Submitted Without Comment
20 · 10
Abuse Of Temporary Marriages Flourishes In Iraq
The practice, a way of having a "legitimate affair," was banned during Saddam Hussein's reign but returned after the American invasion. Some say there's a right way to do the muta'a, or fixed-term marriage, but others claim rampant misuse.
More here.
This is a fascinating story of how organized religion can come up with ways of legitimizing men shagging women outside of their marriage. I am not commenting on the mores involved, but point this out as a whopping example of how disingenuous organized religion can be...
19 · 10
Purgatory: Does It Exist?
Does purgatory exist? That's a good question. Who knows? Notwithstanding what Monsieur Pascal said, the complete terms of the subscription required to believe in it are unpalatable to me, but, hypothetically, if it did exist, I would be willing to bet good money that it would be something like this: visitors there would be given the choice of three doors; those who choose the first door would be treated to assembling Ikea furniture without the benefit of all the pieces or that confounded Allen wrench, those who choose the second door would suffer an almost infinite performance of Cats and the third door would yield a never-ending wrestling match featuring Jell-O and a naked Margaret Thatcher.
That makes sense, doesn't it?
4 · 12
In The Beginning...
I kid you not: you can throw a stone anywhere in the greater Houston area and hit a school that is decidedly denominational, either Catholic or Evangelical. That, of course, is just fine. I tell you this by way of explanation and rationalization for it has come to pass that one of my children attends such a school, not because of its denomination but because it boasts a very fine basketball program with a pedigree of state and national success. So, for him, it is the place to be.
For me though, the situation is a tough one. It is tough because, gentle readers, when confronted with organized religion I am decidedly atheistic in outlook. I am not judgmental about this: organized religion in any of its stripes works extremely well for millions upon millions of people throughout the world, and more power to you if it does. It does not work for me. The tough part is that the school openly and actively teaches the students its particular brand of Christianity, which tends to rub me the wrong way. I do not object, though, as I think it is a good experience for my son to be exposed to different ideologies, and for all I know, it might work for him. If it does, that is something he must discover for himself, as I can no more make him believe or not believe than I can make him a vegan or a carnivore.
It is tough for me when the students bring home texts to study on Creationism. They are quite serious about it, too, and my intellectual gears grind noisily in pain whenever we sit down to look at this stuff. My views on the origin of things are summed up rather nicely by author Terry Pratchett when he said: "In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded." Be that as it may, I soldier on gamely. One thing I will insist upon is the notion that any idea or belief system is open to rigorous, critical debate and examination. Including mine. That's fair, surely?
Anyway, as I was saying, in the beginning...
26 · 09
Esmerelda & Keith
Pledging yourself to any particular religion is no more or less weird than choosing to believe that the world is rhombus-shaped, and borne through the cosmos in the pincers two enormous green lobsters called Esmerelda and Keith….
— Andrew Mueller, Independent on Sunday, 2 April 2006, Sunday Review Section, 12-16.
@baffled
These are my collected ramblings; an online compendium of utter nonsense, comprising art, culture, poetry, photography, technology and the newsworthy, arcane and inane. Any original work is © "@baffled".
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