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Anti-gay pastor to pray at Inauguration . . .
www.piperpost.net -
28.12.08.
Barack Obama has chosen the fundamentalist pastor and author, the Reverend Rick Warren, to lead the prayers at his forthcoming Inauguration in Washington, D.C. on January 20 next. Warren, author of the top-selling believers' success book, The Purpose-Driven Life, is well known for his hardline views on both homosexuality and abortion. And he also subscribes to the primitive notion of creation as outlined in the two conflicting accounts in the book of Genesis. Since the announcement Pastor Warren has appeared on TV talk shows claiming he is not anti-gay. But this claim does not stand up. He is one of those fundamentalist clerics who try to 're-educate' gays so that they go 'straight'. He has been quoted as equating homosexuality with incest, child abuse and polygamy. And he was an active supporter of the notorious Proposition 8 which denied gays in California the right to marry. 'By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table,' Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a letter to the incoming president. Responding to the criticisms Obama said he is a 'fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans.' But he said he will build relationships with people of opposing views, and wants his inaugural to reflect that goal. [COMMENT: I have been greatly enthused by the coming of Barack Obama on the US scene but it is disappointing to see him embracing at such a critical point in his career a clergymen who is every bit a ratbag as was the pastor of Obama's home church, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Once again we see the powerful influence of the Christian Right in American politics.] Radical Baptist group rubbishes Santa . . . www.piperpost.net - 28.12.08. The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, for long a thorn in the side of the wider American Baptist community, this Christmas mounted a campaign denouncing Santa Claus and anything associated with him. A group of the cult's kids produced a video, screened on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nspURdORNrg), titled Santa Claus will take you to hell. The words of this delightful ditty: You'd better watch out Get ready to cry You'd better go hide I'm tell you why Cuz Santa Claus will take you to hell. He is your favorite idol You worship at his feet But when you stand before your God He won't help you take the heat. So get this fact straight You're feelin' God's hate Santa's to blame for the economy's fate, Santa Claus will take you to hell. Don't leave your kids with this red fright Just like the priests, he'll rape them at night Santa Claus will take you to hell. You tell the children he is real You know that's just a lie To justify your own vile sins Is the only reason why. So get this fact straight, You're feeling God's hate Santa's to blame for the dead soldier's fate Santa Claus will take you to hell. Oh Santa Claus will take you to hell! Westboro is notorious for lining the roads when funerals of dead soldiers are being conducted, with placards attacking the US Army for harbouring homosexuals, among other complaints. 8-year-old Saudi girl seeks divorce . . . www.piperpost.net - 28.12.08. An 8-year-old girl in Saudi Arabia, sold by her father into marriage to a man aged in his 50s, is seeking a divorce. The girl's mother had left the father before he married their daughter off. The marriage was in accordance with Saudi law, which allows him to sell his daughter in exchange for having about $US7,500 in debt erased. The girl's mother took the case to court when the 'husband' refused to divorce the girl. She is currently still living with he mother. A judge ordered the mother and husband to find a compromise and the case will come before the court again in February. Insurance giant accused of promoting Shariah law . . . www.piperpost.net - 28.12.08. An unexpected consequence of the US government's bail-out of insurance giant AIG is the discovery that the company helps promote Sharia law, effectively acknowledging Islam's belief in the conversion, subjugation and destruction of the 'Christian' West. A lawsuit filed on behalf of a former marine infantryman, Kevin J. Murray, supported by the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm, seeks to stop all bail-out funds going the AIG. 'Use of taxpayer funds to acquire ownership of a business that intentionally promotes, endorses, supports, and funds Shariah-based Islamic religious practices violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,' claims the suit. The basis of the lawsuit is that AIG intentionally promotes Shariah-compliant businesses and insurance products, which by necessity must comply with the 1200 year old body of Islamic cannon law based on the Quran. AIG employs a three-person Shariah Advisory Board, with members from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Pakistan. According to AIG, the role of its Shariah authority 'is to review [its] operations, supervise its development of Islamic products, and determine Shariah compliance of these products and [its] investments.' Of particular concern is the presence of the Pakistani Board member, Dr Muhammed Imran Ashraf Usmani. Dr Usmani is the son and devoted disciple of Sheik Mufti Taqi Usmani, the leading authority on Shariah financing who, in 1999, authored a book dedicating an entire chapter on why a Western Muslim must engage in violent jihad against his own country - even if Muslims are given equality and freedom to practice their religion and to proselytize. News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 28.12.08. CATHOLIC PROPAGANDA ON iPHONE. An application (known as Apps in Applespeak) called iBreviary has been launched, with Vatican approval, by a Catholic priest working with a web designer. iBreviary includes prayers, readings of the Mass of the Day and other features said to be helpful to Catholics on the move. To date there are versions in English, Latin, Italian and Spanish and French. POPE'S WEEKLY AUDIENCES DOWN. According to official figures released by the Vatican the number of people attending the Pope's weekly general audience during 2008 fell by 30 percent. The year 2007 also saw a fall in numbers from the previous year. CALIFORNIAN ATTORNEY-GENERAL CHANGES VIEW. The Attorney-General of California, Jerry Brown, has changed his view on gay marriage and now says Proposition 8, recently passed by a slender majority, is unconstitutional as it denied gays fundamental rights. The Attorney-General has filed a 11-page legal brief with the court, setting out his views. Meanwhile opponents of gay marriage have filed a lawsuit calling for the recently-sanctioned gay marriages to be annulled. BRITISHERS DOUBT CHRISTMAS STORY. According to a survey conducted by the British Market Search Bureau 70 percent of those questioned doubted the truth of the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus. Even some of those describing themselves as Christians expressed doubt and 20 percent of Christians said they did not believe Jesus was both God and man. EDITORIAL THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRISTMAS www.piperpost.net - 21.12.08. What a peculiar celebration Christmas is. A pagan festival of gluttony and gift-giving married to a religious ceremony marking the anniversary of the birth of the prophet Jesus. Perhaps summed up in that figure so familiar to children - Father Christmas. A jolly old version of a Christian saint, his flowing beard and crimson robes sugar-coating the ultimate message - two thousand years ago a god came down to earth to live among us and then to die for us. The child tries hard to sleep but would dearly love to see Father Christmas in person as he comes visiting, bearing gifts. We smile indulgently and try not to spoil the fun, however unreal the narrative. But the child's wonderment is no more naive than those millions of adults who accept the truly amazing story of Christmas. A god come down to earth? It's a hoary old tale, repeated many times with other gods but there is no more reason to believe this version than the others. The story goes that Jesus was a baby born into humble surroundings, his arrival heralded by seers from the east and angels from on high, that he had come to save mankind by offering up himself as a sacrifice to his father in heaven. Well, that's the narrative as we have it. If only there were a few hard facts to back this fanciful story we might have to treat it with more reverence. In what month was he born? He may have been born in March, or April or May, or perhaps January. And in what year? Nobody knows. The great French scholar Guignebert says: 'We do not know, within about fifteen years, or perhaps more, the time when Jesus came into the world.' The calendar that derives its dates from the year zero as marking the birth of Jesus is quite an arbitrary compilation, done by a Scythian monk, Dionysius the Less, hundreds of years after the event. And the date honoured as his birth date - 25 December - was chosen after much debate among the learned theologians. It is, in fact, the festival date celebrating Mithra, the solar deity! And where was the prophet born? Nobody is sure of that, either, especially the New Testament, which gives two contradictory answers - Bethlehem and Nazareth. Like everything else about the Christian story, a few simple events that occurred long ago and far away gradually evolved, under the impetus of blind belief, to the grand but muddled event we now know as Christmas, a strange amalgam of the secular and the sacred. [FOOTNOTE: Pope John Paul showed an amazing lack of knowledge of the background to the Gospel stories concerning Jesus of Nazareth when in his Christmas speech in 1995 he referred at Midnight Mass to that being ‘the hour when the Son of God is born in the stable in Bethlehem.’ December 25 was, he said, ‘the night of the Lord’s birth’.]  11-year-old girl set on fire for wearing lipstick . . . www.piperpost.net - 21.12.08. An Indian Muslim in Jaipur, northern India, has been arrested by police after he poured kerosene over his niece's body, setting it alight, and leaving the 11-year-old girl near death. The girl's great uncle took this action because his young relative, Nazmeen, was, he claimed 'inappropriately dressed' and was wearing lipstick. Last report from the hospital was that she had little chance of survival, with 90 percent of her body burnt. It was later claimed by relatives that the uncle had molested the girl. Australia's censorious madness . . . www.piperpost.net - 21.12.08. Two recent legal cases in Australia highlight the asinine nature of our laws and/or their administration. In one case a man has found guilty of possessing child pornography where the images were not of real children but drawings of Simpson-like characters - Bart, Lisa and Maggie. This is evidently considered a criminal offence in Australia although in the USA, a country where officialdom is ever-ready to root out producers and consumers of child porn, it has been determined legally that possession of such images are not criminal in nature. In the USA only images involving real children are considered child porn. Meanwhile in another amazing case a magistrate ruled that a man who innocently uploaded to a chat room a video of a small child being swung around violently, is now considered a criminal child abuser for having done so. The video had already circulated widely on the Internet and has been screened in full on overseas pay-TV stations. COMMENT: Shakespeare said it all when he described the law as an ass and it certainly is in both these cases. The judicial officers were, we are told, only administering state laws as they stood on the statute books, in which case these laws are odious. The vital central fact of child porn concerns the use of REAL children in making it. Such activities are considered to be child abuse and rightly so. But which children were being abused when the drawings were produced? (Personally I have no time for the Simpsons and the idea of porn Simpsons sounds pretty revolting.) In the second case there is much debate about whether the small child is being harmed or not. In my view the child should not be swung around like that but we should bear in mind that the act was done by someone in a circus family and perhaps to them this is not abuse at all. Hindu-Muslim link sees woman held captive . . . www.piperpost.net - 21.12.08. Humayra Abedin is a 33-year-old trainee doctor from Bangladesh living in England. Humayra is a Muslim and she has a Hindu boyfriend in Britain. On 3 August she flew home to Bangladesh believing her mother to be seriously ill. The mother's illness had been feigned. It was a ruse to get the woman back to Bangladesh where she was allegedly beaten, drugged and held captive. Her Muslim family had been outraged at the idea she was might marry a Hindu. They were planning to force her to marry a Muslim stranger. A friend of Dr Abedin, who had lived with her in East Ham, raised an alarm after receiving a text message on August 11. 'Please help me. My life is in danger. They have locked me in house.' it said. The doctor’s boyfriend, a 44-year-old Bangladeshi software engineer, has alleged that Dr Abedin’s Muslim parents had bound and gagged her, held her captive in a house in Dhaka. He said that death threats had been issued against his family in Bangladesh.'They told her they’d prefer her to die than return to London,' he said. But a court in Bangladesh intervened. Judge Syed Mahmod Hossain ordered Dr Abedin’s parents to return her passport, driver’s licence and credit card. 'It perplexes me as to why the parents kept her confined and interfered with her personal life. I am shocked,' he said. The High Court in Britain has issued an injunction under the new Forced Marriage Act, demanding that Dr Abedin be allowed to return to Britain. Though the Act is not enforceable in Bangladesh it was hoped that it would place pressure on the Bangladeshi authorities. (Doctor Abedin was due back in Britain earlier this week.) News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 21.12.08. 'OFFENSIVE' CRUCIFIX BANNED. Public money has been spent in providing a worship facility in a British prison at Lewes but no crucifix will be allowed. An Islamic imam told authorities such an object would be offensive to Muslim prisoners. But the facility has installed heated footbaths for Muslim worshipers to wash their feet. FENG SHUI IN BIG CITY. The city of Brisbane (Australia) is reconstructing its Chinatown precinct. City officials have assured the community that the reconstruction will be carried out to accord with feng shui principles. Commented Lord Mayor Campbell Newman: 'Rather than the current gradual slope, the terraces will improve positive feng shui, preventing the good luck from running out into Wickham Street.' [COMMENT; Superstition reigns supreme, even in a big modern city.] MORMON TEACHER FUGITIVE SEX OFFENDER. A Mormon teacher, Frank LeFrandt, convicted of sex offences against a 13-year-old boy in Hawaii, has absconded and was last reported as crossing the Mexican border. LeFrandt, who speaks five languages, failed to turn himself in to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence. A Brench Warrant for $US5 million has been issued. Christian pastors lend support to beleaguered Governor . . . www.piperpost.net - 14.12.08. It is reported that a group of Christian pastors paid a visit to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who is under a heavy cloud of suspicion because of alleged corruption. The Governor has been accused by the state's attorney-general of being involved in seeking payment from potential candidates to fill the senate office vacated following the election of Barack Obama. Other accusations have also been levelled at him, including seeking to exert pressure on the Chicago Tribune Company to have editorial board members removed. Extensive wire taps reportedly back the actions taken by the attorney-general. The ministers of religion turned up at the Governor's residence where, we are told, he prayed with them. The Reverend Ira Acree of Greater St. John Bible Church in Chicago said he and two other Baptist pastors initiated the visit to Blagojevich. aimed also at 'offering comfort to the governor's wife and two children.' The state is headed toward an extraordinary constitutional showdown. Attorney-General Lisa Madigan asked the Supreme Court to declare Blagojevich unfit to serve, likening his corruption scandal to a debilitating illness as she ramped up pressure on the governor to resign. The move seeks to hand power over to the lieutenant governor. [COMMENT: I guess if Governor Blagojevich ends up in court we will see him hugging the obligatory copy of the Bible to demonstrate what a good fellow he is.] Clergyman urges congregation to have more sex . . . www.piperpost.net - 14.12.08. The Reverend Ed Young, televangelist and pastor of the Fellowship Church in Grapeville, Texas, last month challenged his congregations to engage in a Seven Days of Sex campaign. Preaching to his congregation while pacing up and down in front of a large bed, Pastor Young told them, 'It is time for the Church to put God back in the bed.' After the first week he returned to the pulpit with the message: 'Keep on doing what you have been doing this week. We should try to double up the amount of intimacy we have in marriage. And when I say intimacy, I don't mean holding hand sin the park or a back rub.' The sex challenge was a bit too much for some congregation members who reportedly sat in stony silence but others in the pastor's congregation applauded, especially many of the men. Montana third state with assisted suicide . . . www.piperpost.net - 14.12.08. A judge in Montana has ruled that assisted suicides are legal in the state. A man with terminal cancer has sued the state with four physicians who treat terminally-ill patients and a non-profit patients' rights group. Judge Dorothy McCarter ruled that 'the Montana constitutional rights of individual privacy and human dignity, taken together, encompass the right of a competent terminally (ill) patient to die with dignity.'' The ruling added: 'Those patients had the right to obtain self-administered medications to hasten death if they find their suffering to be unbearable, and that physicians can prescribe such medication without fear of prosecution. The patient's right to die with dignity includes protection of the patient's physician from liability under the state's homicide statutes.' State authorities are considering an appeal. The plaintiff, Robert Baxter, said he was comforted by McCarter's ruling. 'I am glad to know that the court respects my choice to die with dignity if my situation becomes intolerable,' the 75-year-old retired truck driver said in a statement. Kathryn Tucker, the legal director of patients' right group Compassion & Choices who helped argue the case, said the court found 'it is the individual patients who should be entitled to make these critical decisions for themselves and their families, and not the government.' COMMENT: Little by little progress is being made on this issue and sanity beginning to enter into the end-of-life situation. It is high time for Australia to move further to provide legal facilities for assisted suicide. Students at church schools anti-Semitic? . . . www.piperpost.net - 14.12.08. A scandal has surfaced in the revelation that an anti-Semitic Facebook group was formed by students of two of Sydney's top church schools - Kambala and The Scots College. Discussions in the group included denial of the Holocaust and a curious activity described as 'Jew parking.' A Facebook site was called Jew Parking Appreciation Group which describes 'Jew parking' as an art which often occurs at 'Bellevue (Jew) Hill.' One student was quoted as saying it was all a big 'in' joke among the students but the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies contacted The Scots College to lodge a complaint about the activities. The board's chief executive officer, Vic Alhadeff, said it was not a laughing matter. Mr Alhadeff added: 'When I saw the Facebook group on Saturday night, it included numerous offensive comments about Jews. It had a related group containing derogatory comments about women. Society has to send a clear message that those who indulge in racial hatred and other obscenities will be exposed and condemned.' Islamics training child martyrs . . . www.piperpost.net - 14.12.08. Islamic terrorists in Iraq are deliberately training young children to act as suicide bombers. Doubtless infusing the Islamic belief that the martyr flies straight to Paradise, these murderous plotters are using youth groups to recruit youngsters to their cause. It is believed it is often easier for boys and girls to bypass security checks. A girl as young as 13 recently exploded herself in Diyala, killing five officials, whom she had targeted in Baquba, the regional capital of Diyala. A boy aged 10 blew himself up in September next to Sheik Imad Jassem, the joint leader of the Sons of Iraq in Tarmiya, seriously wounding him. The boy stalked him for three days, masquerading as a flower seller working just across the road from the sheik's house. COMMENT: We can expect no better than such depravity from these brave Islamic warriors who are blinded by their religion. News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 14.12.08. ATHEIST STATEMENT IN WASHINGTON. As this issue was being prepared the controversy was continuing over the atheist statement put up in the state building in Washington. Not unexpectedly Bill O'Reilly of Fox News has been leading the charge. Mr O'Reilly is both a conservative and a Catholic. He is pitted against the governor of the state who is herself a Catholic. As at the date this issue of PiperPost was being posted on the net the sign was still there. BABY JESUS TRACKED BY GPS. Churches in the USA are countering the widespread theft of Baby Jesus statues from their nativity displays by using GPS tracking devices. Every year many of the statues go missing, sometimes also the Wise Men and angels. One New York electronics supplier is providing the GPS devices on loan to churches free of charge. TURTLE DISCOVERY ADDS TO EVOLUTIONARY KNOWLEDGE. Scientists have found for the first time the fossil of a turtle at an intermediate stage of evolution, with only half a shell. The creature's belly is fully covered but its back is not. The remains are believed to be 220 millions years old, the oldest turtle remains yet found. Atheists raise the banner of truth . . . www.piperpost.net - 07.12.08. Atheists and agnostics were once a silent minority who were howled down if they dared question the doubtful tenets of religious belief. No longer! In several parts of the world atheists are proclaiming their views for all to study. One of the chief exercises in proclaiming atheist views is happening in the state of Washington as I write, although the forces of the Church are trying their darnedest to silence the witness. A sign, put up by members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, says, in part: 'Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.' It was erected in an area where a Christian crib was set up. The fact that the latter is allowed in a government building is evidently in defiance of the strict Church-State separation that operates in the USA. The Mayor allowed the sign to be erected, although she is herself a Catholic. Since then she has come under heavy fire from Christians and at one point the sign was stolen. It was later found and replaced, with an additional line reading: 'Thou shalt not steal.' The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which embraces atheists agnostics and freethinkers, has been engaged in a long struggle to inject some reality into the American psyche, too long sunk in the mire of religious superstition. It erects various signs in public places and recently one of its signs was removed and destroyed by a city council. The City of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. is being sued for taking actions which led to the censorship of its "Imagine No Religion" billboard on Archibald and Foothill Blvd, Route 66. The Foundation, the nation's largest national association of freethinkers and a state/church watchdog, said City violated the Foundation's rights under the Establishment Clause and Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Foundation's pretty sign, which was evidently destroyed by General Outdoor Co. after its removal on Nov. 21, had a stained-glass window motif asking viewers to "Imagine No Religion" and advertising the Foundation's name and website, ffrf.org. The Foundation had prepaid for the board and contracted for a two-month run beginning in mid-November. The Board had been up for less than a week when it was removed at the apparent instigation of Linda Daniels, Rancho Cucamonga Development Director.  Signboard removed by the censors. Is their 'truth' so weak it cannot stand scrutiny?
In other countries, but not in Australia! . . . www.piperpost.net - 07.12.08. In Britain buses have been carrying similar messages around London. Organizers of the campaign believe messages such as: 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life' are needed to counter the propaganda of religion. One of the keen supporters of the campaign is Dr Richard Dawkins, Oxford University's Professor of the Public Understanding of Science, who commented: 'Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride – automatic tax breaks, unearned "respect" and the right not to be "offended", the right to brainwash children. Even on the buses, nobody thinks twice when they see a religious slogan plastered across the side. 'This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think – and thinking is anathema to religion.' Meanwhile in Bolivia, in South America, once a bastion of Catholicism, similar messages are being seen. But in Australia efforts by the Atheist Foundation to have anti-religious signs on the sides of buses have been knocked back. A company, APN Outdoor, refused the advertising but would give no reasons. Christians and Muslims at it again www.piperpost.net - 07.12.08. Christians and Muslims have engaged in fierce battles in the city of Jos, in Nigeria, following local elections. It is reported that more than 400 people have died as a result of violent clashes between supported of rival Christian and Muslim parties. Rumours circulated following the election that the predominantly Muslim party had won and the Christian party had lost. News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 07.12.08. MORE DARWIN ON TV. Darwin's Brave New World, a three-part documentary featuring Charles Darwin's time in Australia, is currently being filmed at locations around Sydney (NSW), the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, and Lord Howe Island. Among the actors participating are Anthony Simcoe (Farscape), Katie Fitchett (Hating Alison Ashley), Simon Bossell and Socratis Otto. Screen Australia and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation are jointly producing the series. PRIEST ATTACKS DISNEY. The Catholic Abbot of Worth, West Sussex, Christopher Jamison, has attacked the Disney organization vigorously, claiming Disney is 'exploiting spituality' to sell products. Disneyland, he claims, has been turned into a modern pilgrimage site. [COMMENT: Isn't this precisely what the Catholic Church does, witness the lucrative trade enjoyed by the Church's various pilgrimage sites.] HEAVENLY MUSIC-MAKERS. Three Irish Catholic priests, David Delargy, 44, and two brothers (in the natural sense), Eugene O'Hagen, 48, and Martin O'Hagan, 45, have formed a group, simply called The Priests. Their debut album is out in time for Christmas sales. In an earlier era the 'Singing Nun' - Jeanine Deckers - was famous for her songs, especially 'Dominique'. SAME-SEX COUPLES AND ADOPTION. The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby welcomes moves by the NSW state government to examine the issue of adoptions by gay and lesbian parents. EDITORIAL Islam strikes again! . . . www.piperpost.net - 30.11.08. Yes, I am going to say what many refuse to say - the religion of Islam is the reason for the latest outrage against humanity at Mumbai. I'll repeat it - religion is to blame, the religion of Islam. For too long we have been told that the terrorists are only using Islam as an excuse, a cloak to hide their own political ends. We have been told that moderate Islamics do not approve of such evil. Of course, they don't, and I am sorry for anyone who bears the name of 'Muslim' today. The title is being sullied time and time again by murderous attacks on ordinary human beings - men, women = and even children - living out their all-too-short lives on earth. But at the core of this evil is the religion of Islam itself. Like all religions it is evil. However much well-meaning people try to gloss over the teachings of the faith, in truth the path to terrorism begins with a fundamental declaration: 'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.' All else flows from that. Islam is an exclusive religion, never mind the nice things said to Christians, Jews and others who are its neighbours, at heart Islam brooks no dissent. All must ultimately recognize Allah and his prophet or they are labelled 'infidel' - fit only to suffer and die. And woe betide any born into the Muslim faith who seek to abrogate that faith. They are - in theory at least - subject to instant death. And there's more. Like many religions, Islam teaches that life doesn't end at physical death, that life transcends death and continues on into the hereafter. The faith teaches that Paradise is the ultimate state into which the departed enter. What if one loses one's life defending or extending the reach of the faith? No matter! Paradise awaits (with a few added benefits for the males). Thus we see the enthusiastic martyr, willing to lose his or her own life to further the faith, in the fond belief they will be ushered into Paradise upon completing their murderous mission. (And what, you ask, about the Muslims who die in attacks like that at Mumbai? Collateral damage would be the answer. And, in any event, as Muslims they too will fly to Paradise.) The whole otherworldly tenor of this religion (and it is not alone in this regard) devalues human life as we know it, detracts from the real glories and achievements of the human mind, the wonders arising from scientific endeavour, and the supreme beauties of art and literature, and lacks that central emotion of the human condition - empathy. And all of this is a part of the massive lie mankind has perpetrated upon itself, the lie of deity, fostered and spread by the priesthood, whether bishop, imam or rabbi. Surely it is time for reasonable humans to think again about whatever faith they embrace. Does it have any basis in reality? Where is the proof of deity? Creationism teaching being investigated . . . www.piperpost.net - 30.11.08. In an earlier issue we reported that creationism - sometimes masquerading under the guise of so-called 'intelligent design' - is being taught in Christian schools in Australia with official approval. However, the education authorities forbid the teaching of creationism in science classes. Teachers are urged to make it clear to pupils that the subject is not a part of the official curriculum. However. allegations have surfaced that in at least one such school creationism has reared its ugly head in the science curriculum. The Pacific Hills Christian School in the Sydney suburb of Dural has been accused of not following departmental guidelines and is being investigated. However, any such investigation is of doubtful value as the state's Board of Studies has referred the matter to Christian Schools Australia for investigation, hardly a disinterested body in the eyes of the original complainant, Chris Bonnor. Mr Bonnor is a former head of the NSW Secondary Schools Principals Council. The decision to refer the matter to CSA has also been criticized by Greens MP, John Kaye, who has long expressed concern about the issue. Celebrating Charles Darwin . . . www.piperpost.net - 30.11.08. Major events are being planned next year to mark two important milestones in the history of the world - the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's seminal work, On the Origin of Species (24 November 1859) and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth (12 February 1809). Darwin's great thesis is a far more important contribution to human progress than any of the 'holy' books peddled as truth by religion. Darwin's work was the result of long and thoughtful study by a brilliant scientist. The writings of the Bible, the Koran and other religious books are fanciful concoctions derived from the nebulous 'visions' of self-appointed prophets and seers. The HISTORY CHANNEL will be running the series The Genius of Charles Darwin during December, 2008. In this series evolutionary biologist and popular science writer Richard Dawkins takes viewers on a journey through the life and work of Charles Darwin. He presents the ultimate guide to Darwin and his revolutionary theory of evolution by natural selection, which Dawkins considers the most important idea ever to occur to a human mind. In this powerful three-part polemical series, Dawkins explains who Charles Darwin was, how he developed his theory, what it is, and why it matters. He reveals how Darwin changed forever the way we see ourselves, the world and our place in it, and hopes to convince us that "evolution is a fact, backed by undeniable evidence". Dawkins retraces Darwin's journey as a scientist. He re-examines the rich evidence of the natural world - iguanas on the Galapagos Islands, giant fossilized sloth in the Americas and even pigeons back home in England - which opened Darwin's eyes to the extraordinary truth that all living things must be related and had evolved from a common ancestor.In AUSTRALIA the series dates are: Tuesday, 9 December at 8.30 pm AEDT/NZDT. Repeated Wednesday, 10 December at 4.30 am AEDT/NZDT, and Wednesday, 10 December at 12.30 pm.News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 30.11.08. SAUDI GIRL BAND. Saudi Arabia has a girl band, the Accolade, but they only perform in secret for fear of upsetting the religious police who maintain control of Saudi morals and manners. But they have produced their first single, Pinocchio, and it has been an underground hit, Young Saudi's have downloaded the song from the band's website. Change may be coming to this gloomy nation. More than 60 percent of the Saudi population is aged under 25 and young people are demanding more freedoms. PILGRIMS ARRIVING IN DROVES FOR HAJJ. Pilgrims have started arriving in al-Makkah (Mecca) for the celebration of the annual Hajj. It is estimated than somewhere between two and three million people will be present this year. A pilgrimage to participate in the Hajj can be a very dangerous thing. In times past hundreds of pilgrims have been abducted and sold into slavery, especially children. And in January 2006 at least 345 pilgrims died in a stampede during the annual festival. Dispute over dating site . . . www.piperpost.net - 23.11.08. An American dating service, eHarmony.com, has faced legal action, accused of denying gays and lesbians access to its facilities. In 2005 in New Jersey and in 2007 in California eHarmony was sued, the disputants claiming the action of shutting them out violates their civil rights. The New Jersey case is as yet unsettled while in California a judge has referred the parties to mediation. eHarmony has to date faced four legal actions. In 2006 John Claassen, a married, 'straight' Californian man who had separated from his wife sued the site for not matching him because he was still married. Claassen dropped the charges in July 2008 – before the case went to trial. In 2005, Brad Becker sued eHarmony for not matching gay couples. He cited the Unruh Civil Rights Act. The department, however, found that the Unruh Act 'does not mandate a result whereby a business offers the exact same services to every customer.' eHarmony has operations in several countries, including in Australia.  eHarmony website NSW Government won't come clean on World Youth Day cost . . . www.piperpost.net - 23.11.08. Various claims were made at the time of the staging of the Catholic Church's promotion called World Youth Day, promising great financial benefits for Sydney and the State of NSW. It is still almost impossible to access these claims, judging by material discussed in The Sydney Morning Herald. Neither the State Government nor the NSW Chamber of Commerce will provide information. The Government, anxious to try to justify the massive funds it poured into the event, predicted a mini economic boom - of between $152 million and $192 million. The Chamber of Commerce was even more optimistic, putting the figure at $230 million. Forecasts said there would be 125,000 overseas visitors; the final figure was around 110,000. It was forecast there would be 200,000 domestic visitors. The actual figure was about 120,000. Various figures have been quote for government expenditure (and not all may have been revealed). Last figure was $60 million. 'You're going to hell' Baptist leader tells Jews . . . www.piperpost.net - 23.11.08. Pastor Kevin Harris, like so many Evangelical Christians, believes in hell, so, he thought, it was important to warn Jew leaders that they were headed for perdition if they refused to 'believe in Christ.' Their fate would be, he claimed, 'worse than the Holocaust.' Pastor Harris is minister of the Illawarra Community Church, south of Sydney. His views are unsurprising considering he hails from America's Bible-belt south - the state of Virginia. They believe such stuff down there, along with many other simplistic notions, including that the world was made in seven days. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Pastor Harris reaffirmed his belief: 'The Bible says that all have sinned and all are worthy of hell. That includes everyone, until we receive Jesus as our saviour.' However, he tried to play down any intention of upsetting Jews. Too late - Vic Alhadeff, chief of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, has expressed outrage at the remarks. Mr Alhadeff had met with Pastor Harris, along with the board's education manager, Lynda Ben-Menashe, in a tour of the Shoalhaven region, meeting with various religious leaders, including Anglican and Catholic clergy, He was shocked to hear the leader of a Christian congregation speak so bluntly. 'It was a chilling experience,' he said. 'While one is only too aware that there are fundamentalist beliefs and extremist preachers out there, his brazen approach and the fact that he is influencing others on a daily basis are the issues of real concern.' COMMENT: I raised the issue of TOLERANCE in my last issue. This is yet another instance of the intolerance of too many Christians. And the notion of hell itself has a tenuous history befitting such a silly concept, a subject to which I shall return on another occasion. Meanwhile, how's this for obsession? . . . There is a dreadful Hell And everlasting pains There sinners must with devils dwell In darkness, fire and chains. (Isaac Watts: Divine Songs for Children - yes, for children!) Tolerance Museum to be built in Jerusalem. . . www.piperpost.net - 23.11.08. A Museum of Tolerance is to be erected in Jerusalem, a city where all too often tolerance is in short supply. The museum is to be constructed under the auspices of the Los Angeles Simon Wiesenthal Centre although it will not have the strong Holocaust remembrance theme that is evident in the Los Angeles institution. The dean of the Wiesenthal Centre, Rabbi Marvin Hier, says the goal is to create 'a great landmark promoting the principles of mutual respect and social responsibility,' The project has been held up since 2006, as a result of various objections. It is sited over a former Muslim cemetery and when bones were found there Muslims, supported by ultraorthodox Jews, objected. However, a court found that there were no objections when in 1960 a carpark was build over part of the site. The court rules the project could proceed. News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 23.11.08. GAY ACTIVISTS INVADE CHURCH. A group of gay activists, estimated at about 25, earlier this month invaded the Mount Hope Church in Delta township, Michigan, chanting slogans and handing out leaflets to the congregation. [COMMENT: I don't think it serves the cause of gay rights well acting in this thuggish manner.] ANTI-FEMALE POLITICIANS PROMOTED. Two Pakistani politicians, well-known for their brutal attitudes towards women, have been elected to cabinet posts. Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani was implicated in 'giving away' five girls, aged between two and five, as compensation to the family of a murdered man. This man has been made Minister of Education. Israr Ullah Zehri defended the burying alive of three teenage girls who dared to choose their own husbands. He dismissed the event as merely 'a tribal matter.' EDITORIAL Toleration's time has surely come. . . . www.piperpost.net - 16.11.08. In our modern pluralistic society there are many philosophies, many diverse views. We pride ourselves on our freedom of thought but too often the freedom we claim for ourselves we deny others. Take the aggressive reaction of crowds of protesters in San Francisco, on receiving the news that Proposition 8 had been passed, thus effectively denying the right of same-sex couples to marry. The people who voted in favour of this law were only exercising their right to have an opinion. But, and this is the big 'but' - why was the Proposition put in the first place? Tolerance is a two-way street. All too often religion demands tolerance but is wholly unwilling to extend the same tolerance to others. Most religions, and especially the Islamic, Christian and Jewish, appear to have an inbuilt self-serving drive to demand conformity to their particular moral view of the world. By all means, live your lives by your moral compass but do not try to impose your morality on others. This is what we see so often. If you believe in preserving the life of the unborn, no matter the circumstances, then live by your belief (as has Sarah Palin) but do not try to impose this belief on other women by force of law. If you believe marriage is a sacred compact between one man and one woman, so be it - live by that belief (if only for a few years!). But do not try to impose that belief on others. And that includes not only same-sex couples but those who believe in plural marriages (not that this should be taken as an excuse for forcing young girls to wed as has happened in some circles). If you believe that people should only die as a result of natural effects of disease or ageing of the body, so be it, but do not deny the right of those of us who believe we should take charge of the end of our life, with assistance where needed. The same principles can be extended into other areas, e.g. censorship of art. Of course it is fair that the public should not be exposed willy-nilly to sights some consider 'offensive' (there are people who seem to think the naked human body is offensive, a strange notion in my view; ugly, sometimes, yes, but offensive, no!) but, with proper warnings, the art itself should not be censored. We are many but we are one (to coin a phrase from advertising). We need to live and work together so let it be in a spirit of tolerance. Agree to differ, live and let live. Much and all as religion fondly believes, there are no absolutes, no stone tablets handed down from above. Morality is a human invention as are the gods themselves. Realize this and there will be no need for protest marches. - Mark Owen Californian reaction to same-sex marriage move . . . www.piperpost.net - 16.11.08. Following the passing of the notorious Proposition 8 (albeit by a slim majority) in California, large crowds have staged protests, especially aiming these at the Mormon Church, chiefly blamed for the win by conservatives. Backed by powerful support from the Mormon Church, 52.5 percent of voters approved a gay marriage ban. Following a recent decision by the State's Supreme Court in favour of same-sex unions, many couples had married. Doubts have now been raised about the legal status of the church which may have transgressed laws regarding the separation of church and state by pouring money into the campaign., For its part the church claims it did not use its own funds but money was contributed by individual members. Meanwhile several legal challenges have been mounted by bodies including the ACLU. According to the LA Times, lawyers for same-sex couples said they will argue that the anti-gay-marriage measure was an illegal constitutional revision. They contend that Proposition 8 illegally alters equal-protection guarantees. Elizabeth Gill, an attorney with the ACLU of Northern California comments: 'A major purpose of the Constitution is to protect minorities from majorities. Because changing that principle is a fundamental change to the organizing principles of the Constitution itself, only the Legislature can initiate such revisions to the Constitution.; The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Equality California and six same-sex couples who did not marry before Tuesday’s election but would like to marry now. Monks battle it out in Jerusalem . . . www.piperpost.net - 16.11.08. Holy monks of rival religious orders have engaged in fist-fights in Jerusalem and had to be separated by Israeli police. Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the supposed site of Christ's crucifixion, traded blows and were soon joined by dozens of worshippers in the battle. Eventually police were called and two monks were reportedly detained. Six rival Christian sects share control of the 'sacred site' and disputes are frequent, occasionally descending into assault. COMMENT: Violence is not uncommon in the history of the Church. An extract from my paper MEET THE FIRST CHRISTIANS: In
the years ahead, in the name of doctrinal purity and order, priests,
nuns and even bishops were degraded, flogged and imprisoned if
they stepped out of line. In 384 CE the first blood of an alleged
'heretic' was shed when Priscillian, Bishop of Avila, and a teacher of
Gnostic and Manicheist views, was beheaded by the secular power
at the insistent demand of the bishops.
Corruption had by now taken firm hold of the ranks of the clergy. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria (412-444) paid over huge bribes (of the order of several hundred thousands dollars in today's terms) to gain preferment. Bishop George of Cappodocia entered into his see with an armed escort (a common enough event, incidentally) as his rule was imposed by the State on a reluctant and ungrateful people. George, however, proved to be so perverse and cruel in his actions that he was eventually lynched by a pagan mob. A predecessor in the same see, Gregory, had also arrived with an armed retinue and instituted a persecution of incumbent bishops, priests and 'consecrated virgins' who suffered the usual floggings and imprisonment at the hands of their fellow-churchmen. Teenage girl wins right to die . . . www.piperpost.net - 16.11.08. Hannah, an English girl, aged 13, who has a long history of illness, suffering a hole in the heart, was facing a transplant operation she did not want. The Hereford County Hospital wanted to force the operation on the unwilling girl, threatening her parents with legal action to remove Hannah from their care. Hannah previously suffered from leukemia and her heart has been weakened by drugs she was required to take from the age of five. Hannah had been offered a transplant in July 2007 but said she did not want to go through with it after taking advice from doctors, As a result of the hospital's actions Hannah, with the full support of her parents, took the matter to court where she won the right to decide for herself. She said the operation might not work, and if it did work, it would be followed by constant medication. She said she wanted to stop treatment and spend the rest of her life at home and the authorities subsequently withdrew its legal action. Commented Hannah's father, Andrew Jones: 'The threat that somebody could come and forcibly remove your daughter from you against her wishes, against our wishes, was quite upsetting really.' Mr Jones added: 'We didn't get too involved in (Hannah's) decision. Hannah made that decision consciously on her own, a bit like a grown up, even though she was only 12 at the time and she has maintained that decision. How she coped with it, what her mind was thinking at the time, I've got great admiration for her in that and, as I said, we have to support her and her decision.' COMMENT; And we have immense admiration for you, too, Hannah. News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 16.11.08. NO SLACKERS IN VATICAN. The Vatican is requiring workers to clock on for the first time in nearly half a century. The practice was scrapped by Pope John. Straightened economic times - the Vatican's finances went into the red in 2007 - call for tougher measures to ensure all workers on the Vatican payroll pull their weight. A statement issued by Bishop Renato Boccardo seemed to subtly imply some workers do not work a full day. PRIEST SUPPORTED. When Father Peter Dwyer faced court in Bathurst, NSW, recently he was supported by a number of well-wishers. Dwyer is facing alleged child sex assault charges in relation to his time as a teacher at St Stanislaus College, Bathurst. Supporters claimed the case was one of 'trial by media'. New President, same old religion . . . www.piperpost.net - 09.11.08. COMMENT. Many people both in the USA and around the world will welcome the election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States of America. It is a major event in so many ways and a welcome and refreshing wind of change that will, hopefully, blow away the stale policies of George Bush and his neocon cowboys. We should not be fooled, though. Barack Obama is politically a liberal but a conservative in religion, as was his opponent John McCain and as are most important figures in the US establishment. The fact that religion still holds sway in the minds of so many Americans is highlighted by the results of various referenda held at the same times as the elections. In particular, many gays and lesbians will be disappointed over the votes on the issue of same-sex marriages. Most surprising, perhaps, is the result in liberal California where Proposition 8 (opposing gay marriage) was passed, albeit with a small majority in favour [see story below]. A vast sum of money was expended by both sides campaigning on this issue. Why Christians are so determined - at great expense - to bar the married state to same-sex couples is hard to fathom. Marriage is, after all, a human invention. Why does it matter so much to these control-freaks? But conversely, one might ask - why is it so important for gay couples to be formally married? The major consideration is surely the legality of their relationship, which is important in many aspects of their lives, e.g. decisions involving illness, death, inheritance and the like. Surely the real need is for a legal framework that formalizes and legitimizes a declare relationship? Christians impose their will on California . . . www.piperpost.net - 09.11.08. While the USA made a decidedly left turn in the election of Barack Obama and the Democrats, there is disappointment in some areas where Propositions reinstated the Christian moral position. Most notably in San Francisco where, backed by powerful support from the Mormon Church, 52.5 percent of voters supported a gay marriage ban. Following a decision by the State's Supreme Court in favour of same-sex unions, San Francisco had become a haven for gay and lesbian couples wishing to tie the knot. The notorious Proposition 8 adds the words to the state constitution: 'Only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in California.' Passing this Proposition now means the thousands of gay and lesbian couple who married are now left in legal limbo while their status is worked out. The result of the ballot has lead to massive turnouts of protesters marching, especially venting their anger at the Mormons and calling for an examination of the church's tax-free status. American churches, beneficiaries of government largesse, are not permitted to engage in political debate. Ellen DeGeneres, the lesbian chat-show host who became a "face" of the gay rights movement when she married her partner, Portia de Rossi, said she was "saddened beyond belief" by the passage of the proposition. Legal challenges are now being mounted against the move, gay rights activists claiming that banning same-sex marriages is a constitutional 'revision' and not an 'amendment' in which case putting the matter to a vote was illegal. COMMENT: Once again we see here the reason why I oppose religion so vigorously. It is the intolerance shown by Christianity and other religions to those with different moral standards. How dare people impose their particular view of marriage on the rest of society. No harm whatever is done to Christians if a few gay and lesbian couple marry. Leave them alone! Euthanasia law sanity in Washington . . . www.piperpost.net - 09.11.08. While Californians suffer a setback from the Christian activists the state of Washington has seen a win for commonsense. Initiative 1000 was approved by about 58 percent of voters. The initiative allows for terminally-ill people, who have been diagnosed as having six months or less to live, to be prescribed life-ending medication, self-administered. The law would also remove the threat of prosecution to people who may wish to help a terminally ill person end their life. This is the stumbling-block raised by recalcitrant governments who are able unwilling or incapable of instituting sensible end-of-life assisted suicide procedures. If the Washington measure passes into law it will mean there are now two American states and several countries - the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland - with right-to-die legislation in place. The issue is also being debated currently in France, Germany. Australia and the United Kingdom. COMMENT: The time has surely come when any decent society, including our own, should provide a humane regime for assisted suicide. The only thing standing in the way of such an outcome, I believe, is the evil influence of religion, in other words, superstition for that is all religion is. Children in art controversy . . . www.piperpost.net - 09.11.08. Following the controversy over Bill Henson's photographs of nude children - detailed in an earlier issue of Piper Post - The Australia Council has announced plans to develop a set of protocols governing the depiction of children in art. The protocols, to be in place by January 1, 2009, will cover photography, artworks, exhibitions and publications. The Council holds the whip hand in that it controls the administration of Government funds handed out to artists and art organizations. Securing funding will depend on adhering to the protocols. Meanwhile some state governments have also been examining the laws relating to such activities. Bill Henson had some of his photographs seized by police but these were eventually returned to him and references of his work and an issue of an art magazine to the Film and Literature Classifications Board resulted in no action being taken. No laws had been broken. Concern has been expressed by some in Government and the community about the effect on the subjects of such photographs. One such child was very outspoken on the matter. Olympia Nelson, an intelligent, well-adjusted young girl, appear with her family on TV. Olympia, now aged 11, quite rightly expressed dismay that Prime Minister Rudd should describe the beautiful photograph taken by her mother as 'offensive'. At the time I commented: 'Watching Olympia and thinking about earlier reactions to Bill Henson's photographs as also to the magnificent photograph of Miley Cyris taken by Annie Lebovitz I finally realized what it really bugging the critics. For all their talk of protecting children and not 'sexualizing' them (as they quaintly put it) the hidden core of their objections, the one they dare not admit, is the fear of human nakedness! Thus in such circumstances it is so often claimed, 'the model will be sorry when she gets older.' Sorry for what? For being naked in public?' I am not in the same league as Bill Henson nor Annie Lebovitz but I have taken thousands of pictures of children, alas, almost none of nude children. But here is one of mine to brighten the page . . .  News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 09.11.08. SCIENTISTS FIND TRANSSEXUAL GENE. Australian scientists have discovered a DNA variation linked to male-to-female transsexualism. It is more likely that such people have a genetic variation in a gene that could lead to a feminisation of the brain during early development. This discovery implies that transsexualism is not a lifestyle choice but a result of biology. OREGON CITY ELECTS TRANSGENDER MAYOR. The city of Silverton, Oregon (USA) has elected its firsty transgender mayor, Stu Rassmussen. Quoting from The Oregonian newspaper: 'Rasmussen cuts a distinct figure among his flannel-clad neighbors, from the wavy red mane, past the ample breast implants, along the maroon stockinged legs, over the crimson tips of his manicured nails and down to the size 11 black Mary Janes.' Rasmussen, 60, has been involved in local politics since the mid-1980s, serving on the city council and twice before as mayor. But that was before the discreet crossdresser decided it was time to stop hiding the high heels and sexy dresses. ISLAMIC MURDERERS EXECUTED. Three Islamic men, who were involved in the murderous bombing of nightclubs in Bali, which resulted in the death of over 200 people, many of them Australians, have been executed in Indonesia. The three men, Imam Samudra and brothers Amrozi and Mukhlas, who grinned and posed off throughout their trials, remained unrepentant to the end, having uttered no words of apology for the grieving loved ones of those they murdered. [COMMENT; I have ambivalent feeling about the death penalty but I have no regrets about seeing these apologies for human beings despatched from the earth they despoiled by their evil presence. It is one occasion when I would like to believe in hell - a place awaiting such vermin.] Australian Government's censorship moves . . . www.piperpost.net - 02.11.08. Debate is raging over moves being made by the Australian government to censor the Internet. The plan is reported to involve a two-tier system - basic blocking of 'illegal' material and an optional system to provide a filtered feed to Internet users who wish to avoid contact by children with undesirable material. Critics of the move point out that, (1) It is impossible to completely stop access to anything on the Internet by savvy users, (2) It is an expensive and unwieldy imposition on service providers, (3) All filtering systems are faulty and incorrectly block some material, (4) The censorship cannot control file-sharing networks which account for a large part of Internet traffic, and (5) Censorship in any form is offensive to a free people. The chairman of Electronic Frontiers Australia, Colin Jacobs, has commented: 'I'm not exaggerating when I say that this model involves more technical interference in the Internet infrastructure than what is attempted in Iran, one of the most repressive and regressive censorship regimes in the world.' The Sydney Morning Herald reports allegations the Government, especially Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, is trying to bully service providers into accepting the plan. Family First senator Steve Fielding is urging the Government to institute heavy filtering, even of 'fetish' material. COMMENT: Is the Church lurking behind the scenes on this issue? Both the previous government and the present one appear to be ready to kowtow to the Church at the drop of the hat on many issues. And, from a letter to The Sydney Morning Herald . . .  Politicians unite to maintain superstitious mumbo-jumbo . . . www.piperpost.net - 02.11.08. Further proof that Australia's politicians are in thrall to religion comes in the form of an agreement from both sides of the House that the daily recital of the so-called 'Lord's Prayer' should continue. Some Members would like to see this relic of the past be excised from the daily rituals. But both the Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, a practising Christian, and the Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, support retention of the prayer. 'Opening the Australian Parliament each day with the Lord's Prayer is an important reminder of our shared humanity and a reference to the words of our constitution when humbly relying on the blessing of almighty God we established the Commonwealth of Australia over 100 years ago,' Mr Turnbull said. COMMENT: Prayer of any sort to any god is mumbo-jumbo, having no more effect than filling the air with pointless words. From my Encyclopedia - LORD'S PRAYER, The.
The Duke of Wellington cited the Lord's Prayer as 'proof' of the divine
origin of Christianity. The Duke was a great military man but as
a theologian was an utter failure! The so-called Lord's Prayer
was not a distinct utterance of Jesus the Nazarene prophet at all,
although made out to be by the New Testament, but was purloined by the
Christians from much earlier Jewish sources. Here is the original,
known as the Kadesh:
Our Father which art in heaven, be gracious to us, O Lord, our God; hallowed by thy name, and let the remembrance of thee be glorified in heaven above and in the earth below. Let thy kingdom reign over us now and for ever. The holy men of old said, Remit and forgive unto all men whatsoever they have done against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil thing. For thine is the kingdom, and thou shalt reign in glory for ever and for evermore. Interestingly, when the New Testament documents quoted this prayer as if it came from the Nazarene, the writers couldn’t get it correct. Thus the version in the Gospel of Matthew is longer than the versions in Luke. But, strangest fact of all - this supposedly important utterance of the Leader does not appear at all in the other two Gospels! Incidentally, there are many more alleged utterances of Jesus that are mere repetitions of original Jewish texts. So much for the ‘divine origin’ of Christianity. Afghan journalist jailed for 'blasphemy' . . . www.piperpost.net - 02.11.08. Once again the fictitious crime of 'blasphemy' raises its false head - this time in Afghanistan, where a young journalist has been sentenced to 20 years' jail for the alleged offence. Sayed Perwiz Kambakhsh, 23, a journalism student and reporter, was accused of blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad by publishing an article on or from the Internet advocating rights for women. Originally the reporter faced a death sentence when the court staged an apology for a trial in which he was not allowed to ffer any defence. The trial took five minutes! Later an appeals court commuted the death sentence to a sentence of 20 years in prison. The organization Reporters Without Borders commented: 'Afghan justice has again failed to protect Afghan law and guarantee free expression.' Outrage at the sentence has been expressed in many parts of the world. COMMENT: 'Blasphemy' is one of the chief weapons in the armory of the priesthood, designed to stifle free inquiry. And made all the more absurd by the fact that in various parts of the world different sets of blasphemy laws exist, each asserting that one particular deity is the object in question - yet these deities are rivals! For example, in the United Arab Emirates in August 1994 six Indians were put on trial, charged with blasphemy after they staged a play in which ants ate the bodies of the Prophet Muhammad and Jesus of Nazareth. Four other men were jailed two years previously in connection with the same play. But the whole notion of 'blasphemy' turns on the proposition that there is something or someone, i.e. a deity, to be insulted. As no such beings exist blasphemy is a fictitious crime. News in Brief . . . www.piperpost.net - 02.11.08. SCIENTISTS FIND TRANSSEXUAL GENE. Australian scientists have discovered a DNA variation linked to male-to-female transsexualism. It is more likely that such people have a genetic variation in a gene that could lead to feminisation of the brain during the individual's early development. These |