Sir Salmon Rushedby continues to stir up controversy. His vindictive autobiographical novel which has only been read by two people, his editor and himself, sold out in London last week.
I went to the flagship Waterstone's in Piccadilly, the biggest bookshop in Britain, and asked for a copy of The Satanic Verses, one of the most famous novels - and certainly the most infamous - in the modern English canon.
Predictably, there were no copies of The Satanic Verses on sale. The stock, I was told, had sold out. 'They've been buying loads,' an assistant explained. How many is loads? Her answer was four copies. 'That constitutes loads?' 'Whatever,' came her helpful reply. It's that kind of personal touch one misses in internet shopping.
In the UK mass media he is famous for having had 4 wives. In literary circles he is famous for having sold the most copies of an unread book, an ambition shared by quite a few smug literary types. That Devilish Dirges is perceived as an attack on a religion is really of no consequence. It is really an attack on those blinkered naysayers whose dogma does not allow dissent.
Apart from Buddhist priests who dress down, most acolytes of other religions have to dress up in order to disguise the their paucity of their religious arguments.
Ninjanes
Increasingly, Muslim women in Britain take their children to school and run errands covered head to toe in flowing black gowns that allow only a slit for their eyes.
Like little else, their appearance has unnerved Britons, testing the limits of tolerance in this stridently secular nation. Many veiled women say they are targets of abuse. At the same time, efforts are growing to place legal curbs on the full Muslim veil, known as the niqab.
Like little else, their appearance has unnerved Britons, testing the limits of tolerance in this stridently secular nation. Many veiled women say they are targets of abuse. At the same time, efforts are growing to place legal curbs on the full Muslim veil, known as the niqab.
Bishop Charles N. Crutchfield of Arkansas has pledged to wear a Spiderman outfit if the United Methodist Church gains 1,000 members in 2007-2008 and doubles its number of 'professions of faith'.Arkansas is one of the few states in the nation where the Methodist Church is growing.Membership climbed by 501 to 138,818 in 2006. Worship attendance edged up 38 to 56,610
An Ecumenical Environmentalist, that's me. I'm more than happy to give space to absolute nitwits like these Southern Baptists. It's not that they are in denial of global warming, like a certain Irish catholic of my acquaintance, but that their arguments are so specious.
This week, Southern Baptists approved a resolution on global warming that questions the prevailing scientific belief that humans are largely to blame for the phenomenon and also warns that increased regulation of greenhouse gases will hurt the poor.
Furthermore, they say that talking about the issue at all diminishes their influence over more traditional culture war issues such as abortion, gay marriage and judicial appointments.
Finally, I think we should all take note of the views of an objective visitor to the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum, near Cincinnati in the Good Ol' US of A. This cost a mere $27 million and took a bit longer to build than God took to create the world. He (or was it she?), presumably without the technological marvels we have today, such as cement mixers and handphones, took just six days to create His (or Her?) master/mistress piece. It wasn't 7 days, of course, because the 7th was a Sunday, His (Her?) day of rest. Or was it a Friday because s/he was Jewish or Muslim?
I would give you a link to the museum's website but our surrogate visitor gives a very thorough guided tour.
What about those silly “scientists” who say dinosaurs were long gone by the time of humans? Here, we see two paleontologists coming up with different conclusions. The wise white paleontologist doesn’t need that whole “carbon-dating” bullshit, for he only needs the Bible to tell him how old these fossils are. Meanwhile, the Asian paleontologist uses all that so-called “logic”, “reason” and “scientific method” to come to the ridiculous conclusion that these fossils are from many millions of years ago. Whatever, Confucius! Put down those science books and pick up the Bible, that’s all you need to get to the truth!
Ah men to that. And women too.
Labels: bigotry
