Topsy-turvy

Having fallen asleep during the regional news this evening I awoke during The One Show on BBC 1 and a report concerning "white collar" employees who become unemployed during the current economic crisis. The complaint appeared to be that these unfortunate souls are treated no differently to any other unemployed person at the Job Centre- although no clear reason was offered as to why they should be. Unemployment may be a misfortune or a blessing. It all depends upon the nature of one's responsibilities; not upon whether one's former job was designated "white-" or "blue-collar". There is doubtless a case for helping people find the kind of work for which their past education and experience has equipped them but equally their current state may well indicate a reduction in the overall number of opportunities/vacancies in that specific area and the need to broaden the area of search.

Another curious thing was the reference to someone whose former work had been "in computers" as a "professional". This the week after a letter had appeared in The Times explaining that banking was not a profession.

Perhaps the most absurd belief in contemporary Britain is neither Mormonism nor Scientology but that which equates salary levels with moral worth or sees a high wage as evidence of (virtuous) hard work. It carries the risk that when poverty comes in the door sanity will fly out of the window. This is however not the only absurd belief.
The presenter on last night's Channel 4 History of Christianity suffered from a kind of moral tunnel vision. Although he had mentioned the human sacrifice of the Mayan religion his opprobrium was saved for the Catholic Spaniards who had tried to stamp on reversions to paganism among the native converts. Indeed his main theme seemed to be that of wanting a Christianity so inculturated as to be no longer Christian.