The Hazards of Belief

The Burkes are in the news again:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/siblings-banned-for-life-from-nuig-societies-refuse-college-s-offer-1.3928544


Siblings banned for life from NUIG societies refuse college’s offer


Four siblings who claim their freedom of speech and religious expression was curbed by NUI Galway have rejected a call from the university to drop their legal case.

Isaac, Kezia, Ammi and Enoch Burke were banned for life from all student societies at the university on November 10th, 2014.

Before their ban, they had been distributing material and putting up posters relating to their Christian beliefs, including about gay marriage and abortion, on campus.

According to the Burkes, the university alleged they were suspended for misuse of funds.

The siblings deny the allegations that they misused funds and have alleged discrimination on the grounds of religion.

The university last week told the Burkes it was lifting their lifetime ban, and it offered to seek no order on costs if they discontinued their legal action against it.

“In light of the lifting in full of the societal ban our client wishes to make an open offer herein that in the event that the appellants agree to issue a notice of discontinuance in relation to the above proceedings (the remaining claims being all that are live between the parties) our client would be agreeable to the striking out of these cases and would seek no order as to costs against the appellants,” the university wrote in a letter to the Burkes.

However, the siblings have rejected the offer and are pressing ahead with their case, which is due to begin on Tuesday.

“It has been over four years and six months since we were banned for life from societies at NUI Galway,” Enoch Burke said. “Now, on the eve of the court hearing, that ban has been lifted. The university should never have imposed this ban in the first place and we are pressing ahead for justice.

“The whole point of going to court is that the equal status Acts are there to offer redress for those who have been discriminated against, and that is our claim against the university,” he added.

The Circuit Court hearing is listed for three days at Galway city courthouse, beginning on Tuesday.

The Burkes must prove that they were less favourably treated by the university, and that they were treated in such a manner because of their religious beliefs.

The Burkes, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, were unsuccessful in complaints previously heard by the Workplace Relations Commission, and maintain there were shortcomings in that process.

They had been active members of two college groups, the Christian Union and Life societies, which promoted “teachings of Christianity” and “sanctity of human life”.

The siblings have claimed they were the subject to organised campaigns of opposition on campus, the most visible signs of which were sustained ripping-down of posters they put up.

They have claimed that this and other incidents amounted to a campaign of harassment and intimidation, and that they had submitted numerous complaints to the college authorities as far back as March 2013.

They previously wrote to then tanaiste France Fitzgerald concerning the case, and called for the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality to investigate their case.

NUI Galway declined to comment.

In local news, this is interesting. I wonder where the head'll show up again:
Head removed from statue of archbishop Leahy in Thurles:


https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2019/0628/1059060-statue/

Not quite sure why this is turning up in the news now. The guy was appointed to his present post about four-and-a-half years ago. We noted it in this very thread.

https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2019/0701/1059441-social-media-jesus/

Use Jesus as guide on social media - Church of England

The Church of England has urged Christians to follow the example of Jesus when interacting on social media, as it launched a new charter to create a "positive atmosphere" online.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby visited the British headquarters of Facebook to launch the digital charter, which asks individuals and churches to pledge to be truthful, kind and welcoming online.

"Social media has transformed the way we live our lives. As Christians we are called to engage in a way which is shaped by the example of Jesus," he said in a statement before the visit.

He added: "Each time we interact online we have the opportunity either to add to currents of cynicism and abuse or to choose instead to share light and grace."

Archbishop of York John Sentamu also offered his support to the effort, saying people should take more time to think before posting comments.

"Sometimes it's about counting to ten and asking whether a spiteful statement on social media will change a situation for the better," he said.

He added: "The church wishes to be present in the digital sphere, and the same force for social cohesion which it strives to be in the real world", working alongside social media companies.

Jesus was crap at social media though - only had twelve followers :pac:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/priests-have-feelings-as-well-as-votes-cleric-responds-to-d%C3%A1il-sinning-priest-comment-1.3946539

‘Priests have feelings as well as votes’ – cleric responds to Dail ‘sinning priest’ comment

The co-founder of the Association of Catholic Priests has said political parties would “do well to remember that priests have feelings as well as votes” following Taoiseach Leo Varakdar’s comments comparing Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to a secretly sinning priest.

During tetchy exchanges on questions about the cost of capital projects in the Dail on Wednesday, Mr Varadkar said: “I am always amused and bemused that Deputy Martin likes to accuse me of being partisan and personal yet as is evidenced by his name-calling today, he is very capable of being partisan and personalised himself.

“He kind of reminds me of one of those parish priests who preaches from the altar telling us how to avoid sin while secretly going behind the altar and engaging in any amount of sin himself.”

Fr Brendan Hoban said priests, along with their parishioners and friends have feelings and votes, and that “an apology might be advised.” Speaking to The Irish Times he wondered if Mr Varadkar would have said such a thing about a Church of Ireland minister.

The bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan , described the Taoiseach’s comments as “very hurtful.”

Bishop Cullinan said the comment was unfortunate and it was ironic that it should come the day before a structured dialogue meeting, involving Mr Varadkar, Government members and representatives of the churches of other faiths and of non-confessional bodies, takes place at Dublin Castle.

“Now we have one particular religion being singled out for crass treatment.”

He said he was standing up for priests around the country. “I am saying well done, you’re doing a great job, keep going.”

Speaking on RTE Radio’s Today with Sean O’Rourke Show, the bishop said the vast majority of priests work “so hard” and ordinary people are deeply offended “by the comment from the head of parliament.”

It was not balanced treatment, he said. When asked if the Taoiseach should apologise for the comment, Bishop Cullinan said it was up to Mr Varadakar to clarify.

The situation was very unfortunate and he hoped it would not be repeated. Bringing in the church “out of the blue” when speaking about the Fianna Fail leader, was “unprovoked.”

“I don’t know why he did that.”

He urged priests not to be upset by the comment as “the majority of people love their priests.”

It seems like the remark cut a bit close to the bone for the clergy here. It's almost like they're ashamed of themselves. Almost.

China is deliberately separating Muslim children from their families, faith and language in its far western region of Xinjiang, according to new research.
At the same time as hundreds of thousands of adults are being detained in giant camps, a rapid, large-scale campaign to build boarding schools is under way.
Based on publicly available documents, and backed up by dozens of interviews with family members overseas, the BBC has gathered some of the most comprehensive evidence to date about what is happening to children in the region.
Records show that in one township alone more than 400 children have lost not just one but both parents to some form of internment, either in the camps or in prison.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-48825090


Much like what was done to indigenous peoples in other countries, though with a speed and scale perhaps only the chinese have the capability for.

The American author of a bestselling Christian guide to relationships for young people has announced that his marriage is over and he has lost his faith.
Joshua Harris, whose biblical guide to relationships I Kissed Dating Goodbye sold nearly 1m copies around the world after it was published in 1997, has also apologised to LGBT+ people for contributing to a “culture of exclusion and bigotry”.
In his book, Harris, a former pastor at a US megachurch, urged young Christians to reject dating for “courtship” under the guidance of parents and observing sexual abstinence. Young couples should not kiss, hold hands or spend time alone together before marriage, he said. Dating was spiritually unhealthy and a “training ground for divorce”, the book argued.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/29/author-christian-relationship-guide-joshua-harris-says-marriage-over?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0AG6QZDfv1KI-MFUHsBdn1xtqGlADTZQKAIHtdN14kxm9Tvr5IYKDZ8e0#Echobox=1564393768


The Road to damascus in a different direction.

robindch wrote: »

Monster drink is - well - monstrous.

https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1159534722655096832

The comments on Twitter were screamingly funny. And, helpful - I'd never heard of Gail Riplinger before. Love it when the 'devout' eat each other. No, Riplinger is not the woman in the video.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

I'm too young to remember :pac: but apparently if you wanted illicit contraception in the 70s and 80s, Hayes Cunningham Robinson chemists were the place to go, because they were 'Protestant'.

I remember, at about 7 or 8 years old, being in a bus with my mother and going past what must have been the Well Woman Centre, seeing a large sign saying 'Contraceptives Unlimited', and asking my mam what that meant ...because all the other shops and businesses said Limited!!!

Dragged up this ancient post because when I happened across this video on RTE Archives the other day, I remembered I'd posted about this place before

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2013/1127/489465-contraception-unlimited-1978/

Corner of Charlemont Street and Harcourt Road, Dublin 2. The shops are still there, but the whole block is closed down since last year and no doubt is soon going to be demolished. The area is unrecognisable today - apart from the block of now-closed shops (late night dive and alleged food supplier The Manhattan among them), the just-about-visible phone exchange on Adelaide Road is pretty much the only feature in that streetscape which is still there - and it's also being demolished.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3326868,-6.2636642,3a,75y,92.45h,80.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swsLKIRuXnJ2UwyI68a5B6w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Even the road layout has changed, the road on the left at the very start of the video was built over and a new road constructed further away.

All bland office blocks and convenience stores and coffee chains now.

I remember the optician's on Harcourt Road as well, it was the last hold-out after everything else around it was demolished:

https://comeheretome.com/2012/03/27/stein-opticians/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29381920@N03/5801512492/sizes/o/in/set-72157608591425786/

But at least now you can get johnnies...

On August 14, a court in Rajasthan acquitted all men on trial of killing a Muslim dairy farmer, Pehlu Khan, saying there were serious lapses in investigation. Khan, 55, and four others, were stopped by a mob in Alwar district in April 2017 as they were legally transporting cows. They were brutally beaten in an attack that was filmed on a mobile phone and widely shared on social media. Khan died two days later from his injuries.




Since 2014, at least 50 people, mostly Muslims, have been killed in similar attacks. Dalits, so-called untouchables, have also been targeted because they handle animal carcasses and leather. The government has promised justice for these hate crimes, but Khan’s case highlights many findings of a Human Rights Watch report that police stall investigations, ignore procedures, file criminal cases against witnesses to harass and intimidate them, and even cover up to protect perpetrators.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/08/15/failing-hold-violent-cow-protectors-account-india?fbclid=IwAR3w6TfIkC-m8XPbyobD7ZviHCXmRLwFUisrqFCm7ThG3t9ZEzdslGJELWc

Multiple fatalities as lightning strike hits cross at Polish pilgrimage site

"Oops", says God.