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Showing posts from September 20, 2015

The Doctor and the Pope

(Dr.) Ben Carson once denounced the Big Bang theory as a ‘fairy tale’ and branded Darwin’s theory of evolution the work of the devil. In a speech to his fellow Seventh-Day Adventists in 2012, Carson dismissed the possibility that the ‘perfect’ universe could have been created simply by a ‘gigantic explosion’. The neurosurgeon, a notable creationist, said the theory was ‘ridiculous’ and a story pushed by ‘high-faluting scientists’. Read more:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3245656/It-s-ridiculous-Ben-Carson-believes-Big-Bang-fairy-tale-Darwin-s-theory-evolution-work-devil.html#ixzz3msZH6Qah Follow us:  @MailOnline on Twitter  |  DailyMail on Facebook ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pope Francis told an audience from the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Vatican City ........ that theories of evolution and the Big Bang are not inconsistent with creationism and biblical teaching. “The evolution in n

Pope Francis is neither a Republican, nor a Democrat.

Pope Francis is neither a Republican, nor a Democrat. In his wonderfully crafted speech to a joint session of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives today (24th September 2015),  he probably offended Democrats and Republicans alike. In that same speech he probably also encouraged Republicans and Democrats alike. ================================================================= That's  because Pope Francis , in his role as the "Servant of the Servants of God" has a role which rises above partisan, nationalistic and sectarian politics. Truly he is a leader with a word for all:  -  Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists,and atheists/  agnostics  alike.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Here is an extract from  this Pope's  generous, universal, and  truthful speech to the Joint Session today (  via my good friend Paul Walker) --------------------------------------------------

Family ties - my niece and her boyfriend.

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My niece Beth, and her b/f  Jordan  arrived at the Orlando Airport about an hour and a half ago, They had driven from our home City (Bristol U.K.) to London Gatwick Airport this morning,  and then taken the nine hour flight to Orlando. Damn, they must be tired! Beth and Jordan will spend four nights/three days at Disney, after which they will drive to Sarasota and spend ten days with me. I have lined up a host of SRQ activities for them. "Glory be" .  This 71 year old uncle is so happy that his (24?) year old niece and her 21 year old b/f  are cool and relaxed  enough to stay with me.

The Pope's "Detestable Enormities"?

1.  The first Prayer Book of the reforming Church in England (1549) included the following words in a Litany:  " From all sedicion and privye conspiracie, from the tyrannye of the bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities , from al false doctrine and herisy, from hardnes of heart, and contempte of thy word and commaundemente:   Good lorde deliver us. 2. Queen Elizabeth I  ( with an eye to her Roman Catholic subjects) ordered ( in 1559?)  that these words be taken out of the Litany. 3.  Nonetheless, Anti-Catholicism became a staple feature of English, Welsh and Scottish popular culture.  (  I grew up (1944 - 1960 or so) when Roman Catholics were seen in England as being very exotic, and very un-English). 4.  Anti-Catholicism was also an ever present theme in American life from Colonial Days right up to the election of our one and only Catholic President, John F. Kennedy. 5.  Today the Bishop of Rome (a.k.a the Pope) arrived in Washington, D.C. He, (Pope

"Frankly, Dr. Ben Carson, I don't give a damn"

"Frankly, Dr. Ben Carson, I don't give a damn" about your assertion that no Muslim should become President unless she/he positively disavow Sharia Law. "Frankly, Dr. Ben Carson, I  give a damn"   because you are so ignorant about the meaning of Sharia. "Frankly, Dr. Ben Carson, I  give a damn"  because I doubt that you have ever seen a Koran, let alone read one. "Frankly, Dr. Ben Carson, I  give a damn" because your narrow and sectarian views (and they are yours to hold) are in direct conflict with our Constitution. "Frankly, Dr. Ben Carson, I  give a damn" because I do not wish to see a United States which is led by a person with his own Christian "spin" on how we should be governed. "Frankly, Dr. Ben Carson, I  give a damn" because the Islam-aphobia which you endorse is no different than the anti-Catholic, anti-Irish, anti-Italian, anti-Jewish, anti-Negro *    attitudes which have been a consis

"The Donald" can't do his sums (or "Let's boot out naughty Canadians and Europeans")

According to Mr Donald Trump there are upwards of thirty million people from other countries who are in the U.S.A. without permission to stay. He evidently pulled this figure out of thin air.  The best estimates suggest that we are home to some 11.2 million  (high estimates suggest 13 million) undocumented residents. "We are"  says Mr. Trump "to deport them, and build the mother of all walls between the United States and Mexico". Let the deportations begin. We'll start with the easiest, the 600,000 who are here from Canada and from Europe. Do you suspect that some of your neighbours are Canadians or Europeans who are here without papers.  How will you know if those neighbours are from Canada or from Europe? Here are some tests. 1.  Are they exceedingly polite?  Could be a clue that they are Canadian.  (Be careful, they might  be from Minnesota or North Dakota). 2.  Run a second test.  Get them to sing "O Canada"  (in English or French).

Women's Reproductive Health/Global Warming/Climate Change

Ask any Republican Party Senator, Representative in Congress, or aspiring Presidential election nominee about the disaster which awaits our Planet as a result of Global Warming, or Climate Change....... ........He or she is most likely to reply with these obfuscating and disingenuous words: "I am not a Scientist". Ask that same person about the Reproductive Health of Women, and she/he will never say "I am not a Gynecologist".