How could the IOC resist Obama the charmer?
Olympic ‘losers’ stunned and dismayed.
BBC correspondents in Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid witness scenes of dejection after the vote that gave the 2016 Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro.
As the crowds headed off down the city’s concrete canyons, an Olympic banner, plastered across the side of Daley Plaza, invited citizens to “Imagine”.
After today, they will have to imagine something else.
An article in the Niagara Anglican (page 3) by Michael Burslem maintains that we need a new Christian creed: thus we have the Apostles’ creed, the Nicene creed and now the Burslem creed.
The new creed begins, Allah Achbar! – God is great. The only problem is, this is not the Christian God: it is the god invoked by – among others – Hamas torturers: here they scream his name while beating someone senseless:
[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnuDg2316dk&feature=player_embedded]
c/p the AEC Blog
The Diocese of Niagara is distributing a letter entitled, “Passion for Justice” in which it is appealing for $750,000:
A few observations about the letter:
This “Passion for Justice” appears to be little more than a ploy to raise money to pursue further litigation against ANiC parishes; it is being directed at those who believe so-called “justice” will be served by blessing same-sex marriages and, presumably, suing those who don’t agree. The flavour of the letter is similar to that of the appeals one sees on PBS or TVO, interrupting episodes of Inspector Morse: the lines are open; we only need a few more donors to hit the $750,000 mark – call now.
Of the $750,000 in “unbudgeted costs” the “significant legal costs” for the diocese after the last costs settlements were around $211,000, supposedly leaving $539,000 in “lost revenue from the four parishes…. [and] costs to provide spiritual, pastoral and operating support, loss of investment income”. In fact, the actual final legal costs for the diocese will be much higher than $211,000 since the costs that can be recovered in the courts are always significantly less than actual legal costs.
There has been lost revenue from the four ANiC parishes, but this is hardly a cost as the letter states and a diocese with four fewer parishes should cost less to run.
The remaining cause of diocesan impecuniousness is put down to a “loss of investment income”. Perhaps the diocese should find a new investment advisor.
Both the lost revenue and investment losses pale beside the amount the diocese has paid and will have to pay to continue their legal assault on the four ANiC parishes.
I presume the small group of extremists are the parishioners in the four ANiC parishes. “Extremist” seems an odd way to describe parishioners who simply wish to hold true to the Gospel as it has been understood by Christians for the last 2000 years; particularly since the activities of the ANiC parishes have not impeded any ministry of the diocese. It is the diocese that feels compelled to evict ANiC parishioners from their buildings and kill their ministries, not vice-versa. The diocese has pursued the ANiC parishes in the courts with animosity and vindictiveness. When a case cannot be made based on rational arguments, the last resort is often what we see here: name calling.
Much is made of this: “Niagara is a Diocese which includes all the baptised” (unless you happen to be a God-fearing bible believing Anglican, in which case you must be sued) as if lesser dioceses do not. I can’t imagine any Christian church excluding anyone, baptised or not; I can imagine a Christian church that includes everyone and encourages them to try and follow God’s standards as revealed in the bible – I attend one.
In summary, it seems clear that the main purpose of this letter is to raise money for the diocesan legal fund to enable them to continue litigation against ANiC parishes, not to “pursue excellence” or promote justice.
I’ve never liked ties much, but this antique advertisement for them tickles my fancy:
It seems that the Anglican Diocese of Trinidad and Tobago is a typical example of the Anglican church’s preferential treatment of the poor: conversation, dialogue, whining to the government and little else. A pensioner who spent 30 years scrubbing diocesan floors was dismissed with a $2000 pension [US$318]: the diocese is all heart:
A Couva pensioner is seeking redress from the Anglican Church for a retirement benefit which she claims she earned after working for more than 30 years as a cleaner at an Anglican school.
Cynthia James, 65, of Balmatte Street, Couva, was employed by the Anglican Diocese in 1977 to work as a cleaner at Anstey Memorial Girls’ Anglican School, Drayton Street, San Fernando. She retired on November 11, 2008.
James said she informed the school manager Canon Francis Caesar of her retirement one month before leaving, in a letter which she delivered to his office at the St Paul’s Rectory, Harris Promenade, San Fernando.
In December 2008, the diocese gave her a cheque for $2,000. She said she was informed the diocese withheld $3,000 as payment for a washing machine which the diocese bought for her before she retired.
“In a breakdown the diocese explained that I really received a $5,000 retirement benefit and after $3,000 was extracted for the washing machine, I was left with a sum of $2,000,” she said.
James said she subsequently contacted Caesar several times to ask why her retirement benefit was so small and was dissatisfied with his response.
“Caesar said $5,000 was the amount that the Anglican Board agreed upon and that I should be glad that I got it because I was not supposed to get any money,” she said.
Trinidad and Tobago is one of the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean with average monthly income of $4,417 [US$793].
Let’s hope she enjoys the washing machine.
I’ve read all the Harry Potter books and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Their predominant theme is good vs. evil, and yes, there is magic, sorcery and witchcraft – just as there is in 
J.R.R. Tolkien. Although Rowling is not in the same league as C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien, I think her books are an entertaining read and relatively harmless; not all agree:
Harry Potter author JK Rowling missed out on a top honour because some US politicians believed she “encouraged witchcraft”, it has been claimed.
Matt Latimer, former speech writer for President George W Bush, said that some members of his administration believed her books promoted sorcery.
As a result, she was never presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The claims appear in Latimer’s new book called Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor.
He wrote that “narrow thinking” led White House officials to object to giving Rowling the civilian honour.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded for:
It recognizes those individuals whom have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
However much I enjoyed Harry Potter, outside Rowling’s fantasy world, I can’t see him contributing much to culture and nothing at all to world peace, whatever that is. Surely the reason Rowling was not given this award was because it has no relevance to her work. Still, I imagine she must be pretty upset as she ponders the slight on her way to depositing the next million in her local Barclays.
A group of Anglicans from the Union of Myamar – what used to be called Burma – were denied visas by the Canadian government, ostensibly because the government is unconvinced that they will be willing go back at the end of the visit.
They were planning on visiting churches in the Diocese of BC and the diocese has paid some of their expenses; the diocese wants its money back:
The Anglican Church has been forced to incur substantial expenses for these 11 men and women from Myanmar.
Exit visas were issued for all delegates by the Union of Myanmar.
I call on the Government of Canada to explain its actions, apologize to those affected and request compensation for costs incurred.
Olivia Chow is incensed:
At the news conference with Chow was Victoria NDP MP Denise Savoie. She asked, “If the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is unwilling to take the word of Canadian church officials about a group of priests with unbreakable ties to their home parishes, then what hope does an ordinary citizen have in sponsoring their family member to visit Canada?”
And has set up a Facebook group to advertise her outrage.
In case anyone is thinking Canada is unduly parsimonious in its largess towards actual refugees, in 2006 over 800 Myanmar refugees were admitted.
Perhaps the endless political agitation by the Anglican Church of Canada has come home to roost and the visitors were denied entry because the church vouched for them.
They hate being hit where it hurts: in the pocketbook. By toying with heresy, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is on the same Gaderene slide to oblivion as the ACoC and TEC. This doesn’t seem to bother Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, their chap in charge, that much though, as long as people keep giving their money:
“My heart aches when I hear ELCA members express a feeling of abandonment because of the decisions on human sexuality taken by our church-wide Assembly. I am deeply concerned when ELCA members and congregations are being encouraged to signal that disagreement by withholding financial support…”
In the same way, nothing gets Anglican Primate Fred Hiltz salivating quite as profusely as the prospect of raking in buckets of cash:
A Christian couple who own a hotel have been charged with a criminal – yes criminal – offence for insulting a guest:
Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang are awaiting trial accused of breaching public order by insulting a guest at their hotel in Aintree, Liverpool, about her religion.
The couple, who are members of an evangelical congregation, were arrested by police after getting into a discussion with the woman about the differences between Christianity and Islam earlier this year.
Mrs Vogelenzang, 54, is understood to have described Muslim dress as putting women into “bondage” while her husband, 53, allegedly described the Prophet Mohammed as a “warlord”.
The Christian Institute, which is finding the Vogelenzangs’ defence, said that the case showed that Christians are suffering growing “persecution” by officials who use the law to prevent them speaking about their faith.
I left Britain 35 years ago, but as far as I remember, insulting guests was an accepted way of life in British hotels. No more, it seems. Those who want to see how it’s done properly, watch this:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgAi7DYHA94]
I’ve never quite made up my mind about capital punishment: although western squeamishness – including mine – is repelled by the cold-blooded taking of a life, if the state is entitled and obligated to punish wrongdoers at all, why should it not be entitled to exact the ultimate punishment for the ultimate crime?
The only argument against it that I find moderately convincing is that a mistake is irreversible.
The state of Texas has just released the last statements from executed offenders.
They range from the repentant:
Yes, I am sorry for what I’ve done and for all of the pain and suffering that my actions have caused. Jesus is Lord. All glory to God.
To the mildly sanctimonious:
Heavenly Father, I give thanks for this time, for the time that we have been together, the fellowship in your world, the Christian family presented to me (He called the names of the personal witnesses.). Allow your holy spirit to flow as I know your love as been showered upon me. Forgive them for they know not what they do, as I know that you have forgiven me, as I have forgiven them. Lord Jesus, I commit my soul to you, I praise you, and I thank you.
To the incoherent:
Yes, Ain’t no way fo’ fo’, I Love all yall.
To the incomprehensible – disproving Dr. Johnson’s aphorism, “being hung in the morning greatly clarifies the mind”:
Don’t cry, it’s my situation. I got it. Hold tight, It’s going to shine on the golden child. Hold tight. I love you , I’m through with my statement.
To what would be comical in another situation:
Is the mic on? My only statement is that no cases have ever tried have been error free. Those are my words. No cases are error free. You may proceed Warden.
It is difficult to read these and feel that the executions were justified, but perhaps that is something absorbed from a culture which has lost sight of the reality of evil and the state’s duty to hold it in check with – admittedly less than perfect – temporal justice.