I have to say that my perception of this thread has taken a dive for the worst. There has been a veiled anti Irish aspect and less veiled anti Christian aspect and frankly I think it pretty hypocritical to lambast the DUP and then throw unpleasant bigoted views out at the same time just from a different angle.
The people of Northern Ireland are part of the UK, they have a right to have a say in the governance of the UK. After all London isn't a London centric dictatorship.... or is it
? We have a UK democracy with some powers devolved, but London still calls the shots. The people of Wales, Scotland and Cornwall have a right so why not the folks of Ulster who identify as being British not Irish. I think most of the folks in the old kingdoms get annoyed when southern English complain about those countries having a say in English/London politics. Its the UK folks, keep that in mind. The capital is London and the UK is mostly ruled from London. No one from the other places should be excluded from a say in my view. To do so is arrogant and elitist.
The DUP would say they are respecters of the law and are not involved with terrorists, unlike Sinn Fein which is the political wing of the IRA, they are for all intents and purposes the IRA. Now some members of the DUP hold very conservative Christian views, which I personally as a Christian don't hold to or find very difficult. I also don't particularly want any political party to ram their views down others throats. Faith and what one believes or doesn't believe is a matter of conscience, and while it will inform individuals world views, how they vote, live etc I don't feel it should be forced on folks who don't share those views. Equally atheist views should not be rammed down folks throats either. Its a hard balancing act but governance should be for all.
Have the DUP in the past as a party and individuals within it crossed the line re involvement with Loyalist groups, yes they have, but the labour leader has been involved with and supported the IRA, PLO and other terrorists and there is also more than a whiff of anti Semitism to be found in Labour party politicians and others. Mainland parties are not clean either, having been in bed with world Governments and individuals who are not very savoury either. Has anyone in politics got totally clean hands ? Probably not.
At the minute currently I am disenfranchised politically as I can't vote DUP, will not vote Sinn Fein and the other parties are all but non existed. I do resent greatly that none of the mainland parties organise here, so NI politics are kept insular and at an arms length from the mainland politics. That is hardly fair.
Northern Ireland is a complicated topic but I would appreciate less of what I am perceiving as an anti Irish tone in this thread, whether intended or not that is how I am seeing it.
On a personal note I think those who don't believe in creation and God have greater faith than I do. Do I make nasty, hateful comments about their beliefs ? No I don't, so I would appreciate it if others kept faith out of this, and ridiculing faith too.
The cancer comment was by the way despicable.