pic from hereSo, over in the UK, a chap who doesn't believe in God and doesn't believe in the monarchy, and this is a matter of public knowledge, is considered unpatriotic for remaining respectfully silent while standing when "God save the Queen" is sung.
The fact is the media and apparently at least some of the public expect politicians to to be hypocrites and are offended if they are not. And yet surely singing a song in a display of religious and monarchistic sentiment you do not share is far more offensive? Isn't that just acting? Is it better to sing the song mindlessly or tongue in cheek than to be thoughtfully and respectfully silent?
While the concern that God's policy towards Queen Betty has now been changed is probably overblown, I think we should be concerned that those who think Corbyn should sing the anthem think so little of prayer that they encourage the mouthing of the words for the sake of impressing onlookers. (Hmm something in the Bible about that in Matthew 6 somewhere . . . ) For Corbyn, I can understand him being pragmatic about this, after all offending a deity you don't believe in is no offence at all, but for all those who believe the anthem means something, their hypocrisy is now on full display.
By the rivers of Babylon the exiled people of God refused to sing the songs their hearts couldn't bear. Corbyn is now in a foreign land, dragged from the radical periphery into the media spotlight. If he is not careful the demands of his captors to perform what he does not believe will be his undoing. His integrity has been his greatest weapon. If he doesn't keep that he'll be nothing but another hypocrite mouthing words that mean nothing. Unfortunately his apparent willingness to start singing songs with his toes crossed inside his shoes is not a good start.
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