SMALL, NOISY WITH FRIENDS IN PARLIAMENT

The Bishop of Nottingham, Rt. Rev. Mc Mahon, chair of Catholic Education Services described National Secular Society as small, noisy with friends in Parliament which made me think of bees. I wondered what do these creatures represent in human psyche. Interestingly, because of their ability to travel long distances and yet find way home they were considered a symbol of soul. Honey was placed on the tombs by Egyptians as sacred offerings for the dead. During winters bees hibernate and their re-appearance in spring made them symbols of death and re-birth.
Hornets were put on the royal crest of Pharaohs. Napolean had bees embroidered on his coronation robe to represent family and government. I did not fail to notice he also had a foot stool with the bee. What did he think as he pressed his foot over it?
Bees and wasps have been used in warfare when hives were catapulted onto the ships, for example.
Domestic security was increased by bees and wasps which were used to prevent cattle thieving in Ireland.
Sometimes, people die as the result of wasp sting and one of the first records was the death of Egyptian Pharaoh, Menes, about 2000 years BC.
Today the battle for the "souls" (mind) of children continues with secularist opposing religious indoctrination and religious authorities continuing to enjoy enormous state privileges and funding.
Local councils in England are only now beginning to think about abolishing subsidies for transport for children attending religious schools only.
Teacher training colleges use an amazing time allocation to religious studies e.g. in Ireland: four times as much is allocated to religious studies as to science.
Medical regulator in UK is also obsessed with religion and recently pasted a Bible on its website despite the fact that it regards itself as an educational charity and despite the judgment from the European Court known as "Crucifix in the classroom". (It also opposed research into wearing of religious uniforms when working with mentally ill). I guess, some men are really desperate at the General Medical Council as the number of Human Rights abuses approved of in the Bible is rather large, but so is that done by the regulator. Whistleblowers are persecuted for many years and General Medical Council in London denies that there is any obligation on them to protect Human Rights defenders amongst doctors. All doctors must be Human Rights defenders because of the vulnerability of patients in their care.
The Chief Executive of the General Medical Council, Niall Dickson refused to sign the petition which protects patients and would enable them to speak up for example, about their abuse by clergy. When asked why he would not sign it, he refused to give an answer.
Women doctors still suffer inequality both in their career and what treatment they receive at the hands of the regulator of medical profession which never had a woman president in 150 years of its history. It is as if the Bishop of Nottingham regarded them as unworthy of priesthood.
Personally, I cannot see why any self-respecting woman would want to be a priest.
There is an ancient belief that killing a bee brings bad luck. Maybe, a person who embroidered a bee on Napoleon foot stool understood the tyrant and human psyche rather well.
And for those who enjoy science click here to read about sting-less bees and how they mummify parasitic beetles invading their nests.