Bits
and Bobs
Of which some are Strange But True...
(Click here for
Bits and Bobs page 2)
15th
April 2001
Did
anyone see the Pope delivering the post-communion prayer on
TV today?
BRILLIANT
STUFF! The dribble cascading from his mouth was like a
waterfall of weeping angel tears wasn't it? I cannot think of
the reason why the christian god would allow his holy
representative on earth embarrass himself like this in front
of so many millions of people, but there surely must be one.
Also,
it was quite cool how the Pope managed to stay awake during
his speech as well. I thought that the globule of spittle on
his lower lip would never let gravity do it's thing - it sort
of hung there magically for nearly five minutes! And then
another blob of tooks it's place almost immediately. Maybe it
was a miracle. A saliva miracle for the 21st century.
On
the other hand, it is quite possible that Ol' Napkin Head is
just an aged man, representing an ancient myth, no longer
able to control his bodily functions.
1st
April 2001 - This is not an April Fool's joke
The
Netherlands has made single gender marriage legal - affording
single gender married couples equal rights under Dutch civil
law. This only applies to Dutch nationals. Four gay couples (three
male and one female) have already been married, and hundreds
more are waiting for their ceremonies.
The
English Atheist comments:
At
last some good news! A European government casts aside it's
anti-gay prejudice. (The legislation passed through the Dutch
parliament last year - easily.) I am not gay, but I feel that
this Dutch legislation, as an example to all is long overdue
- though I doubt that the British parliament will ever 'see
the light' on this issue.
25th
March 2001 - From The English Atheist's Antipodean Correspondant
It was reported from an
evangelical church in the small New Zealand south island town
of Timaru. The congregation claimed that during services gold
dust from nowhere sprinkled on them and their bibles. Further
claims were that teeth fillings were turning to gold and a
young girl who had bad teeth suddenly and miraculously had a
mouthful of perfect teeth.
Now the story came to the
attention of one of our TV interviewers who is well known as
a sceptic. He had the pastor of the church in on his
programme. I am sure the pastor was honest and well meaning
but a sandwich short of a picnic as they say. He was asked to
produce some gold dust but no he did not have any and neither
did anyone else. The incredulous interviewer asked why
someone didn't put a handful in their pocket or brush some
off their clothes at home. Apparently it was a miraculous
occurrence demonstarting God's power and no one was going to
take any out of the church.
The interviewer caught up with
the girl. She was 12 years old. A dental nurse examined her
and pronounced her teeth in perfect condition. A comparison
was made with her previous dental records showing poor teeth.
The only thing was they were her baby teeth. Once she got her
second teeth her dental problems were over.
The teeth fillings which turned
to gold actually were an amalgam known to change colour with
time to a goldy colour. One of the women parishioners was
upset at the revelation there were no miracles and suggest
these things should not be investigated. All scepticism
should be left at the church door.
The pastor to his credit did
front up again on the programme and admitted he was wrong
about the girl's teeth. In fact he was highly embarrased at
the shooting down of his miracles.
The English Atheist Comments:
Many thanks to Bob from New
Zealand for this report. I had heard of this gold tooth
nonsense doing the rounds in England not so long ago. It's
funny isn't it, the Christian God can only do piddling little
miracles in the 21st century, and yet - only a few thousand
years ago - was able to create everything, then decimate
entire civilisations, part the Red Sea, inspire donkeys to
talk ancient Hebrew, and generally bamboozle scientifically
ignorant Bronze-Age scribes.
20th
March 2001
Today
Reuters has reported that the Vatican has issued a damning
report that some priests and missionaries were forcing nuns
to have sex with them, and were in some cases committing rape
and forcing the victims to have abortions. The Vatican said
the issue was restricted to a certain geographical area, but
the report cited cases in 23 countries, including the United
States, Brazil, the Philippines, India, Ireland and Italy.
Charges
made in the report, signed with names and surnames, were made
known to Church authorities on several occasions throughout
the 1990s, the article by la Repubblica's
respected Vatican correspondent Marco Politi said. The author
of the report was nun and physician Maura O'Donohue, who
presented it to the head of the Vatican's Congregation for
Holy Orders, Cardinal Martinez Somalo, in February 1995. He
ordered a working group from the Congregation to study the
problem with O'Donohue, who was AIDS coordinator for Cafod,
the London-based Roman Catholic Fund for Overseas Development.
O'Donohue made specific reference to certain cases, one in
which a priest forced a nun to have an abortion, after which
she died. He then officiated at her
requiem mass.
In
reference to Africa, her report said: "It is impossible
(there) for a woman or an adolescent to refuse a man,
especially an older man and in particular a priest." In
Africa, certain priests sought out nuns "for fear of
contracting AIDS with prostitutes." "There are
cases in which priests make nuns take the pill, ...and there
was one case of 20 nuns in one religious community being
pregnant at the same time," the article cited the report
as saying. A mother superior was continually ignored by the
local bishop when she complained that priests in the diocese
had made 29 of her nuns pregnant. The bishop relieved her of
her duties, the report said without identifying the diocese.
The
English Atheist Comments:
Mmm...
The Vatican has released the report themselves. But they held
it back for 6 years. They have known that these things have
been going on in 23 countries - by their own holy
representatives. One wonders what knowledge of other
atrocities they are holding back - and for how long they have
done so. Still, they have got to spread, far and wide, the
loving message of their brand of Christianity haven't they?
Whatever the cost.
Are
we really living in the 21st century? Sometimes it is hard to
believe that we are.
27th
February 2001
Jill
Dando murder trial
Jill
Dando, an incredibly popular television presenter in the UK
was murdered outside her London home, and died of gunshot
wounds to the head in April 1999. Today in court, at the
start of the trial of Barry George - the accused - it was
reported on the television news that he was holding a bible.
Barry
George is an innocent Christian until proven guilty.
12th
January 2001
Today
Marie Therese Kouao and Carl Manning, from North London, were
convicted of the murder of Anna Climbie. Anna was eight years
old and died at the hands of Kouao and Manning in what has
been described by the Home Office pathologist as "the
worst case of child abuse ever" - she died of
hypothermia and years of neglect. Kouao and Manning were
jailed for life.
Before
she died, in February 2000, Anna was taken - twice - to the
Universal Church of God in Finsbury Park, North London, where
she was made to tell the pastors that she was possessed by
the devil. (During the time she was being abused/tortured she
was also taken to a number of other churches.) Anna died
during the next week from over 100 injuries, her body was
described as "crippled and already stooping", her
death was noted as being "lonely and drawn-out".
Anna was starving when she died - she had been tied up for
months, naked, in a black plastic bag, left alone in an empty
bath and fed scraps of food "like a dog" and "covered
in her own excrement". She had "suffered years of
unimaginable cruelty", and had been injured "from
head to toe".
Kouao
initially told the police that Anna's condition had been
caused by witchcraft.
The English Atheist Comments:
The moment I heard the first
words of this on the news today, I wondered if there would be
a religious aspect to it. There was. The TV pictures of the
Universal Church of God showed a large sign above the altar,
it read "Jesus Christ is Lord". It is a great pity
that none of the priests/vicars involved were inspired by
Jesus to seek immediate medical help for Anna or report, at
once, Kouao and Manning to the police.
RIP Anna Climbie - murdered by
believers, ignored by the church.
From
The Times - 20th October 2000
A
ROMAN CATHOLIC priest has been sentenced to 4½ years in
prison for sexually assaulting two nine-year-old boys who
played for a church football team. Father Joe Jordan, who
combined his parish duties with the position of chaplain to
Cardiff City Football Club, used the boys’ interest in
soccer to win their trust shortly after moving to a new
parish in Barry, South Wales. Jordan, 42, who has been banned
from officiating as a priest and is expected to be defrocked,
gave the boys football strips and took them on outings as
part of a “grooming” process, before assaulting
them in June and July last year (2000).
Cardiff
Crown Court was told that when Jordan’s interest in one
of the boys aroused his father’s suspicions, the priest
demanded: “What do you think I am, a paedophile?”
Later, after the boy complained, Jordan persuaded his
housekeeper to hide his computer on which he kept hundreds of
pornographic images of children. He also persuaded her and
another parishioner to lie on his behalf.
Jordan
was sentenced in September but the trial judge imposed a ban
on reporting the proceedings until after a second trial on
similar charges dating back to the late 1980s. Yesterday the
judge lifted the ban after Jordan pleaded guilty to six
offences against a 12-year-old boy when he was working as a
teacher before becoming a priest.
Jordan,
who trained at the Venerable English College in Rome, was a
late recruit to the priesthood and had started as a student
priest at St Mary’s in Canton, Cardiff, in 1996. He was
found guilty of four indecent assaults, making indecent
photographs and intending to pervert the course of justice.
Judge Peter Jacobs ordered that his name be placed on the Sex
Offenders Register for ten years.
After
the case the Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Rev John
Aloysius Ward, said: “Our first thoughts must be for
those who have suffered and their families. Steps have been
taken to make contact with those Jordan abused and to offer
whatever counselling might be appropriate.”
Jordan
is to be sentenced today for the earlier assaults dating to
the 1980s.
...and from the BBC news...
It was alleged on the BBC TV
news that Archbishop Ward knew of Jordan's child-abuse
activities much in the same fashion as the Archishop of
Westminster, Murphy O'Connor. (See below.) Archbishop Ward
has denied the allegations, but the BBC has reported it is
expected that he will soon be shown as deliberately
protecting Jordan.
...from lineone.net news - on
the same news story...
In 1998 Archbishop Ward's press
officer, Fr John Lloyd, was jailed for eight years for
paedophile offences. In 1999 the Archbishop was arrested
after being wrongly accused of assualting a young girl in the
1960s.
It has now been confirmed that
Archbishop Ward had ordained Jordan despite being contacted
by the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Rev Christopher Budd, about
him "in detail". Speaking on behalf of Archbishop
Ward, Canon Robert Reardon said: "The Archbishop has no
intention of resigning. Based on the knowledge he had, he is
satified that he did what was necessary."
The Most Rev John Ward was
adamant that there was no reason for hime to stand down as
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff. "I won't be
resigning," he said. "I have acted, I believe, very
prudently and very sensibly."
The English Atheist Comments:
Nothing new here then.
Seemingly widespread repeated child-abuse, child pornography,
deliberate lies and cover-ups from the Catholic clergy. There
is little to add, the paragraphs above say it all. However,
the offer of councelling to the abused and their families
from the very system that failed them in the first place
seems, to this commentator, as being almost beyond belief.
26th
September 2000
Mark
Chapman, John Lennon's murderer, is now eligible for parole.
The
English Atheist comments: According to recent television news
items and interviews that I have seen, Mark Chapman became a
Born Again Christian BEFORE he murdered Lennon. I cannot
imagine the amount of hate and jealousy that would be needed
to pervade my thought processes in order for me to go out and
kill, in cold blood, someone who was so internationally and
culturally popular. Chapman is one Christian who should never
be let out of prison.
Chapman
shot Lennon five times in the back.
25th
September 2000
CATHOLIC
REFUSED FREE SCHOOL TRANSPORT
Bedfordshire
County Council have refused 13-year-old Alexandra Hobbs a
free bus pass because she is a Roman Catholic. Alexandra
attends a Church of England school but was refused a bus pass
because "Only Church of England pupils can have free
transport to Church of England Schools. Roman Catholic pupils
are entitled to free transport to Roman Catholic Schools."
said a representative of Bedfordshire County Council. It has
been denied that Alexandra has been asked to change her
religion to obtain free bus travel to a school of her choice.
Alexandra's father, in a television interview, confirmed that
Bedfordshire County Council did in fact suggest that she
change her religion.
The
English Atheist comments: Idiots.
28th
August 2000
CHURCH
ABUSE VICTIMS STAGE SILENT MARCH
Over
100 people who say they suffered child abuse within the
Catholic Church are holding a silent march in London today.The
group will carry a scroll with the names of more than 1,300
victims of paedophile priests to the Westminster residence of
Archbishop Murphy O'Connor.
The
group, who refer to themselves as "The Survivors of
Spiritual Abuse", are said to be angry about the recent
Catholic Church cover-up of the paedophile activities of
Gatwick airport priest Michael Hill, and say
they want an "unconditional apology" and
recognition for their suffering from the Church for the
actions of paedophile priests. (From BBC teletext)
The English Atheist comments: I
had no idea as to the extent of paedophile infiltration
amongst the Catholic clergy in the UK. I honestly thought
that the number of abused children would be nowhere near what
is being asserted above - by a factor of ten or more. ONE-THOUSAND-THREE-HUNDRED.
I am truly having major difficulty getting my mind around
this, and cannot find the words to express my astonishment. (Click
here for
original story.)
28th
August 2000
PARISHES
in the Church of England will next month be urged to hold
"Christian seances" and encourage worshippers to
develop their "psychic skills" at a church
conference. David Christie-Murray, a former Harrow
schoolmaster and Anglican priest, will call on parishes to
set up a "Christian rescue group", or seance, to
help the souls of atheists and others who have "passed
over to the other side". Such souls, he believes, are
"lost and bewildered, in a condition in which they did
not believe in this life and cannot understand now that they
have passed over into the next." He will argue that
there is evidence the dead can communicate with the living.
The
fifth "Christian Parapsychology" conference, at
Christ Church College, Canterbury, is sponsored by the
Churches' Fellowship for Psychical and Spiritual Studies. The
fellowship, founded in 1953, aims to explore the "gifts
of the spirit", such as speaking in tongues, as
described by St Paul, operates discreetly to avoid
sensationalist interpretations of its reports. It is at the
centre of the Church establishment: patrons include the
Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope.
The
conference organiser, Canon Michael Perry, gave warning
against setting up Christian seances in parish churches to
help lost souls on their way. "Most English dioceses
have bishops' advisers on deliverance who can help with such
matters," he said. (From The Times UK website)
The English Atheist comments:
Idiots. David Christie-Murray
may argue that he has evidence for life after death - but my
prediction is that he won't actually produce it in any
meaningful or independantly verifiable form. Mind you,the pre-conference
petty-bickering seems quite amusing! Thanks guys - keep up
the good work. LOL.
From our Correspondent
The
Sunday, August 20, 2000 edition of the San Jose Mercury News
contains the following item on page 9A:
"An
angry mob armed with stones in Pakistan attacked more than
100 hard-line Muslims who had halted a soccer match Saturday
over the players' dress code."
Correspondent
comment: Usually the hard-liners are the ones throwing
the stones. It is nice to see them on the receiving end
for a change.
Comment
by the English Atheist: "Ouch! Especially the big, flat,
pointy ones."
(Thanks
to Jim Howell - http://www.netcom.com/~jrhowell - for
submitting the article.)
Equal Rights in Norway!
Did
you ever doubt that the Norwegians who do not belong
to the Lutheran Evangelical church, the official state
religion of this modern kingdom, enjoy equal rights with
the church members? Here is a humorous note from Norway.
The Oslo city council recently allowed Muslims to make
their call for prayers from roof tops. Humanists also get
equal rights!
Now they are also allowed to announce meetings and make
proclamations. Responding to the new decision, the
Norwegian Heathen Society has decided to announce
meetings using loud speakers on house tops, reports the Queensland
Humanist. The Norwegian Pagan
Society will broadcast excerpts from the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Earlier only Christians had
the right to ring Church bells to summon the faithful for
prayer - and disturb the Sunday morning tranquility.
Pluralism par excellence!
(Taken from Rationalist
International Bulletin #44. Do you want to get
Rationalist International Bulletin - via email? Just send
a blank email to rationalist-subscribe@egroups.com)
19th August 2000
Channel 4 (one of the five
nationally broadcast TV channels in the UK) has been
accused of creating a "human zoo" with it's 'Big
Brother' game show. Rt Rev James Jones (probably no
relation), the bishop of Liverpool, has expressed concern
about the effect the programme was having on both
audiences and the participants. His concern follows the
expulsion of one of the participants for cheating and
stated that it was "a high price to pay for
entertainment".
SO WHAT?
For starters, what, if
anything has this program got to do with organised
religion? Nothing - that's what. I could understand if
the bishop had requested that UK Christians refrain from
watching the program because it violates (some hitherto
unknown) Christian doctrine. But he offers no proof of
the effect it is having on the audience or participants,
or coherent reasoning behind any religious objections
that he may have against the programme. He does not
explain what the "high price" is. Could it be
that the bishop is jumping on the publicity bandwagon
that the program has been generating recently? <irony>Surely
not, the religious hierarchy would never be that cynical
would they?</irony> My recommendations would be
thus: If you don't want to appear on a television program,
do not sign up for it. If you don't want to watch a
television programme, don't watch it. I do not watch the
programme - it is old hat - it has been broadcast
throughout mainland Europe for ages.
From our Correspondent
Our local newspaper, the
San Jose Mercury News, has a column entitled "News
of the Weird" -- weird but presumably true news
stories. The following item is from the August 2
edition of the paper. I think you may find it amusing:
"A 25-year-old Tehran
transsexual who had just become a woman said he wants to
change back after realizing just how poorly women are
treated in Iran."
Comment by the English
Atheist:
"Ouch!"
(My
thanks to Jim Howell - http://www.netcom.com/~jrhowell - for
submitting the article.)
Dangerous Paedophile priest "Allowed
to work on"
The new head of the Catholic
church in England and Wales allowed a paedophile - now jailed
- to continue working as a priest, BBC News has discovered.
The BBC found evidence that
Archbishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor (now Archbishop of
Westminster) had been warned (several times - over a period
of more than ten years) about Surrey parish priest Michael
Hill while Bishop of Arundel and Brighton. But he then
appointed Father Hill chaplain to Gatwick airport, says the
BBC report. Father Hill during his ministry at Gatwick
airport abused a boy with learning difficulties over a period
of two years. Father Hill believed that "children
enjoyed their experience with him".
The Archbishop has now agreed
that the children abused by Father Hill should be compensated
financially - in return for their silence. The Archbishop
said that current procedures would have made him act
differently, but at the time he was not irresponsible.
The English Atheist comments:
Just think of the lunacy here - the parents of abused
children were so brainwashed by their religion that they went
to the church instead of the police. It's incredible.
At the very least Archbishop O'Connor,
who knew that Father Hill was a high-risk paedophile, should
have told the social services each and every time he was
informed of the conduct of his pervert priest. He did not.
Goodness knows how many children were sexually abused as the
direct result of the non-action of the Archbishop. It is now
plain for all to see that the morality handed down to him by
his god is inferior to common sense, common decency, the law
of the land and personal compassion. His refusal to act
beggars belief. On the live TV news interview that I saw,
Archbishop O'Connor did not deny any of the facts or
apologise for his inaction, but tried to justify it. Both he
and his child-molesting priest should be jailed for life, at
a prison where there are secluded communal shower facilities.
(19-July-2000)
Just Wondering
One
of the best 'dangling carrots' of Christianity is the
forgiveness of sins. I have even had an email from a
Christian who thought that it was possible that had Hitler
repented and prayed for forgiveness prior to his death he
would be in Heaven now! How long does a Christian have to
wait before asking for (and receiving) forgiveness for
committing a sin? I am wondering if it is possible to
simultaneously commit a sin (such as adultery or murder) and
ask for forgiveness? Come on Christians, it is possible? If
not, how long do you have to wait?
18th
June 2000
These
web pages have up and running for six months. Also, a shot of
the crowd on Channel 4's cricket coverage showed several men
dressed up as nuns, and a bishop. Were they there to
administer the last rites to English cricket?
13th
June 2000
Hare
Krishna ex-pupils in £260m US lawsuit
Former
students of the Hare Krishna religious movement in the US
have filed a £260m suit against the group alleging sexual
abuse at its boarding schools. Some 44 ex-pupils accused
staff of sexually and physically abusing them as children
over decades from 1972. Charges filed at Dallas federal court
include rape, emotional terrorising and torture of children
as young as three. Hare Krishna leaders have investigated
claims, pledging to compensate victims.
(Taken
from BBC1 teletext)
8th
June 2000
Pastor
Timothy Alabi of the Evidence of Christ Church, Maryland USA
was fined 500 pounds sterling and gained 6 licence penalty
points for careless driving today. He was involved in a motor
vehicle accident which caused injuries to 20, and the death
of two British people on 7th June 2000. The Pastor was
leaving a petrol station at Kentford, near Newmarket, Suffolk
when his vehicle collided with a coach, killing the driver
and a passenger. Distraught passengers praised the actions of
the coach driver who managed to avoid a major accident prior
to crashing into a wayside tree. Pastor Alabi was on his way
to RAF Mildenhall, where he was due to be working on contract
as a computer engineer. When interviewed after his court
hearing Pastor Alabi said he was now going through a period
of prayer and fasting. He did not apologise for causing the
two deaths on the TV interview that I saw.
I
know that petrol station - it is on a section of reasonably
wide, easily observable road. What is the point of praying
and fasting after you have just killed two people? Let's
assume for a few seconds that a great big space-alien God
does exist. Now that Pastor Alabi is praying and fasting,
what the **** is the space-alien god going to do about the
two dead people? Bugger all, that's what. Mind you, the space-alien
god managed to get pastor Alabi off with minimal trouble. A
small fine and 6 points just makes me sick. A large fine and
driving ban would have been much nearer the mark.
1st
June 2000
Newmarket
- England. Top jockey Frankie Dettori said he was lucky to be
alive after his light aircraft crashed in flames at Newmarket
racecourse, killing the pilot. (From various UK news
broadcasts)
It
was noted by The English Atheist that nearly everyone who was
interviewed on the TV news about the crash said that 'it was
a miracle' Frankie Dettori (and a fellow jockey) survived. Try
telling that to the wife and family of the dead pilot.
15th
May 2000
A
national scheme aimed at protecting clergy, congregations and
places of worship is being launched in Liverpool. 'Churchwatch'
has been inspired by an incident last year when worshippers (in
south London) were injured by a man wielding a sword. There
were 750 reported attacks against clergy and other church
workers in England and Wales last year. The conference will
be shown a new Home Office video advising clergy and their
families on how to protect themselves.
Comment
1 - Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see anyone hurt by
sword wielding loonies, but what happened to the power of
prayer? What has happened to their loving god who watches
over them? And protects them? I'll tell you - nothing has
happened to their god - it didn't exist in the first place.
Comment
2 - Why on earth are the home office spending tax payers
money on something that should be paid for by the church
itself. For goodness sake, stop ripping us off, the church is
immensely wealthy. Wealthy beyond avarice! Why can they not
look after themselves financially?
It
was very interesting to see a priest blessing the new Russian
TU160 long-range, nuclear capable, bomber. Presumably he was
blessing it so that if it was ever used in anger, the
multitude of bombs it is capable of carrying, and deploying,
would kill as many people as possible.
(Seen
on BBC News24 6-May-2000)
21st April 2000 09:30
Channel 5
According to a Channel 5
vox pop type survey, only 18% of the residents of the
City of Canterbury will be attending church this Easter.
Mmm... that's not so many considering the location and
the fact that Christianity itself crucially
hinges on the resurrection. They also did several on-camera
mini interviews on the city streets, only one person 'interviewed'
knew exactly what Easter was about, and he was a priest.
Everyone else was confused, with most people mentioning
Easter eggs and bunnies. Only the children mentioned
Christ.(Channel 5 is a nationally broadcast TV channel in
the UK)
Nationally broadcast
religious TV programming for good Friday:
Good Friday service from
Leeds.
Film: Ben Hur - starring
Charlton Heston.
Film: David - starring
Leonard Nimoy.
Personally I'll be watching
the Grand Final of Robot Wars, snooker and Da Ali G Show
(don't ask).
And now, from the
country that bought you Benny Hill, the Titanic,
vegetarian sausages, and Bovine Spongiform
Encephalitis...
BISHOP WARNS
INTERNET COULD DESTROY US
A leading clergyman painted
a grim picture of the Internet, warning it had the
potential to destroy society. The Archbishop of York, Dr
David Hope, said that the technology was "something
that could destroy us." Dr Hope is concerned people
may become reluctant to leave their homes because of
technological advances leading to a loss of vital social
skills. The technology could create a "society
without a soul", he added. (From BBC 1 Ceefax 1)
Comment by The English
Atheist:
A little known English
Atheist painted a grim picture of religion, warning that
in the past it has almost destroyed many societies. The 'English
Atheist', Martin J Burn, said that the followers of many
religions have "on several occasions attempted to
murder, rape and destroy complete societies." Martin
J Burn is concerned that people may become reluctant to
use their brains because of religious intrusion leading
to a loss of vital mental agility. Religion has, in the
past, and still has the potential to create "a
society without a brain", he added. (From a small
bedroom office in England)
Comment 2 by The English
Atheist:
So, the freedom of the WWW
is worrying the British clergy is it?
GOOD.
So what if people don't
want to leave their homes? What has it to do with him?
Why didn't he mention TV? We are not surprised that
technology poses a threat to religion, each advance
pushes unfounded belief into the back of societies 'soul',
which is a magnificent, enabling, freeing thing. He would
do better to use his position to weed out pervert priests,
help resolve the situation in Northern Ireland and remove
Christian death cults from the face of this planet. Dr
David Hope and all his kind sickens this writer. I am not
joking, these people really do
make me want to puke. They need to get off their high
horse and do something virtuous in this world, not snivel
and complain about something with an incredible potential
for good and advancement. Religion has demonstrably held
back humankind for long enough now. Let's have something
push us forward for a change. Let's look forward a few
hundred years, not backwards two bloody thousand.
7th April 2000
...today the British
press criticized Canterbury Cathedral. They described
the practice of shepherding cathedral tourists to the
exit via the gift shop
as cynical.
27th March 2000
...today HRH Prince
Charles visited Peterborough Cathedral - he opened
the newly refurbished tourist office, visitor center,
gift shop and cafeteria complex.
The cost of the
refurbishments was £2,000,000.
(Click
here for Bits and Bobs page 2)
A paedophile
priest
from West Kent
Who to Gatwick, by his Bishop got sent
Where he lured some small boys
With games, sweets and toys
But to jail he was sent to repent!
(By
Martin J Burn August 2000)
Check out the Atheism UK club
on Yahoo!
Back
© Copyright
Martin J Burn 2000, 2001.