The Hazards of Belief

Hotblack Desiato

Galvasean wrote: »

As someone who once had a burst appendix I can assure everyone that it is not a pleasant or quick way to go...

But you didn't die, so maybe it's just surviving a burst appendix that's unpleasant and slow? :pac:

Hotblack Desiato

Bannasidhe wrote: »

The Digital Stimulation Levy.

How about a revival of the hoary old 'do prostitutes charge VAT at the point of entry' joke..?

Sarky

My sister had appendicitis, and I had to look after a friend who'd suddenly collapsed from pain, breaking his nose off a sink, as he waited in A&E covered in his own blood to be told that his appendix was about to burst. The pain was, I'm told, the most exquisite agony either of them had ever encountered, and that was with a sh*ttonne of morphine in their systems. My friend wasn't even bothering about his broken nose, it was small fry compared to his abdomen.

As far as I'm concerned, those parents pretty much just tortured their child to death over their interpretation of a fairy tale. Part of me hopes they end up realising that.

Hotblack Desiato

Sarky wrote: »

Part of me hopes they end up realising that.

If these people had any sort of grip on reality they wouldn't have done what they did in the first place...

MrPudding

ninja900 wrote: »

If these people had any sort of grip on reality they wouldn't have done what they did in the first place...

One can always hope that they catch themselves on at some point and realise what they have done.

I am more concerned that christian scientists have an exemption to laws relating to having to seek medical attention. Idiotic.

MrP

shizz

MrPudding wrote: »

One can always hope that they catch themselves on at some point and realise what they have done.

I am more concerned that christian scientists have an exemption to laws relating to having to seek medical attention. Idiotic.

MrP

But do they not have a way around these sort of things? Like it was god's choice to take their child and they couldn't do anything about it. In fact they probably prefer that than letting the doctors get in the way of god's work. :rolleyes:

robindch

Cork City Council votes to keep praying with one unenlightened gobshite commenting that it would be no "harm for councillors to aspire to follow the teachings of the bible".

www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/unholy-row-in-council-chamber-as-move-to-scrap-prayer-defeated-197120.html

Irish Examiner wrote:

A proposal to scrap a prayer at the start of a local authority meeting sparked an unholy row last night.

Cork’s city councillors voted overwhelmingly against the move after a heated debate. Socialist Party councillor Mick Barry, an atheist, called for the deletion of a rule governing the order of council business which states that the start of the council’s public meetings should include the recitation of an opening prayer, followed by a brief period of silent reflection.

The prayer reads: "Direct, we beseech thee, O Lord, our actions by thy holy inspirations and carry them on by thy gracious assistance; that every word and work of ours may always begin from thee, and by thee be happily ended; through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Quoting James Connolly’s position, Mr Barry said: "You should have separation of Church and State. When I come into this council chamber, I report for work. "A bus driver who reports for work isn’t faced with saying a prayer.

"The State should not interfere with a person’s practice of religion in a genuine republican democracy." He was backed by Cllr Ted Tynan, Workers Party, and Fine Gael councillor Laura McGonigle. "We don’t come in here to practise religion," she said. "A short period of silent reflection is done in Dublin City Council, the Stormont Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament. "We should consider this as a pluralist and inclusive alternative."

But several councillors said it was open to individuals to either stand or sit during the prayer. Labour councillor Michael Ahern pointed out that Connolly signed the proclamation "in the name of God". Cllr Joe O’Callaghan (FG) said: "If it was good enough for Connolly, then it’s good enough for me. With all its faults, I’m a Catholic and I’m proud of that. And it’s still a Christian country and long may that continue."

Sinn Féin’s Tom Gould urged caution against Mr Barry’s proposal. "I respect his position, but we need to be careful about where we’re going," he said. "I mean, are we going to end up calling Christmas ‘happy holidays’?" Cllr Kenneth O’Flynn said it wouldn’t do any harm for councillors to aspire to follow the teachings of the bible.

A vote was called and Mr Barry’s proposal was shot down by 20 votes.

Sarky

Majority of county councillors in being f*cking stupid shocker.

sbsquarepants

robindch wrote: »

In 2006, Margaret Farley said that women should enjoy a good ****, that gay relationships were pretty much a-ok, that divorce had its benefits, as well as a few other things with which the Vatican disagrees to the extend that the Ms Farley recently received a personally-addressed bollocking from the Vatican which apparently stopped just short of silencing her:

http://www.news.va/en/news/notification-from-the-congregation-for-the-doctrin

Farley, btw, is from the US, and she's a nun, and the latest in what's turning into a fairly long line of nuns having their toes stood on by the Vatican's male gerontocracy.

That said, few seem to be listening, since Farley's book has been propelled up the Amazon Best Sellers Rank, from something like 180,000 a few weeks ago to number 26 today:

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Love-Framework-Christian-Sexual/dp/0826429246/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339167521&sr=8-1

Go, sister!

Sorry to backtrack, i only drop in on this from time to time. Nun writes **** book??? It's not often i'm genuinely shocked, but........
But then the clitoris does nothing else, serves no dual purpose, so if god didn't want the ladies (presumably including the nuns) cuming like steam trains, why did he put the little man in the boat in the first place? Riddle me that Ratzinger:D

Bannasidhe

robindch wrote: »

Cork City Council votes to keep praying with one unenlightened gobshite commenting that it would be no "harm for councillors to aspire to follow the teachings of the bible".

www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/unholy-row-in-council-chamber-as-move-to-scrap-prayer-defeated-197120.html

On behalf of the people of Cork I would like to apologise for this stunning example of muppetry .

robindch

Meanwhile in Brooklyn, a school headmistress doesn't allow "God bless America" to be sung

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wpix-god-bless-usa-061212,0,5824484.story

So she receives death threats.

GLaDOS

robindch wrote: »

Meanwhile in Brooklyn, a school headmistress doesn't allow "God bless America" to be sung

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wpix-god-bless-usa-061212,0,5824484.story

So she receives death threats.

First, Lee Greenwood's patriotic "God Bless the USA" was out and Justin Bieber's flirty tune "Baby" was in, but that has all changed.

In fairness, they might have a point...

robindch

Doc Farrell wrote: »

Is this right? The child died along with others because the rabbi sucked blood from his penis skin and the adult was infected with herpes and, it seems, he knew this because other children had died?

Looks like New York is coming down hard on this practice -- the city has proposed that parents sign a waiver indicating that they're aware that having religious men suck blood from the mutilated penis's of their sons is potentially fatal:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/13/nyregion/new-york-proposes-consent-waiver-for-circumcision-ritual-associated-with-herpes.html?_r=1

That'll show 'em who's boss!

recedite

robindch wrote: »

www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/unholy-row-in-council-chamber-as-move-to-scrap-prayer-defeated-197120.html

But several councillors said it was open to individuals to either stand or sit during the prayer

Do they actually think this is offering a choice? Its pluralism, gombeen style.

Coriolanus

Himself and the other one should just talk about Coronation St during the prayer or something.
Then they'd have to pass a law saying no talking, so out with the earphones, and so on.
Drag the whole thing as far into farce as possible because if there's one thing religion cannot stand against it's ridicule.

Hotblack Desiato

Which is kinda the point of the FSM. They need a couple of pastafarian converts to insist on their prayers being given equal status

Penn

robindch wrote: »

the city has proposed that parents sign a waiver indicating that they're aware that having religious men suck blood from the mutilated penis's of their sons is potentially fatal

I bet there's a sentence you never thought you'd have to type.

I know for sure it's one I never thought I'd have to read....

Newaglish

Sir, – In a country that thinks of itself as Christian, is it not difficult to understand the hypocrisy that pervades the media and public utterances concerning Mick Wallace’s wrongdoing? That what he did was wrong he himself brought to public notice. How rare is that? Are there other public figures who are elected by the public who would care to meet the standards of Mick Wallace’s honesty?

I wonder, for example, how many of the Sinn Féin TDs and in Northern Ireland the MLAs might have illegal actions to reveal to us? We are well aware of the numerous indiscretions of present and past elected politicians after the spate of tribunals of recent years.

Let’s applaud the up-front Mick Wallace approach and at least try to practise some of what is preached in our churches. The Lord’s Prayer puts it rather well: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Maybe even Mick Wallace TD? – Yours, etc,

ANDREW DAVIDSON,

C/o Mount Venus Road,

Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.

http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/index.html#1224317876237

Irish Times letters page strikes again. This is so stupid and wrong.

Genghiz Cohen

You kind of have to wonder if people write in under other people name just to get hate mail sent to them...

Sarky

I'd be so tempted to write in under that guy's name and express a "change of heart, sorry, don't know what I was thinking with all that nonsense" view.

Banbh

I thought it was a very sensible and well-presented letter.

recedite

what he did was wrong he himself brought to public notice

He was already caught by the revenue commissioners.

I wonder, for example, how many of the Sinn Féin TDs and in Northern Ireland the MLAs might have illegal actions to reveal to us?

Saying that he is not as bad as x or y is not a valid defence.

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. Maybe even Mick Wallace TD?

Sure we're all sinners etc etc...
Even the religious notion of forgiveness is supposed to be accompanied by repentance. There is every indication that if Mick found himself in the same circumstances again, he would still choose to defraud revenue if that meant he could keep his company going a bit longer.

All I see is a cute hoor who has decided that half a Dáil salary (plus expenses) is better than none.

Banbh

I think using the A+A forum to voice your political views is divisive. There are other sections of boards for debating politics.

But if you insist "Well up Mick! It's great to see you stuck in the throat of the bankies and their mouthpieces".

recedite

Just pointing out why it wasn't a good letter

Banbh

No good for you. Ah well!

joseph brand

"Sorry son, but I must terminate our relationship". (Mother)

http://davetrash.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/the-letter/

Jehovah Witness is more concerned with her selfish desires of 'paradise' than having a relationship here on Earth with her son. I pity this woman. It's easy to hate people like this, but they are after all, victims, brainwashed.

A diluted version of Jim Jones. Just like Mormonism and Scientology.

Banbh

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/jerusalem-police-detain-woman-at-western-wall-for-wearing-prayer-shawl-incorrectly-1.440258

A woman was arrested by Jerusalem police and detained for four hours for wearing her prayer shawl incorrectly.

recedite

The filthy harlot was wearing an "off the shoulder" prayer shawl :mad:

Bannasidhe

recedite wrote: »

The filthy harlot was wearing an "off the shoulder" prayer shawl :mad:

and they didn't stone her?????? :mad:. See - this namby pamby BS is what comes from PC wishy washy secularism.

joseph brand

Banbh wrote: »

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/jerusalem-police-detain-woman-at-western-wall-for-wearing-prayer-shawl-incorrectly-1.440258

A woman was arrested by Jerusalem police and detained for four hours for wearing her prayer shawl incorrectly.

Anat Hoffman, chairwoman of the Women of the Wall organization

Should be renamed the 'What's the Bloody Point?' organisation.

Wasting their time.

Banbh

I never knew that the Jewish god had such a strict dress code to the extent of getting the police to arrest people. It shows how thin the Israeli claims to being a modern democracy are - more a mirror image of their Muslim neighbours.

What is the correct way to wear a shawl so as not to insult the Jewish god? Was it the off-the-shoulder style that offended him/it or the fact that a woman was wearing the thing?

robindch

Banbh wrote: »

What is the correct way to wear a shawl so as not to insult the Jewish god?

Going out on a limb here, but I'll wager 50p that fundamentalist rabbis claim that the jewish deity wants women to wear the prayer shawl in a fairly similar way to the way that fundamentalist mullahs claims that the islamic deity wants women to wear the hijab or, god forbid, perhaps even the burka.

And they demand this for exactly the same reason - control of women.

Banbh

I had to look it up and all I can say is 'for jayziz sake lads!'

Women are forbidden to blow rams' horns or to wear prayer shawls at all at all at the Wailing Wall under pain of seven years imprisonment.
They are also not allowed wear 'phylacteries' which sounds like something the Catholic Church should look into.

Here's the link: http://womenofthewall.org.il/about/legal-status/

robindch

Banbh wrote: »

Women are forbidden to blow rams' horns [...]

Not a problem, I'd have thought given what men do with them.

Anyhow, any opportunity to show my all-time favourite religious video -- the rabbinical response to Swine Flu (subsequently Mexican Flu to avoid offending the swine-sensitive):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AUZFidaYQk

Sarky

Heh, those crazy Jews.

Banbh

As crazy as all the others.

I was on that Ryanair flight and when I complained they said that if I wanted a non-ram's-horn-blowing seat I should have paid the extra when booking.

shizz

If you seen someone sitting down rocking back and forward spouting out stuff like that you's consider getting them help. But put a Kippah (or any other religious dress) on them and it's grand.

joseph brand

robindch wrote: »

Not a problem, I'd have thought given what men do with them.

Anyhow, any opportunity to show my all-time favourite religious video -- the rabbinical response to Swine Flu (subsequently Mexican Flu to avoid offending the swine-sensitive):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AUZFidaYQk

Never seen this before, I have tears. Watched it 4 times and I'll certainly watch it some more when I finish typing.

Press '4' and '6' while the video is playing. Any order will suffice.

If laughter be the best medicine, these Rabbi's are my doctors.

Banbh

One guy is shouting down the phone. Maybe god is hard of hearing or can't use these new-fangled devil's inventions. I presume it's god on the line and not the steward hiding in the toilet.

Gbear

robindch wrote: »

Not a problem, I'd have thought given what men do with them.

Anyhow, any opportunity to show my all-time favourite religious video -- the rabbinical response to Swine Flu (subsequently Mexican Flu to avoid offending the swine-sensitive):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AUZFidaYQk

I, just... what?

I literally have no idea what this video is about. It just seems like a complete non-sequitur.

You may as well have posted this:




for all the sense it makes to me.

Someone help a brother out?

Sarky

That is just crying out for a subtitles competition.

robindch

Gbear wrote: »

Someone help a brother out?

OK. Here's the story.

In 2009, a range of related, virulent and occasionally fatal, forms of influenza showed up amongst pigs in Mexico. The virus was transmitted to humans and, for various disputed reasons, the WHO was sufficiently concerned that it declared a worldwide pandemic.

In time, the virus reached Israel and the jewish religious community there was so concerned at the looming threat -- from a pig no less -- that it felt there was no option but to act. Firstly, the disease was renamed from "swine flu" to "Mexican flu". Then, sensing that more action was needed, a group of rabbis chartered a plane, rounded up perhaps fifty of their number with their sheeps horns and other second-hand animal parts, then took off and flew around in in Israeli airspace hour or two, all the time rocking back and forth violently, blowing wind through their animal bits, wailing, whining, talking to themselves and generally making a hell of a racket. The thoughts of the pilots was not recorded. The video above is, I believe, the only recording of the event that made it into the public domain.

The rabbinical approach was ultimately successful and swine, sorry, Mexican flu never took root in Israel.

shizz

robindch wrote: »

OK. Here's the story.

In 2009, a range of related, virulent and occasionally fatal, forms of influenza showed up amongst pigs in Mexico. The virus was transmitted to humans and, for various disputed reasons, the WHO was sufficiently concerned that it declared a worldwide pandemic.

In time, the virus reached Israel and the jewish religious community there was so concerned at the looming threat -- from a pig no less -- that it felt there was no option but to act. Firstly, the disease was renamed from "swine flu" to "Mexican flu". Then, sensing that more action was needed, a group of rabbis chartered a plane, rounded up perhaps fifty of their number with their sheeps horns and other second-hand animal parts, then took off and flew around in in Israeli airspace hour or two, all the time rocking back and forth violently, blowing wind through their animal bits, wailing, whining, talking to themselves and generally making a hell of a racket. The thoughts of the pilots was not recorded. The video above is, I believe, the only recording of the event that made it into the public domain.

The rabbinical approach was ultimately successful and swine, sorry, Mexican flu never took root in Israel.

I...I..I really dunno whether to wish it did or not after that...

Nodin

A lobby group against gay marriage, formed by MPs and bishops, is embroiled in a row after one of its leaflets claimed that reforming the law would open the door to incest, polygamy and a new wave of illegal immigration.
The eight-page document, produced by the Keep Marriage Special campaign, whose supporters include the former bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir Ali, warns of the "consequential impact" of the reform.
The glossy leaflet, which has a picture of a mixed-race couple in an embrace on the cover, claims: "If the only basis for marriage is the desire of the parties to get married then there is, according to the logic of this proposal, no reason not to open up marriage to more than just same-sex couples. Polygamy, polyandry and incest would all be permissible."

(my bold)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/23/gay-marriages-open-door-polygamy



Ye can tell they killed themselves thinking that one through...

kylith

Well, the laws against siblings marrying is, IIRC, to avoid genetic problem with the children, so that would be an example of something that would injure a third party.

The problem with bigamy, again IIRC, is that it causes problems if a member of the marriage dies intestate, in which case there are so many factions that sorting out the inheritance is a legal nightmare. It probably also has roots in religious anti-fornication teaching. There is nothing stopping a person from living a polygamous or polyandrus (sps?) lifestyle.

And how isn't the only basis for marriage, these days, the desire to get married? Some tax reasons, maybe, but people can live as a married couple, have children, go on 'family' holidays, the whole shebang, and have no formal commitment to each other at all.

Ah well, just be thankful that they didn't bring up marrying their dogs this time...

Nodin

Via The Freethinker

IT sounds like a plot dreamed up by the creators of Southpark, but it's all true: schoolchildren in Louisiana are to be taught that the Loch Ness monster is real in a bid by religious educators to disprove Darwin's theory of evolution.

Thousands of children in the southern state will receive publicly-funded vouchers for the next school year to attend private schools where Scotland's most famous mythological beast will be taught as a real living creature.
These private schools follow a fundamentalist curriculum including the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) programme to teach controversial religious beliefs aimed at disproving evolution and proving creationism.
One tenet has it that if it can be proved that dinosaurs walked the earth at the same time as man then Darwinism is fatally flawed.
Critics have damned the content of the course books, calling them "bizarre" and accusing them of promoting radical religious and political ideologies.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/how-american-fundamentalist-schools-are-using-nessie-to-disprove-evolution.17918511
(my bold)

http://freethinker.co.uk/2012/06/24/loch-ness-monster-proves-darwin-wrong/

Banbh

There's a great business opportunity here. We should be selling stuff to these people - leprecaun holistic cures, banshee hair combs...

Kivaro

Let me say (in Louisiana's defense) that they are all not like that, even though the most scariest parts of the planet that I've ever seen have been rural places in Louisiana with their 6 "places of worship" per person.

You got to check out New Orleans though: it's one hell-of-a-city.
"Hell" = good (as in debauchery good).

Galvasean

Nodin wrote: »

Via The Freethinker


http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/education/how-american-fundamentalist-schools-are-using-nessie-to-disprove-evolution.17918511
(my bold)

http://freethinker.co.uk/2012/06/24/loch-ness-monster-proves-darwin-wrong/

If the Loch Ness monster were proven to be real it would not show that dinosaurs walked the Earth alongside humans because:
1) Nessie is supposed to be a plesiosaur, not a dinosaur.
2) Plesiosaurs could not walk as they had no feet.

shizz

Galvasean wrote: »

If the Loch Ness monster were proven to be real it would not show that dinosaurs walked the Earth alongside humans because:
1) Nessie is supposed to be a plesiosaur, not a dinosaur.
2) Plesiosaurs could not walk as they had no feet.

EH!!! PROOF THEY DID!!!

CREATIONISTS 1 EVOLUTIONISTS 0