The Hazards of Belief

Galvasean · 30-05-2012 11:31PM

Well you know, an atheist cannot become president of Ireland (without lying) either, so it shouldn't be all that surprising.

Delirium · 30-05-2012 11:44PM

Texas, Article 1, Section 4 of the state constitution.

Section 4 prohibits office holders from the requirements of any religious test, provided they "acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being".

How exactly does that gel with a country that supposedly has separation of church and state?

31-05-2012 12:10AM

koth wrote: »

Texas, Article 1, Section 4 of the state constitution.

How exactly does that gel with a country that supposedly has separation of church and state?

Well it doesn't say what church/god.

Kivaro · 31-05-2012 02:15AM

koth wrote: »

Quote:
Section 4 prohibits office holders from the requirements of any religious test, provided they "acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being".

Does Santa qualify as a Supreme Being?
Or how about Mohammad?

(Of course, I'm talking about Muhammad Ali. The Greatest. The Supreme Being.)

Kivaro · 31-05-2012 02:38AM

A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.

Was Mark wrong?
Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

"I am looking for a great time this Sunday," he posted on Facebook.

More here.

He's in a better place now, I guess (even though he died a painful, slow death).

Penn · 31-05-2012 08:48AM

Kivaro wrote: »

A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.

Was Mark wrong?
Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

"I am looking for a great time this Sunday," he posted on Facebook.

More here.

Daily Mail wrote:

Wolford had been bitten three times before, but never sought medical attention, saying that a bite was a test of his faith.

Wow. He must have been having doubts about his faith.

Banbh · 31-05-2012 08:59AM

He failed the final exam.

Pompey Magnus · 31-05-2012 10:14AM

Kivaro wrote: »

A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.

Was Mark wrong?
Mark 16: 17-18 reads, "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

"I am looking for a great time this Sunday," he posted on Facebook.

More here.

He's in a better place now, I guess (even though he died a painful, slow death).

Someone should have told the Pastor that anything after Mark 16:8 is not authentic to the Gospel, it is a forged ending.

robindch · 31-05-2012 10:17AM

Kivaro wrote: »

A "serpent-handling" West Virginia pastor died after his rattlesnake bit him during a church ritual, just as the man had apparently watched a snake kill his father years before.

Up for a Darwin Award surely?

More on the demise of Mr Wolford in the Washington Post which had profiled his activities last November:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/serpent-handling-pastor-profiled-earlier-in-washington-post-dies-from-rattlesnake-bite/2012/05/29/gJQAJef5zU_story.html

Sarky · 31-05-2012 10:19AM

The snake probably blamed it on the gays.

robindch · 31-05-2012 10:46AM

Meanwhile, Spanish catholics having presumably sorted out the sick, sick, sick dead-baby-scandal currently rocking the church there, a group of Spanish catholic lawyers is prosecuting an underground film-maker who, in 1978, produced a film of 54 seconds, which they allege is blasphemous:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spanish-artist-faces-prison-over-film-made-in-1978-7792719.html

The film-maker, Javier Krahe, faces up to a year in prison if found guilty.

Pompey Magnus · 31-05-2012 11:06AM

robindch wrote: »

Meanwhile, Spanish catholics having presumably sorted out the sick, sick, sick dead-baby-scandal currently rocking the church there, a group of Spanish catholic lawyers is prosecuting an underground film-maker who, in 1978, produced a film of 54 seconds, which they allege is blasphemous:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spanish-artist-faces-prison-over-film-made-in-1978-7792719.html

The film-maker, Javier Krahe, faces up to a year in prison if found guilty.

Hopefully someone puts it onto YouTube and the Streisand Effect kicks in.

TylerIE · 31-05-2012 12:57PM

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

If it wasnt a child Id put it in "the Funny side".

Gbear · 31-05-2012 04:12PM

TylerIE wrote: »

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

If it wasnt a child Id put it in "the Funny side".

That's what having christian Madrassas get you. Utterly revolting. Those children are probably broken.

They really have more in common with radical muslims than they'd care to admit.

Banbh · 31-05-2012 05:44PM

Re the snake handler, the article says: "Wolford was trying to keep the practice alive." That's a fail so.

joseph brand · 31-05-2012 05:48PM

A RECLUSIVE old man who lived in a shed has left a £60,000 legacy to his local church.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4134108/Old-man-who-lived-in-shed-leaves-60k-to-local-church.html

Could have given the money to a charity or hospital. Well, at least the grass will be cut, they might even plant flowers. :rolleyes:

Edit: Just found this, man leaves 1.7 BILLION euro will to catholic church.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2012/Apr-03/169058-businessman-opens-heavens-gates-with-17-bn-euro-will.ashx#axzz1wTGXrsJk

How often does this happen? I want in on this action.

recedite · 31-05-2012 08:29PM

joseph brand wrote: »

A RECLUSIVE old man who lived in a shed has left a £60,000 legacy to his local church.

Strangely when he left money to "the church" he seems to have left the money for the actual building, not the organisation. It doesn't even say if he attended it himself. He just liked the look of it :pac:

How often does this happen?

Ever visit a hospital or a hospice? The places are swarming with clergy. Worse than vultures for hanging around dying people, especially rich ones :mad:

Gbear · 31-05-2012 09:25PM

recedite wrote: »

Strangely when he left money to "the church" he seems to have left the money for the actual building, not the organisation. It doesn't even say if he attended it himself. He just liked the look of it :pac:

Ever visit a hospital or a hospice? The places are swarming with clergy. Worse than vultures for hanging around dying people, especially rich ones :mad:

I'd say they only get a pittance from the collection plates.

Taking property off old people is where the con really kicks in.

My dad mentioned to me that an order of Irish nuns owns billions in property. Anyone know if that's true?

fitz0 · 31-05-2012 10:15PM

joseph brand wrote: »

A RECLUSIVE old man who lived in a shed has left a £60,000 legacy to his local church.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4134108/Old-man-who-lived-in-shed-leaves-60k-to-local-church.html

Could have given the money to a charity or hospital. Well, at least the grass will be cut, they might even plant flowers. :rolleyes:

Edit: Just found this, man leaves 1.7 BILLION euro will to catholic church.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2012/Apr-03/169058-businessman-opens-heavens-gates-with-17-bn-euro-will.ashx#axzz1wTGXrsJk

How often does this happen? I want in on this action.

Does this mean they can finally pay all those compensation claims in full?

No?

Misty May · 31-05-2012 10:19PM

Ever visit a hospital or a hospice? The places are swarming with clergy. Worse than vultures for hanging around dying people, especially rich ones :mad:[/QUOTE]

Where did you get these facts from & when was the last time you visited a hospital or a hospice? I suspect your bigotry has gone a little too far. Many people who are ill or dying enjoy the presence of clergy and get great comfort from their presence. Seriously "swarming" that has to be a joke.:)

robindch · 31-05-2012 10:21PM

Gbear wrote: »

My dad mentioned to me that an order of Irish nuns owns billions in property. Anyone know if that's true?

It may well be irrelevant, since every religious order (of the ones I checked, which are part of the Residential Institution Redress Board settlement) employed top-flight lawyers to asset strip their organizations into trusts stuffed with compliant trustees, lest the government come after them to pay their fair share of the ridiculously lenient deal they were offered. If the legislative wills of the current and previous governments is anything to go by, the religious orders needn't have worried and they could have continued partying as they wished, while the tax payer picked up the tab for the abuse they oversaw.

Outside of Ireland, well, the Legion of Christ is alleged to control around $25 billion in assets, apparently acquired by means which some allege are little different from abuse of the lonely or vulnerable.

robindch · 31-05-2012 10:28PM

Misty May wrote: »

Where did you get these facts from & when was the last time you visited a hospital or a hospice? I suspect your bigotry has gone a little too far.

Well, the church could stop that rumour dead in its tracks by publishing statistics on how much money it picks up from bequests, and how much it picks up from church collections and other income sources.

Stats are almost impossible to come by, but of the little I've heard, I'd imagine that vast majority, probably well over 90%, of the church's irregular income comes from bequests of one kind or another. It would therefore stand to reason -- as well as basic human decency -- that the religious would preferentially spend time with the sick and dying.

Mark Hamill · 31-05-2012 11:30PM

Gbear wrote: »

My dad mentioned to me that an order of Irish nuns owns billions in property. Anyone know if that's true?

The Legion of Christ are reported as having assets worth in the region of €22 billion.

Hotblack Desiato · 31-05-2012 11:30PM

robindch wrote: »

It may well be irrelevant, since every religious order (of the ones I checked, which are part of the Residential Institution Redress Board settlement) employed top-flight lawyers to asset strip their organizations into trusts stuffed with compliant trustees, lest the government come after them to pay their fair share of the ridiculously lenient deal they were offered.

Isn't there a Hunter S. Thompson quote that goes along the lines of 'never trust a holy man, with god on his side he'll screw you on both sides of the deal' ? Can't find it...

pauldla · 01-06-2012 03:09AM

ninja900 wrote: »

Isn't there a Hunter S. Thompson quote that goes along the lines of 'never trust a holy man, with god on his side he'll screw you on both sides of the deal' ? Can't find it...

William S, Burroughs Words of Advice for Young People

If you're doing business with a religious son-of-a-bitch, get it in writing. His word isn't worth sh!t. Not with the good lord telling him how to fuc you on the deal.

Is that the one?

Hotblack Desiato · 01-06-2012 07:36AM

That's the one

pauldla · 01-06-2012 08:16AM

ninja900 wrote: »

That's the one

It's a good one!

Turtwig · 02-06-2012 08:36PM

Not sure where exactly to post this in A&A. Would rather avoid that abomination of a thread.

Did anyone else feel Prometheus was a little er pro ID and produced a Darwinian strawman? I know movies don't really need accuracy but this is one that is going to misleadingly resonate (wrongly imo) with a large audience. So yup Hazard!:pac:

Gbear · 02-06-2012 08:40PM

Jernal wrote: »

Not sure where exactly to post this in A&A. Would rather avoid that abomination of a thread.

Did anyone else feel Prometheus was a little er pro ID and produced a Darwinian strawman? I know movies don't really need accuracy but this is one that is going to misleadingly resonate (wrongly imo) with a large audience. So yup Hazard!:pac:

It's ok.:P I often get annoyed by nonsense stereotypes about nuclear power in films.

Turtwig · 02-06-2012 08:44PM

Gbear wrote: »

It's ok.:P I often get annoyed by nonsense stereotypes about nuclear power in films.

Well I'm a sucker for 24. Absolutely love it, but I cannot but cringe at their disaster assessments for Nuclear Reactor meltdowns in S4. I think the figure Curtis gave per reactor was 1 million dead in the first half hour. How? How!? How the!!??

The Hazards of Belief

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