What do they want?

We have been witness to news reports of many acts of terrorism in recent years, Kenya being the most recent.  We have been victims of Governments inhibiting our freedom in the name of terrorism in recent years, there are numerous examples.

So here is my question ... What do they want?  The terrorists I mean - what is their end goal?

I am not for a minute suggesting we give it to them (never) it's just that I still don't know, what are they proposing we do to make them stop?

Comment below...

They made a difference - Mo Mowlam

18 September 1949 to 19 August 2005, age 55

Those who know me, know it is almost unheard of for me to praise a Labour politician, but here it is.  Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was an amazing woman, one who should never be forgotten and one who made a difference.

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photo credit: Bolckow cc

Mo was instrumental in bringing about the Good Friday Agreement and peace in Northern Ireland, an event typically attributed to Tony Blair [a man who made the wrong kind of difference] but it was Mo who was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in charge of the peace process at the time.  Mo who made the difference.  Mo who sat for long hours at the negotiating tables.  Mo who disarmed the Unionist politicians by hugging them.  Mo who kept the meaning and importance of life in context as they fought over the balance of power and the details.... and finally Mo who told Gerry Adams, as he hesitated over the signing “Bloody well get on and do it, otherwise I’ll head butt you!”

It was Mo who made this happen while slowly and tragically dying of a malignant brain tumour.

Given just three years to live in 1996, even before Labour swept to power and before Mo was appointed to the top position in the Northern Ireland Office.   Given the Troubles that had raged in Northern Ireland since the 1960's with echoes back down the centuries to the Middle Ages.... it could be argued this was the most demanding and stressful cabinet position ever.  Yet she didn't flinch, she accepted the position not even telling Blair that her brain tumour was malignant, in fact leading him to believe the tumour was benign and could be treated.  Many might argue a woman with a brain tumour should not be in such a senior position of power and yet, she was and she won.  Everybody won thanks to Mo.

She was frank, often blunt and refreshingly honest for a politician, a Cabinet Minister at that.

One can't even begin to imagine the trauma she and her family were enduring.  Throughout the exhausting peace talks, she continued her chemo, taking medication to prevent her being sick so she could stay at the table.  A table that culminated in the signing of the Good Friday Agreement on 10th April 1998.

Sadly Mo died in August 2005, aged just 55, her determination to win ensuring peace for a time in Northern Ireland and more than the 3 years she was allotted in 1996.  In her short time, she made a difference!

Inspirational Quotes

"There was no metaphorical gun at my head, ... Putting my case face-to-face, arguing it through with them, I thought was the best way to do it"

"Many of us would like to make progress much quicker, ... But we have to bear in ind there are people around hat table who have had relatives and friends killed.  You don't forget that overnight." 

Useless facts:

• Sun sign (astrology): Virgo
• Birthplace: Watford

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The Church of England is rich!!

The Church of England is rich!!  For years I have believed the C of E was a pauper!  The collecting plate does the rounds... we need a new spire... the roof is falling in... please give generously!  Not that I ever have, but by comparison to their fellow Christians of the Catholic faith, there was at least a shred of pity... I was still appalled to see St Paul's Cathedral charging an entrance fee however...

HA!  I have been conned... along with millions of others no doubt....

It turns out, they have quite a lot of money!  They are economically quite well off, they just don't share it!  Aside from the £42M funding they receive from the Government for future years to fix said roof, it's portfolio totals a cool £5.5bn

So correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't it seem a little greedy to ask pensioners and the like to dip into their measly pension to put a shilling in the dish?

The Pope @ Easter

So, the Pope's Easter message?  Good?  Bad?  Indifferent?

For me?  Disappointing.... let me re-emphasise, I am not a Catholic, nor do I follow another religious doctrine, however I do acknowledge the Catholic Church has a significant influence on the populous.

As such, I was keen to hear what this new Pope's first Easter message might be.... he called for peace negotiations to resume in the Middle East, yes commendable... an end to civil war in Syria... here here.... an end to discord in many African nations... yay - totally agree.... but here's where we differ.... he is openly condemning areas of non-Catholic conflict.

What about Northern Ireland?  Hostilities are erupting there once again..... is it too much to ask that the Pope call for peace where his own religion is involved?  Overly ambitious perhaps?

And how easy is it to condemn "iniquitous exploitation of natural resources"?  So the Pope and his flock will be traveling by ... ermmmm .... donkey perhaps?

And so to the message he brought with him when he was ordained... what was it again? Oh Yes, i remember - "the Catholic Church would be a church, not just for the poor, but of the poor"... I didn't hear a lot in the Easter message about "giving away the riches of the Church" on his first major opportunity to put action behind his words!!!

So yes, for me disappointing.... deflecting attention away from any conflict in Ireland and barely a gold coin throw to the poor... he doesn't seem to be what he first appeared....

Pope Seems Like a Nice Guy

Well a big week for the Papists!  Pope Francis....

..... when I heard Jesuit my first thought was zealot, passionate about his beliefs, possibly fanatical but on reflection devout seems better suited and, a first perhaps?  A man who truly believes in his God!!  On the plus side I am sure his appointment is striking fear into the hearts of those who feel their celibacy oath only applies to anybody over 16!  Can one man clean up so much that is wrong?  The child sex scandal cover ups that suggest acceptance? The unparalleled wealth?  The hypocrisy?

On the other side of the coin, his doctrine is allegedly based on archaic beliefs better suited to the Middle Ages or worse the Middle East 2,000 years ago!  Surely such primitive views compound this apparent acceptance of child sex abuse?  In Biblical times, child brides were accepted, as they still are in many under developed nations, isn't it time to move with the times?  Allow priests to have normal relationships & families, accept same-sex relationships, acknowledge the need for abortion & encourage birth control? 

Proof is in the media on a daily basis, the doctrine, as it is portrayed, doesn't change anything, rather it results in heartache, blackmail, illegal acts and God forbid!! [*sarcasm alert*] Priests holding gay sex parties or getting married in secret!

How many back street abortions still go on today? How many children are still being abused by "trusted" priests?  How many unwanted babies are born every day?  How many people have committed suicide in agony over their sexual feelings?

.... And how can our little planet continue to sustain the population growth encouraged by the Catholic church?  Already over 7 billion!

... And so, back to Pope Francis, he certainly has his work cut out, at first glance it looks unlikely he will be sucked in by the power and luxury, but it will take a strong man to stand firm as he increasingly becomes the subject of worship.  Early indications suggest he might even give away the riches of the Church to the poor! That will make him popular!  I shall watch with interest!

Controversy & Speculation

So much speculation in the media this week around the worst examples of behaviour of senior members of the Catholic Church.  So for years, the Pope has managed to protect the reputation of the Church from the worst of crimes - child abuse.  Yet now we are all meant to believe he has stepped down over a "gay network"... seriously?  Do people truly think that the Pope is more horrified by a group of priests having a sex party (consenting adults) than he is about priests having illegal sex with children?

This controversy apparently began with vatileaks - why are people surprised?  The entire history of the Catholic church is rife with intrigue.  It is simple - power corrupts and through generation of fear and amassing of a huge wealth, this Church has power beyond imagination.

The blatant hypocrisy on public display surely must be questioned?  The opulence, the grandeur, the control by fear, the discrimination, the worship of a man who is not God but purports to be his vassal and worse has the nerve to claim he represents God!

Controversy Over Pope's Resignation

So firstly, let's agree, the Pope's resignation was (in part) a diversionary tactic that has backfired beyond all expectations.  The world was meant to speculate on the incoming Pope; where the outgoing Pope might reside; how he might spend his time; and so on.  While these events unfold we were not meant to wonder "what is the real news?".  It would appear that quite the reverse has happened!

Controversy Over Pope's Resignation

So to the real story - what are the contents of the big red books?  While they remain secret (and no doubt they will) the world will continue to speculate.  Gay orgies?  Is that really as bad as it gets?  Hardly earth shattering stuff and certainly no surprise to those on the outside.  I imagine it suits the Church to allow this speculation to continue - it is likely to be far less damaging in the long run than the truth that they will endeavour to continue hiding.

What could be so bad? Hmmmm .... let me think about that one..... a gay Pope? Nope! ... Proof that Dan Brown was right all along? Highly probable but would that be enough to stand down? Surely not - the theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and they had a daughter has been around forever... something worse? 

It has to be something that would truly hurt the  Church at its heart.... but what?

This is Democracy

What the!!!

Death threats to UK's top Muslim MP who voted for gay marriage

I hope Mr Khan does not fall victim to the pressures brought about by his religious choices.  He is clearly somebody able to separate blind religious belief from political independent choice.  Britain cannot allow Islam, Christianity or any other religious institution, large or small to mandate how people live and Church and State must remain separate.

Issuing a ruling against Mr Khan in the name of his religion attempts to remove his independence when attending Parliament.  I would suggest Mr Bandhalevi should take some lessons in understanding the culture and society he has chosen to be a part of.  If he prefers a society where his fatwa is acceptable, then he must relocate to a country that operates under religious law.  Britain does not, it is a democracy and his attempt to change it through fear is simply unacceptable.  It has taken many hundreds of years and a lot of suffering for Britain to evolve her political systems independent of religious influence.  It is vital that this independence is retained.

What Mr Bandhalevi apparently fails to appreciate is that it is the very nature of British culture that allows extremist websites such as the one quoted in the article to exist and him to speak out.  If I try to imagine a  scenario where an atheist, agnostic or even a Christian expressed similar views, in a country governed by Islamic law I can't help but believe it would result in a quick beheading! 

Bigoted views and sinister death threats contribute to racism.

Multi-cultural societies are the next phase for the human race and the only way this can be achieved is to learn to respect each others ways, not try and force others to live as you do.  Threatening to kill somebody if they don't see things your way is, quite frankly, out dated, antediluvian nonsense and it has no place in the future of the UK or any other Western nation.

Religion, Faith and Morality

Defined in the Oxford dictionary as "the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods", religion is thought provoking, controversial, inspires strong emotions and at its worst moves people to perform terrible acts of violence and war in its name.

Faith is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something" or "strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof".

For me, faith is distinctly different from religion.  Religion furnishes religious institutions with the power to control by fear.  Faith on the other hand allows for the pure belief in an entity without the need for fear and worship.  Faith allows freedom of thought, will and speech where religion does not.

Organised religion has a part to play in society, it provides a social network and a safe haven in times of personal trouble or hardship.  In times of conflict it appears that more people turn to religion for reassurance so it becomes self feeding, especially when you consider how many wars are fought in the name of religion.

Do we need religion to tell us right from wrong?  Do we need religion to tell us how to think?  Does religion have a place in Politics? No to all of these things

Does religion hold us back and stop society from evolving? Does religion tell people how to think and judge?  Are morals better today than previously? Yes to all!

The mainstream religions were founded thousands of years ago and while I don't claim to be an expert on founding dates, my research suggests Hinduism beliefs were founded some 6000 years ago, Judaism 3800-5000 years, Buddhism around 2500 years, Christianity ~2000 and Islam ~1400 years ago.

Can the teachings of ancient times still be relevant today or do they hold us back and stop society from evolving.  We are still fighting the same wars hundreds and even thousands of years on, where is the sense?

From what I can see, religion is about power and control, not just of those who embrace a particular doctrine but also about dictating the lifestyles and thinking of those who share the planet.

I have so much more to discuss on this topic but will save for another day.  Have morals declined or improved over time?  Has anybody else noticed how religion is heavily male dominated?  Is any religious institution female dominated?  Oppression....?

Why Get Out of Bed in the Morning?

Question:    If you don't believe in God what is the point of getting out of bed in the morning?

Answer:      Because if we didn't get out of bed, the Universe would be pointless!!!!

WWII - The contemptible SS

Apparently with the intent of "showing the lives of SS men objectively" Mr Stekiewicz has re-emphasised just what a despicable race the German SS were leading up to and during WWII.

The 'kindly' Auschwitz commander who sent youngsters to gas chambers then went home to play hide and seek with his children

No matter how much I learn about this period in history it continually surprises, sickens and horrifies. But not so for some it seems and one of the comments on this story made my blood boil:

"Whats the difference between the genocide committed in world war 2 by the Germans and by the British in New Zealand , Australia and also the colonies in the New World to the Irish? None !!!!! start printing some of the atrocaties the British have committed its ever so boring hearing about the Germans in world war 2...."

Honestly?

Does this person know nothing at all about WWII? Instead of being bored by it, perhaps he/she should read the facts.  Over 60 million people died in the conflict (2.5% of the population of the planet).  Around 70% of an entire ethnic group was brutally and clinically murdered.  As to this book, these contemptible murderers do not deserve to be viewed objectively.  In fact, this contrast with their work life only emphasises their lack of humanity - "Just another day at the office".

Planting Seeds!

After mulling over the article about "more than a thousand Roman Catholic priests voicing opposition to same-sex marriage legislation in an open letter to the Daily Telegraph" I suddenly twigged!  This is not only about their fight against gay marriage..

After hundreds and even thousands of years of persecuting others, the Catholic Church has started planting seeds in the media (and no doubt other forums) indicating they are the victims of persecution.  How incredibly and amazingly clever!  I was distracted by the gay marriage debate and didn't realise the primary underlying purpose of their article, which in my opinion is to lay down the seeds for future generations to become confused about exactly who was persecuted and who was not.

The letter stated: “After centuries of persecution, Catholics have, in recent times, been able to be members of the professions and participate fully in the life of this country"

What complete and utter dross!!!

The institution of the Catholic Church is not the victim, it is the perpetrator of persecution!!! From the inquisitions of the middle ages to the alleged collaboration with Nazi Germany.  I struggle to accept that the institution of the Catholic Church can ever be classed as victimised.

I have no argument with those who follow the Catholic doctrine only an exceedingly strong distaste for an institution that manipulates and attempts to control by fear.

The Church on Gay Marriage

This post was prompted by apparent opinion of a news article about more than a thousand Roman Catholic priests voicing opposition to same-sex marriage legislation in an open letter to the Daily Telegraph.

Here is my theory!!    In my first hand experience there is minimal enthusiasm in Britain for the church and yet the UK sentiment against gay-marriage has a very strong religious feel to it.  The pews are empty on all but the major festivals (OK, so people like to sing Christmas carols) and so where is all this religious fanaticism come from?  Why are so many comments in favour of religion and so much negativity against anybody who even hints that the church should mind their own?  My theory is that religious institutions are paying people to work full time writing  comments and voting accordingly!   In modern society it is NOT appropriate for any religious denomination to have a say in how our countries are governed!

More reasons to fight?

Was there a church in Mecca? Chiselled stonework with 'Christian figure' discovered at holy site in Yemen

Oh great, another location in the Middle East for religious zealots to scrap over. Just what we need!!!

295 shopping days to Christmas

Just 64 days into 2011... 301 to go....

Already this year we have seen major earthquakes in beautiful Christchurch and The Philippines, revolution in the Middle East, the overthrow of an Egyptian dictator and we watch in horror as a Libyan madman turns on his own people.  Australia's worst disaster with the flooding of Bris Vegas and Queensland.  As if that wasn't enough our hearts filled with fear as Cyclone Yasi headed for our shores.... we've seen flooding in Victoria and a cyclone in Darwin... fires in WA threatened its capital...

Anna showed she has a heart while Julia showed she does not.... Kev confirmed he was an idiot as he waded through sewage and dirty flood water to impress a gullible media pack and then there's Tony.... not a man who thinks much before he speaks... I confess I prefer his fellow Rhodes Scholar, Malcolm...

And amidst all of this, the suggestion of a death penalty for Julian Assange described by Hills as "a bigger threat to the US than Osama Bin Laden"!!  Has he really done something to justify such an enthusiastic response?  A Western Government gone mad!  A nation living in fear that responds to increasing world animosity with threats of war and violence yet never once stops to ask itself "why?"

And then there is the iPad2 and the bionic eye roll out, the controversial NBN and let's not forget Moonageddon! 

What's next?  The flood levy, carbon tax, higher inflation, falling house prices, higher taxes... oh joy....

OH and while I remember... don't forget.... its only 295 shopping days to Christmas....