Category: Religion

What a waste of a monkey army

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Nellie shot this last week while I was away. Not sure what she was doing up that early…

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We just bought a new zoom lens for the camera, and a bigger bag to carry all the stuff in. New camera gear and a new bag…she could hardly be giddier. She’s off to the spa now, while I start packing. I have to keep reminding myself that I should be in bed around 8:30.

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It’s stuff like this that makes me laugh at religion, even as I fear it:

Hindu devotees believe the area between India and Sri Lanka – now known as Adam’s Bridge – was built millions of years ago by Lord Ram, supported by an army of monkeys.

But scientists and archaeologists say Adam’s Bridge, or Ram Setu, is a natural formation of sand and stones.

On Wednesday the Archaeological Survey of India told the Supreme Court that the religious texts were not evidence that Lord Ram ever existed.

Hardline Hindu opponents of the government accused the administration of blasphemy and protesters carried out demonstrations in the area and in Delhi, Bhopal, and on a number of key highways. The next day the report was withdrawn.

Great message to send, Indian government. Way to stand up for reason and common sense.

[tags]toronto sunrise, zoom lens, canon s3 is, ambika soni[/tags]

Wouldn't a sky god prefer, I don't know, an ostrich or something?

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I hereby declare tonight “the calm before the storm.”

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Quechup sucks. I say that not because of their actual social networking site (ever tried it) but because of their dickish ways of spreading themselves around. They screwed my brother and several other friends, all of whom accidentally spammed every contact in their address book thanks to Quechup. A quick Technorati search finds lots of other pissed off victims too.

Quechup sucks. Spread the word.

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Naomi Klein, author of No Logo, has a new book out called Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. There’s a short film that accompanies the book, directed by Alfonso Cuarón (who also directed the excellent Children Of Men). It’s only 6.30 in length, so I urge you to pop over to YouTube and spend a few minutes with it.

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This story about Nepal’s state-run airline boggles the mind and turns the stomach:

Officials at Nepal’s state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.

I find it horrifying that any religion would call for animal sacrifice. I find it equally horrifying that a mechanic could believe strongly enough in the sky god that, just maybe, they skimp on the actual mechanical repairs ’cause they figure old SG has it covered.

Separation of church and aviation industry. You heard it here first.

[via Rick Segal]

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I think Rick Rubin may have been possessed by the ghost of Johnny Cash when he tore a strip off his own record label, and trashed the music industry as a whole.

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Injury update: my wrist is nearly healed. I’m about 99% pain-free, feeling twinges only when I jam my hand on something or flick it sharply (like when I’m making the bed and I snap the sheet). It’s still a little swollen, so I can’t push my hand into a right angle with my arm without pain, but for the most part it’s ok. My first broken bone, and I’d have to say I got off pretty easy.
[tags]quechup sucks, naomi klein, alfonso cuaron, shock doctrine, nepal, akash bhairab, rick rubin, broken wrist[/tags]

We can, we're strong, we'll beat it

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

New music I’ve been listening to:

  • a sunny day in glasgow . “5-15 train”
  • black taj . “woke up tired”
  • dandy warhols . “she sells sanctuary”
  • dt’s . “330 freedom”
  • fujiya & miyagi . “casettesingle”
  • jandek . “nancy sings”
  • junior boys . “in the morning (hot chip remix)”
  • katie melua . “i cried for you”
  • kissaway trail . “61”
  • maximo park . “our velocity”
  • motor . “bleep”
  • papercuts . “take the 227th exit”

The Kissaway Trail and DT’s songs are particularly good.

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From the “disgusting for more than one reason” file, we have this from CNN: a woman in Texas says a jury shouldn’t blame her husband for microwaving their baby, they should blame the devil.

Holy shee-ite.

Anyway…

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Wrote 2/3 of my paper today. Couldn’t bring myself to write the whole thing. Bad, bad MBA candidate…

[tags]kisaway trail, microwaved baby[/tags]

Six of one…

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I don’t get all the hubbub about Scientology. Why is it such a big deal? Why is everyone so freaked out about Tom Cruise or Kirstie Alley or John Travolta being part of this religion? Why would a BBC reporter yell things like “Are you a member of a sinister brainwashing cult?” at Hollywood stars as they walk down a red carpet? Or, more to the point, why wouldn’t he yell it at Christians? Or Jews? Or Muslims, or Hindus, or Buddhists, or anyone else who’s public* about their religious beliefs? Because really, can anyone explain why Scientology should be taken any less seriously than any other cult** that’s currently in vogue? Does anyone give Madonna grief about her designer religion*** as she’s walking down the street?

Obviously, I religion’s silly in general, but I find it particularly baffling that one religious person could look at another and think they’re silly for acting that way.

* really though, in the grand Hollywood scheme of things, the afore-mentioned Scientologists aren’t very public at all. when was the last time you heard someone thank Xenu at an awards show?

** yes, cult; after all, what’s a religion but a cult with some longevity?

*** waitaminnit…is Kaballah even fashionable these days? you never hear about it anymore…

[tags]scientology, religion, kaballah, hollywood[/tags]

PeanutAllergy Inc.

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

If the Globe and Mail weren’t such dicks about their online content, you could read this interesting article by Russell Smith about the recent spate of anti-religion books, Christopher Hitchens’ (which I talked about here) being the latest. Smith made the point that, even if it’s not dressed up as a cult/religion, slavish devotion is still hard to take. He even comments about how allergies that never used to exist suddenly afflict half the population: his example was half the population of Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood claiming to be allergic to wheat gluten; I’d suggest that the current generation of children all seemingly being allergic to peanuts is another good one.

Update from the comments: Joe dropped this great quote from the recent Lou Dobbs interview with Hitchens: “Religion ends and philosophy begins, just as alchemy ends and chemistry begins and astrology ends, and astronomy begins.”

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Google Analytics has revamped their reporting engine. Holy crap. Magnifique. I’ll never use StatCounter again.

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Walking home from the grocery store tonight we noticed that a bakery is going in on the ground floor. Sweet. Dangerous, but sweet.

[tags]globe and mail, russell smith, christopher hitchens, google analytics, bakery[/tags]

In other news: buggy whip manufacturers planning a comeback

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

From the Sydney Morning Herald: Pope blesses some of that old-time religion.

“THE Pope has urged greater use of Latin prayers and Gregorian chants in large public and international Masses as he moves to wind back contemporary expressions of church prayer life.”

That’s good news; the Catholic Church was apparently in danger of becoming a runaway progressive train, so the Pope did well to rein everything in. If things had continued unchecked for another eight or ten years, they might’ve allowed women in positions of power or some such. Fortunately the brakes were applied just in time.

[tags]catholic church, pope, latin mass[/tags]

Hopeless? Or just pathetic?

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This post on The Movie Blog earlier today might’ve had the best title ever: “Eddie Murphy To Do Fantasy Island Remake – We are Officially A Hopeless Society.”

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I can’t remember who told me about Open Culture, but it’s one of the most useful, educational websites I’ve ever used. It pointed Nellie to a podcast that helps her learn French, while I used it to find podcasts from top business schools around the US. It also pointed me to this NPR debate entitled “Is America Too Damn Religious?” I haven’t listened to it yet (not having a commute makes it hard to find a 40-minute block of time to listen to something), but you know I’m going to dig it.

Anyway, whoever told me about the site, thanks.

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OK, must go and watch Montreal try to scratch their way back into a playoff spot.

[tags]eddie murphy, fantasy island, open culture, montreal canadiens, nhl playoffs[/tags]

"It's mind boggling. It's an altered reality." No kidding.

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Via the Showcase Sideshow: there’s a virtual revolution going on in Second Life.

Last week, an organization known as the Second Life Liberation Army, the “in-world military wing of a national liberation movement,“ set off an atomic bomb outside the American Apparel shop in Second Life, a game-free virtual world that claims two million cyber-citizens. A few hours later another nuke exploded at a Reebok store. Though the bombing campaign was their flashiest attack yet, the SLLA has been spearheading an insurrection for months now as part of their campaign for self-rule within the 3D “metaverse” created by San Francisco hi-tech firm–or, as the SLLA dubs them, “authoritarian government”–Linden Lab.

I don’t know why, but the idea of setting off atomic bombs outside a virtual American Apparel delights me. I really hope it took out someone from their <strike>child pornography harem</strike> marketing department.

Get a first life, indeed.

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In answer to my own earlier question (which was “I can’t decide who I want to make fun of more: James Cameron for announcing that he’s found the tomb of Jesus, or the people who are outraged by it.“), it’s the latter.

James Cameron and the documentary crew are just making a publicity play, pure and simple. There’s nothing wrong with that, either; you could argue the merits of duping the dupable for profit’s sake, but that’s the underlying principle of advertising, so it’s not as if these folks are the first to try it. Honestly, what kills me are the people who claim it couldn’t possibly be Jesus’ tomb because there’s a body inside, and the bible says Jesus ascended to heaven when he died.

A university professor, dismissing the story about the tomb being Jesus’, said “It’s a beautiful story but without any proof whatsoever.” Rarely have I heard religion described so well.

One final note: can we please stop talking about The Da Vinci Code now?

[tags]second life, SLLA, american apparel, jesus box[/tags]

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Proof of evolution: just five years ago Stephen Harper called the Kyoto Accord a money-sucking “socialist scheme”, but today he’s a good steward of the environment. Welcome to the party, Steve.

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There was an interesting article in the October issue of The Atlantic called “Prophetic Justice” about the grounds on which terrorism suspects are being tried, the ignorance and fear that allows the situation, and the political climate that fosters it.

That inculcation has ample source material, Haykel said, because many hadith and Koranic verses seem to advocate violence; most Muslims just know not to take them literally. Is it possible, he was asked during cross-examination, that someone radically inclined might take al-Kousi’s words as a call to action? “Well, the Koran can be taken as a call to action,” Haykel answered. “You don’t need to listen to al-Kousi.”

Religious speech is extreme, emotional, and motivational. It is anti-literal, relying on metaphor, allusion, and other rhetorical devices, and it assumes knowledge within a community of believers. Its potency is deliberate: faith is about calling on a higher power, one stronger than ourselves, and the very language we use helps inflate that strength. We arm ourselves (itself a violent metaphor) with prayer.

This is hardly unique to Islam. The question of how to interpret a text may be as old as writing, and it applies equally to determining where the power of religious speech inheres. In authorial intent? A reader’s interpretation? Historical or modern context? Over the centuries, and even today, the Bible and Christian theology have helped justify the Crusades, slavery, violence against gays, and the murder of doctors who perform abortions. The words themselves are latent, inert, harmless—until they aren’t.

It’s long, but worth the read.

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My favourite new source of excellent music: the KEXP “song of the day” podcast. It’s usually something I haven’t heard, and is almost always very good.
[tags]stephen harper, kyoto accord, prophetic justice, terrorism, kexp[/tags]