A bit for everyone: on conspiracy theories, fun and gay pride, babies and baggy garments

After a blissfully Islam-free day we are today back at it again. It is a sad fact. BBC's Newsnight on Tuesday revealed that even the Home Office has been infiltrated by an obscure group. Films and videos of staged torture sessions are circulating; these are purportedly smuggled out of Abu Graib prison and out of Camp X-Ray on Guantanamo Bay on Cuba. In fact, they are theatrical productions.
Of course the Middle East itself always has been been rife with political hear-say and conspiracy theories. It is a result of dictatorial, secretive government and "byzantine" palace intrigue.
But, rationality not being what it used to be in the West thanks to years of down-graded education, the most incredulous conspiracy theories are also surfacing here. Some are home-produced, copied and circulated by the Western media. Like this one on 9/11, which was not masterminded by Osama c.s., but on the contrary by the Americans themselves would you believe! Another alleges it's all their own fault, but that's the common fashionable view on the "European high street" anyway!
Of course all this bovine manure is lapped up like sweet tea by all kinds of credulous naives and people with agendas.

It goes without saying that there are many good willing people, like Senay Özdemir but campaigns such as hers are too little, too late, too few and more than a little naive. The title says it all ("Holland must be fun again"). Fun (leuk) isn't a category which even begins to cover the needs! It is as vague and relative as the patient itself. Like the nebulous attempt of the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan-Peter Balkenende to instill some morals and manners into the country. He talks a bit about norms and values without further specification, organizes a meeting with minorities (as if their lack of integration is the problem), and that's it. As if a new definition of "the done thing" or a contemporary book on etiquette could save the situation (although that still might have done some good in 1985)! The truth is, what is required now is a solid moral compass to set the dials by - in short, wat we need is a Restoration! P.C.s, pull up your panty-hose and strap on your aprons: beware of the return of the Brussels Sprouts**!

Here's yet another sad piece of evidence that the world could do with a bit of Science before Science! Embryos*, albeit in a frozen state are not considered unborn life and as such do not enjoy the protection of the Irish government, a judge has found. (I wouldn't be surprised if this is part and parcel of the E.U.'s liberal idea of Best Practice; the same one that treated Mr Buttiglione as a criminal, instead of the highly ethical Catholic and man of integrity that he is; but hey, of course only Leftists and Liberals can be trusted with the ability of separating their personal convictions from their political judgments). The Irish judge concluded, that everyone seems to agree that embryos are entitled to “special respect,” but what exactly that means from a legal point of view remains ambiguous; he proposes the matter to be resolved by parliament or in a referendum, as if that are the forums to weigh basic matters concerning ethics or morality. But more on that later on, in an essay I'm working on at present in re of the separation of Church and State and it's present misunderstandings on the subject.

Holland enjoys the existence dr Antoine Bodar, a "conservative", non-practicing homosexual, a Benedictine priest who has become a bit of a cult-figure lately. The other day he was in a town hall meeting with "Embrace Pink", an obscure organization of homosexual youngsters.

I would like to share with you the last paragraph of an article I just

read: "If the Church refuses to bless my (love) relationship it is heartless and stubborn", says one theology student (whom I hope will have a change of heart shortly and take up geology instead). And ... "The Church is about people, isn't it?" (you could have fooled me; that last time I checked the Church was about God).
"Isn't this intransigence (i.e. the refusal to wed homosexuals) the reason the churches are empty?" Goes Bodar: ,,No, the churches are empty due to hedonism and a liturgy that is so flat you might as well stay at home." Needless to say, I'm in his cult, every time!


STOP PRESS The Dutch cabinet has backed a proposal by the country's immigration minister Rita Verdonk to ban Muslim women from wearing the burqa (a bag-like object which reduces women to a life as ghosts) in public. A bill to that effect was first tabled in Parliament by Geert Wilders.
The sacraficial lamb is this time the harmless crash helmet with vizor. In the U.K. it is a crucifix belonging to a British Airways employee. If ever it is found necessary to ban Muslim schools (which is well imaginable) also the Christian faith based schools will have to go (Egalite, remember?). As their education level is much higher than public schools, this sacrafice comes at a price, probably too high a price. Whatever's next to go?

* Pro-choicers are defending the practice of abortion by describing and thereby trivialising the very young embryo as "no more than a cluster of cells". If they had any idea of basic philosophy as dealt with in Science before Science they'd understand their mistake. Potential being, is being nonetheless. What they are saying here is "if it is very small, it is nothing" a premise demonstrably false.

** See post on Jan Pronk and note on the Insane Ida movement.