This is the blog of Shockwave Plasma, a virtual entity who originated in Second Life.
Being a virtual person lets me look out into the real world from a different perspective.
It's an interesting question, but like many Churches while there is one person on top, the actual grassroots are spread quite widely and not all legally bound together.
I think the suggestion of the church owning property worth up to 700 billion euros is a bit extreme.
Google has let me down in this case, and I suspect there may be a language issue as well when it comes to questioning the Greek Orthodox Church, the best information I found written here:- http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2784142/posts
"Money sometimes makes fools of important persons, but it may also make important persons of fools." - Walter Winchell
First we had Mad Nadine Dories and her attack on the rights of woman, now we have 40 Days for Life doing a prayer vigil outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Services. Some tactics new to the UK, but often used in USA.
In response http://40daysoftreats.tumblr.com/ was created by Carmen D'Cruz and Liz Lutgendorff to cheer up the BPAS staff. The idea is to deliver some nice things like cake, biscuits and chocolates to the staff.
I'll be sending something.
The Guardian have picked this up on their Womans Blog
The
preservation of life seems to be rather a slogan than a genuine goal of
the anti-abortion forces; what they want is control. Control over
behavior: power over women. Women in the anti-choice movement want to
share in male power over women, and do so by denying their own
womanhood, their own rights and responsibilities. ~Ursula K. Le Guin
“True, comics are a popular art, and yes, I believe their primary obligation is to entertain, but comics can go beyond that, and when they do, they move from silliness to significance.” Bill Watterson quotes (Author Calvin & Hobbes)
"church and state are separate, the
effects are happy, and they do not at all interfere with each other: but
where they have been confounded together, no tongue nor pen can fully
describe the mischiefs that have ensued." Rev. Isaac Backus quoted from 1773
freedom of religion, freedom of conscience and freedom of speech
women’s equality and reproductive rights
equal rights for LGBT people in all the European Union
a secular Europe – democratic, peaceful, open and just, immune to the clandestine influence of privileged religious (or other) organisations
one law for all, no religious exemptions from the law
state neutrality in matters of religion and belief
Opposing:
the privileged status of the churches under Article 17 of the TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union)
the special status of the Vatican in the United Nations
state-funded faith schools
the economic privilege and political influence of the Vatican
The Campaign has a number of Videos up on YouTube This one from Stephen Law is my favorite and pertinent to everyone in regards to religious based education.
Nearly 20,000 people attended the Protest the Pope rally in London last year protest against the State Visit of Pope Benedict in the UK,to demand an end to religious privileges and ask that European institutions remain secular.
The Internet (well mostly Facebook) is slowly drawing people together, protesters and activists are coming together and sharing information like never before. Secularists, Humanists and Atheists are finally finding a voice, and realising they can make a change for the better.
‘Secularism is the only way to protect people of all different religions and those with none. It is vital that everyone who believes in liberal democracy and who values human rights comes on the march in September to show their support. If you want to defend women’s rights, children’s rights, the rights of gay people, human and reproductive rights, then march with us this September and let people see that we object to the influence of religion within the law and on the state.’ - Marco Tranchino coordinator of the Secular Europe Campaign
The Nymwars against the forces of Morder errr Google continue. Currently it still looks all very vague with Google not really seeming to know what of their executives are going to say next.
SUCH AS :-
All wars produce some good artistic propaganda, and Botgirl has been a quite a bit prolific, and I would like more people to see them:-
Who is Creeper?
“Parodies and caricatures are the most penetrating of criticisms.” - Aldous Huxley
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the
original cable is not available.
--------------------------------------------
VATICAN ACKNOWLEDGES SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS
--------------------------------------------
¶5. (SBU) IN A RARE STATEMENT ACKNOWLEDGING FAULT, VATICAN
SPOKESMAN JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS SAID MARCH 20 THAT THERE WAS
A PROBLEM OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF NUNS BY PRIESTS IN SOME
MISSIONARY TERRITORIES. HE SAID THE VATICAN WAS WORKING TO
CORRECT THE SITUATION. THE STATEMENT WAS IN RESPONSE TO A
MARCH 16 ARTICLE IN U.S. CATHOLIC WEEKLY, NATIONAL CATHOLIC
REPORTER THAT CITED FOUR REPORTS BY SENIOR MEMBERS OF
WOMEN'S RELIGIOUS ORDERS ASSERTING THAT SEXUAL ABUSE OF NUNS
BY PRIESTS, INCLUDING RAPE, WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM,
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 05 VATICA 01615 01 OF 02 231320Z
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED PTO7054
PAGE 01 VATICA 01615 02 OF 02 231320Z
ACTION EUR-00
INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 ACQ-00 CA-02 CIAE-00 USNW-00
DODE-00 DOEE-00 DS-00 EAP-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00
H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 M-00
AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 OCS-03 OES-01 OIC-02 PA-00
PM-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 IRM-00 SSO-00
SS-00 TEST-00 T-00 USIE-00 R-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /012W
------------------D63E4F 231330Z /38
R 231328Z MAR 01
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
AMEMBASSY SEOUL
NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 001615
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE), EUR/SE, EAP/K, NEA/IAI,
EUR/PD/PA, AF/E, AF/W, AF/S, DRL/IRF
FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 48/01
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 VATICA 01615 02 OF 02 231320Z
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PRELPHUMSOCIISGRKNKSPHUMSOCIISGRKNKSVTMEPPVTPRELMEPP
SUBJECT: VATICAN - "VIEWS FROM THE HILL"
ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA. ONE OF THE AUTHORS TOLD A VATICAN CITY
NEWS AGENCY THAT SHE WAS VERY PLEASED THE VATICAN HAD ISSUED
ITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. (COMMENT: THE VATICAN HAS BECOME
INCREASINGLY SENSITIZED TO INCIDENTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY
CLERGY, PARTICULARLY IN COUNTRIES LIKE THE US, AUSTRALIA AND
ENGLAND. WE EXPECT THE REPORTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS IN
MISSIONARY TERRITORIES TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND DEALT WITH
PROFESSIONALLY. END COMMENT). MERANTE
"The best justification governments can find to shut down information isthat lives are at risk. In fact,
lives have been at risk as a result of the silences and lies revealed in these leaks." -- Jemima Khan
William Craig Lane is on his way back to the UK again, doing the usual tours and talks to the faithful.
This time he is having a debate with Stephen Law "Does God Exist"* on 17th October 2011 at Westminster Hall.
If you are in London and can go, it would certainly be an interesting event. It would also be interesting to see if William Craig Lane brings out the same arguments that he has in the past, or has thought of something new.
*No
Religion. It`s given people hope in a world torn apart by religion. Charlie Chaplin
The AVN have a few court cases coming up soon, here is a bit of a summery of the the conspiracy nuts at the Australian Vaccination Network.
But what is rather frightening, is when I did a google search for "Vaccination Quotes", just how many others like the AVN are out there.
Anyone who knows how difficult it is to keep a secret among three men - particularly if they are married - knows how absurd is the idea of a worldwide secret conspiracy consciously controlling all mankind by its financial power; in real, clear analysis.Oswald Mosley
In years past if you wanted to get somewhere in Australian politics you never mentioned religion, now thanks to John Howard it seems that we seemed to have taken the American route and it has become a part of the Australian political landscape. Most of this isn't obvious unless you really scrutinise the members of Federal and State Government. It makes you wonder how Julia Gillard at first was an Atheist, but now has become a non-practising Baptist.
How much influence does religion have in Government? Lets make a list.
Chaplains...no real use except for buying votes from Christians.
State funding of religious schools.
Government refusal to have a Charity commission, only 1st world Gov not to have one.
No tax on profits on Church owned businesses, only 1st world Gov not to do this.
Church exemptions on anti-discrimination law.
No general inquiry into Church child abuse
Evangelical Religious Instruction in schools
Do you really want Global warming denier George Pell, giving "advice" the many Catholic people in the Liberal Party?
How about Jim Wallace from the Australian Christian Lobby, a friend to all Gay people everywhere /sarcasm
When you say your Christian, than your giving these self elected spokesman more influence than they deserve.
Religious creeds encourage some of the craziest kinds of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and favor severe manifestations of neurosis, borderline personality states, and sometimes even psychosis. - Albert Ellis
I have had this blog for about 4 years now, so I would guess this makes me an established personality, but not established enough for Google+. I jumped into Google+ when it first went live, and enjoyed the way it worked and the people on there. Then the purges began, people started to disappear...gone from my time line.
People such as :-
Then I jumped from Google+ as I had seen on twitter that some people had lost access to Gmail and didn't want to lose access to my account. As my name is made up of fairly common words, but not actual names, I guessed the BanHammer was coming after me soon.
I'm rather sad about it as Google+ had the potential for me to stay in contact with friends that aren't on other networks, and to deal with the information overload issue that comes from networks I am on.
Then Botgirl Questi got the ban hammer treatment, and she's not taking it lightly, and is giving it her best parody treatment:-
Then she had to go and talk to Google, as she does....
It's not just just Second Life personalities falling foul of the names policy.
Ex-Google Employee Skud had her Google+ account suspended and has written a great post about it here.
Another post I enjoyed reading was by Danah Boyd "Real names" are an Abuse of Power the article itself is quite good, but the comments show a complete range from total agreement, to those who haven't a clue.
My Name is Me is a site that lets people explain in their own words why they have chosen pseudonymity for their online existence.
A lot have to do with issues of sex, religion, (or lack of), politics,Human Rights and to avoid abuse and misogyny. (If you don't that this is a problem, I refer you to my last post on Rebecca Watson, and the daily amount of abuse she gets)
In the last year, we have seen Twitter, and Facebook become the launchpoint for the biggest shake up in world politics since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since December 2010 there have been revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, civil war in Libya, uprisings in Bahrain,Syria, and Yemen, major protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman. Minor protests in Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Western Sahara. We can also add the failed Iranian protests.
Remember how Egypt turned off the Internet, to stop the people communicating. I wonder how many people where using real twitter and Facebook accounts. If it had all gone bad in Egypt, well, you can be sure those people with the real accounts would be either dead or missing by now.
Using alternate names is nothing new, it's quite famous for writers, sportsman, actors soldiers:-
Mark Twain = Samuel Clemens
Lewis Carroll = Charles Dodgson,
George Orwell = Eric Blair
Mary Ann Evans = George Eliot
John le Carré = David John Moore Cornwell
Mary Westmacott = Agatha Christie
Dr. Seuss = Theodor Seuss Geisel
Tiger Woods = Eldrick Tont Woods
Larry Niven = Laurence van Cott Niven
Andre Norton = Alice Mary Norton
Batman = Bruce Wayne
Elvira = Cassandra Peterson
Wonder Woman = Diana Prince
Banksy = ????
Much to my surprise I just discovered Porn Stars don't use their real names!!
The Electronic Frontier Foundation also support pseudonyms , and this quote sums it up best :-
As Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens put forth in deciding McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm’n 514 U.S. 334, 357 (1995),
"Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation—and their ideas from suppression—at the hand of an intolerant society. The right to remain anonymous may be abused when it shields fraudulent conduct. But political speech by its nature will sometimes have unpalatable consequences, and, in general, our society accords greater weight to the value of free speech than to the dangers of its misuse."
This is one of the best videos on modern womans issues I've seen in a while. Rebecca Watson a the CFI leaders conference talks about what it's like to be an outspoken Atheist, and the terrible and disturbing abuse that she gets on a daily basis.
She then sums up how the rich christian organizations are attacking the rights of woman in the USA and are now exporting their vile ideology overseas.
Feminism is the radical notion that women are people. ~Cheris Kramarae and Paula Treichler
It also highlights a lack of oversight, and a totally inadequate complaints procedure.
From the Report:-
3.6 - The investigation also found that current complaint handling procedures do not appear to adequately serve parents and students and should be improved, as it was not apparent that the Department has an adequate process for capturing complaints regarding chaplains and the program. In particular, the Ombudsman is concerned about the absence of any formal protocols between State and Territory education authorities and the Department regarding the day to day administration of the Chaplaincy Program.
This is not surprising as while the Federal Government provide the money, the Chaplain providers hire the staff, and the the Schools house the Chaplains, it seems the perfect setup for everyone to avoid any responsibility. Initially DEEWR said it only received formal 35 complaints:-
While it had initially told the Ombudsman that only 35 formal complaints had been received about the chaplaincy program over four years, the department later advised it had received 277 complaints and was still checking its database for more.
Mr Asher was unable to identify any guidelines provided to schools by the department on complaints procedures and suggested many complaints had fallen through the cracks - failing to adequately protect the rights of parents and children.
The word "formal" is also significant, how is that defined? Do you have to follow a set procedure, is there a form? Does it have to go to a particular person or department? Does anyone actually know about it? Probably not.
School Education Minister Peter Garrett said yesterday that the chaplaincy program was "very popular among school communities".
As many have said, The State School system has been run down for years, in favour of the religious based private schooling. This is quite comprehensive covered by Jane Caro and Chris Bonner AM in their book The Stupid Country.
So having anyone/someone who is an extra pair of eyes in the school ground would be useful. But then again the Minister could just be playing word games again, with the term "School Communities". I also suspect more word games with "Only 17 complaints about proselytising", nothing about evangelising, oh, but are these just "formal" complaints?
I suppose the lessons that have been learned are that you don't put children into evangelical religious institutions (as eventually they will get caught, but typically not punished), but put the evangelicals into childrens institutions eg schools.
The Second Report:-
About ACCESS ministries and their Evangelising. Minister Garret has given them the all clear. Well it seems there were actually no complaints, but then I suspect we come across the word "Formal" again. As usual FIRIS say it best.
So again we see a total whitewash of the Christian influence is schools and Government.
Now is the time to make proper Formal complaints and also time to give some money to the High Court Challenge
The Bible is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it as I detest everything that is cruel. - Thomas Paine
I have always enjoyed Science Fiction, I remember waiting for Star Trek on Sunday afternoons and wondering when life will be like that.
Just recently I realized how much of my own moral values have been influenced by the show, and I would have to now classify Gene Roddenberry as a hands-on Humanist philosopher.
I was mostly inspired by the brilliant artist Aly Fell , some of his Pulp Covers are here
I was advised the first edition was a bit dark, so I have brightened it up a bit and changed the colours on some text.
“Science fiction writers foresee the inevitable, and although problems and catastrophes may be inevitable, solutions are not.” – Isaac Asimov
Censorship is an odd thing, usually it's "Think about the Children". In the past it was usually books on religion and Atheism that would be banned, now it's Harry Potter, and books that portray single mothers in a positive light.
In the lists above I added a few I made up, but believe it or not "Harm to Plantlife", and having an A cup breast size have been used in the past. Actually if a woman in a movie sex scene has an A cup breast size, the film will be banned in Australia.
I'm slightly annoyed that Blogger doesn't show these images better. Hopefully Flickr might due better.
"Obviously, the danger is not in the actual act of reading itself, but rather, the possibility that the texts children read will incite questions, introduce novel ideas, and provoke critical inquiry." -Persis M. Karim
Wednesday 13th of July, The long-awaited Cloyne Report has been published, detailing how the Catholic Church and the state authorities dealt will allegations of abuse in the County Cork diocese between the years 1996 to early 2000.
The report’s main points:
The “greatest failure” of the diocese was the failure to report cases of abuse to the civil authorities: the diocese failed to alert the Gardaí about nine out of 15 cases that “very clearly” should have been reported.
The Vatican was “entirely unhelpful” in assisting clerics wishing to implement procedures – describing the guidelines as “a study document”.
The response of the Diocese of Cloyne was “inadequate and inappropriate".
Primary responsibility for the failure to implement agreed child sexual abuse procedures lies with then-bishop of Cloyne John Magee. Bishop Magee "took little or no active interest" in the management of clerical child sexual abuse cases until 2008, 12 years after the framework document on child sexual abuse was agreed by the Irish Bishops' Conference.
An American watchdog group BishopAccountability.org said the handling of clerical abuse cases in Cloyne is “eerily similar” to a US grand jury report released earlier this year, which found church leaders showed a “brazen disregard” for both civil law and the church’s own internal policies.
“The Cloyne report is disheartening confirmation that even today, despite the church's knowledge of the profound anguish of thousands of victims, its reform policies are public relations ploys, not true child protection programs,” the group said.
The Boston-based organisation asked: "how many second chances will Irish church officials get before they are criminally charged for enabling the molestation of children?"
This is the fourth report into Child abuse committed by the Catholic Church in Ireland.
The first was the Ferns Report published in October 2005.
The Third was Murphy Report Published in November 2009.
The main focus of the report Bishop Magee who resigned in March 2009 to spend the rest of his life in some comfortable house paid for by the donations of the shorn flock.
Each report shows that the Catholic Church was only really interested in keeping it's power, and was totally arrogant in the way it dealt with the abuse being inflicted by it's priests.
So then again showing the Vatican is only a power structure, lacking in any form of any moral courage or authority.
It also shows another failure of the Irish Government to do what is best for it's citizens, and shows why letting the Catholic Church to be the defacto 2nd Governent in the Irish Republic is such a very very bad idea.
It’s an incredible con job when you think about it, to believe something now in exchange for something after death. Even corporations with their reward systems don’t try to make it posthumous. — Gloria Steinem
When you say "philosopher" most people imagine old men with great white beards, possibly this was true in old Greece, but we have have moved on a bit since then. I have been reading a book from Stephen Law called Believing Bullshit.
I have only started reading philosophy recently, and came across Stephen Law when I bought his earlier book The War for Childrens Minds, as I had hoped it would have been useful in our current battle in Australia with the Chaplains, and Religious Indoctrination classes in schools. Maybe he can add a chapter for the next edition on Australia.
I have to admit I'm not sure who Believing Bullshit aimed at, I would be encouraging younger people to read it, as it covers a good range of logical fallacies, some basic philosophical questions, and it's not a book that is hard going. I'm sure it would have been helpful to me when I was younger. If you have spent some time in the atheist movement, or reading atheist blogs, and watching the debates with religious and theological people you will probably have seen most of the areas covered in the book. It's not particularly aimed solely towards religion, but also alternative medicine and much of the New Age style of thinking.
The Book has eight chapters
1. Playing the Mystery Card
2. But it Fits and the Blunderbuss
3. Going Nuclear
4. Moving the Semantic Goalposts
5. I Just Know!
6. Pseudoprofunity
7. Piling up the Anecdotes
8. Pressing your buttons
These are some of the methods and verbal strategies used by those who seek to defend their positions when put under rational scrutiny.
I have to admit its the only book I have read with two appendixes to the Introduction, but the contents are entertaining,and provide good examples of woolly thinking, one such being a theological reason for earthquakes.
Each Chapter explains how the method is used and applied, the author also explains what is wrong with it.
It does seem to have rather more italics in the text than I am used to.
I have made a few of my own examples, and found another a few days ago. I think the chapters they relate to are quite obvious.
And from the web a few days ago
I wasn't so keen on the Screwtape letters at the end of the book, but then I didn't read the original by C S Lewis, as I usually steer clear of Christian hypocrites.
I really do sympathise that Stephen must have to read an awful lot of this rubbish, in order to refute it.
If you can read an interview with Stephen Law at New Scientist and you can hear him talk at the Poddelusion podcast from the BHA Convention in June.
Stephen Law is lecturer in Philosophy at Heythrop College, The University of London. He is also editor of THINK, a journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy aimed at the general public.
How many Bishops does it take to change a light bulb? They don't want the lightbulb to be changed as they prefer everyone be kept in the dark. -Anon
If the style is familiar to you, then you have probably seen Tim Mitchins Storm. Look for the fairey :-)
Well, I might get one or two more done...
Some people want to make the world a better place. I just wanna make the world a better-looking place. If you don't like it, you can paint over it!- Banksy
