When I temporarily lived in Shropshire, it was very often said about vicars/priests/ministers of the church, that they held their bibles in one hand, and their pri*ks in the other. Their reputations preceded them.
Last night on the radio I was listening to a discussion about the Sultan of Brunei's recent Sharia pronouncements. One caller was an avid God botherer. Everything he declared involved God's writings in the bible (I didn't know that God wrote the bible!). He could hardly utter a word without crediting his God. It soon became quite ridiculous, and he was cut off.
Recently I met-up with a friend (C) who is also a big-time God person, but what a difference. She is one of the most pleasant and caring people you could ever hope to meet. OK, she sprinkles her conversation with vague references to her beliefs, but without ever being pushy. Her standard words of 'God bless you' when we part, never seem out of place. Other than being a good egg all round, she is also a tireless campaigner for charity.
If only C could meet-up with that silly Sultan of Brunei, and explain to him that we are all different; and that 'difference' should NOT be equated to being criminal; nor should our Gods be used as excuses for state violence.
The Sultan has unimaginable riches; nothing is beyond his financial reach. Is he going to tell the world that he has never paid for some 'sin', that he himself would see as punishable with amputation or imprisonment? Come off it Sult!
John wrote about this and I was flabbergasted. Really I shouldn't be but this is just too much. Your last paragraph says it all.
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip
I hear today that he may well be stripped of certain honorary military roles given to him by HM The Queen. I believe that he is an Air Chief Marshal in the RAF, and an Admiral of the Royal Navy.
DeleteGoodness knows why he was given such honours in the first place!
Why does the Muslim religion, or many who practice it, seem so intolerant of any difference to themselves in their own image, be it social, sexual and religious.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, 'why' is impossible to answer, all we need to know is that this is what Islam teaches. A simple way of keeping the population under your thumb.
DeleteAll in the name of Islam. Don't forget apostasy too. You can be stoned to death. Also in many other countries these laws apply.
ReplyDeleteHe's certainly not alone. I do hope The Queen takes away his ridiculous honorary titles.
DeleteSo, so wrong. At least we only shamed and imprisoned ours until 1967. We let the thugs do the rest.
ReplyDeleteSadly, he is a reincarnation of those thugs.
DeleteI've had a strong headache for a few days, I'm sure that after tomorrow it will pass, I envy you for being able to find so many topics for writing every day.
ReplyDeleteYou have far more to give you a headache than I do Yael. I hope it'll pass very soon.
DeleteThank you Cro.
DeleteIt seems that so many evils in the world, now and in the past, have been carried out in the name of some God or other. Religion is a dangerous concept.
ReplyDeleteI find it all so juvenile. Most could swap their 'religion' for 'philosophy', and be far better for it.
DeleteYou're quite right. God did not write the Bible. He dictated it, then the message was lost in translation over the years.
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard anyone before claiming that it was GOD who wrote the bible; he was very insistent too.
DeleteHave you never seen an old Western?
DeleteThis post reminds me of a quote I have in my book.
ReplyDelete'I loathe religion, It's one of the greatest enemies o humanity the world has ever known'.
Tom Conti, Actor,
Briony
x
Tom Conti knows a thing or two!
DeleteA giant step back in this day and age I think.
ReplyDeleteMoney can so easily make people believe they are god.
I think he must have been watching 'The Life of Brian', and thought it was a documentary.
DeleteI find the hypocrisy over this quite nauseating. Saudi Arabia have similar laws and so does Iran. Iran stones women to death for adultery even now. The human rights brigade are particularly quiet about the latter country and of course Corbyn used to even work for Press(Iranian state) television.
ReplyDeleteBut all that's find because hey oil!
But all those other states were already stoning people etc, Brunei has just decided to begin. One might have expected certain states to quit the practice, rather than Brunei to start!
DeleteRo, I think you will find that People are no longer stoned to death in Iran.
DeleteMy father has a card in his door window. It reads "No religious callers thank you, except God himself and then only by appointment."
ReplyDeleteWe don't get too much God bothering here. Occasionally the JW's come by, but they know me and keep clear.
DeleteStone me to death for kissing a man.?
ReplyDeleteThe world is mad
France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, etc, would be decimated. Men kiss each other all the time; there'd be no men left! (I know it's not quite the same, but they'd find an excuse)
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