Hated by the Daily Mail...

Some of you will know what this post is about by its title, if you do and aren't perplexed by the story then I apologise for any regurgitation that follows:

On Monday the Daily Mail published an article following on from the news that Druidism has been recognised as an official religion by the Charities Commission. Personally I think this news is a breakthrough for minority religious groups, and that can't be too much of a bad thing. However one lady in particular doesn't seem to agree...Melanie Philips - the author of the aforementioned article officially titled Druids as an official religion? Stones of Praise here we come.

I'm not a druid, but I do have many friends who are, and to be honest upon reading this article I am pretty offended on behalf of the human species in general not just the pagan faith(s). I'm not certain but I think some of the contents could be considered as inciting religious hatred (but then again Paganism in all its forms isn't considered an official religion so it doesn't count.) I do find myself a little restricted on just how offended I can get based on the fact that this comes from the Daily Mail in the first place - a newspaper that whenever I have picked it up usually finds me throwing it away in disgust due to the close minded bigoted views they peddle to an unassuming nation. With that in mind however I have a few points for Ms Philips (who may want to do more research before jotting any further pieces)...

"After a four-year campaign, the Commission says it accepts that the Druids worship nature and that they also believe in the spirits of places such as mountains and rivers, as well as in ‘divine guides’.

This, apparently, makes them qualify as a religion."


Ummm. Yes. Worshipping tends to be something quite vital to being a religion.

..."the latest example of how the bedrock creed of this country is being undermined. More than that, it is an attack upon the very concept of religion itself.

This is because Druidry is simply not a religion. Now, it’s true that religion is notoriously difficult to define. But true religions surely rest on an established structure of traditions, beliefs, literature and laws."


And those religions always start out with that do they? I think rather than "true religions" I believe the phrase you're looking for is "modern mainstream religions" Also I would like to offer this author a read of my dictionary...Druids practice Druidism - think about it, Buddhists practice Buddhism rather than Buddhistry.

..."legal definition of religion included a ‘significant belief in a supreme being or entity’, he saw no contradiction. Druids, he said cheerfully, might venerate many gods, inanimate objects or nature. How very inclusive of them! But the key point is surely that none of these beliefs involves a ‘supreme’ being that exists beyond the Earth and the universe. On the contrary, Druids worship what is in or on the earth itself."

Would you like to tell this to your local catholic church? Surely they can't be a religion either seeing as Jesus was reportedly mortal (albeit hailed as the son of god) and so was his mother Mary who is highly venerated (not to mention the many numerous saints who have reached that level since their death) I'm sure all of those count as earthly beings.

"If the Druids qualify as a religion, can other cults such as the Scientologists be far behind?"

At this point I'd quite like to point out that even Scientologists don't like being called a cult, so I'm not sure anyone else does either. Also that Scientology or rather the Church of Scientology applied for a charitable status waaaay back in 1999. They were turned down. If you want to read the reasons a transcript of the report can be found here.
(if you cant be bothered to decipher it however the long and short of it is that the core practices of Scientology, namely auditing and training, and the private conduct and nature of these practices together with their general lack of accessibility meant that the benefits of Scientology were of a personal as opposed to a public nature. Therefore, the public benefit had not been established.)

By three quarters of the way through the author changes tack and openly attacks Paganism (and free thought) in all its forms, complaining that Pagans in the Military, Police force and Prison get *gasp*....Rights!.... like time off...(OK so maybe not the prisons)....

"They have been given the right to take days off to perform rituals, such as leaving food out for the dead, dressing up as ghosts and casting spells, or celebrating the sun god with ‘unabashed sexuality and promiscuity’."

My workplace do this too...its called Annual Leave.

..."legitimised by the doctrines of equality of outcomes and human rights — which, far from protecting the rights of truly religious people, aim to force Biblical morality and belief out of British and European public life altogether.

This is because human rights and equality of outcomes are held to be universal values. That means they invariably trump specific religious beliefs to impose instead equal status for all creeds....And without the Judeo-Christian heritage there would be no morality and no true human rights."

So humans only have rights because of the Bible?...and human rights and equality aren't already considered universal values?...Which century is this woman from? (and she dare call us primitive!!)

"There is nothing remotely enlightened about paganism. It was historically tied up with both communism and fascism, precisely because it is a negation of reason and the bedrock values behind Western progress."

Paganism generally pre-dates both of these concepts (along with the dictionary, I'd also like to offer the author a history book.)

Its good to see that the author who obviously prides herself on her high (biblical?) moral values feels that she should spew hateful propaganda instead of 'turning the other cheek' and 'loving her neighbour'.

What goes around comes around

I know, its a cliché, but today a 'good deed' from last Friday paid off.

On Friday, I was helping run an exam at work where some local paramedics were helping out. Whilst they were waiting they asked if they could look around in the museum they were to be working in so I got the keys (and permission of course!) from the staff and let them through.

Today I had a day off and decided to pop across to the local shopping centre - mainly so there was something in the house to eat other than cat food! - It didn't dawn on me until after I'd finished shopping that I had maybe overestimated how much I could carry....However, with B-Man being at work I had little choice, so started my struggle across the car park. I got less than halfway before having to stop and re-adjust the bags (twice!) when a car pulled up and one of the paramedics from Fridays visit popped her head out of the window and asked if I wanted a hand. She recognised me because of the red flash in my hair! (I knew it would be a useful look!) The lovely lady popped all my shopping in the boot and gave me a lift home. I think I may have still been walking across the road now if it weren't for her!

There you have it, further evidence that being nice to others pays off :)

Painted Cats: this time for real

For years, I've loved the book Why Paint Cats. If you've not seen it, I'd definitely recommend finding a copy.


**SPOILER WARNING**
its a hoax

One lady has taken it quite literally however and dyed her cat Oi Kitty, pink.

Apparently she did it because it matches her hair (and everything else she owns) at least stray cat hair wont show up!

Doppleganger!

I'm Freaked out. I seem to always have dopplegangers, or lookalikes. People I know often see "me" wandering about in places I've never been to. One person even said "I" was driving a car that pulled up next to my car at a roundabout!
I'm pretty used to this now, I pass it off as just having one of those faces.

Tonight however I have found a doppleganger in Name.. Twisted Barbies are taking over the world!!! WE'RE DOOOMED!!!

Ok, so I googled myself. I know, Its sad, but I wanted to see if I came up in the search. (Thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) and up popped a blog written by Twisted Barbie, but isn't me...

I'm not sure if I can cope!...what to do?!...do I turn all Dave Gorman and start a search to find all Twisted Barbies across the planet??... do I just pretend I didn't notice??...what if someone gets us confused!!...

I feel the neurosis setting in...

Oooh Missis!

I spotted this wonderful numberplate on an Edinburgh Taxi today. I apologise for the bad shot but the bus was about to start pulling way...Presenting.....Kinky Taxi!


More amusing than this, when I downloaded this photo off my phone and zoomed in I noticed a girl sitting at the back of the bus in front of the taxi who had spotted me, and looks rather indignant about having her photo taken! (Ooops!)

Magic Number

Celebration time for having 100 Followers!

I promised a photo of fellow blogger Gurns face at the news of me reaching this milestone...so here it is...


Lovely! :s Thank you everyone!

Word of the week!

This weeks Word of the Week...courtesy of a heated discussion on the sacking of the Stig from Top Gear after revealing is identity...

Stigmund

#10

08 September 2010 13:52:42

It's not Clarkson who is the twonk around here! it's you lot. If you seriously believe that Collins could be sacked without another court case, then think again.

he will still be The Stig, only twonkers will believe he has been sacked and stilll "not know" who the Stig is.

Wake up you bunch of twonkers!

TWONK!!

*note to Stigmund...ever heard of a thesaurus??* ;)