The Hobby Horses of Belief (and assorted hazards)

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120693405#Comment_120693405

I seen this posted elsewhere

You should never say bad things about the dead, only good.

Pat Robertson is dead. 

Good.

Hotblack Desiato

BBC:

Robertson also founded the Christian Coalition, the organisation that grew to be a pivotal player in Republican politics starting in the 1980s.

It provided endorsements and financial and organisational support to candidates who echoed their views on hot-button social issues like abortion, religious liberty and "traditional" values.

My arse.

Religious liberty is the last thing the likes of him were interested in.

Igotadose

Sadly sold out.

robindch

Religious liberty is the last thing the likes of him were interested in.

"Religious liberty" in the same sense that sh*ts like Elon Musk talk about "free speech" - unrestricted rights for them to do and say what they want to, while restricting the ability of others to do the same.

robindch

Not bored enough in church? Reckon there's not enough religious prose out there, and that what the world needs is yet more of the stuff?

Step onto the stage - PreachGPT!

https://apnews.com/article/germany-church-protestants-chatgpt-ai-sermon-651f21c24cfb47e3122e987a7263d348

Hotblack Desiato

In fairness that's got to be one of the most unchallenging applications for AI around.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2023/06/23/nothing-is-sacred-as-germanys-battle-of-the-bishops-heats-up/

Forget Big Brother: the Catholic Church in Germany is getting an early start this summer with its Big Bishop house. The reality show features warring clerics, a row over Jesus’s loincloth and a surprise new arrival from Rome to stir things up – more on which later.

The story so far revolves around Cardinal Rainer-Maria Woelki (66), the archbishop of Cologne since 2014, a leading conservative cleric and a staunch defender of a male-only celibate Catholic priesthood.

He has been under fire for years, accused of blocking efforts to investigate – and compensate – survivors of clerical sexual abuse and for suppressing an unflattering study into abuse and its cover-up in the archdiocese.

His reputation is such that few local church groups or organisations want to work with, or even be seen with, Cardinal Woelki. Though Woelki has submitted a letter of resignation with Pope Francis, the pontiff has yet to accept it, leaving him, as a Cologne newspaper described it this week, a “bishop without a flock”.

The stand-off reached crisis point last Sunday when Archbishop Helmut Dieser of nearby Aachen, fearing protests, asked Cardinal Woelki to stay away from a special Mass displaying local relics including cloths believed to be Jesus’s loincloth and swaddling clothes.

On a more serious note

This week the district court of Traunstein, the late pope’s spiritual home in Bavaria, began hearing the case of a 39-year-old Andreas Perr. He says he was abused by a priest – and a known abuser – who was appointed to his parish by Joseph Ratzinger, later pope Benedict, during the latter’s time as archbishop of Munich and Freising.

The man is seeking €350,000 in damages and, in a preliminary ruling this week, the court found the Catholic Church, as an institution, can be made legally liable for its abusing priests. Last week a Cologne court delivered a similar ruling, ordering the archdiocese to pay €300,000 in damages to a local abuse survivor.

For church law expert Thomas Schüller, these rulings represent a “breakthrough for German legal history” – with huge financial implications for the wider Catholic Church in Germany.

Hotblack Desiato

Now the nuclear presbyterian moderators are moaning.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2023/06/22/being-christian-in-republic-has-become-a-lot-more-difficult-says-new-presbyterian-moderator/

The new Presbyterian Moderator has lamented the state of Christianity in the Republic where “contrary views are often cancelled and it is becoming harder to get a hearing for the Church in the public square”.

Dr Mawhinney told General Assembly delegates how in 2015 a majority of people in the Republic affirmed same-sex marriage and legalised abortion in 2018 through repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

“Two of the primary teachings of Jesus and the church were rejected,” and “two foundation blocks of Christian teaching for society, marriage and the sanctity of life in the womb were rocked and we felt the seismic ripples beneath our feet,” he said.

Rapid change in society “means that following Jesus has got a lot more difficult and there are competing and opposing views to our Christian world view,” he said.

Competing views? Oh noes!

In 2018, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland controversially banned gay people from full church membership and banned their children from Baptism. It also broke links with its mother church in Scotland because of a perception it was becoming too liberal on the gay issue.

Read the room guys.

Odhinn

..as well they might

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120757280#Comment_120757280

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/dublin-news/a-slap-in-the-face-for-northsiders-why-plans-to-downgrade-the-pro-cathedral-have-sparked-fury-among-dubliners/a1334503176.html

While no official decision has been made yet, two former Dublin lord mayors are among those who say they will resist any such change.

“It would be a slap in the face [to northsiders] who have attended the Pro Cathedral for so many years,” Independent councillor Christy Burke told The Irish Times.

“What is the point behind all of this upheaval? The church will lose support in the inner city if this move takes place.”​

“I will certainly be dropping [Pope Francis] a note,” Independent north-inner city councillor and former lord mayor Nial Ring told RTÉ radio last Monday.

“I feel strongly about it… the amount of people who I know were born in the Rotunda and taken over by their granny to the Pro Cathedral to make sure they got baptised.

“[St Mary’s] is part of the heart of the city [and] we don’t want another holy war over this.

I’ll be saying clearly to [Archbishop Farrell], if the right decision isn’t made, we might have to go over your head, Your Grace.”

Who the hell votes for complete gobshites like this pair?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120818742#Comment_120818742

I've seen a copy of the note that Nial Ring is sending.

"Ah Jaysis Frankie ye can't be downgrading the pro cathedral"

Hotblack Desiato

Give me strength...

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/07/07/nuns-object-to-steep-processing-plant-that-will-interrupt-prayerful-atmosphere/

“We are concerned that this plant would seriously and detrimentally affect our way of life and the present prayerful atmosphere, which is essential to us,” Sr Breda told the council.

Imagine if they entertain this bullshit and 100 families lose out on a job just so these tossers can pray harder.

Odhinn

Poxy knuckle draggers

"Several hundred people have taken part in a march in Cork in solidarity with library workers who have been subjected to "intimidation" and "harassment" in recent months, according to Fórsa."

"The rally was organised by the trade union following a number of incidents of campaigners against certain LGBTQ+ reading material entering libraries and removing or ripping up some books."

https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2023/0707/1393297-library-solidarity-cork/

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120820534#Comment_120820534

I would probably object to it if I was them. 59 others seem to agree with them.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41180506.html

A “psychic medium” described by a judge as “an old-fashioned confidence trickster” has been jailed for a year after she got a man to give her €10,000 by telling him his deceased father had told her that if he didn’t give her the money, “the devil would take his soul”.

Should have got more tbh...

Judge Pauline Codd said it was quite clear from Mr Byrne’s demeanour in court that he is a vulnerable person. 

She said Paget was criminally liable as she had taken large sums of money under threat, “even though those are supernatural threats”. The judge described the offence as “cunning and manipulative” and that Paget had “taken advantage” of Mr Byrne.

Time they went after the real professionals though. There's many a vulnerable elderly person who signed over a house or farm because of 'supernatural threats'.

donaghs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822255#Comment_120822255

I don’t support these protests, and it looks like they are a small fringe group.

But, at the risk of committing “heresy” on these unquestionable issues, these protests have raised some interesting issues, which more mainstream commentators should have raised.

For example the targeting of Juno Dawsons book:

https://www.newstalk.com/news/anti-lgbtq-protesters-gather-as-cork-library-staff-demand-protection-1484893

seems to have caused a reappraisal. And some groups are now saying it’s not suitable for children, e.g. Children’s Books Ireland. Others, as mentioned in the article are still backing it.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41110669.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAlthough%20it%20was%20initially%20recommended,Is%20Gay%20by%20Juno%20Dawson.

Which does raise the question of why a book which “provides detailed advice on anal and oral sex and sexting”, was deemed suitable for children, on reading lists, and put in a children’s LGBTQ+ book display in libraries?

it also advises on how to use apps like Grindr to arrange hook-ups.

Doesn’t it all seems strange?

https://rollercoaster.ie/lifestyle/news/sex-ed-book-taken-off-junior-cycle-reading-list-after-uproar/

smacl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120887480#Comment_120887480

The error here from my reading is the lack of distinction between young adults and young children. I haven't seen the guide. While the article states the 'guide is aimed at young readers aged 0-18', is this broken down into distinct age groups? I'd sincerely hope so. There aren't many books I can think of suitable for the upper end of that age spectrum that are also suitable to the lower end. If we're talking about the older teen group, discussions around sexuality are, in my opinion, very much appropriate, including risks, expectations etc... For younger kids, this is clearly inappropriate.

donaghs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120887971#Comment_120887971

From reading online , I’m struggling to see where it’s demarcated as a book for older teens.

it looks like the Dublin libraries put it in the 12-14 section. And stood by this decision.

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/dublin-news/juno-dawson-books-will-not-be-removed-from-dublin-libraries-after-complaints-about-sexualised-content/42323296.html

This An Post LBGT book guide does mention that is “young adult”, but also says “a must for all school libraries”.

https://www.anpost.com/getmedia/01921558-b094-46b4-b5ae-4bb32e0e7920/Pride-Guide.pdf

The bit about the 16 year old boy carrying on an affair with a married man has many “problematic” aspects to it, besides being legally under-age in Ireland.

smacl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120888662#Comment_120888662

12-14 certainly doesn't seem to be the intended audience, from a Rolling Stone interview covered in a Wikipedia article on the book, the author states "We’re all very clear This Book is Gay is not for children". That said, I'd also be concerned about the lobbying coming from the Natural Women’s Council, who at a glance also come across as very conservative and rather anti-trans, specifically with regard to the new SPHE curriculum. It is worth remembering that any young teen with a mobile phone already has access to massive amounts of pornography, misinformation about sex and exposure to various potentially harmful influences. Saying that we don't want to expose our children to this kind thing in the library rather misses this crucial point and is tantamount to burying our collective heads in the sand. Personally, I applaud these issues being talked about in an open and fully inclusive manner in our schools as is starting to happen.

Cynically, I'd also say anything that had our kids spending more time in libraries rather than on their phones is no bad thing. Not sure what is a reasonable age to allow children to read books with sexually explicit content that have been reviewed by the educational establishment as broadly beneficial.

robindch

Nazi Leprechaun loses pot of gold:

https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0724/1396175-national-party-reports-large-gold-theft-in-dublin-4/

Hotblack Desiato

This is awful...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66301562

A retired US church pastor who presided nearly half a century ago at the funeral of a kidnapped eight-year-old girl has been charged with her murder.

Gretchen Harrington went missing in the Philadelphia suburb of Marple Township on the morning of 15 August 1975 while attending summer Bible camp.

Earlier this year, an anonymous woman told investigators she believed her best friend's father was the culprit.

David Zandstra, 83, is now charged with murder and kidnapping of a minor.

"He is every parent's worst nightmare," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer told reporters on Monday.

"He killed this poor eight-year-old girl he knew and who trusted him. And then, he acted as if he was a family friend, not only during her burial and the period after that, but for years." 

robindch

Iran suffers from dose of "Man in Charge of Spreading Homophobia Turns Out to be Gay". "Gosh, news to me!", claims colleagues, religious authorities.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-66349073

Odhinn

Hard to know what to say about this. A group that seems hell bent on dragging its country into a "modern" dark age

"The Taliban have burned musical instruments in Afghanistan, claiming music "causes moral corruption".

Thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment went up in smoke on a bonfire on Saturday in western Herat province.

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions, including on playing music in public."

"Last week all hair and beauty salons across the country were ordered to shut on the Taliban's orders, after being deemed un-Islamic."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66357611

oscarBravo

I'm reminded of the definition of puritanism: the haunting suspicion that someone, somewhere is having a good time.

donaghs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120922591#Comment_120922591

We've been here before. Article from 1998, 4 years after Taliban takeover.

A culture muted | Afghanistan | The Guardian

Maybe the "new Taliban" are just the same.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65264921

A hidden world of sex abuse and exploitation by men working as "spiritual healers" has been uncovered by BBC Arabic.

Spiritual healing, also known as "Quranic healing", is a popular practice in the Arab and Muslim world. It is mostly women who visit healers - believing that they can solve problems and cure illness by expelling evil spirits known as "jinn".

Testimonies gathered by the BBC from 85 women, over a period of more than a year, named 65 so-called healers in Morocco and Sudan - two countries where such practices are particularly popular - with accusations ranging from harassment to rape.

Dalal (not her real name) sought treatment for depression from a spiritual healer in a town near Casablanca a few years ago, when she was in her mid-20s. She says the healer told her the depression was caused by a "jinn lover" who had possessed her.

At a one-to-one session he asked her to smell a scent he said was musk - but which she now believes to have been some kind of drug, because she lost consciousness.

Dalal, who had never had any sexual experience before, says she woke to find her underwear had been removed, and realised she had been raped. She says she began screaming at the raqi (Quranic healer), asking him what he had done to her.

"I said: 'Shame on you! Why did you do this to me?' He said: 'To make the jinn leave your body.'"

Odhinn

Florida schools plan to use only excerpts from Shakespeare to avoid ‘raunchiness’

Teachers in a Florida county are preparing to use only excerpts of works by William Shakespeare, rather than whole plays, as part of an attempt to conform to hardline rightwing legislation on teaching about sex .

“There’s some raunchiness in Shakespeare,” Joseph Cool, a reading teacher at Gaither high school in Hillsborough county, told the Tampa Bay Times. “Because that’s what sold tickets during his time.”

But, the newspaper said: “In staying with excerpts, the schools can teach about Shakespeare while avoiding anything racy or sexual.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/08/florida-schools-shakespeare-sexual-material

On the bright side,a new generation might well be drawn to Shakespeare, even if it's in search of "raunchiness".

Igotadose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120954293#Comment_120954293

"On the bright side,a new generation might well be drawn to Shakespeare, even if it's in search of "raunchiness"."

You'd hope, but this is Florida. The parents that voted for the GOP pols that implemented this farce are graduates of an earlier, and likely better, version of that educational system. I'd despair for the next generations ability to walk upright let alone be curious about Shakespeare, or raunchiness. The parents take them to grooming sessions each week at whatever nutter Xtian flavor they profess to believe in, too.

Hotblack Desiato

Brain drain and capital flight will cause the red states to continue to fall behind economically.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120979551#Comment_120979551

Thought it was the other way around. Are people not leaving California in droves?