Richard Dawkins has refused to debate William Lane Craig; his excuses have included a classic piece of projection: “I have no intention of assisting Craig in his relentless drive for self-promotion.”
Someone kindly emailed me this poster which, if you click on it, will reveal a high resolution version suitable for printing and attaching to the side of a bus.
From here:
The Anglican Church of Canada is making progress toward overcoming a longstanding negative stereotype and becoming an effective partner in preventing suicide.
It’s about time the ACoC did something to reduce the existential angst afflicting the ranks of Canadian Anglicans.
Unfortunately, the article fails to mention exactly when the ACoC will be firing its bishops, closing its doors and turning the lights out.
From here:
Earlier this week the National Post ran an advertisement that has caused some controversy.
[……..]
In an open society, these positions are worthy of being part of a debate on this issue. They are also legitimate arguments to make in a paid advertisement in a media outlet.
Where the ad exceeded the bounds of civil discourse was in its tone and manipulative use of a picture of a young girl; in the suggestion that such teaching “corrupts” children, with everything that such a charge implies; and in its singling out of groups of people with whose sexuality the group disagrees.
The fact that we will not be publishing this ad again represents a recognition on our part that publishing it in the first place was a mistake. The National Post would like to apologize unreservedly to anyone who was offended by it. We will be taking steps to ensure that in future our procedures for vetting the content of advertising will be strictly adhered to.
The Post will also be donating the proceeds from the advertisement to an organization that promotes the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.
The advertisement is below. It is no more manipulative than any other advertisement – after all, the advertisements that pay the bills at the NP are all designed to manipulate opinion.
If the Post is so afraid of offending the wrong people (it doesn’t seem to care if anyone is offended by the ad’s cancellation) that it not only refuses to publish an advertisement questioning a contemporary sacred cow, but grovels at the feet of those it thinks it has offended by throwing cash at them, why bother to read it – why even call something so blinkered by fads a newspaper?
Sligo watch house:
Glencar waterfall:
Dolphin in the sea at Moher cliffs:
Moher cliffs:
Sharon freezing on a boat – again:
Pulsating Ennis nightlife:
Outside Ennis Cathedral at night:
Ashford Castle. We liked it so much, we thought we might sell everything and rent a permanent suite here:
Cong Abbey:
The Doolough Valley:
Kilronan Castle, where we are staying tonight:
Dublin Castle:
This Georgian era statue of Lady Justice is unusual in that it is not blindfolded – signifying impartiality – but looks at Dublin Castle. This, in addition to the fact that justice favoured the elite, gave rise to the following:
Lady Justice, notice her station:
Face to the castle and arse to the nation.
Those who have followed the ANiC v.s. ACoC court litigation, will note that this sums up those proceedings, too.
At the Guinness brewery. This was just her first pint; things went rapidly downhill from there.
As the advertisement says, Guinness is Good for You: it must be, Arthur Guinness and his wife had 21 children. Of course, today she would have had two children and 19 abortions.
Molly Malone who, we were told, was celibate by day, but used to sell a bit by night:
A street artist:
St. Patrick’s Cathedral:
We had dinner in a restaurant that had once been a church. John Wesley preached his first Irish sermon there in 1747, Jonathan Swift used to attend it, Handel used the organ for practice and, as you can see from this plaque, the Rev. John Magill’s remains were deposited in the Vault Beneath. I doubt if even this Divine of Polite Learning and Sound Judgement foresaw that, within a few hundred years, aided and abetted by mainline denominations, Western Christianity would decline to the point that his church would become a restaurant and his final resting place in the vault – toilets.
I have little doubt that St. John’s Shaughnessy will, after the elapse of a decent interval, suffer a similar fate. Perhaps the new owners will offer Michael Ingham the position of head waiter.
There is a huge spike in the centre of the city:
At some point the British tried to make the Irish paint all their doors black. The result was this:
Ireland is on the verge of bankruptcy. Never mind, someone has the answer, although I have an uneasy feeling it was tried before and found wanting:
One of the main streets:
Book of Kells. No photography was allowed – which explains why this isn’t a very good image. There was no surreptitious way to erect a tripod.
The magnificent Trinity College Library which was used to represent Hogwarts library in the Harry Potter films.
Off to spend some time in Irish castles
One of them:
An extraordinary tale of diocesan avarice:
We have all your stuff now, but we think you owe us more!
I’d like to share with you a letter from the Bishop and Diocesan Council of The Episcopal Church’s (TEC) Diocese of the Rio Grande. But first, a little background so that you can appreciate the letter in all its fullness.
This time two years ago, approximately 80% of the parishioners of St. Mark’s on-the-Mesa (TEC) left the parish and formed Christ the King Anglican, Albuquerque, NM (Anglican Church in North America). When those parishioners left the parish, the Diocese of the Rio Grande, and the Episcopal Church, they left everything. They left the property, building, endowments, bank accounts – even paperclips and pencils. They did so in good conscience, with generosity, and with love for those who in good conscience could not leave The Episcopal Church. Based on their reading of scripture, these parishioners did not want to fight over buildings and property in civil courts. Instead, they walked away and began a new life together as Anglican followers of Jesus Christ at Christ the King Anglican Church. Not only did the new parish draw former Episcopalians, but also Christians from other denominations who wanted to worship and serve at Christ the King Anglican.
Fast forward two years to August 31, 2011 (about three weeks ago). The congregation’s rector, the Rev. Roger Weber, former priest at St. Mark’s, received this letter from TEC Bishop Michael Vono of the Diocese of the Rio Grande:
Bishop Michael Vono
August 31, 2011
Dear Father Weber,RE: St. Mark’s on the Mesa, Albuquerque
Fair Share Obligation, Third Quarter 2009I pray that this finds you well in the Lord! Summer is always such a gift in the ministry, a time for reflection, refreshment and anticipation for the end of the liturgical year.
On July 12 of this year, the Diocesan Council had a meeting here a [sic] Diocesan House. At that time, a group from St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque came before the Council to request forgiveness for their Fair Share obligation from the third quarter of 2009. As I am sure you are well aware, it was during this time that a good number of the clergy and congregation at St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa left to form a new congregation, leaving the remaining members with quite a financial and emotional burden to carry. What follows is the motion as it was amended and passed that afternoon.
Motion, that the -$25,000 Fair Share obligation for St. Mark’s on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque for the third quarter of 2009 be forgiven. Moved and seconded to amend the motion by replacing it with the following: that the -$25,000 Fair Share obligation for St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque for the third quarter of 2009 be adjusted to $5,000 and that the Diocesan Council write a pastoral letter to the leadership of Christ the King Anglican Church appealing to them to cover $20,000 of the original Fair Share obligation for St. Mark’s on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque for the third quarter of 2009.
The amendment passed. The amended motion passed.
As you can see, it was the decision of Council to hold St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa responsible for the entire Fair Share payment for the third quarter in 2009, requesting that the burden be split between the members that left and the members that stayed, dividing the responsibility roughly along the lines of how the congregation self-selected.
I would ask that you would prayerfully consider accepting the responsibility of paying the portion of the Fair Share that was required by the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact me here at Diocesan House, or in my absence, Mr. Fred Winter or Ms. Lisa Katz-Ricker, 505-881-0636.Your brother in Christ,
The Right Rev’d Michael L. Vono
IX Bishop, Diocese of the Rio Grande[….]
They have no shame.
The people who left St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa willingly surrendered their property. They literally turned the other cheek. In response, the Diocese of the Rio Grande basically said, “we have all your stuff now, but we think you owe us more.”
What does this remind me of; oh, right the title:
Offending Christians has become a national sport while offending non-Christians has become illegal.
What about equality? Why not offend everyone?
From here:
Police have threatened a Christian cafe owner with arrest –for displaying passages from the Bible on a TV screen.
[…..]
Lancashire Police said they had received a complaint on Saturday afternoon from a female customer who was ‘deeply offended’ by the words she had seen on the screen.
And here:
The BBC has been accused of ‘absurd political correctness’ after dropping the terms BC and AD in case they offend non-Christians.