...for a blessed release...

hasidic jews are, apparently, prevented by religious rules

 from breaking wind whilst wearing their hat.

the next time one of these crazy cats doffs his at you, you might like to ask yourself, and perhaps him, why he is doing it.

...for a reason to be bothered... (again)

idiots.

...for another splash of genuine snake-oil...

...or even 'anointing' water (for the salvation of my soul).

spiritual beliefs are all very well, 

until innocent people start dying.

at least three people in london with HIV have died after they stopped taking life saving drugs on the advice of their

 evangelical christian pastors.

HIV prevention charity african health policy network (ahpn) says a growing number of london churches have been telling people the power of prayer will "cure" their infections.

"this is happening through a number of churches. we're hearing about more cases of this," ahpn chief francis kaikumba said.

ahpn said it believed the synagogue church of all nations (scoan), which has uk headquarters in southwark, south london, may be involved in such practices.

the church is headed by pastor t b joshua, nigeria's third richest clergyman, according to a recent forbes richlist.

(are alarm bells ringing in your head too?)

'hiv-aids healing' is listed on the church's website among 'miracles' it says it can perform.

'cancer healing' and 'baby miracles' are also advertised.

all this, in 21st century london.

and apparently it can't be stopped.

m u r d e r  o f  t h e  i n n o c e n t s

...for an ultra-orthodox jew that i couldn't love...

i love ultra-orthodox jews...

because there's always a story.

having only just finished their chicken swirling escapades during yom kippur last weekend, these cheeky chappies are now picketing a new school for girls in beit shemesh outside jerusalem.

the reason? they are offended by the sight of the girls and their families passing their homes.

the lunacy? the girls are themselves from an orthodox community.

it is, as the bbc reporter kevin connolly says,

"intimidating and disturbing stuff"

you can, and indeed must, listen here:

bbc radio - ultra-orthodox jews picket girls'school

they bring shame not only on their faith, but on humanity itself.

...for a cure for naivety...

occupy wall street. i'm completely in support of the protest.

there has been far too large a degree of insouciance inferred on the inequities, ineptitudes and injustices that undoubtedly continue to lay at the root of the current financial crisis.

but no amount of 'prayer' to any god or pseudo-r*ligion is going

 to solve it. nor is sitting in the middle of occupied wall street and publicly displaying one's own personal naivety.

in this case - naivety is close to idiocy.

you can find more about the faces and signs of 'occupy wall

 street' on the excellent flavorwire by simply targeting your digital device here where you can see more like this:

does she have any idea what tahrir square was about, and how far removed this is from the reasons for 'occupy wall street' ?

n a i v e

...for a fun-loving scientologist...

whilst religions regularly set themselves up as an
 easy source of hilarity, cults surely serve no other
 purpose than merely to be ridiculed.

following my wednesday post ...for the freedom to disbelieve... 
a sharp-eyed reader sent me the link to this story -

stupid scientology revisited on the blog 'jack of kent'.

it's a lesson in abuse, tweeting, the law, and idiocy. 
and for that, i love it.

...for the freedom to disbelieve...

intra-faith back-biting - 

there's nothing more fun (to an outsider) than the scent of it.

this time it's the jehovah's witnesses.

it seems their official magazine, the watchtower, has described those who leave the church as 'mentally diseased' apostates.

their's is a faith with an ultra-centralised leadership, and one which calls for unquestioning discipline from the followers of its rigid doctrine. it's not the only one.

how they all got themselves in this mess, 'god' only knows.

the following is taken from 'will you heed jehovah's warnings?'

 the watchtower, 15 july 2011

"because of love. we love 'the god of truth', so we are not interested in twisted teachings that contradict his word of truth"

blimey. they all sound as mad as hatters.

the benefit of being genuinely engaged with those whose 

beliefs differ from ours is that it serves as a safeguard

 against idolizing our own ideology.

...for the middle ground...

islam vs. christianity - face off


when i step out of my apartment door and look left, 

this is what I see at one end of the hallway:

when i step out of my apartment door and look right, 

this is what I see at the other end of the hallway:

talk about being right at the heart of things...