Holiday time

I haven't been posting much for the past week or so. The reason is that I am currently on holiday. I'll be away for much of the coming week. Amongst other things I hope to see some football and visit Greenbelt.

Anyway, keep smiling. I shall be back and full of fire in a week's time.

A warning on gambling

An excellent link to an Evangelical Alliance briefing re the dangers of New Labour's promised casino expansion.

The expansion of this addictive evil industry is a sure measure as to how low our Government has taken this country.

Thanks to Dave Fauckner for this vital information.

Perhaps the Methodist Conference which next year is at Blackpool where the local authority is seeking a Super Casino, will have the good sense to take direct action by occupying the Council Offices.

As with the arms trade and the tobacco and alcohol pushers, this industry represents an insidious evil which we must confront.

Peril of church magazines

Brilliant article by former political journalist Chris Moncrieff on the perils of producing a Church magazine.

I love the Winston Churchill quote;

"I get into bed, turn out the lights and say 'b----- the lot of them', and go to sleep."

Read and laugh! But note the truth!


HAT TIP Mad Priest

For a moment Prescott was right but then...

Just when he talks good sense Prescott goes and denies it. And to think he was on his way back to my good books!

Still, I think calling Bush "crap" is an insult to "crap!"

Religion can tear down

A powerful reminder from a Muslim site as to how Scripture can be used to justify abominable crimes.

I have seen so much of how the Koran is misused to defend bad things. I suggest that we Christians need to exercise care in how we use the Bible.

Rant in G Minor - Polemics still alive

JUSTIN FROM CHICKEN YOGHURT is without doubt my favourite polemical writer. He constantly argues the case for liberty and real justice in a forceful and colourful way.

Today I refer you to an article he wrote a few days ago concerning an interview with George Galloway on Sky. Justin is no fan of Galloway. I suspect he is even less of a fan of Tony Blair. In his splendidly named RANT in G MINOR, he really hits some powerful notes. Here are two paragraphs;


It gets overlooked, generally by cosy newspaper columnists and political correspondents who’ve got the mortgage to pay, that being a leader of the country means accommodating an acceptable level of death. Notice we said acceptable rather than necessary. None of the deaths we’ve seen in the last few weeks have been necessary; but by his thin, sweaty cowardice Blair, in not calling for a ceasefire and then sloping off on holiday, has demonstrated that he has a personal yardstick of acceptable deaths. He’s a reverse Galloway, condemning Hezbollah while giving Israel free reign. He does that camp indignation of his very well when accused of giving Israel ‘the green light’, doesn’t he? But who he thinks he’s kidding isn’t clear. If only those 1,000 dead Lebanese civilians had thought to join Labour’s 1,000 Club, donating £1,000 to the party every year, they might have received a little more attention.

Blair’s not unique in this - remember Thatcher sinking the Belgrano during the Falklands conflict - it’s a disgusting, dehumanising feature of what it is to be a political leader. It’s just that Blair embraced it unsettlingly easily, with the emotional detachment of a sociopath and a personal bodycount at least 70 times larger than Thatcher’s. Or maybe it’s the Christian in him telling him that all these people are being bombed, shrapnelled and otherwise blown to A Better Place. ‘How do you sleep at night, knowing that you’ve been responsible for the deaths of 100,000 Iraqis?’ the New Statesman this week reports a guest at Number 10 asking Blair. ‘I think you’ll find it’s closer to 50,000,’ was his reply. What an unmitigated shit he must be. Imagine it being your job to have to interview the bastard. We’d have to drink for at least a week beforehand.


I recommend you to read the whole article. Amidst the fiery delivery, there is a good balanced argument. When you get to it, the final paragraph is an absolute treat.

Long may Mr McKeating (Justin) hit out in anger on his PC.

Read it! Be amused at the wit! Then get angry that the lunatics have well and truly taken over the world!

Jews and Palestinians can be friends

Isn't it time their so called leaders learnt a thing or two from this example?

Beat terrorism - go naked!

In view of the attention given today to the possibilities of airline terrorism, I offer a small proposal.

In preference to possible moves that might overwhlem civil liberties, surely the time has come for the Government to make it compulsory for all passengers to travel in a state of total undress.

The advantages of such a proposal are significant. Concealment of offensive weapons would be that bit more difficult. This can only be a good thing.

Other possibilities can also be found. Many would be uncomfortable about travelling minus clothing. Great! Less people on our planes would mean less planes and of course a reduction in carbon emissions. To add to the advantages of this scheme, a reduction in aeroplane flights would surely mean an end to environmentally destructve proposals for airport expansion at places such as Stansted where there is much local opposition.

Of course, there would be a price to pay. Meeting me in the alltogether would doubtless cause all but the most hardy souls to bring up their breakfasts. But on the other hand for every out of condition ugly git like me, there is a Brad Pitt or a Britney Spears.

So dear reader, to the barracades. For Britain's sake, let us make clothes on our aeroplanes a thing of the past. Oh and to cheer you all up, Methodist stipends mean that with the inevitable increase in fares from such a scheme, I would be unable to afford air transport but Britney ..... now her bank account is a totally different matter!

Methodist Blogosphere

Once more a roundup of the Methodist blogs from John at LOCUSTS AND HONEY.

Thanks as always to John. Go and visit his site!

Video of Galloway Bust up

I do not share all of George Galloway's analysis but this absolute humdinger of a row on Sky shows that the conflict is much older than some would have us think.

This makes Galloway's performance at the US Senate look mild

Mazen Kerbaj - Musician in Beirut

This is a moving website by Lebanese musician Mazen Kerbaj. In it you see the pain of a people who are being murdered by US bombs which a British Government allows to pass through this country.

If the US and UK are led by Christians, I can no longer share this description of myself. I can not see Christ in any of this and I told my congregation that on Sunday.

Anyhow listen to Starry Night. Such is the hymn of Bush and Blair.

Mayor of Qana speaks

An interesting report of the views of the Mayor of Cana. It is impossible to read this without feeling that this city and its people have been terribly wronged.

I was interested to read that 35% of the people in Cana are Christians. I wonder what US made murder weapons creating havoc, will have on interfaith relations. It certainly won't be helpful

A prayer to Condoleeza Rice

An article by Lebanese Christian Riad Kassis.

It really comes to something when children pray to Condoleeza Rice for the right to live. How sick are the architects of this violence!

Riad Kassis is executive director and chaplain at the J.L. Schneller School in West Bekaa, Lebanon. He is also lecturer in Old Testament Studies at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut and formerly at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Beirut Lebanon. Of course this doesn't matter to the Rapture sickos who will happily sacrifice children for their pathetic schemes.

The 51st State - that's us!

Interesting article in the Mail on Sunday suggesting that Jack Straw was sacked as Foreign Secretary because the angel of death Condoleeza Rice saw him as being too influenced by Muslims in his constituency.

This is absolutely disgraceful if true. For a start Muslims have a right to be heard. They are right that the US Empire's policies in the Middle East are an abomination. But more than that! Since when has the US had the right to decide who should hold office in the UK? Blair is so much Bush's poodle that we really are the 51st State of the USA.

As Labour fails to act to remove its bloodstained leader, I am resolved never to vote for a party that has lacked the guts to stop us descending so low again. Sure the Tories are worse but that is no reason to vote for the boneless wonders of New Labour!

Article on Hezbollah

Raises question as to the slaughter of the past few weeks

Question re News of the World

Last week's News of the World led with stories alleging that Mohammed Khar who was hot in an anti terrorist raid in London was to be arrested re child pornography.

Why did News of the World know days before the arrest? Why the tip off?

Martin Accad warms of sloppy theology re Middle east

Martin Accad who is a Lebanese Baptist tells how poor theology has caused an imbalance in the Christianview of the Middle East. I suggest that those Christians who are in La La Land with their rapture doctrines and dehumanised view of the Middle East listen to what people like Martin Accad say.

Next week this blog will be devoting time to the murderous heresy that is Christian Zionism, a belief that lacks compassion for all the peoples of the region

Human rights violations in Lebanon war

My friend Sean Madden draws attention to indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Lebanon. The report is primarily about Israeli abuse of human rights alhough Hezbollah also gets justly criticised.

I think that there are people on both sides of this conflict who ought to be facing war crimes charges as soon as possible. Morally if not legally, it seems that the US, UK, Iran and Syria also deserve the strongest condemnation.

Surely the time has come for those who wage war or facilitate it to face the consequences for the atrocities that flow from their actions. Let justice loose!

Non Violence in Scotland

Great article from Preaching Peace on non violence at this time.

A timely reminder that rejecting Israel's violence and the role of the US and UK also means rejecting Hezbollah's violence. These are not easy days to stand against the pagan drift to violence. Yet the need to reject all violence is at its greatest.

Bush taking us to Armageddon?

Help!

Let's get emotional and act

Why not? Look at these pictures and ask yourselves what we have come to when our nation does not call for am immediate ceasefire amd allows the weapons that do this to be delivered via our airports?

Where Jesus in a life affirming miracle turned water into wine at a wedding, now we collaborate in mass murder.

Yes, this evil makes me emotional. Why? Because I am human.

Which matters most?

I have absolutely no faith in Tony Blair. His failure to call for an immediate ceasefire has left many dead, injured and homeless?

The question now is how we bring the shame that Bush's poodle has brought our country, to an end.

The media is full of stories of Cabinet ministers who are angry at Blair not calling for a ceasefire and his allowing Britain to be a conduit for the very weapons that kill. How much longer will they tolerate this bloody mess?

Frankly, the time for posturing must be at an end. Every member of the Cabinet, whatever they say when Blair is a footnote in British history earning obscene sums of money on the US lecture tour and quite possible a director of Murdoch's News International, needs to know that what they will be judged by is what they do this weekend.

Will they play safe and hang on to their red boxes and limousines whilst more and more children die? Or will they finally realise that the lives of those who are dying whilst Bush and Blair fail to act are worth infinitely more.

My vote in the future depends on what they do now! Are they real men and women or mice? I suspect it will be a case of "Pass the cheese!"

And on the subject, why is Parliament in recess? It's about time it got off its fat backside and spoke for decency if such is not a foreign notion to them!

One in the eye for the Holy War Clowns

And is it not time for religion to be a reconciling force in the Middle East as well?

Ben Withington on "Friday Night In Jerusalem---Fear and Faith, Devils and Dust"

Ben Withington has a particularly stimulating blog.

This article reflects on the current Middle East situation and the dangers of bad religion.

These lines particularly hit me;

Religion in this case is used to further polarize the situation by stigmatizing one another as 'infidels'. Whatever else one can say, this is not the use of religion Jesus intended when he commanded his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. There is no exegesis of those commands that could warrant the cynical conclusion that Jesus meant we should 'love them to death at the point of a gun'.

How often we betray Jesus by daring to consider that love can come from the point of a gun!

Thanks to Pam BG for drawing my attention to this posting.

George W Bush gets unlikely plaudits

Rick from Jesus was a Liberal has a hard hitting post suggesting that Osama Bin Laden has reason to be thankful for George W Bush.

I think Rick has a point. Not only has the US/UK been dragged down morally. The effectiveness of some policies in dterring extremism is open to question.

Pope calls for immediate ceasefire - Are you listening Bush and Blair?

Pope Benedict calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Wake up Blair and Bush. there is still time to do the Lord's work rather than let kids be blown to pieces through the following of the myth of redemptive violence.

Wake up boys!

The view from the cross

I often find a wide divergence between my views and those of John from "Locusts and Honey" but this posting is quite excellent

Thanks John.

Good to be a Methodist

Tonight I can be proud to be a Methodist as the Methodist Church calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Sadly Bush and Blair stand resolutely in defiance of the Gospel.

Message from Lebanon

Please take six minutes to watch this video from Lebanon and then in God's name do just two things;

Demand an immediate ceasefire followed by all party talks

Work to get Bush and Blair impeached.


Please note images in video are disturbing

Sikh, Christians, Muslims and Jewsunite for peace in US.

Interesting article in Ekklesia about a multi faith initiative in the US to both work for and pray for peace in the current conflict.

It speaks of urgent need for a ceasefire. Good to know that spirituality shared across the divides, can still be a positive influence.

Labour MP calls for action against shipment of weapons

A totally on the mark posting by Labour MP John McDonnell re the current Middle East crisis.

Re weapons being allowed to pass through this country which will kill and main, he writes;

I go further and express my support for any workers engaged in the operation of these airports or our airspace who refuse on grounds of conscience and international law to participate in supporting the shipment of these weapons. In the light of all the evidence in recent days demonstrating the use to which the Israelis are putting these weapons I believe that workers have every right to refuse to facilitate the transportation of these weapons.

I agree 100%. I go further. When the Government is so involved in slaughter, they have no moral authority to be obeyed. Our Government is no friend of the Gospel. It is now once more but an agent of death and destruction. In reality, it is itself colluding in terorism.

US Jews call for immediate ceasefore

This is well worth reading.

It represents a voice of American Jews who are calling for an immediate ceasefire.

For Britain this paragraph is particularly important;

We demand that the U.S. government, and governments around the world, call on Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas to observe an immediate cease-fire, place an immediate embargo on all shipments of weapons to all parties in the war (including Syria and Iran), and join an international conference to provide security on the border between Israel and Lebanon.

Now Mr Blair, will you cease prostituting the Christian faith by your inaction and both demand an immediate ceasefore and stop arms that are used to kill in this conflict passing through the country?

Jack Straw - A fair point by Tim Ireland

Sadly I have come to agree with Tim Ireland on this.

Sadly there are about 20 more overpaid cretins around the Cabinet table.

I must give up the drugs

An interesting article in the Independent concerning the danger of drugs. The survey was done by Government advisors but kept quiet by the Government because of ita inconvenient outcomes.

Let me be clear. I would be thrilled if my children never used any of the lsited drugs. However, I am a very occasional user of one of the hardest drugs, namely alcohol. What struck me was that the order of dangers as listed in the report is at variance with drug classification. It is strange that Government ministers talk of cracking down on cannabis and ecstacy yet both come well behind tobacco which kills 114,000 people each year. However, the strangest thing is that more dangerous than many of the drugs we bang people up over is alcohol which kills 22,000 people each year as well as creating a whole raft of social problems. Yet from time to time we find Governments going soft on excise duties on alcohol to keep the industry of the fifth hardest drug in a state of prosperity. Indeed, they have sought to bost demand by liberalising hours of pub openings.

It really makes me think that we are living in a lunatic asylum. As one who feels that the law has a part to play in a strategy of drug reduction, I cannot help but feel that it is time the Government were open as regards the facts and entered into an adult discussion as to the most appropriate legal framework . Or would that offend a few too many vested interests?