False Sense of Maturity

In England, the Birmingham City Council has banned their staff from looking at atheist web sites, as well as “sites that promote witchcraft, the paranormal, sexual deviancy and criminal activity.” They are hoping to filter out these allegedly undesirable sites:

The authority’s Bluecoat WebFilter computer system allows staff to look at websites relating to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and other religions but blocks sites to do with “witchcraft or Satanism” and “occult practices, atheistic views, voodoo rituals or any other form of mysticism”.

Wow, they just lump atheism in with sexual deviancy and criminal activity. It should be no surprise that this the Birmingham City Council is violating the law, and they are going to be sued:

Under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to discriminate against workers because of their religion or belief, which includes atheism.

National Secular Society president Terry Sanderson said the city council’s rules also discriminated against people who practise witchcraft, which is also classed as a legitimate belief.

Well, I don’t mean to legitimize Wiccan beliefs, but I suppose they make no less sense than most religions.