The Hobby Horses of Belief (and assorted hazards)

robindch

Enoch Burke is back... in jail:

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/09/08/high-court-rules-that-enoch-burke-should-be-jailed-for-a-second-time-for-continuing-to-turn-up-at-school/

robindch

WTF (apart from the obvious) is wrong with this guy?

I believe it's standard practice - my own grandfather was in the civil defence during WWII and at his funeral some fifteen years ago, the Irish flag was draped over his coffin until it reached the church door, where we coffin bearers were told to replace it with the Vatican yellow-and-white rag and somebody did. Unfortunately, I didn't have prior instructions from my grandad as to whether to create a scene or not in this case, so I chose not to, but I can say most assuredly that the temperature of the funeral was somewhere between absolute zero and the temperature of the center of the sun.

Peregrinus

In the 70s and 80s, for reasons which older boardies will not need to be reminded of, a number of dioceses introduced rules which severely restricted or banned outright the involvement of political symbols in liturgies, and in particular in funerals.

Hotblack Desiato

A servant of the state (DF or Garda) having their service to the state marked is not political. Rah heads is something else entirely.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/euthanasia-is-consensual-killing-in-healthcare-dail-committee-on-assisted-dying-told/a332748125.html

Keeping the current law is the only “credible safeguard on offer against the normalisation of consensual killing in healthcare,” the Oireachtas committee on assisted dying was told today.

Dr Thomas Finegan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Mary Immaculate College said...

Sigh.

Why does a degree in advanced godology get you a foot in the door when any and every social change is being discussed?

Odhinn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121191848#Comment_121191848

There should be parity of esteem here. I've read Dune a rake of times, not to mention the sequels - wheres my seat at the table?

Igotadose

...

markodaly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egipqa0ZhUk

The first few minutes speak for itself.

ohnonotgmail

All very odd

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cl59jzk3wgyo

Hotblack Desiato

"You were only supposed to hold him down for five seconds"

robindch

A Czech parish priest flies into a pumpkin-fuelled rage, stomps on multiple pumpkins, twice, considers the wisdom of his actions, delivers apologies to local mayor, kids, wider community.

"[...] my duty as a figure of authority and a priest is to protect children and families from hidden evil [...]", he claimed in the face of evidence to the contrary.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67168388

oscarBravo

I'm guessing the kids' reaction ranged from melancholy to infinite sadness...

robindch

An Islamic windbag from Gaza projects regarding the women of paradise - no mucus, babies, poo, pee or periods - just what you need when you have the strength of "one hundred men"! No saliva either, so you'd wonder whether his own experiences have somewhat unsatisfying.

https://twitter.com/MEMRIReports/status/1273890658097467392

ohnonotgmail

Not sure really where this belongs, it fits just as well in the "Funny" thread

https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2023/11/16/vatican-confirms-ban-on-catholics-becoming-freemasons/

Masonic lodges are normally male-only societies, associated with arcane symbols and rituals. They have also sometimes been linked to conspiracy theories alleging undue influence on world affairs.

Clearly they are not fans of competition.

Hotblack Desiato

Another Poe where the reality cannot be differentiated from satire.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121376226#Comment_121376226

it would certainly put you in mind of:

Dougal: “God Ted, I’ve heard about those cults. Everyone dressing in black and saying our Lord’s going to come back and judge us all.”

Ted: “No… no Dougal, that’s us. That’s Catholicism you’re talking about there.”

Igotadose

https://twitter.com/afshineemrani/status/1726217474620969289

...

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121396210#Comment_121396210

For those who didnt click on the link this is really old news from 2017.

Hotblack Desiato

It's not old news if nothing's changed.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398764#Comment_121398764

That's pretty much the definition of old news.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398764#Comment_121398764

The tweet presented it as new so I clarified it wasn't. Nothing more.

Igotadose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121399062#Comment_121399062

Yeah, my bad. I don't have Twitter so I dug that out but missed the date. Good for the chessmaster though.

Hotblack Desiato

Saudi Arabia is pumping money into all sorts of sportswashing projects. If there's another women's chess tournament there it'll be just the same as it was in 2017.

Hotblack Desiato

This story takes a bizarre turn

https://www.thejournal.ie/an-bord-pleanala-green-light-diageo-brewery-6246152-Dec2023/

AN BORD PLEANÁLA has given the green light to drinks giant Diageo to construct its planned €200 million brewery for Newbridge, Co Kildare.

Kildare County Council had granted planning permission for the project back in March but the brewery plan was stalled after a man at the centre of RTÉ Investigates allegations concerning payoffs to objectors in the planning system John Callaghan through his Sustainability 2050 entity appealed the decision while a separate appeal by a John Lynch from Athy, Co Kildare was also lodged with the appeals board.

In his appeal, Lynch of Cloney, Athy stated that the proposal for Littleconnell should be rejected and be built instead in Athy on environmental grounds.

In the opening sentence in his original objection lodged with the Council, Lynch stated that he wished on behalf of all the grandchildren of the world and all the babies in the womb of pregnant women to object in the strongest possible way to the proposed brewery at Littleconnell.

Peregrinus

Wait, a concern about the welfare of future generations can now only be accounted for by religious beliefs?

Some very secular environmentalists would like a word.

Hotblack Desiato

He's no environmentalist he just wants the brewery built in his town!

His wording, specifically all the babies in the womb of pregnant women is very reminiscent of some of the more unhinged screeds seen stuck to bus shelters in Dublin in 2018

robindch

Lavinia Mennuni, a (sister) senator of Brothers of Italy coalition party proposes to fine school principals who don't allow "activities linked to traditional celebrations such as Christmas and Easter" to take place - presumably on school property, and possibly on school time.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67784060

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121524665#Comment_121524665

Of course the nativity celebration take place on school property, and in school time. This isn't at all inconsistent with the Italian approach to secularism. Italians are not Americans — why should they be?

I'm as dismissive of the proposed law as you, but for a different reason. Is there, in fact, an epidemic of Italian schools supressing Christmas-related events? I'm very sceptical that that there's a "problem" here requiring to be "solved". I suspect it's just the Italian right trying to import culture war issues that have traction in other countries.

robindch

 Is there, in fact, an epidemic of Italian schools supressing Christmas-related events?

Could well be either - schools may have been increasingly blocking overtly religious stuff (or failing to promote it, which could be seen as the same), or it may be a move on the part of a Brothers' sister to start a culture war - and I'm not familiar enough with Italy to know which. Certainly here in Ireland, ET schools have allowed religious stuff on school property, but outside of school time, while disallowing the promotion of religious activities through school-owned channels.

Or indeed, it could be both - some unfortunate principal failing to show expected level of interest in some christmas-themed event and some conservative culture warrior parent noticing a gold-plated opportunity to create problems.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2024/01/18/man-charged-with-threatening-td-hildegarde-naughton-ordered-to-stay-away-from-homes-and-offices-of-galway-politicians/

A 47-year-old man who appeared in court charged with making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to the Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton must stay away from the homes and offices of all Galway politicians.

The condition is one of a number of imposed on Daragh O’Flaherty at Galway District Court.

In court, Garda John Kerrigan gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

He said that in reply to the single charge, Mr O’Flaherty said: “There is a boy in a well. He is drowning in vaccine juice. The government keeps throwing people into the well. The media and corporations keep their foot on their head so the establishment can pretend there is no one in the well, and gardaí and the judiciary pretend the well does not exist. The national order must be restored.”

It's amazing how some people get bail in this country, the court even agreed to loosen the conditions the Gardai / DPP requested.

I hope nobody comes to regret this decision.