The Hazards of Belief

Peregrinus

recedite wrote: »

I wonder how many "early adopter" Christians died of pneumonia in Europe before they shortened the baptism ritual to "a light sprinkling of water, indoors" :pac:

Gee, rec, you really should have more faith in medical science. There is no link between brief immersion and pneumonia.

I know your Mammy told you that, but - now, don't get upset - Mammies can sometimes be wrong.

recedite

Peregrinus wrote: »

There is no link between brief immersion and pneumonia.

I'm not convinced. I'll keep my faith in the mammy.

After all, some things just can't be explained by science (yet).

Hotblack Desiato

Mammy probably didn't allow you do your immersion baptism until an hour after your lunch, too.

Hector Savage

Another little light extinguished


https://twitter.com/mosa_1973/status/1002627042091905024

recedite

Hector Savage wrote: »

Another little light extinguished
https://twitter.com/mosa_1973/status/1002627042091905024

Can't read arabic. Whats going on?

robindch

Hector Savage wrote: »

Another little light extinguished

https://twitter.com/mosa_1973/status/1002627042091905024

At least that girl is still alive. The Nepalese girl, many like her, in this report here, are not:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/world/asia/nepal-women-menstruation-period.html

Liamario

This will cheer you up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1GEc2BpSLw

Hotblack Desiato

What a cûnt. Thought dad was going to deck him.

Liamario

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

What a cûnt. Thought dad was going to deck him.

Don't know why he didn't.

kylith

recedite wrote: »

Can't read arabic. Whats going on?

Today we celebrated the coronation of my Sweet little girl 🌹(sama) in 🌹 response to her desire after having completed seven years, and when we entered the room she did not not knowing about the celebration I surprised my love and cried joy and shyness 🌺💐 God watch her and let her and her sisters see us from the fire 🌹💖

It seems the first occasion of her donning the all-black garb.

robindch

The government of Samoa has requested that religious workers start paying taxes. Samoa's largest church is not happy, pointing out that paying tax "goes against its faith". This story has been running for some weeks and the church seems to be expecting elected heads to roll, while the same elected heads seem to think that the state will prevail.

Anybody taking bets?

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/358381/church-warns-of-downfall-of-samoa-govt-over-tax

Radio NZ, May 28 wrote:

The Samoa government's decision to tax the head of state and church ministers is the beginning of the "downfall" of the administration, according to a local church. The claim was made during the general debate at the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa's general assembly at Malua. The debate took place before the general assembly took a vote on the tax issue, where they decided to reject the law. The media was not allowed inside the assembly but a recording of the debate obtained by the Sunday Samoan proves the extent of the church's opposition to the law.

One senior minister said the government's decision will be the downfall of the current administration. He said church ministers should never pay taxes. The minister added that he does not want the issue to lead to the downfall of the government but if Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi insists, then so be it. Another member suggested that there should be a set amount of money the church can pay to the government.

But not everyone opposed the tax, with one member saying it was better for ministers to pay their taxes rather than the church.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/358851/samoa-revenue-minister-quiet-over-church-s-refusal-to-pay-tax

Radio NZ, June 4 wrote:

Samoa's revenue minister is staying tight-lipped over a church's decision to ignore a law requiring ministers to pay tax.
The decision by the Congregational Christian Church has brought it into a head-to-head confrontation with the prime minister. As part of the government's tax reforms, church pastors are now required to pay income tax for the first time. But the Congregational Christian Church - Samoa's biggest - is choosing to flout the law, which has stirred a heated back-and-forth with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. The church says ministers should never pay taxes, and at a closed-door general assembly a week ago, a senior minister said the move could lead to the government's downfall.

In parliament, though, Tuilaepa said such talk was tantamount to the church holding a gun to the government's head, adding that the law has already been passed. But the revenue minister, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, told the Samoa Observer he's choosing to stay out of it until the government meets with the church. The Chairman of the National Council of Churches has also distanced himself, saying the Congregational Church is a sovereign body.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/359914/samoa-cabinet-to-discuss-church-opposition-on-tax

Radio NZ, June 19 wrote:

Samoan government leaders will discuss the Congregational Christian Church's opposition to paying tax at its meeting on Wednesday, the Samoan prime minister says. Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi met a delegation of more than 20 elders and ministers of the church on Monday.

Under a new law church ministers will have to pay tax from next month but the Congregational Christian Church, which is Samoa's largest, has said this goes against its faith. Tuilaepa said the cabinet would respond in writing to the church. Speaking to the media on the issue recently, Tuila'epa said no government would be controlled and directed from outside.

silverharp

careful now , cannabis causes anti semitism

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5881913/Muslim-businessman-anti-Semitic-insults-blamed-remarks-smoking-cannabis-Ramadan.html

Muslim businessman who reduced airline passengers to tears with anti-Semitic insults walks free from court after blaming racist remarks on smoking cannabis during Ramadan

Shamraize Bashir, 34, made shocking anti-Semitic remarks on an easyJet flight
The company director was travelling back to Manchester from Tel Aviv last June
The West Yorkshire man blamed remarks on smoking cannabis during Ramadan
The Muslim man has to complete a 12 month community and pay £505 in costs

Odhinn

silverharp wrote: »

careful now , cannabis causes anti semitism

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5881913/Muslim-businessman-anti-Semitic-insults-blamed-remarks-smoking-cannabis-Ramadan.html

They can consider themselves lucky he hadn't combined it with Nurofen plus.

Pawwed Rig

Trying to decide if the sentence was harsh or light. Noone was injured so the only issue was offence caused.

100 hours of unpaid work and a fine for words?

silverharp

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Trying to decide if the sentence was harsh or light. Noone was injured so the only issue was offence caused.

100 hours of unpaid work and a fine for words?

youd expect higher standards on a plane i guess plus you cant exactly walk away from it.

oscarBravo

silverharp wrote: »

youd expect higher standards on a plane i guess...

Pun overload.

silverharp

Odhinn wrote: »

They can consider themselves lucky he hadn't combined it with Nurofen plus.

i was a bit slow on that one, the Prenderville defense?

Pawwed Rig

silverharp wrote: »

youd expect higher standards on a plane i guess plus you cant exactly walk away from it.

Yeah but nothing actually happened other than words


sticks and stones ........

Peregrinus

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Trying to decide if the sentence was harsh or light. Noone was injured so the only issue was offence caused.

100 hours of unpaid work and a fine for words?

Full marks for scepticism!

The Daily Mail lede ("walked free from court after he blamed his racist remarks on smoking cannabis during Ramadan") tries to suggest that he avoided a custodial sentence because of the cannabis issue, and because of the link to Ramadan.

However a careful read of the article doesn't suggest that the court made any link at all between the sentence and these particular circumstances. The fact that the sentence included an additional element requiring attendance at a substance abuse programme suggest that the cannabis use was regarded as an aggravating circumstance, not a mitigating factor.

Because the UK has a system of lay (i.e. legally unqualified) magistrates, they have quite detailed and specific sentencing guidelines which magistrates are required to observe. If we were told exactly what offence he was charged with, and all the relevant circumstances, we'd know the range of sentences open to the court. The Daily Mail report does say that this was a first offence, and that he admitted the offence, both factors which reduce the severity of the permissible sentence. It may be that a custodial sentence was not open to the magistrates.

Odhinn

silverharp wrote: »

i was a bit slow on that one, the Prenderville defense?

Tis indeed. You know your badly conceived justifications Sir.

Odhinn

A clatter of the crozier for the minister for culture

THE Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has launched an astonishing attack on Culture Minister Josepha Madigan, accusing her of being “deeply disrespectful” to her parishioners.
Ms Madigan stepped up to lead her local congregation in prayer on Saturday evening after no priest showed up to say Mass at south Dublin church.
The incident sparked a debate about the place of women in the Catholic Church and the need for more involvement from lay people.
Ms Madigan, who led Fine Gael’s campaign to repeal the Eighth Amendment, had told Independent.ie it was “sad reflection of the times we live” that there are so few preists.
She later said that she hoped to raise the place of women in the Church with Pope Francis when he visited Ireland in August.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/archbishop-launches-astonishing-attack-on-josepha-madigan-after-culture-minister-led-prayers-when-priest-was-a-noshow-37051902.html

expectationlost

Odhinn wrote: »

A clatter of the crozier for the minister for culture


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/archbishop-launches-astonishing-attack-on-josepha-madigan-after-culture-minister-led-prayers-when-priest-was-a-noshow-37051902.html

an usually strident message from that Bishop, is he really sure theres no priest shortage?

but probably a mistake for Minister Madigan to go on radio to speak about a personal church service.

ohnonotgmail

expectationlost wrote: »

an usually strident message from that Bishop, is he really sure theres no priest shortage?

but probably a mistake for Minister Madigan to go on radio to speak about a personal church service.

I know, women having opinions, am i right? whatever will they expect next.

Hotblack Desiato

Ah heyor.

Couldn't they at least have got a man to do it?

Huntergonzo

Gas story, but it always amazes me when people (particularily women) are surprised by sexism in the catholic church, how is this in any way new information, look at their track record ffs.

Women being surprised by sexism in the catholic church is like black people being surprised by racism in the KKK.

lawred2

expectationlost wrote: »

an usually strident message from that Bishop, is he really sure theres no priest shortage?

but probably a mistake for Minister Madigan to go on radio to speak about a personal church service.

Why?

expectationlost

lawred2 wrote: »

Why?

mixing her personal activities with her political profile.

ohnonotgmail

expectationlost wrote: »

mixing her personal activities with her political profile.

so as a politician she is never allowed comment on anything that happens in her private life?

expectationlost

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

so as a politician she is never allowed comment on anything that happens in her private life?

shes allowed, shes also allowed to choose not to on national radio

ohnonotgmail

expectationlost wrote: »

she allowed, shes also allowed to choose not to

but you are complaining that she is voicing a private opinion. why is she not allowed do that?