Why are Christians presumptive assholes?

I've been contributing to a great blog recently, How Good is That? via its comments section. It's in the archives, right there to your right... top item. The guy who writes the blog is brilliant and deliciously controversial.

Some of the commenters are also super fab to read, some because they've considered what they're saying and others because they're so out to friggin' lunch.

One guy's comments have me in a state. At first I thought it was funny that he was calling me a snake and assuming I am male, but then I thought about and realised that he's exactly the type of religious person that makes people like me go "Hell NO!"

So, for the record some details about me.

First, briefly, although most people - religious types particularly - call me an athiest, that is not the case. I don't use the term because in order to be an athiest, one has to allow for the existence of a floaty god thingie in order to then say "I don't believe in god."

For me, it isn't a question of not believeing in a floaty god thingie. THERE ISN'T a floaty god thingie. I don't know what the term for that is but, for me, it isn't 'atheist.'

Now, for the rest of it:

After I wrote a previous response to a commenter (after he called me a snake), I realised that this Todd feller represents exactly what I much dislike about religious types. Two characteristics in particular: assumption (yes, there’s an ‘ass’ in that) and arrogance.

So Todd – and everyone else who’s reading this one and Jim’s excellent blog (and my comments on it) here’s who I am.

Eldest daughter of a family comprising seven sisters, an adopted (Chinese) brother and a step brother (two blended families).

FIVE of my cousins – all first cousins – are currently active, working ministers. My grandfather, great-grandfather and great-uncle and the five greats behind him were all ministers – 8 generations and soon to be nine.

My mother, father and step dad were all sunday-school teachers and the men were deacons. My Uncle is the only seller of church hand bells IN MY COUNTRY.

One of my first cousins is the head of the largest church organization in my country (and no, I won’t say which to protect HIM). Two of my second cousins will be ministers shortly.

I grew up in a church – literally: my father turned the sod for the building and helped build it. I went to kindergarten there and my mother had a school in the building, which was directly across a little city street from my house. I sang in the adult choir from the time I was 13 and was baptised at that age.

The bible was the first book read to me and was a daily presence in our home. I can still read it, if I must, in English AND French.

So Tom, because you’ve presumed that I am an uneducated, uninformed neophyte, I just want you to know that your presumptive, assumptive, uninformed stripes are GLARING.

The main difference between the presumptive, assoholic religious type and me – and Jim – is that, despite what is utter hokum to us, we would defend the right of said people to believe what they will until such time as it infringes on us. I think it’s garbage but I appreciate the commitment people have to their faiths.

Now. Go read something other than your bloody bible. You MUST be able to defend all aspects of an argument in order to argue well. This Todd dude can’t. I can.

To quote my brilliant youngest child, “My mind is so blue right now, even I’m not allowed in.”

More on Swine Flu

The media has taken a highly alarmist approach to reporting of the swine flu issue. I personally know two people who've had swine flu. Both took a week off work, suffered through it - and no, it wasn't fun - and that was the end of it. And no, I am not ill.

Except in very few situations, washing one’s hands and keeping one’s hands out of one’s eyes, nose and mouth, is the best possible prevention for any communicable disease.

What the media is NOT reporting is the pre-existing conditions of those who've died. The adults who have died recently have NOT died from swine flu. They have died because they were previously compromised. It is only possible, not proven, that swine flu hastened their deaths or had anything at all to do with those deaths.

Newspapers and radio are also ignoring the fact that, where the story relates to babies and very young children, most parents take their children to hospital, often for very minor complaints, when those children are ill.

It should be no surprise to anyone that a parent would take a youngster to hospital when that child is quite ill nor that the hospital keep that babe. Such is prudence when it comes to youngsters. But that does not have any relation to swine flu.

The GLARING omission, one the media as utterly ignored, is Roche Laboratories, the company that produces Tamiflu, has a vested interest in swine flu. The media is not asking WHY there is a sudden occurrence of a "pandemic" following the company’s stockpiling of Tamiflu and their June 2008 press releases, available on the company website, of their planning for a possible pandemic. How would they know? Why would they plan?

Swine flu and the so-called pandemic are false-flag events designed by a large, predatory corporation to promote sales of a product, in this case Tamiflu, which stocks the company now wishes to dispose of. It bears noting too that these created pandemics provide a very wide scale public testing of this company’s product.

There is absolutely no reason - NONE - for panic or school closures or termination of herds of pigs. All that does is continue to incite false, media- and corporate-created panic over nothing that regular hand washing won’t prevent.

The truth is that more - many more - people will die from AIDS and starvation, many of them children, in the next HOUR than will die from this flu.

The other truth is that in far too many cases, the vaccine is far more dangerous than the illness. See this article from 1976: "

Swine Flu

In 1976, a national influenza campaign was designed to immunize nearly the entire United States population in fear of an influenza pandemic. However, the A/New Jersey/1976/H1N1 vaccine, also known as the "swine flu" vaccine, was found to be linked with the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and the program ended.

People consuming what passes for news must ask themselves what is NOT being reported and, more importantly, WHY those details are not being reported. The media has willingly, it seems, become very little more than a promotional vehicle for corporations with products to flog.

See http://buytamiflunow.co.uk/treatment-for-swine-flu-tamiflu/ for more.

Roche Pharmesceuticals implicated in Panic over Swine Flu

If you've been reading me for a while, you'll know that I am highly sceptical about how and why the media reports what and how they do. You'll also know that I detest everything to do with Big Pharma. That industry is highly suspect, predatory and founded on unethical business practices.

So, you will not be surprised to know that I went digging a bit about this Swine Flu "pandemic" and how it might have got itself into the news....

Roche Laboratories Inc issued two press releases in 2008, both regarding Tamiflu, their 'cure.'

09-23-2008	ROCHE ANNOUNCES TAMIFLU® ANTIVIRAL FLU MEDICATION IN AMPLE SUPPLY FOR 2008-2009 FLU SEASON
06-26-2008	ROCHE INTRODUCES PROGRAM TO FACILITATE CORPORATE PANDEMIC STOCKPILING OF TAMIFLU®

I hope you noticed, and that your heart jumped into your throat just then, the release of June 26th 2008.... "Program to facilitate corporate PANDEMIC stockpiling of Tamiflu..."

If you are naive enough to believe that the swine flu is anything approaching a pandemic and that there is no corporate interest behind the panic, stop it. Just stop.

The current world-wide economic 'crisis' has affected all business sectors. Any good business finds a way to increase its sales. Roche simply took advantage of a failing, desperate media, fielded a 'story' that would have the calculated benefit of increasing sales of a product that the company had stockpiled.

In the next HOUR, thousands and thousands will die from AIDS and starvation. In the next hour, internationally, one or two people may succumb to pre-existing conditions that MAY have been agrivated by the flu.

This is NOT a pandemic. This is a sales tactic for Roche.

It simply makes me furious the way that 80% of the western world sticks its barely educated head into the sand, does no reasearch (which the internet is very good for) and believes anything the media serves up as news. What an absolute abdication.

Open Mindedness....

Sadly lacking in the religious quarters of my family... but then so is the logical mind required to comprehend this great little animated short.

Many thanks to James Gardiner, who's blog is listed on the right here (please go visit).

Open-mindedness
by totocacapouet

Thanks for watching.

Conservative Party of Canada; Self- Attack?

An open letter to a Leader who obviously worships the failed McCain campaign and its tactics.

Mr. Harper:

These recent attack ads, and those planned, are regressive and damaging - to the Conservative Party.

During the recent US election, the McCain team made extensive use of such ads, very much to their detriment.

The issues upon which the attack ads have been based are inconsequential, particularly the idea that one's accent in French has anything to do with their ability to communicate well.

And a note on that point: Mr. Harper, your accent is decidedly English. Decidedly. Further, your continued missteps related to Quebec, her people and culture mark you as uninformed. I cannot imagine why you would allow yourself to become such an easy target...

As it relates to Mr. Ignatieff being out of Canada for 30 years, I would suggest, sir, that he has never divested himself of his Canadian-ness, his citizenship or his love for his home country.

Further, he has never misrepresented himself - as you have done: your assertions, and those of your party, that you are 'from the west,' or 'the first western PM,' are frank misinterpretations: four years at university does NOT qualify you as having come from the west. You are a born and bread Ontarian. It is offencive for you to claim otherwise.

Again, to bring up Mr. Ignatieff's 'faults' does little to hurt him but causes YOU extensive damage.

Mr. Ignatieff is an educated, considered, worldly leader. Whatever one's politics may be, one cannot deny that he is a highly skilled speaker and has an excellent grasp of international politics. His commitment to this country cannot be underestimated, nor will it be damaged by childlike arm-flinging and foot-stomping of the attack ad type.

Mr. Harper, your repeated mistakes, dishonesty and now your party's ridiculous expenditures on misleading, libellous advertising is a slap in the face to Canadians.

Such tactics apply only to the politically naive: is that the constituency you wish to attract? Those who do not read? Those who are not issues-oriented? Armchair politicos?

I am a writer and political analyst - from the west - and I am representative of many voters here who are shocked that The Conservative Party of Canada would even consider resorting to McCain-esque tactics. You cannot have such a short memory....

I guarantee you, these tactics will fail and they will further damage your credibility as a leader and the credibility of your party's ability to lead this country.

Canadians have recently watched the events in the US, where an educated, charismatic, excellent leader warded off infantile, poorly considered political tactics through measured responses. We want an equally competent leader. The leader who LEADS, not a leader who acts like an ineffectual school-yard bully.

These ads remind Canadians too much of Senator McCain and cast you as absolutely NOT the leader Canadians want.

Terror Storm

I just want you all to watch this with an open mind.

Please.

Terror Storm. Yes, I know the guy has a rep. But does discrediting the person mean the message isn't true???

After you're done that, watch Zeitgeist. Please. C'mon. Open mind.

Thanks.

I'm sorry if you can't sleep after.

Anarchy might help.