As I’ve blogged several times over the past few months, following a schism there are now two groups called the London Swinton Circle, which was founded “For Traditional Conservatism and Unionism”. One group is linked to Alan Harvey and his “Springbok Club”, while the other is run by Allan Robertson. Both groups have declared an anathema on the other; presumably the one that prevails will be whichever gets the most credibility from prominent outside speakers.
First off the mark, then, is the Robertson sect:
The Reverend Dr Peter Mullen addressed the Swinton Circle at its winter buffet on the 28th January.
The Swinton Circle thanks the Reverend Mullen for his lecture which was entitled “The Rise and Rise of Aggressive Secularism”. The lecture has now been published on the Reverend’s website and can be accessed by clicking here.
Mullen has featured on this blog previously – a “right” libertarian, he is Chaplain to the Stock Exchange and the Freedom Association, and he hit the headlines in October with a “joke” (which he later repented of) about forcing gay men to be tattooed with health warnings.
Mullen’s sermon is interesting as neither of the Swinton Circles advertises itself as promoting religion; yet Mullen was invited to give a typically self-satisfied and middle-brow “intellectual” sermon consisting of some random bugbears about secularism and explaining that
atheists and secularists favour the doctrine of evolution for ideological reasons. It fits with their progressive prejudices. Starting with Darwin’s first followers, such as Herbert Spencer, secularists have always tried to make a link between physical evolution and moral evolution.
Mullen instead appears to support Intelligent Design, although by describing evolution as a “doctrine” rather than as a “theory” it seems to me a more thorough-going rejection of evolutionary biology is implied.
Unsurprisingly, Mullen is also a popular figure at the Social Affairs Unit; this think tank also links Conservative politics with the rejection of Darwin.
[NB: It is not here claimed that Mullen has any sympathies with the aims, opinions, or activities of the Swinton Circle]
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Postings in which anonymous members of the two Swinton Circles attack each other have been removed. The reasons: (a) I don’t want to be liable for any comment that “crosses the line”; and (b) there have been allegations of impersonation. Members of the two groups are still welcome to provide information about their activities that either adds to or clarifies anything I have written.
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