just read michaelhenry's horrorscope for the next 2 months.
Same old same old in the upcoming elections, royal/Crown visit, a town centre in the north successfully 'rubbled' and gerry and marty looking worse than podge and rodge as they out-do themselves to date in defence of the Union.
maybe they should be careful what shite they talk while standing on graves tomorrow....mite come back to haunt them.
i'm getting sky in next week,free 'box', ill have all terestrial and cable channels, rte/vatican tv is insufficient for up-coming events.
The Liberal Catholics of our country are now making another concession to Interfaith charity and Brotherhood benevolence. They are saying, "It was not the Jews who crucified Christ; it was the Romans." I should like to ask these Liberal Catholics a few pointed questions on the subject of Our Lord's death. Was it the Romans who came out to seize Him in the Garden of Olives with swords and clubs on the night of His Passion, and who brought Him bound to the High Priest, and then to Pontius Pilate, demanding that He should be killed? Was it a Roman who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, and was it to Romans He was sold for thirty pieces of silver? Was the High Priest a Roman, who rent his garments and accused Our Lord of blasphemy when He declared Himself to be the Eternal Son of God? Was it a Roman crowd which stood before the tribunal of Pontius Pilate and shouted: "If this man were not a malefactor we would not have handed Him over to you ... His blood be upon us and upon our children!" Was it the Romans who disowned Jesus as the King of the Jews, and did not want the inscription placed over His head on the Cross when He hung, crowned with thorns, and with nails in His hands and His feet?
Was it God's judgement in Heaven that the Romans had killed Christ, and was that why the Power of the Almighty some thirty years later razed the Temple of Jerusalem to the ground, and left not one stone upon a stone, and has never allowed it to be rebuilt from that day to this? In the prayers of the Mass for Good Friday of Holy Week, the priest refers to the "perfidious Jews" as the ones who betrayed and crucified Christ. Should he be saying the "perfidious Romans"? And has it been wrong for the Church to put it the first way for as long as her history? When Our Lord hung upon the Cross, His first recorded words were, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Do the Liberal Catholics really think Our Lord was referring to the Jews when He said, "They know not what they do"? Was it the Jewish Chief Priests, the Scribes, and the Ancients, with whom He sat daily teaching in the Temple and who, when He was crucified, wagged their heads and mocked Him and shouted: "He saved others; himself He cannot save" -- was it these who knew not what they did, and whom Our Lord asked the Father to forgive? Saint Luke tells us clearly that Jesus said this of the Roman soldiers who "dividing his garments, cast lots." And Saint Matthew tells us that these same Romans, after Jesus expired on the Cross, cried out in one voice with their Centurion, "Indeed, this was the Son of God!".
I've been meaning to ask, but does anyone read these bizarrely-titled articles by Brian Clarke? They are published on the same website as that article about paedophile Shinners raping radioactive fish. Is this a satirical site or what?
Agh then wifey and me shall remain in domestic bliss and a tad scheptical [me, she dont care]in a humorous fashion about the world news. There are people out there would walk ye up a garden path+land you in twubble ye know.
i've a feelin sooner rather than later podge+rodge [marty+gerry]gunna run outa track and look very silly. Wont that be a fitting end? wud say 'told ye so' but they might not be in such good humour at that time.
The narrative of the crucifixion in the Gospels is somewhat dubious given that it was written decades after Jesus' death by those who were then being persecuted by Jews (amongst others). I think it likely that the story was slanted to portray the Romans in a better light in order to curry favour with the dominant empire of the day. How else could the men who actually tortured and killed Jesus have gotten off so lightly while the ones who merely egged the killers on became the main villains of the piece?
The roman's nailed the man to the cross- they stuck a spear in his side- and this was after they whipped jesus from one end of town to the other'
Pontius Pilate was weak, and acted on behalf of the Jews, but clearly indicated that he thought it unjust.
The Jews have always had the knack of getting others involved in their dirty work, whether in their act of Deicide, or their slaughtering of millions through Jewish Bolshevism or their manipulation of the economy, the media, pornography and abortion.
michaelhenry what im looking forward to is gerry+marty/podge+rodge being put in front of BBC cameras in front of a town 'now rubble' GERRYFITTTHEBRIT[GAA pick-up trucks in the background for a new hill] and them 2 tellin the world ??? WAT? This is what happens when you lie to yourself...ye bite yer tail..? Or yer tail eats you. Shudda made an honest end with the 'RA not lie thru ther teeth. Like in '68 these 2 muppets may have prolongued things. Hope the loyalists keep schtum, gerry+marty fuk off home to rot wth ther wee gang. AND THE FENIAN DEAD CAN LAY IN PEACE.
this sounds more like anti-Semitism than anything else. Does it not make you uncomfortable knowing that it echos Mein Kampf? The distinction you sought to make earlier about Zionism seems lacking here.
"Interesting theory but without a shred of evidence to substantiate it."
Just like the theory that Jesus was God.
"On the other hand, if they had protrayed the Romans as evil, and the Jews as wronged, they could have swayed many more Jews to follow them."
Christianity started out as a tiny oppositional offshoot of Judaism. Christians needed to make a distinction between 'good' Jews (ie. followers of Christ) and 'bad' Jews (ie. those who did not accept Jesus as God). It would have made no sense for the authors of the Gospels to portray the latter group in a positive light. On the other hand, if Christians wanted their religion to grow, they could not alienate the rulers and citizens of the Roman empire. Hence all the malarky about Pontius Pilate feeling sorry for Jesus and the Roman soldiers declaring Jesus to be God after torturing and killing him. The early Christians and the Jews were a little like the Sticks and the Provos - they hated each other more than their imperial masters.
PS. Do you not think it strange that Jesus never complained about the Romans occupying his people's country?
it is all rubbish. Worshiping some preacher out of all the many of them that ran around the region then working miracles and claiming divinity. God as god is a daft enough idea but man as god FFS
'this sounds more like anti-Semitism than anything else.'
Father Fahey summarised it like this:
"on the one hand, the sovereign pontiffs insist that Catholics must stand unflinchingly for the integral rights of Christ the King as contained in the papal encyclicals, while, on the other hand, keeping their minds and hearts free from hatred of Our Lord’s own nation according to the flesh.
On the one hand, they must battle for the rights of Christ the King and the supernatural organization of society a laid down in the encyclical Quas Primas, unequivocally proclaiming that the rejection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the True Messias, by His own nation, and the unyielding opposition of that nation to Him, are a fundamental source of disorder and conflict in the world.
On the other hand, as members of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Catholics should neither hate the members of that nation in which, through our Blessed Mother, the Lily of Israel, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity assumed human nature, nor deny them their legitimate rights as persons."
"Interesting theory but without a shred of evidence to substantiate it."
'Just like the theory that Jesus was God.'
I think that fullfilling prophecies, healing the sick, making the blind see, walking on water, changing water to wine, raising the dead and finally raising Himself to life, is proof enough. It was enough for His early followers who gave their lives to affirm it.
It certainly motivated the heroes of 1916, who all accepted this and chose to link forever the fate of the Irish Nation with the Ressurection of Our Lord, true man and true God.
'I think that fulfilling prophecies, healing the sick, making the blind see, walking on water, changing water to wine, raising the dead and finally raising Himself to life, is proof enough.'
As for the men of 1916 they had a religious opinion about JC, nothing else.
But this is all myth handed down from one religion to the other.
As for the priest you quote he advocates not hating but you seem to hate Jews. Maybe you do not but that is how it strikes me.
"I think that fullfilling prophecies, healing the sick, making the blind see, walking on water, changing water to wine, raising the dead and finally raising Himself to life, is proof enough. It was enough for His early followers who gave their lives to affirm it."
Third-hand stories about cheap party tricks. Pardon me, but I saw enough of that pseudo-miraculous shite in Medjugorje.
John, I don't know if Jesus healed the sick? As for walking on water apparently there are parts of the Dead sea that you can walk on. I do believe that he was an incredibly brave person who was without doubt both altruisitic and socialist in outlook. These are traits that you would imagine people would applaud not denounce because of his religion.
"God as god is a daft enough idea but man as god FFS"
The daftest thing is that I still don't eat meat on Good Friday!!! I suppose it is partly a filial obligation, given that I usually spend Easter weekend at my family home and my mother is very religious. Nevertheless, it is totally irrational.
Happy Easter to you and all on the Quill! (I do celebrate the Christmas and Easter holidays; I just don't buy into all of the codology that goes with them.)
'As for the priest you quote he advocates not hating but you seem to hate Jews. Maybe you do not but that is how it strikes me.'
The funny thing is he was accused of it often too, which is why he wrote:
'The term “Anti-Semitism,” with all its war-connotation in the minds of the unthinking, is being extended to include any form of opposition to the Jewish nation’s naturalistic aims and any exposure of the methods they adopt to achieve these aims.'
It always surprises me the bitterness of some towards Jesus Christ. After all they are okay with Mohammed, who raped and pillaged, in between decapitating hundreds.
Last week there was an exhibition in Avignon with an exhibit called 'Piss Christ'. It was a jar of the artist's urine, in which he placed a crucifix, took a photo and enlarged it. The Socialist mayor then paid about £70,000 to display it.
Thank God some courageous people destroyed it last Sunday. But it seems Christ is fair game. I wonder if I put a Koran in a toilet would I get a grant to show it in Belfast?
I'm not sure if this is going off topic or not...But I reckon the Bible is probably in the most part based on fact..But theres loads of mistranslation-misinterpretation. I think they were talking about aliens, UFO's and aswell the politics of the day...
Genesis 1 Verse 26: "Then god said, 'Let US make a man --Someone like OURSELVES, to be the master of all life upon earth and in the skies and in the seas." (can only mean more than one)
Take the story of Noahs ark for example, there was a flood, thats been proven ..(I doubt today we could build a ship or other big enough to hold two of every type off species in the world...Unless it was a DNA data base...) Isn't it possible that the aliens (GODS) realised they had a flaw in their design and decided to keep the best of a bad lot and start over again...Talking about 'lot', I think the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot's wife turning to salt was her witnessing a nuclear strike...And as for David beating Goliath. Maybe Goliath was an annunaki . Thats what the Mayan talked about and there was NO cross pollenation between the two...JMO.
The Pope was having a shower. Although he's very strict about celibacy, he occasionally felt he needed to exercise the Papal wrist, and this happened to be one of those occasions. Just as he reached the Papal climax, he saw a photographer taking a picture of the Holy seed flying through the air.
''Hold on a minute!'', said the Pope, ''You can't do that - you'll destroy the reputation of the Church!''
''This is my equivalent of a big lottery win,'' said the photographer, ''I'll be financially secure for life with these photos!''
So, the Pope offered to buy the camera from the photographer, and after much negotiation, they eventually settled on a figure of 2,000,000 Euros.
The Pope clothed himself and headed off to destroy the images on the camera. Along the vast Vatican hallways, he bumped into his personal housekeeper. Being a bit of a photography buff, she noticed the camera and said, ''That looks like a really expensive digital SLR camera, how much did it cost you?''
Not being one to lie, the Pope replied, ''Two million Euros.''
''TWO MILLION EUROS!'' replied the housekeeper. ''They must have seen you coming!''
John, I don't know why there is so much hatred towards Christ, had I been around at that time I would have been in absolute awe of him, especially given his attitude towards the Mary Magdalenes. I can understand why people hate Christians and Christianity though. Some unspeakable things were done in the name of Christ and their warped interpretation of his teachings. I think if they atrocities committed by Muslims and Christians were compared on a global scale, the latter would win hands down.
"You weren't taken in by that crowd, ha ha. That is the work of Satan."
The people in Medjugorje seemed very nice to me. They were a bit deluded all right, but definitely not possessed by any devils and they were all very devout Catholics.
Incidentally, do you believe that all apparitions - including those in Knock, Lourdes and Fatima - are the work of Satan? If so, to what end?
'The people in Medjugorje seemed very nice to me. They were a bit deluded all right, but definitely not possessed by any devils and they were all very devout Catholics.'
There is more to that whole diabolical racket than meets the eye. Most of the people are decent enough, but duped by more sinister elements.
See: http://www.culturewars.com/medj.htm
'Incidentally, do you believe that all apparitions - including those in Knock, Lourdes and Fatima - are the work of Satan? If so, to what end?'
All of the above have been judged 'worthy of belief' by the Church. They are the genuine articles that are obscured in the Medjugorje racket.
Fionnuala,
I think both religions should be judged by their founders, not their followers. Christ was meek, gentle, peace-loving, and urged His followers to forgive their enemies. Mohammed was a war monger, a rapist and a murderer. There is a similar incident in both lives, where a woman is brought before each, accused of adultery. Christ said let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. Mohammed had the woman give birth to a child, return and then be buried up to the neck and stoned.
‘The daftest thing is that I still don't eat meat on Good Friday …Nevertheless, it is totally irrational.’
You could do worse. You could sell bibles!
Nuala
Happy Easter. Hope Albert got you a nice egg and not one past the sell by date!
John,
Anti-Semitism is often used to label and undermine genuine critics of Israeli policy. It is also used to describe a form of bigotry. Your use of it suggests bigotry to me.
I think that all apparitions involve delusion and/or deception, just like UFO sightings. Medjugorje seems no better or worse than Knock, Lourdes or Fatima. Many if not most devout Catholics believe in the apparitions in Medjugorje, which may well be judged 'worthy of belief' by the church in a few years. But anyway, the whole apparition thing just seems daft. That Mary and the saints would be appearing to handfuls of people in remote areas to do a few magic tricks makes no sense to me when they could be stopping world wars and converting millions to Catholicism instead.
"Christ was meek, gentle, peace-loving, and urged His followers to forgive their enemies."
The historical Jesus may well have been a been a kind and honourable man, but Christianity's Jesus condemns unrepentant sinners like gays and women who have abortions to an eternity of unimaginable suffering. To my mind, that is worse than what you accuse Mohammed of doing.
Mackers, Albert has been vindicated in 'best before', 'use by' stakes. Apparently it was all a con! well so he says, 'if it's not growing moss and leaking, then it's still digestable.'
On a completely unrelated topic, has anyone listened to Let England Shake, PJ Harvey's latest album? She sings about her love for her native England on the one hand and the horrors of its wars on the other.
'Anti-Semitism is often used to label and undermine genuine critics of Israeli policy. It is also used to describe a form of bigotry. Your use of it suggests bigotry to me.'
But have I said anything that is untrue?
As a good bishop said a few years ago:
"God puts in men's hands the 'Protocols of the Sages of Sion' and the 'Rakovsky Interview,' if men want to know the truth, but few do." Bishope Richard Williamson.
'Medjugorje seems no better or worse than Knock, Lourdes or Fatima.'
The year before the Blessed Virgin appeared at Lourdes there were a spate of diabolical apparitions. The Church is wary of such things as it is so easy for people to be deceived.
'Many if not most devout Catholics believe in the apparitions in Medjugorje, which may well be judged 'worthy of belief' by the church in a few years.'
The Church has condemned the supposed apparitions of Medjugorje. They are nothing but a mockery of the true ones, and no doubt, used to discredit the message of Fatima.
At Fatima there was a public miracle witnessed by 100,000 people. But no matter, some people prefer atheism, that way they don't have to face reality.
"The Church has condemned the supposed apparitions of Medjugorje."
My understanding is that while the local bishops have denounced the apparitions in Medjugorje, the Vatican has no official policy on them. I think the CDF is now investigating the phenomena.
"At Fatima there was a public miracle witnessed by 100,000 people."
Not all witnesses saw the same thing in Fatima. Some claim to have seen the sun dance while some only saw radiant colors. Others, including some believers, saw nothing at all. Also, no scientific accounts exist of any unusual solar or astronomic activity during the time the sun was reported to have danced. Thus, the most logical explanation for "The Miracle of the Sun" is optical illusions caused by prolonged staring at the sun. I mean, if you stare at the sun long enough, you'll probably see Jesus tapdancing on top of it.
"But no matter, some people prefer atheism, that way they don't have to face reality."
I just go with what makes sense to me. Atheism does, Christianity doesn't.
Alfie, saw PJ Harvey in concert in Belfast a few years back. She was very impressive.
John,
‘But have I said anything that is untrue?’
‘I think the bulk of it is wrong.’ ‘The Jews’ are not behind that much, nor are ‘the Catholics’ or ‘the Muslims.’ Lots of Jews Catholics and Muslims are behind a lot of bad things – and just not to have you accusing me of discrimination – the Protestants too!
‘the good bishop’ you refer to I have long viewed as an anti-Semite bigot. A fascistic personality with a seeming hatred for women on top of the other things he hates. No different from David Irving the ‘good historian’ who made the same sort of claims.
We’ll never agree on anything but I guess it’s good that we can talk. I fail to understand the seemingly virulent rage that inspires your outlook on so many things. It is not the anger of the just
‘All a bit sick if you ask me. Has he no home or pub to go to?’
I think the verdict on that is unanimous. Something very creepy there. I was about to write ‘in his defence he doesn’t throw his links up on obits’ and then one came through for the Bobby obit. I just deleted it.
‘the good bishop’ you refer to I have long viewed as an anti-Semite bigot.'
I first met him in 1980 and have done so a number of times since. He is certainly not anti-Semitic but he does take a 'traditional Catholic' view of the Jewish question, which is more in line with the New Testament than are the views espoused by Benedict XVI. He is a man whose motivation is truth, no matter where that might lead him.
‘a fascistic personality with a seeming hatred for women on top of the other things he hates.’
Curiously his most ardent followers are the female of the species. I think they have a devotion to him, which is inexplicable, until you understand that he is not anti-woman, but believes that men and women are different and have differing roles in society.
‘No different from David Irving the ‘good historian’ who made the same sort of claims.’
Do you think that people should be gaoled for expressing a view?
‘We’ll never agree on anything but I guess it’s good that we can talk.’
You may be right there, although I thought we did agree on something lately, I forget what!
‘I fail to understand the seemingly virulent rage that inspires your outlook on so many things.’
When you don’t understand someone’s ‘world-view’ I guess it is easy to attribute such motives. ‘Virulent rage’ is not something that motivates me in the least. I am motivated by the love of my God, my family, my country. If these are attacked I will react, not out of hatred, at least not for the person, but I do believe that there are many things that are black and white, and do not see that stating what I believe to be true should be construed as ‘virulent rage.’
‘It is not the anger of the just’
I am glad that you are not God, Anthony, for I fear you have me judged already!
I doubt very much if his motivation is truth; it is to control other people’s lives.
‘Curiously his most ardent followers are the female of the species.’
Nun type creatures who think men should have the on top role.
‘Do you think that people should be gaoled for expressing a view?’
You know the answer to that before I give it. Irving should not have been sent to prison or even appeared in court. I have written a few times on this subject. I dislike the way some countries make holocaust denial a crime. People should be free to deny it if they wish and the rest of us should be free to ridicule them when they do.
I fail to see how you are motivated by the love of god. Reading you I get the impression that you are enamoured to the god that hates with a perfect hate rather than any loving god. This is observation by the way and not an attack or an insult.
God has judged you John from before you were born, which gave you no chance really. Like you I too am glad I am not god. Never considered myself a megalomaniac.
You have accused me of ‘hate’ on more than one occasion. I have just a couple of observations on this. My first instinct was to let it pass as you have accused me of it before. Then I noticed that on another link you stated ‘it is not even a point of view - just a hate attack.’
This strikes me as quite sinister as it appears that your label of ‘hate’ is supposed to negate whatever statement is made that you deem ‘hateful’. It seems that you are quite free in accusing people of this, whenever they disagree with you. I have noticed several articles containing this label recently.
In answer to your charge, I hate no one, not Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Churchill or Thatcher. I do however hate evil doctrines that have and are destroying millions, whether in body or soul. So I do not hate Communists, but I do hate Communism. I don’t hate atheists, but I do hate atheism. I don't hate abortionists, but I do hate abortion, etc...
I detect that you also hate, only you have a different list; one that embraces clergy, all things Christian and above all God. Even when you reply that you don’t you will refer to God as ‘god’ further manifesting your loathing of His Being.
'Sorry to butt in here John ,but wouldnt you agree that almost all organised hate is religion based,and that in turn is a great money maker?'
Well, to some extent there is an element of that, but it is hardly evidenced in modern-day pseudo Catholicism which has become so debased most of its adherents are so indifferent to everything and unable to muster up hate, even against a worthy object. In fact they have made a religion of 'niceness', (something which I hate).
Other, ‘non-contaminated’ religions are able to muster more feeling, whether it be Traditional Catholicism, Orthodox Judaism, or Islam. (Even fundamentalist Protestantism doesn’t lag too far behind).
In my view, hatred of what you see as evil is a necessary component of the human condition, and this may be channelled through, religion, politics or many other media. This only goes to show how important religion is to the human condition.
The secular upcoming notion of ‘hate-crime’ is dangerous as it is used to silence people and is probably counter-productive. It too, in my view, is based on hatred, only an inverted hatred of all that has gone into making our country and our civilisation what they were. It is a form of ‘self-loathing’ which is just as hate-filled in despising its object as is that of the worst haters.
As long as there is a clear distinction between the person and the ‘ism’ I don’t think hate is necessarily a problem. It is when the line between the two things are crossed that problems arise, and that is by no means confined to religion.
As for money making, I wouldn’t know. I guess it has filled the coffers of a few protestant TV evangelists, but I don’t think I have ever met any rich Traditional Catholics. They all have too many children to be lining their pockets.
I don't see it as an accusation, and it is said more in conversational rather than accusatorial tones. But it is how I see it.
As for what happened to Nuala it is hate fuelled and it is right to describe it as a hate attack or hate mail rather than a point of view. How it relates to you I have no idea.
Plenty of people on this blog for example have disagreed with me but have never yet been described by me as being motivated by hate. You strike me as motivated by hate.
I tend to find the defence of 'hate the sin love the sinner' unconvincing. It was always a Paisleyite position that allowed him and others like Iris and Willie McCrea to slip and slide when confronted with suggestions of their hatred.
In any event you go on to admit that you hate .... and in my view it is a central feature of your worldview.
Because god doesn't exist I do not hate it. Using a lower case g in god is like declining to call a priest father or a religious person reverend. As god has no being but is the figment of your imagination there can be no loathing of it. I do not hate Christianity or clergy. You want the paedophile priests burned for eternity. I don't.
I think religion is a great purveyor of hate. I don't see love in religion.
Here is an article written in the middle of the last century which expresses my thought on the subject.
http://www.fatherfeeney.org/point/59-jan.html
In my book love and hate are two sides of a coin. You can't have one without the other.
As the Holy Book says;
"But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth."
Almost every Irish Republican has seen this, and acted on it. Maybe it is no surprise that things are the way they are now, with the growth of Godless despair and lukewarm principles.
John I dont believe my principles to be lukewarm because I cant believe in something that hasnt been proved to me to exist, If you take the so called leadership of the pira/psf the leading lights i.e, Adams and Mc Guinness this pair of two faced lying bastards would claim to be god fearing christians, and to be truthfull mo cara anything those pair of wasters promote is either bullshit or a lie and more likely both,god is like Adams /Mc Guinness view of republicanism a myth, the two sides of the pastafarian coin are love /respect,none of that auld hate with the followers of FSM we leave that to you christians,and their counterparts,
‘John I dont believe my principles to be lukewarm because I cant believe in something that hasnt been proved to me to exist,’
I didn’t for one minute mean you, Marty, nor indeed any particular person on the PQ. I’m speaking generalities here, no one in mind. However it is possible to demonstrate the existence of God.
‘If you take the so called leadership of the pira/psf the leading lights i.e, Adams and Mc Guinness this pair of two faced lying bastards would claim to be god fearing christians,’
Adams and McGuinness are certainly not Christians. Both support abortion, so are on that fact alone, excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
‘and to be truthfull mo cara anything those pair of wasters promote is either bullshit or a lie and more likely both,’
I agree totally on that point.
‘god is like Adams /Mc Guinness view of republicanism a myth, the two sides of the pastafarian coin are love /respect,none of that auld hate with the followers of FSM we leave that to you christians,and their counterparts,’
Really? Do you not hate paedophilia, cowardice, treachery, murder, rape, Fascism, Nazism, racism, homophobia, Free Presbyterianism and countless other things? As I said before, hate the sin, love (and respect) the sinner. Seems a pretty good principle to me.
Do we sometimes cross the line? Maybe, but at least Christianity constantly reminds us of the existence of that line. That is why I could never share the hatred that most Republicans hold towards Mrs Thatcher. One thing is sure, I will not dance on her grave anymore than I would on Bin Laden’s.
we have discussed the love-hate thing before and your views were not without merit as I said at the time. I have not time at the minute to pursue the link but I will when time permits.
Former IRA volunteer and ex-prisoner, spent 18 years in Long Kesh, 4 years on the blanket and no-wash/no work protests which led to the hunger strikes of the 80s. Completed PhD at Queens upon release from prison. Left the Republican Movement at the endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement, and went on to become a journalist. Co-founder of The Blanket, an online magazine that critically analyzed the Irish peace process.
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* A Structural Analysis of Modern Irish Republicanism: 1969-1973, PhD Thesis, Queen's, (1999).
* Modern Irish Republicanism and the Belfast Agreement: Chickens Coming Home to Roost, or Turkeys Celebrating Christmas? in Aspects of the Belfast Agreement, (2001).
* Provisional Republicanism - Internal Politics, Inequities and Modes of Repression in Republicanism in Modern Ireland, (2003).
70 comments:
MUCKY GUINNESS LICKS ENDANGERED ROYAL FECES - http://bit.ly/gHP2bk
John,
after I told you I was 13 last night I got 17 emails from priests!
John McGirr-
Read that you thought that the jews killed God-
and that is why you oppose them-
It was the romans that killed Jesus- does that mean you also oppose the italian's-
just read michaelhenry's horrorscope for the next 2 months.
Same old same old in the upcoming elections, royal/Crown visit, a town centre in the north successfully 'rubbled' and gerry and marty looking worse than podge and rodge as they out-do themselves to date in defence of the Union.
maybe they should be careful what shite they talk while standing on graves tomorrow....mite come back to haunt them.
i'm getting sky in next week,free 'box', ill have all terestrial and cable channels, rte/vatican tv is insufficient for up-coming events.
michaelhenry,
'It was the romans that killed Jesus-'
You must have missed this:
"Who killed Jesus?
The Liberal Catholics of our country are now making another concession to Interfaith charity and Brotherhood benevolence. They are saying, "It was not the Jews who crucified Christ; it was the Romans."
I should like to ask these Liberal Catholics a few pointed questions on the subject of Our Lord's death.
Was it the Romans who came out to seize Him in the Garden of Olives with swords and clubs on the night of His Passion, and who brought Him bound to the High Priest, and then to Pontius Pilate, demanding that He should be killed?
Was it a Roman who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, and was it to Romans He was sold for thirty pieces of silver?
Was the High Priest a Roman, who rent his garments and accused Our Lord of blasphemy when He declared Himself to be the Eternal Son of God?
Was it a Roman crowd which stood before the tribunal of Pontius Pilate and shouted: "If this man were not a malefactor we would not have handed Him over to you ... His blood be upon us and upon our children!"
Was it the Romans who disowned Jesus as the King of the Jews, and did not want the inscription placed over His head on the Cross when He hung, crowned with thorns, and with nails in His hands and His feet?
Was it God's judgement in Heaven that the Romans had killed Christ, and was that why the Power of the Almighty some thirty years later razed the Temple of Jerusalem to the ground, and left not one stone upon a stone, and has never allowed it to be rebuilt from that day to this?
In the prayers of the Mass for Good Friday of Holy Week, the priest refers to the "perfidious Jews" as the ones who betrayed and crucified Christ. Should he be saying the "perfidious Romans"? And has it been wrong for the Church to put it the first way for as long as her history?
When Our Lord hung upon the Cross, His first recorded words were, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Do the Liberal Catholics really think Our Lord was referring to the Jews when He said, "They know not what they do"? Was it the Jewish Chief Priests, the Scribes, and the Ancients, with whom He sat daily teaching in the Temple and who, when He was crucified, wagged their heads and mocked Him and shouted: "He saved others; himself He cannot save" -- was it these who knew not what they did, and whom Our Lord asked the Father to forgive?
Saint Luke tells us clearly that Jesus said this of the Roman soldiers who "dividing his garments, cast lots." And Saint Matthew tells us that these same Romans, after Jesus expired on the Cross, cried out in one voice with their Centurion, "Indeed, this was the Son of God!".
AM,
'after I told you I was 13 last night I got 17 emails from priests!'
More than likely they are atheists in disguise.
"MUCKY GUINNESS LICKS ENDANGERED ROYAL FECES"
I've been meaning to ask, but does anyone read these bizarrely-titled articles by Brian Clarke? They are published on the same website as that article about paedophile Shinners raping radioactive fish. Is this a satirical site or what?
John,
talking of atheists I was at a wake last night for an atheist. He was lying thee in his coffin all dressed up and no where to go.
John
you just told us that all over again for pure badness and pretended to do it coz Michaelhenry missed it
Alfie,
after the Paedo fish one I never ventured back
would Jesus have felt there was enough difference between RCs and COI for all the trouble?
Larry,
Jesus is on your side when he hates the same people you do
mackers
what if yer just a tired wee cynic? dont hate that many, if any, but see hippo-critters all around?
Larry,
cynicism is just an irritating way of getting to the truth of something. So if you are a tired wee cynic don't worry.
Jesus is recruited to all these hate campaigns by those who hate something and then tell us Jesus hates it too.
Agh
then wifey and me shall remain in domestic bliss and a tad scheptical [me, she dont care]in a humorous fashion about the world news.
There are people out there would walk ye up a garden path+land you in twubble ye know.
i've a feelin sooner rather than later podge+rodge [marty+gerry]gunna run outa track and look very silly. Wont that be a fitting end?
wud say 'told ye so' but they might not be in such good humour at that time.
Larry, a cynic? Never!
Alfie!!
how could you, i'm so hurt and dented.
John,
The narrative of the crucifixion in the Gospels is somewhat dubious given that it was written decades after Jesus' death by those who were then being persecuted by Jews (amongst others). I think it likely that the story was slanted to portray the Romans in a better light in order to curry favour with the dominant empire of the day. How else could the men who actually tortured and killed Jesus have gotten off so lightly while the ones who merely egged the killers on became the main villains of the piece?
AM,
'you just told us that all over again for pure badness and pretended to do it coz Michaelhenry missed it'
You rumbled me there alright! Couldn't resist it.
John McGirr-
Sounds like you are sore on the jews-
The roman's nailed the man to the cross- they stuck a spear in his side- and this was after they whipped jesus from one end of town to the other
Larry-
you will have your new sky box in time for that royal wedding- you will not miss a thing- is this the big event you are looking forward to-
michaelhenry,
'Sounds like you are sore on the jews-
The roman's nailed the man to the cross- they stuck a spear in his side- and this was after they whipped jesus from one end of town to the other'
Pontius Pilate was weak, and acted on behalf of the Jews, but clearly indicated that he thought it unjust.
The Jews have always had the knack of getting others involved in their dirty work, whether in their act of Deicide, or their slaughtering of millions through Jewish Bolshevism or their manipulation of the economy, the media, pornography and abortion.
Alfie,
Interesting theory but without a shred of evidence to substantiate it.
On the other hand, if they had protrayed the Romans as evil, and the Jews as wronged, they could have swayed many more Jews to follow them.
The narrative of the New Testament is so clear on who was to blame, in the Gospels, Epistles and Acts, without a note of dissent.
The verdict; it was the Jews who did it, whilst calling for His blood to be upon them and their children.
michaelhenry
what im looking forward to is gerry+marty/podge+rodge being put in front of BBC cameras in front of a town 'now rubble' GERRYFITTTHEBRIT[GAA pick-up trucks in the background for a new hill] and them 2 tellin the world ??? WAT? This is what happens when you lie to yourself...ye bite yer tail..? Or yer tail eats you. Shudda made an honest end with the 'RA not lie thru ther teeth. Like in '68 these 2 muppets may have prolongued things.
Hope the loyalists keep schtum, gerry+marty fuk off home to rot wth ther wee gang.
AND THE FENIAN DEAD CAN LAY IN PEACE.
John,
this sounds more like anti-Semitism than anything else. Does it not make you uncomfortable knowing that it echos Mein Kampf? The distinction you sought to make earlier about Zionism seems lacking here.
IRA RESURRECTION' http://bit.ly/ResurrectionIRA
John,
"Interesting theory but without a shred of evidence to substantiate it."
Just like the theory that Jesus was God.
"On the other hand, if they had protrayed the Romans as evil, and the Jews as wronged, they could have swayed many more Jews to follow them."
Christianity started out as a tiny oppositional offshoot of Judaism. Christians needed to make a distinction between 'good' Jews (ie. followers of Christ) and 'bad' Jews (ie. those who did not accept Jesus as God). It would have made no sense for the authors of the Gospels to portray the latter group in a positive light. On the other hand, if Christians wanted their religion to grow, they could not alienate the rulers and citizens of the Roman empire. Hence all the malarky about Pontius Pilate feeling sorry for Jesus and the Roman soldiers declaring Jesus to be God after torturing and killing him. The early Christians and the Jews were a little like the Sticks and the Provos - they hated each other more than their imperial masters.
PS. Do you not think it strange that Jesus never complained about the Romans occupying his people's country?
Alfie,
it is all rubbish. Worshiping some preacher out of all the many of them that ran around the region then working miracles and claiming divinity. God as god is a daft enough idea but man as god FFS
AM,
'this sounds more like anti-Semitism than anything else.'
Father Fahey summarised it like this:
"on the one hand, the sovereign pontiffs insist that Catholics must stand unflinchingly for the integral rights of Christ the King as contained in the papal encyclicals, while, on the other hand, keeping their minds and hearts free from hatred of Our Lord’s own nation according to the flesh.
On the one hand, they must battle for the rights of Christ the King and the supernatural organization of society a laid down in the encyclical Quas Primas, unequivocally proclaiming that the rejection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the True Messias, by His own nation, and the unyielding opposition of that nation to Him, are a fundamental source of disorder and conflict in the world.
On the other hand, as members of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Catholics should neither hate the members of that nation in which, through our Blessed Mother, the Lily of Israel, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity assumed human nature, nor deny them their legitimate rights as persons."
Alfie,
"Interesting theory but without a shred of evidence to substantiate it."
'Just like the theory that Jesus was God.'
I think that fullfilling prophecies, healing the sick, making the blind see, walking on water, changing water to wine, raising the dead and finally raising Himself to life, is proof enough. It was enough for His early followers who gave their lives to affirm it.
It certainly motivated the heroes of 1916, who all accepted this and chose to link forever the fate of the Irish Nation with the Ressurection of Our Lord, true man and true God.
John,
'I think that fulfilling prophecies, healing the sick, making the blind see, walking on water, changing water to wine, raising the dead and finally raising Himself to life, is proof enough.'
As for the men of 1916 they had a religious opinion about JC, nothing else.
But this is all myth handed down from one religion to the other.
As for the priest you quote he advocates not hating but you seem to hate Jews. Maybe you do not but that is how it strikes me.
John,
"I think that fullfilling prophecies, healing the sick, making the blind see, walking on water, changing water to wine, raising the dead and finally raising Himself to life, is proof enough. It was enough for His early followers who gave their lives to affirm it."
Third-hand stories about cheap party tricks. Pardon me, but I saw enough of that pseudo-miraculous shite in Medjugorje.
Michael, Jesus was crucified for no other reason than he was a political activist, freedom fighter..terrorist.
Not because he was the son of some god...
Start readin here and maybe you'll learn something...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/359206/was_jesus_a_1st_century_terrorist.html?cat=34
Alfie,
and John seems to think that these sort of things should be imposed on society. At least the nature of the divide is becoming clearer by the day.
John,
I don't know if Jesus healed the sick? As for walking on water apparently there are parts of the Dead sea that you can walk on.
I do believe that he was an incredibly brave person who was without doubt both altruisitic and socialist in outlook. These are traits that you would imagine people would applaud not denounce because of his religion.
Alfie,
You are better steering clear of Brian's website, a bit random and clearly OTT, Marty tunes in all the time and look what happened to him.
By the way, happy Easter everyone!
Anthony,
"God as god is a daft enough idea but man as god FFS"
The daftest thing is that I still don't eat meat on Good Friday!!! I suppose it is partly a filial obligation, given that I usually spend Easter weekend at my family home and my mother is very religious. Nevertheless, it is totally irrational.
Nuala,
Happy Easter to you and all on the Quill! (I do celebrate the Christmas and Easter holidays; I just don't buy into all of the codology that goes with them.)
AM,
'As for the priest you quote he advocates not hating but you seem to hate Jews. Maybe you do not but that is how it strikes me.'
The funny thing is he was accused of it often too, which is why he wrote:
'The term “Anti-Semitism,” with all its war-connotation in the minds of the unthinking, is being extended to include any form of opposition to the Jewish nation’s naturalistic aims and any exposure of the methods they adopt to achieve these aims.'
Alfie,
'Pardon me, but I saw enough of that pseudo-miraculous shite in Medjugorje.'
You weren't taken in by that crowd, ha ha. That is the work of Satan.
Fionnuala et al,
It always surprises me the bitterness of some towards Jesus Christ. After all they are okay with Mohammed, who raped and pillaged, in between decapitating hundreds.
Last week there was an exhibition in Avignon with an exhibit called 'Piss Christ'. It was a jar of the artist's urine, in which he placed a crucifix, took a photo and enlarged it. The Socialist mayor then paid about £70,000 to display it.
Thank God some courageous people destroyed it last Sunday. But it seems Christ is fair game. I wonder if I put a Koran in a toilet would I get a grant to show it in Belfast?
Nuala,
"MUCKY GUINNESS LICKS ENDANGERED ROYAL FECES"
"WRITERS OF INDYMEDIA IRELAND GO UNDERCOVER IN SEX ORGIES WITH BRITISH AGENTS"
"HANGING OR BURNING THE HOLOCAUST QUEEN ON HER IRISH VISIT"
Clearly, Brian should be writing the headlines for The Irish Times, though he should probably leave the content to someone else!
I'm not sure if this is going off topic or not...But I reckon the Bible is probably in the most part based on fact..But theres loads of mistranslation-misinterpretation. I think they were talking about aliens, UFO's and aswell the politics of the day...
Genesis 1 Verse 26: "Then god said, 'Let US make a man --Someone like OURSELVES, to be the master of all life upon earth and in the skies and in the seas." (can only mean more than one)
Take the story of Noahs ark for example, there was a flood, thats been proven ..(I doubt today we could build a ship or other big enough to hold two of every type off species in the world...Unless it was a DNA data base...) Isn't it possible that the aliens (GODS) realised they had a flaw in their design and decided to keep the best of a bad lot and start over again...Talking about 'lot', I think the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot's wife turning to salt was her witnessing a nuclear strike...And as for David beating Goliath. Maybe Goliath was an annunaki . Thats what the Mayan talked about and there was NO cross pollenation between the two...JMO.
The Pope was having a shower. Although he's very strict about celibacy, he occasionally felt he needed to exercise the Papal wrist, and this happened to be one of those occasions. Just as he reached the Papal climax, he saw a photographer taking a picture of the Holy seed flying through the air.
''Hold on a minute!'', said the Pope, ''You can't do that - you'll destroy the reputation of the Church!''
''This is my equivalent of a big lottery win,'' said the photographer, ''I'll be financially secure for life with these photos!''
So, the Pope offered to buy the camera from the photographer, and after much negotiation, they eventually settled on a figure of 2,000,000 Euros.
The Pope clothed himself and headed off to destroy the images on the camera.
Along the vast Vatican hallways, he bumped into his personal housekeeper.
Being a bit of a photography buff, she noticed the camera and said, ''That looks like a really expensive digital SLR camera, how much did it cost you?''
Not being one to lie, the Pope replied, ''Two million Euros.''
''TWO MILLION EUROS!'' replied the housekeeper. ''They must have seen you coming!''
John,
I don't know why there is so much hatred towards Christ, had I been around at that time I would have been in absolute awe of him, especially given his attitude towards the Mary Magdalenes.
I can understand why people hate Christians and Christianity though.
Some unspeakable things were done in the name of Christ and their warped interpretation of his teachings.
I think if they atrocities committed by Muslims and Christians were compared on a global scale, the latter would win hands down.
John,
"You weren't taken in by that crowd, ha ha. That is the work of Satan."
The people in Medjugorje seemed very nice to me. They were a bit deluded all right, but definitely not possessed by any devils and they were all very devout Catholics.
Incidentally, do you believe that all apparitions - including those in Knock, Lourdes and Fatima - are the work of Satan? If so, to what end?
Alfie,
'The people in Medjugorje seemed very nice to me. They were a bit deluded all right, but definitely not possessed by any devils and they were all very devout Catholics.'
There is more to that whole diabolical racket than meets the eye. Most of the people are decent enough, but duped by more sinister elements.
See:
http://www.culturewars.com/medj.htm
'Incidentally, do you believe that all apparitions - including those in Knock, Lourdes and Fatima - are the work of Satan? If so, to what end?'
All of the above have been judged 'worthy of belief' by the Church. They are the genuine articles that are obscured in the Medjugorje racket.
Fionnuala,
I think both religions should be judged by their founders, not their followers. Christ was meek, gentle, peace-loving, and urged His followers to forgive their enemies. Mohammed was a war monger, a rapist and a murderer. There is a similar incident in both lives, where a woman is brought before each, accused of adultery. Christ said let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. Mohammed had the woman give birth to a child, return and then be buried up to the neck and stoned.
Alfie,
‘The daftest thing is that I still don't eat meat on Good Friday …Nevertheless, it is totally irrational.’
You could do worse. You could sell bibles!
Nuala
Happy Easter. Hope Albert got you a nice egg and not one past the sell by date!
John,
Anti-Semitism is often used to label and undermine genuine critics of Israeli policy. It is also used to describe a form of bigotry. Your use of it suggests bigotry to me.
Frankie,
Brilliant joke.
John,
I think that all apparitions involve delusion and/or deception, just like UFO sightings. Medjugorje seems no better or worse than Knock, Lourdes or Fatima. Many if not most devout Catholics believe in the apparitions in Medjugorje, which may well be judged 'worthy of belief' by the church in a few years. But anyway, the whole apparition thing just seems daft. That Mary and the saints would be appearing to handfuls of people in remote areas to do a few magic tricks makes no sense to me when they could be stopping world wars and converting millions to Catholicism instead.
"Christ was meek, gentle, peace-loving, and urged His followers to forgive their enemies."
The historical Jesus may well have been a been a kind and honourable man, but Christianity's Jesus condemns unrepentant sinners like gays and women who have abortions to an eternity of unimaginable suffering. To my mind, that is worse than what you accuse Mohammed of doing.
Mackers,
Albert has been vindicated in 'best before', 'use by' stakes.
Apparently it was all a con! well so he says, 'if it's not growing moss and leaking, then it's still digestable.'
On a completely unrelated topic, has anyone listened to Let England Shake, PJ Harvey's latest album? She sings about her love for her native England on the one hand and the horrors of its wars on the other.
Check out The Last Living Rose:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWBrWhrKchQ
and The Words That Maketh Murder:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va0w5pxFkAM&feature=relmfu
AM,
'Anti-Semitism is often used to label and undermine genuine critics of Israeli policy. It is also used to describe a form of bigotry. Your use of it suggests bigotry to me.'
But have I said anything that is untrue?
As a good bishop said a few years ago:
"God puts in men's hands the 'Protocols of the Sages of Sion' and the 'Rakovsky Interview,' if men want to know the truth, but few do."
Bishope Richard Williamson.
Alfie,
'Medjugorje seems no better or worse than Knock, Lourdes or Fatima.'
The year before the Blessed Virgin appeared at Lourdes there were a spate of diabolical apparitions. The Church is wary of such things as it is so easy for people to be deceived.
'Many if not most devout Catholics believe in the apparitions in Medjugorje, which may well be judged 'worthy of belief' by the church in a few years.'
The Church has condemned the supposed apparitions of Medjugorje. They are nothing but a mockery of the true ones, and no doubt, used to discredit the message of Fatima.
At Fatima there was a public miracle witnessed by 100,000 people. But no matter, some people prefer atheism, that way they don't have to face reality.
Is BrianClarkeNUJ the same boyo referred to in this article?
DISAPPEARED' IRISH JOURNALIST BOMBSHELL REVELATIONS ON ADAMS AND McGUINNESS
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6687070-disappeared-irish-journalist-bombshell-revelations-on-adams-and-mcguinness
All a bit sick if you ask me. Has he no home or pub to go to?
John,
"The Church has condemned the supposed apparitions of Medjugorje."
My understanding is that while the local bishops have denounced the apparitions in Medjugorje, the Vatican has no official policy on them. I think the CDF is now investigating the phenomena.
"At Fatima there was a public miracle witnessed by 100,000 people."
Not all witnesses saw the same thing in Fatima. Some claim to have seen the sun dance while some only saw radiant colors. Others, including some believers, saw nothing at all. Also, no scientific accounts exist of any unusual solar or astronomic activity during the time the sun was reported to have danced. Thus, the most logical explanation for "The Miracle of the Sun" is optical illusions caused by prolonged staring at the sun. I mean, if you stare at the sun long enough, you'll probably see Jesus tapdancing on top of it.
"But no matter, some people prefer atheism, that way they don't have to face reality."
I just go with what makes sense to me. Atheism does, Christianity doesn't.
Time PPl started telling the truth round here !
BRITISH POLICE LEAVE CAR BOMB FOR YEARS AT BELFAST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OCCUPIED IRELAND - http://bit.ly/ScumStatePolice
Brian Clarke,
Thank goodness you're alive. I thought that you were "disappeared" by Adams and the paedo-fish-rapists.
Alfie, he could be a ghost writer...
Dixie,
More gobshite than ghost, methinks. Then again, the paedo-fish-rapists have probably brianwashed me already!
Alfie, saw PJ Harvey in concert in Belfast a few years back. She was very impressive.
John,
‘But have I said anything that is untrue?’
‘I think the bulk of it is wrong.’ ‘The Jews’ are not behind that much, nor are ‘the Catholics’ or ‘the Muslims.’ Lots of Jews Catholics and Muslims are behind a lot of bad things – and just not to have you accusing me of discrimination – the Protestants too!
‘the good bishop’ you refer to I have long viewed as an anti-Semite bigot. A fascistic personality with a seeming hatred for women on top of the other things he hates. No different from David Irving the ‘good historian’ who made the same sort of claims.
We’ll never agree on anything but I guess it’s good that we can talk. I fail to understand the seemingly virulent rage that inspires your outlook on so many things. It is not the anger of the just
Dixie,
‘All a bit sick if you ask me. Has he no home or pub to go to?’
I think the verdict on that is unanimous. Something very creepy there. I was about to write ‘in his defence he doesn’t throw his links up on obits’ and then one came through for the Bobby obit. I just deleted it.
AM,
‘the good bishop’ you refer to I have long viewed as an anti-Semite bigot.'
I first met him in 1980 and have done so a number of times since. He is certainly not anti-Semitic but he does take a 'traditional Catholic' view of the Jewish question, which is more in line with the New Testament than are the views espoused by Benedict XVI. He is a man whose motivation is truth, no matter where that might lead him.
‘a fascistic personality with a seeming hatred for women on top of the other things he hates.’
Curiously his most ardent followers are the female of the species. I think they have a devotion to him, which is inexplicable, until you understand that he is not anti-woman, but believes that men and women are different and have differing roles in society.
‘No different from David Irving the ‘good historian’ who made the same sort of claims.’
Do you think that people should be gaoled for expressing a view?
‘We’ll never agree on anything but I guess it’s good that we can talk.’
You may be right there, although I thought we did agree on something lately, I forget what!
‘I fail to understand the seemingly virulent rage that inspires your outlook on so many things.’
When you don’t understand someone’s ‘world-view’ I guess it is easy to attribute such motives. ‘Virulent rage’ is not something that motivates me in the least. I am motivated by the love of my God, my family, my country. If these are attacked I will react, not out of hatred, at least not for the person, but I do believe that there are many things that are black and white, and do not see that stating what I believe to be true should be construed as ‘virulent rage.’
‘It is not the anger of the just’
I am glad that you are not God, Anthony, for I fear you have me judged already!
Good Friday
John,
I doubt very much if his motivation is truth; it is to control other people’s lives.
‘Curiously his most ardent followers are the female of the species.’
Nun type creatures who think men should have the on top role.
‘Do you think that people should be gaoled for expressing a view?’
You know the answer to that before I give it. Irving should not have been sent to prison or even appeared in court. I have written a few times on this subject. I dislike the way some countries make holocaust denial a crime. People should be free to deny it if they wish and the rest of us should be free to ridicule them when they do.
I fail to see how you are motivated by the love of god. Reading you I get the impression that you are enamoured to the god that hates with a perfect hate rather than any loving god. This is observation by the way and not an attack or an insult.
God has judged you John from before you were born, which gave you no chance really. Like you I too am glad I am not god. Never considered myself a megalomaniac.
AM,
You have accused me of ‘hate’ on more than one occasion. I have just a couple of observations on this. My first instinct was to let it pass as you have accused me of it before. Then I noticed that on another link you stated
‘it is not even a point of view - just a hate attack.’
This strikes me as quite sinister as it appears that your label of ‘hate’ is supposed to negate whatever statement is made that you deem ‘hateful’. It seems that you are quite free in accusing people of this, whenever they disagree with you. I have noticed several articles containing this label recently.
In answer to your charge, I hate no one, not Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Churchill or Thatcher. I do however hate evil doctrines that have and are destroying millions, whether in body or soul. So I do not hate Communists, but I do hate Communism. I don’t hate atheists, but I do hate atheism. I don't hate abortionists, but I do hate abortion, etc...
I detect that you also hate, only you have a different list; one that embraces clergy, all things Christian and above all God. Even when you reply that you don’t you will refer to God as ‘god’ further manifesting your loathing of His Being.
Sorry to butt in here John ,but wouldnt you agree that almost all organised hate is religion based,and that in turn is a great money maker?
Marty,
'Sorry to butt in here John ,but wouldnt you agree that almost all organised hate is religion based,and that in turn is a great money maker?'
Well, to some extent there is an element of that, but it is hardly evidenced in modern-day pseudo Catholicism which has become so debased most of its adherents are so indifferent to everything and unable to muster up hate, even against a worthy object. In fact they have made a religion of 'niceness', (something which I hate).
Other, ‘non-contaminated’ religions are able to muster more feeling, whether it be Traditional Catholicism, Orthodox Judaism, or Islam. (Even fundamentalist Protestantism doesn’t lag too far behind).
In my view, hatred of what you see as evil is a necessary component of the human condition, and this may be channelled through, religion, politics or many other media. This only goes to show how important religion is to the human condition.
The secular upcoming notion of ‘hate-crime’ is dangerous as it is used to silence people and is probably counter-productive. It too, in my view, is based on hatred, only an inverted hatred of all that has gone into making our country and our civilisation what they were. It is a form of ‘self-loathing’ which is just as hate-filled in despising its object as is that of the worst haters.
As long as there is a clear distinction between the person and the ‘ism’ I don’t think hate is necessarily a problem. It is when the line between the two things are crossed that problems arise, and that is by no means confined to religion.
As for money making, I wouldn’t know. I guess it has filled the coffers of a few protestant TV evangelists, but I don’t think I have ever met any rich Traditional Catholics. They all have too many children to be lining their pockets.
John,
I don't see it as an accusation, and it is said more in conversational rather than accusatorial tones. But it is how I see it.
As for what happened to Nuala it is hate fuelled and it is right to describe it as a hate attack or hate mail rather than a point of view. How it relates to you I have no idea.
Plenty of people on this blog for example have disagreed with me but have never yet been described by me as being motivated by hate. You strike me as motivated by hate.
I tend to find the defence of 'hate the sin love the sinner' unconvincing. It was always a Paisleyite position that allowed him and others like Iris and Willie McCrea to slip and slide when confronted with suggestions of their hatred.
In any event you go on to admit that you hate .... and in my view it is a central feature of your worldview.
Because god doesn't exist I do not hate it. Using a lower case g in god is like declining to call a priest father or a religious person reverend. As god has no being but is the figment of your imagination there can be no loathing of it. I do not hate Christianity or clergy. You want the paedophile priests burned for eternity. I don't.
I think religion is a great purveyor of hate. I don't see love in religion.
AM,
Here is an article written in the middle of the last century which expresses my thought on the subject.
http://www.fatherfeeney.org/point/59-jan.html
In my book love and hate are two sides of a coin. You can't have one without the other.
As the Holy Book says;
"But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth."
Almost every Irish Republican has seen this, and acted on it. Maybe it is no surprise that things are the way they are now, with the growth of Godless despair and lukewarm principles.
John I dont believe my principles to be lukewarm because I cant believe in something that hasnt been proved to me to exist, If you take the so called leadership of the pira/psf the leading lights i.e, Adams and Mc Guinness this pair of two faced lying bastards would claim to be god fearing christians, and to be truthfull mo cara anything those pair of wasters promote is either bullshit or a lie and more likely both,god is like Adams /Mc Guinness view of republicanism a myth, the two sides of the pastafarian coin are love /respect,none of that auld hate with the followers of FSM we leave that to you christians,and their counterparts,
Marty,
‘John I dont believe my principles to be lukewarm because I cant believe in something that hasnt been proved to me to exist,’
I didn’t for one minute mean you, Marty, nor indeed any particular person on the PQ. I’m speaking generalities here, no one in mind. However it is possible to demonstrate the existence of God.
‘If you take the so called leadership of the pira/psf the leading lights i.e, Adams and Mc Guinness this pair of two faced lying bastards would claim to be god fearing christians,’
Adams and McGuinness are certainly not Christians. Both support abortion, so are on that fact alone, excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
‘and to be truthfull mo cara anything those pair of wasters promote is either bullshit or a lie and more likely both,’
I agree totally on that point.
‘god is like Adams /Mc Guinness view of republicanism a myth, the two sides of the pastafarian coin are love /respect,none of that auld hate with the followers of FSM we leave that to you christians,and their counterparts,’
Really? Do you not hate paedophilia, cowardice, treachery, murder, rape, Fascism, Nazism, racism, homophobia, Free Presbyterianism and countless other things? As I said before, hate the sin, love (and respect) the sinner. Seems a pretty good principle to me.
Do we sometimes cross the line? Maybe, but at least Christianity constantly reminds us of the existence of that line. That is why I could never share the hatred that most Republicans hold towards Mrs Thatcher. One thing is sure, I will not dance on her grave anymore than I would on Bin Laden’s.
John,
we have discussed the love-hate thing before and your views were not without merit as I said at the time. I have not time at the minute to pursue the link but I will when time permits.
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