I used to consider myself an atheist. Now, when asked, I say I am agnostic. It is not that I have doubts but I don’t want to be bundled in with the atheist crowd.
In answering such a question, it is too difficult to explain the distinction between atheism and anti-religionism and to be honest, the lines are often blurred.
Is it any wonder?
This Easter we have been witness to baffling brawls over halal chocolate Easter eggs and squabbling over whether or not a footy match should be played on Good Friday. I adopt the laissez-faire approach in these matters but I find it troubling that those who advocate sombre reflection on religious holidays are cast as extremists.
Religion is often mocked by atheists. Mockery is fine in some instances but when people are painted as sub-human for holding supernatural beliefs, items of faith in all organised religions, it is clear there is an attempt to wantonly discriminate against people and limit their movements and their associations.
Full column here.
Joyful news this morning that ebook sales have fallen and physical book sales are rising. Great news for authors, and for readers like me who don’t enjoy reading online. I hope this trend is mirrored in newspaper sales too. Sitting on the beach reading my iphone just isn’t the same, and it’s a hassle when you reach a climactic part of your read … and the battery goes flat.
And no doubt a great relief for the seagulls not having to watch you climax . . .
LOL! Didn’t. That battery went flat too.
POTUS Trump sure is “Making America Great Again”, as he said he would, Mr Insider. Wall Street up 16% since he came to office, jobs are happening, tyrants around the world put on notice that the USA will no longer stand for their ghastly behaviour. Trump most assuredly the man for the US right now and the good news is he’s only 3 months into a possible 8 year term. God bless America and no wonder PM Turnbull and Shorten are now both devoted fans of Trump, Turnbull almost word for word lately on his new hero. “Make Australia Great Again” he says!
http://tinyurl.com/kuug2fe
http://tinyurl.com/kuug2fe
The Looters are always up to their usual smoke and mirrors when they talk about debt. In 2013 when they were elected, they lifted the debt ceiling by $8billion so they could blame it on Labor. Now what are they up to…in the budget they are re-defining debt so it does not look as bad as it should.
Morrison’s upcoming budget will be a real con job with its rigging of the definition of “debt”. There will be “good debt”, which won’t count of course, to allow the awarding of huge contracts to their big end of town donor mates to built new infrastructure. This ‘good debt’ may be hidden and not show up in the accounting figures. Its an old trick. This will be accompanied by “bad debt” which will finance all our federal social services. This “bad debt” of course will have to be reigned in and cut to the bone where possible. Morrison may as well announce the use of “fake” debt? For sure we will end up with a fake budget. Yep it was all there in yesterday’s Oz. School halls for our kids enjoyed by all parents on speech nite were ‘bad debt’ then? I can remember Looter members busting their arses to get in on the fotos to derive credit as if they built them on opening day. Then they would run around screaming they were a waste of money…not at the many schools I have been to.
Hillsong Morrison actually said Food is bad debt he was “Probyned” what about Health and Education? the to 2 most productivity enhancing capacity growing investment we have? Apparently they are “bad” debt along with food. this is just another way as you say to subsidise and create more slush funds. Look at what happened when Abbott was elected cancelled all the rail projects and projects Infrastructure Australia said were top priority to build roads in coalition electorates at huge waste to the nation. The coalition do NOT know how to do infrastructure that is why they did NONE under howard and have destroyed what would have been the NBN. They don’t want to talk about debt because the have more than doubled it. 2013 PEFO was clear debt was to peak at $250 billion in 2014 and drop under Labor settings. Debt now is double that all time taxing at higher rates than the entire RGR labor period. Better financial managers? Pigs arse.
Brilliant
George Meg
One of the best minds along with Waleed in the country
Oh how foolish for The Oz to let GM go.
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/theminefield/
BODHISATTVA says:
APRIL 26, 2017 AT 11:14am. As long as the economy does not surge (and I hope it DOES)
Labor are in with a chance at the next election…yes, even with hopeless Shorten…
If we go into surplus via no fiscal wizardy of the Looters I might add
e.g. boom in iron ore price,
Looters will win because they are much better at ‘being on message’
There has been a bit of discussion on this blog about freedom of speech and the comments by the Muslim lady re Anzac Day.
You have all missed the point.
18c has not been repealed.
There is no such thing as freedom of speech.
Everybody has the legal right to be offended and when offended there are repercussions.
The lady in question would be very quick to go off to the HRC if she felt offended.
Well there are millions who have been offended by her statements but since they are not considered to be a “race” have no come back but public opinion.
Repeal 18c and I would defend her right to say anything she pleases but with 18c in place she can follow the same rules enforced upon the rest of us and suffer the consequences.
“Thou shall not offend”.
This is like a madhouse. Weren’t you all bagging anyone who took offence at all a little time back?
Your penultimate sentence. Does that mean Bolt and his supporters should have just shut up and copped it sweet?
Played by Trump, three times in two days.
Confucius say “Suckers!”
Why do they fall for it, Jack?
Still, truly great leaders need hordes of unquestioning grovelling twats.
“Abdel-Magied’s comment upset many people, but was mild by comparison with, for example, some of the dialogue in Alan Seymour’s famous The One Day of the Year.”
https://theconversation.com/abdel-magied-anzac-row-is-a-storm-over-not-much-76708
Oh please dismal
You are arguing against yourself – 18c is still in place and that is not what those guys fought and died for. What Gratten conveniently overlooks is that 18c is still in place so there is no such thing as freedom of speech.
So the lady in question, with her offensive remarks to many, deserves all she gets.
As to the general theme of the book – what Seymour did not know about or did not care about was that there were tens of thousands of men and women with Post traumatic syndrome and Anzac Day was one of the few times of the year that they could let loose with their mates who knew what they went through and understood. It was part of an academic exercise to get rid of Anzac Day and it failed miserably.
Stop taking stuff from propaganda central and THINK for yourself.
A great reposte JS!
JS You are always offended and always outraged it is an eternal state for an outdated con like you. I take no offence by what was said. Those taking offence are doing so for an ideology. The comments in No way stop anyone from having a drink and remembering. Her point was remember others to who have died in terrible circumstances and in some cases due to the Actions of Australia. you and your eternally outraged mates should Stop FN whinging and get over your white is right bullshit. What is Offensive is people like you trying use all the Dead for your own ideological fight against anyone who dare have a different opinion. You should consider your own advice before giving it. your comment about getting rid of ANZAC day are delusional but as I said it has become a commercial exercise now which is offensive. If you support those that died so WE can have freedoms then you should have NO problem with someone suggesting remember all those who have fallen.
“Fake News”, Mr Insider, bad enough but now we learn fat boy slim of North Korea, Kimmie, has been wheeling out “Fake Weapons” for us all to choke on our Wheaties! I was only thinking the other morning myself “surely Kimmie hasn’t got one that big!”, and he hasn’t. Sighs of relief all round. Worse comes to worse we can count on the US to hack in and pop some extra zeros and ones into the North Korea Rocket Launch codes, that seems to do the trick.
http://tinyurl.com/m4m53dq
Yassmin Abdel-Magied is getting a bit of comment here. Can’t say I have ever seen her on television, but I have read a few of her pearls of wisdom, such as Islam being the most feminist religion, and read of her theatrical response to Lionel Shriver’s talk a few months ago.
I would like to suggest a different perspective from which to view her. She reminds me not so much of a follower of radical Islam as of one of those former sports personalities who, having unwisely been given a media voice, proceed to offend others and/or make fools of themselves. But the television stations love it because the crazier it gets, the more it boosts their ratings. Frankly, it would be a kindness to protect her from herself. So, she actually reminds me of someone such as Sam Newman (for those who follow AFL, but there are examples in most sports). No doubt she would be horrified at the comparison, but I imagine the feeling would be mutual.
I could see Sam in a multi-coloured turban, bright red lipstick and dangly earrings!
With the amount of work he’s had done on his face, Sam could have looked like Yassmin by now if he’d wanted to.
It could only be an improvement, TBLS.
Who would have thought that Tax Reform could be so difficult , Well not for Donald Trump…
Maybe we need a bloke like that to sort out our problems…
Maybe the first step would be for Trump to wheel Turnbull down to his hairdresser. I’m picturing Turnbull with a Trump bouffant … nope, not working. I’ll need bigger glass.