Anthony Robbins, the snake handler of self help

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21 people were burned at an Anthony Robbins Unleash the Power Within event when they attempted to walk on hot coals. Evidently, for the 20 burn victims that followed the first, the power within that was unleashed wasn’t common sense.

From here:

Nearly two dozen people were treated for burns on their feet after walking on hot coals during a motivational seminar conducted by self-help expert Tony Robbins in San Jose, Calif., local media reported.

Firefighters treated at least 21 people for burns to the soles of their feet, several of them second- and third-degree, on Thursday night, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News. None of the injuries was life-threatening, the report said.

It was the first night of the motivational seminar called “Unleash the Power Within,” a four-day Robbins event attended by some 6,000 people, the Mercury News reported.

 

Christian B&B owners have to pay homosexual couple $4,500

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The B.C. human rights kangaroo tribunal has ordered B&B owners, Les and Susan Molnar, to pay homosexuals Brian Thomas and Shaun Eadie $4,500 to assuage the bruised dignity and self-respect they suffered when prevented from indulging in a night of urningtum hanky-panky in one of the Molnar’s beds. Of course, nobody that has any dignity or self-respect would whine to a human rights commission simply because they encountered a Christian couple who had the mettle to stand up for what they believed to be right.

But this was not about “dignity” or “self-respect”: it was about compelling recalcitrant Christians to conform to the Zeitgeist – something that the Bible exhorts them not to do.

One might argue that Christian business owners have to obey the law of the land – in this case to “cease and desist the discriminatory conduct” – or not have a business. And that is what has happened in this case: the B&B closed in 2009, an insufficient punishment it seems, hence the $4,500 damages claim.

The question is: does anyone seriously think that we are making a better society for ourselves by driving Christians who will not grovel before the altar of the equality god out of business?

From here:

Christian owners of a bed and breakfast in British Columbia have been ordered to pay around $4,500 in damages after they refused to rent a room to a homosexual couple.

Brian Thomas and Shaun Eadie had reserved a room at the Riverbend B&B in Grand Forks in June 2009, but owners Les and Susan Molnar cancelled the reservation after realizing they were homosexual.

“To allow a gay couple to share a bed in my Christian home would violate my Christian beliefs and would cause me and my wife great distress,” Lee explained in tribunal documents.

Thomas and Eadie filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, which ruled in their favour on Tuesday. Tribunal member Enid Marion ordered the Molnars to “cease and desist the discriminatory conduct,” though they closed the B&B down in September 2009 as a result of the incident.

Marion agreed with the two men that the Molnars violated section 8 of the B.C. Human Rights Code, which states that it is a discriminatory practice to “deny to a person or class of persons any accommodation” because of “sexual orientation.”

 

Rowan Williams badly misjudges attempt at compromise; in other news, sun rose in the East this morning

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The tenure of Rowan Williams has been notable for the failure of his unceasing efforts to find an Hegelian synthesis or middle ground in every either/or conundrum with which he has been faced. It didn’t work with the battle over actively homosexual priests and bishops, with the blessing of same-sex unions or with the mushy Anglican Covenant, but Williams thought he’d give it another go with the division over women bishops in the Church of England.

It didn’t work.

He seems to suffer from a congenital inability to take a side: even his private opinions about homosexual marriage are at odds with the official view his position compels him to maintain. The resulting theological schizophrenia seems to have spilled over into his entire ministry creating the boggy quagmire from which only his retirement can extricate him – but not his church – at the end of this year.

From here:

The Archbishop of Canterbury made a humiliating apology to the Church of England yesterday for the latest fiasco over women bishops.

Dr Rowan Williams spoke of ‘penitence’ as the bishops asked the Church’s parliament, the General Synod, for another three months to make up their minds over how to draw up a new law about the place of women.

It would allow women priests to be promoted for the first time to the leadership ranks of the bishops. It has already taken the CofE 12 years of agonising to get to the brink of consecrating its first woman bishop.

But yesterday the Synod voted for another delay after Dr Williams admitted that, together with his fellow bishops, he had badly misjudged an attempt at a compromise.

Supporters of women bishops were so angry that they were poised to vote down the new Church law.

New Zealand: Anglican priest joins atheists in calling for end to Bible study in school

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Rev. Clay Nelson wants to put a stop to Bible study in schools because it violates the students’ human right to “freedom of religion”.

From here:

An Anglican leader is urging state schools to ditch the Bible in Schools programme as he believes it is trying to create a loophole around the New Zealand Bill of Rights.

St Matthew in the City Reverend Clay Nelson has joined the atheist run-Secular Education Network in a bid to get the religious education programme out of the country’s primary and secondary schools.

Nelson said the programme is an imposition on the human rights of children as it restricts the freedom of other religions which is protected under the Bill of Rights.

“The biggest reason is the issue of human rights,” Nelson told TV ONE’s Breakfast.

“We believe in freedom of religion and to have Bibles in public schools is in an imposition on the religious freedom of others. To have religious freedom you have to have freedom from the religion of others.”

In the video below Clay declares that he is a “non-theist”, doesn’t believe in the divinity of Jesus and doesn’t believe any of the historic creeds; his faith, he says, thrives on “uncertainty”.

Oddly enough, he still insists on calling himself a Christian; nevertheless, as Kierkegaard pointed out, it doesn’t matter how many times you call a cow a horse – it remains a cow.

Art gallery in shock: peepshow art attracts aging roués

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All of which goes to show that modern art, modern artists and the galleries that display modern art are all encased in their own curious little effete bubbles, isolated from the real world and those who inhabit it.

To add to the farce, the alleged artist declared the Titian painting on which his exhibit was loosely – extremely loosely – based the “ultimate fable about voyeurism”. So why complain when he reaches his intended audience?

From here:

It was supposed to be a tribute to a Renaissance master.

But the National Gallery’s latest exhibition – which features women recreating nude scenes from Titian’s paintings – is attracting a type of visitor not normally found in the capital’s cultural landmark.

Curators are disturbed at the plethora of ‘dirty old men’ who come to look through peepholes at the naked models, ignoring the masterpieces on the wall.

The Diana installation, part Metamorphosis: Titian 2012, was conceived by Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger, whose previous work includes a video of himself dressed as a bear wandering aimlessly around a gallery.

[….]

‘We really have sunk to new lows with this idea. These visitors have no interest in art at all.’

Abortion clinics giving Sunday discounts

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It seems to be the only way for the death mills to avoid those pesky praying Christians.

Of course, the church always has a discount on what it is selling: salvation – and it’s free. Not just on Sundays.

From here:

American abortion clinics increasingly are offering discounts for their lethal procedures on Sundays.

For instance, Orlando (Fla.) Women’s Center advertises its Sunday abortion services in this way, according to The Christian Post: “LIMITED TIME SPECIAL! PRINT THIS PAGE AND BRING IT IN FOR $50 SAVINGS. ONLY ON SUNDAYS!”

A pro-life leader says the day of the discounts is connected to Christians’ presence with their churches instead of outside the clinics.

“I don’t think there is any coincidence … abortion facilities are facing increasing presence from Christians praying during business hours and are having to change up their business hours to try to avoid the attention,” said Michael Martelli, executive director of Maryland Coalition for Life, according to The Post.

The Diocese of B.C. opens a multi-faith chapel in its cathedral

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From here:

The Multi-faith Chapel of Compassion is in the narthex in the south tower of the Cathedral.

Dedicated on 3 April 2012, the Chapel provides a space for people of all faiths to meditate and pray.

Here is a better look at the faiths represented – I was surprised to see Christianity:


I can’t help noticing that the most holy symbol of Jainism – the swastika – has been omitted; maybe next year.

Here is a part of the final blessing from the inaugural service:

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Not really, that was too coherent. Here is the final blessing, written just before the liturgist lost himself in gladness having sampled one too many magic mushrooms:

May the deep blessings of earth be with us.
May the fathomless soundings of seas surge in our soul.
May boundless stretches of the universe echo in our depths
to open us to wonder
to strengthen us for love
to humble us with gratitude
that we may find ourselves in one another
that we may lose ourselves in gladness
that we give ourselves to peace.

United Church attendees are enthusiastic supporters of euthanasia and abortion

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This isn’t too surprising: on the rare occasion when I have had to sit through a United Church of Canada sermon, by the end of it I was longing for someone to put me out of my misery, too.

From here:

A majority of The United Church Observer magazine readers, most of them church goers, are more liberal in their views than the general Canadian population when it comes to ethical issues such as abortion, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, a survey has shown.

A significant majority (82%) of readers who participated in the poll said they support euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide when life support is disconnected at the request of a terminally ill patient. Only 48% of the general population gave their approval.

[…]

83% of readers and 69% of non-readers believe the decision to terminate a pregnancy should be left to the woman; 9 % of readers and 19% of non-readers said there should be laws prohibiting/restricting abortion regardless of a woman’s wishes.