little John’s column in the Daily Mail too much.”

* churches (Christianity discouraged and legislated against)

You mean: “tolerance (encouraged)”

* pubs (smoking ban)

You mean: “Spreading cancer (discouraged)”

* traditional high streets and local shops (cheaper out-of-town malls)

You mean: “I like capitalism, but I also liked my corner shop. What to do?”

* post offices (thousands shut down despite having a valuable social role, especially for the elderly)

* local police stations and village schools (again, closed in favour of bigger, less personal establishments)

You mean: “I want my taxes to be lower, but I’m gonna cry about it if they take away redundant services.”