Clipmarks | tabsey's 'religion' clips

Richard Dawkins infected with Satanic 'virus of mind', Christian group claims

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:34:42 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: An absolute shocker.

It's been an action-packed week for anyone who enjoys a good old row between science and religion, faith and reason, the men in white coats and the ones in dog collars.

First we had physicists flicking a very expensive switch in their hunt for the God particle (although surely this is doomed to failure if they don't believe He exists).

Then Prof Michael Reiss, director of education for the Royal Society, claimed teachers should discuss creationism with pupils and that "banging on about evolution" didn't change the beliefs of the devoutly religious.

Next the Church of England decided to muddy the waters by saying sorry to Charles Darwin for criticising his theory of evolution.

Now Christian Voice, the evangelical group best known for leading opposition to Jerry Springer - The Opera, has tried to get in on the act by issuing a public apology to Britain's best-known atheist, Prof Richard Dawkins.

In a parody of the Church's letter to Darwin, it declares that it has decided to issue a posthumo

Tags: religion

Prayers for pets are taxable business, court rules

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 09:44:20 GMT

clipped by: tabsey

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Saying a final goodbye to pets at a funeral is a special moment for owners, but the monks involved must still cough up money in taxes, Japan's top court has ruled.

The Supreme Court ruled against Buddhist monks who argued that Japan's growing trend of pet funerals was a religious activity that should be exempt from taxes, like funerals for humans.

The Jimyoin temple in central Aichi prefecture offers last rites for animals that resemble traditional Buddhist funerals, with bereaved pet owners paying pre-set fees.

"The list of charges spells out prices. By no means does it show the characteristics of religious donations," presiding judge Osamu Tsuno said in his ruling.

"This is a profit making operation that should be regarded as taxable income under the corporate tax law," he said.

In Japan, bereaved families generally offer donations to monks who perform last rites rather than explicitly paying for their services.

The pet business is a growing industry in Japan

Tags: religion, secular; when, taxes, are, involved

A Truely Wonderous Idea.

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:37:32 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: The answer to a neocon's wishes.

Clip Source: chickencrap.com

Tags: no, wonder, religion, is, so, important

Brazil MPs reject abortion reform

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:12:37 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Catholic men.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Abortion will remain a criminal offence in Brazil, the world's most populous Roman Catholic nation, after MPs voted against proposals to change the law.

One MP reportedly took a mock-up of a baby's coffin into the debate, in the Chamber of Deputies, to show his opposition to the proposed reforms.

The centre-left government had backed moves to decriminalise the practice.

At least one million women are believed to have abortions every year in Brazil, despite the possibility of a jail term.

Abortion is permitted only in cases of rape, or where the woman's life is in danger.

"This bill won't prosper in the chamber," said Eduardo Cunha, head of the Justice and Constitution Committee.

Reuters reported that the controversial bill had been stuck in Congress for 17 years, but is now likely to be shelved.

Church groups had lobbied hard against the proposals and were seen cheering and praying when the result of the committee's vote was announced, according to reports.

Tags: religion, persecutes, women

The List: The World's Worst Religious Leaders

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:47:43 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: You may not be too surprised at the nominations - add if you wish.

Clip Source: richarddawkins.net

Hassan Nasrallah

Religion: Shiite Islam

Who is he?: Secretary-General of Hezbollah

Joseph Kony

Religion: Christianity/personality cult

Who is he?: Commander of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)

Yogi Adityanath

Religion: Hinduism

Who is he?: Religious leader and member of parliament from Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous province

Athuraliye Rathana

Religion: Theravada Buddhism

Who is he?: Monk and member of parliament

Dov Lior

Religion: Hasidic Judaism

Who is he?: Head rabbi of Kiryat Arba settlement

Quote: "If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak, and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology, and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice I do not say the Israeli."

Quote: "I want Muslim votes, too. But wash them in Gangajal [Ganges water] first."

Quote: "Peace negotiations simply made the LTTE [Tamil Tigers] stronger. We mustn't talk to them; we can crush the LTTE. It is like surgery."

Quote: "A thousand non-Jewish lives are not worth a Jew's fingernail."

Tags: religion

Dozens injured in Bangladesh protest against planned women's rights policy

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:24:37 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: It is a long way to the 21st century for religious extremists.

Clip Source: www.democraticunderground.com

DHAKA, Bangladesh — ...

Mokarram Hossain, a Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman, says .. protesters chanting anti-government slogans threw stones and bricks at police, who responded with tear gas and baton charges.

Last month, Bangladesh's interim government announced a new policy intended to give women equal property rights and better access to jobs and education.

The policy is not legally binding, but is meant to be used as a guideline for the next parliament to use in forming legislation. Parliamentary elections are expected at the end of this year.

Around 300 police were deployed around the mosque as more than 500 protesters from various Islamic groups took part in the protest, Hossain said ...

Tags: politics, religion

Muslims displace Catholics at the top

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:44:52 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: A monumental time in history.

Clip Source: www.theage.com.au

THE number of Muslims has overtaken that of Roman Catholics for the first time, according to the Vatican.

Muslims account for 19.2% of the world's population, while Catholics make up 17.4%, according to the Vatican's new statistics yearbook, which is based on figures for 2006.

"For the first time in history we are no longer at the top: the Muslims have overtaken us," said Monsignor Vittorio Formenti, who edited the yearbook.

"While it is known that Muslim families continue to have many children, Christian families are having fewer," he told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.The Vatican data showed that Christians as a whole, including Orthodox and Protestant groups as well as Catholics, made up 33% of the world's population.

Applying the percentages to the 2006 world population of about 6.5 billion, Muslims would have made up 1.25 billion of the total, Catholics 1.13 billion and all Christians 2.15 billion.

Tags: religion

Scientology: what it is and why we fight it

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:24:16 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: An insight into scientology that shows the bad side.

Clip Source: www.indymedia.org.uk

1. What is Scientology?

To understand Anonymous – what it is and why it exists – it is necessary to understand the Church of Scientology and why it has attracted the attention it has over the last half-century or so.

Scientology was created by L Ron Hubbard, an American science fiction writer. In 1950 he published the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. In it, Hubbard claimed that problems facing human beings were the result of engrams, negative experiences stored in an area of the brain called the reactive mind. Through Dianetics techniques – in particular a form of counselling known as auditing – these engrams could be cleansed from the body, freeing the mind and leaving the person with the status of Clear.

Tags: scientology, religion

US 'Godtalk' host arrested over child porn

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:58:20 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Wonder why he left the catholic church.

Clip Source: www.brisbanetimes.com.au

A popular US radio DJ and host of the Godtalk program has been indicted on two counts of child pornography using the internet.

A self-described progressive and former Catholic priest, Bernie Ward works for San Francisco radio station KGO, hosting a night-time chat show and Sunday morning religious program, Godtalk.

KGO's website today reported that Ward was indicted in the US Federal Court on two counts of child pornography using the internet.

The report quoted Ward’s attorney as saying the incidents were from more than four years ago and were a part of research for a book.

KGO’s Operations Director Jack Swanson said: “Bernie Ward has been a valued, long-time employee of KGO Radio.

"We were just recently made aware of these serious charges and are surprised and concerned by their nature.

"As the matter is currently pending in federal court, we will have no additional comment at this time."

Tags: religion, pornography

Sudan pardons UK teacher in toy row

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:17:25 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Sanity prevails. Was it Right Hand who commented positively on the ability of English negotiators in another clip today?

Clip Source: english.aljazeera.net

Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, has pardoned a British teacher jailed for 15 days for insulting religion, according to a presidential adviser.

Mahjoub Fadl Badri said Gillian Gibbons, who was convicted for allowing her students to name a toy bear Mohammed, was set to be freed later on Monday.

The pardon came after al-Bashir met two leading British Muslim politicians, Lord Nazir Ahmed and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, in Khartoum earlier on Monday.

Tags: religion

Row over religious themes in Compass

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:13:41 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Churches show a lack of confidence in followers whenever something controversial comes out. The churches show no faith in, or trust of, its followers. I remember a baptist group kicking up a fuss about "Life of Brian". To me, this indicates a belief that the followers are an ignorant lot, incapable of intelligent decision making.

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

The church is a central theme of Philip Pullman's acclaimed novel Northern Lights, but there is no mention of it in a new blockbuster Hollywood adaptation.

The Golden Compass, a $US180 million ($204 million) picture to be released on December 7, is caught between a US Catholic group that has called for a boycott of what it sees as an attack on religion and Pullman purists who do not want the original watered down.

The US-based Catholic League has urged Christians not to see the movie, fearing even a diluted version of the book might draw people to read the best-selling "His Dark Materials" trilogy.

Calling Pullman "a noted English atheist," the group said on its website: "It is his objective to bash Christianity and promote atheism. To kids.

"Though the movie promises to be fairly non-controversial, it may very well act as an inducement to buy Pullman's trilogy, 'His Dark Materials'."

Tags: entertainment, religion

Family First flip on candidate sexuality

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:08:57 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: The policy within Family First is to "bash" gays, but not too loudly at election time. She should have asked him to prove he wasn't a paedophile.

Clip Source: www.theage.com.au

FAMILY First leader Steve Fielding has rebuked his party's candidate in the far north Queensland seat of Leichhardt for demanding that his Liberal opponent declare if she is gay.

Ben Jacobsen, who opposes gay marriage and gay parenting, had insisted that Liberal Charlie McKillop make her sexuality public.

"Voters may not give a rats if a candidate is gay," he told The Courier-Mail. "But they have a right to know who you'll bat for."

Mr Jacobsen apologised yesterday for "the hurt and offence I have caused", saying he regretted making the comment.

Tags: politics, religion

Priest destroys 'ox testicles' fresco

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:46:33 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: Celibacy destroys another mind?

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

A French priest has gone on trial for destroying a fresco in his village chapel on the grounds it depicted Saint Luke as an ox with testicles.

The village of Saint Etienne du Gres, near the southern city of Avignon, commissioned a fresco of the Four Evangelists for the choir of its 11th-century Roman chapel.

The fresco depicted Mark as a lion, John as an eagle, Luke as an ox and Matthew as an angel.

But parish priest Michel Cicculo took deep offence at painter Jacques Descordes' depiction of the bull's testicles, and of the angel as a woman with small, nude breasts, and in February 2006 he destroyed the entire work with a rock hammer.

Cicculo, who faces two years in jail and a 30,000 Euro ($47,100) fine for destruction of property, defended his act in court.

"No-one has the right to paint such horrors in a fresco," he said.

Tags: odd, religion

Adulterers make Anglicans' sexual misconduct register

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 04:31:59 GMT

clipped by: tabsey

Clip Source: www.theage.com.au

CLERGY and church workers who cheat on their spouses will be included with sex abusers on a new Anglican register of suspected offenders.

Many dioceses — including morally conservative Sydney and possibly Melbourne — will include complaints of adultery on the register along with complaints of child abuse and sexually inappropriate conduct against adults.

The new register, approved by the national Anglican synod in Canberra yesterday, is the first like it in Australia, according to professional standards chairman Garth Blake. It will replace an informal and unreliable network of bishops warning each other when people suspected of child abuse or sexual misconduct move dioceses.

According to the new law, passed in principle yesterday, every complaint made to a diocese will be listed, along with the findings. Whether unproven allegations should be included was a controversial point, but the synod decided it was important. Vexatious, unfounded or misleading complaints will be removed.

Tags: religion

In God we trust for right US candidate

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:25:07 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: It would seem that this behaviour is acceptable. That, to me, means that church and state are not separate, at least as far as the Republicans are concerned. (Can't make other comments as they may be misinterpreted as insulting)

Clip Source: www.theage.com.au

MIKE and Sandy Blakeslee had travelled across America from the state of Washington, to attend the Values Voters conference over the weekend.

They were in Washington, DC, like 3000 others, to hear the Republican candidates present their wares on the issues that really matter to this important voting bloc: abortion, the family (defined in the traditional way) and the right to religious freedom.

Democratic candidates were invited but all declined. All are pro-choice, which means they stood little chance of wooing this audience, which in 2004 is credited with having given President George Bush a second term.

The Blakeslees are active church members and the issues of the conference are important to them — and how they will vote next year in the primary.

Sponsored by the Focus on the Family and several other right-wing religious organisations, the Values Voters conference represented the biggest gathering of religiously motivated voters so far in this presidential election.

Tags: politics, religion