Blasphemies and other Forms of Artistic Expression

It's been a while since I've been blogging in my own space. So this is my official re-'kick-off.'

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realised God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. Emo Philips

This is a speech from the author of History of God . She has a very insightful approach on how people of faith, those without, and everyone in between. As an atheist, she speaks very eloquently about faith and what it should mean.

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" I John 4:20 I would say that this verse applies to anyone of any faith.

So far, this article ( Arlen Grossman: Obama's Special Olympics remark not hurtful ) has been the 'vibe' I get when people explain why what Obama said during his Tonight Show appearance 'wasn't so bad.' I ws so insensed after reading it that I had t say something then and there! After I posted, I thought that maybe I was baited for a comment (Limbaugh style.) After a bit of retrospect, I'm sure it was the autor's real feelings on the matter. This was my response to the article. I thought it bore repeating: "1. Developmentally disabled people were not offended by the joke. Hardly any of them would understand why they should be offended." Wow! I heard that animals don't feel pain - guess it's okay to torture 'em! "2. Let's consider who said it and what his intent was. " The President of the United States of America should have known better than that; more so than anyone else. "3. The truth is: Most Special Oly

I was deeply disppointed by this. Having read some of his campaign fodder on ASD , I was hoping to see more of an inclusionary attitude come from Washington this time around. I found this video on YouTube of Obama, preaching the good word and wanting to get the message out on a united populace: When president Obama made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: It was as quick as it was insensitive. And it passed through with very little acknowledgement from the press or the public. So I decided to take a bit of stock in myself, did some research, and took the R-Word Pledge . I hope the president decides to do the same.

BBC NEWS Americas Obama renews US sanctions on Iran Just met the new boss, Same as the old boss . . . How does that decision coincide with the fact that Iran doesn't have any weapons-grade uranium ?

I'm not thrilled with the world today. I wish I could bake some cookies and hide in a dark rom under an electric blanket. Sometimes you feel like nothing you do is going the right way. But you always cheer up a little when you realize that the feeling is only temporary. I feel a little better already! Now - where are those cookies?

"Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There's a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning." Bill Gates

BBC NEWS | Americas | US 'cell assault' video released This more than made me sick; this really broke my heart. Having read some people defend the actions of the officer, I can only say this; what will you say when it's your turn?

BBC NEWS | Africa | Jacksons star in Nigeria resort row As I casually comb the BBC new site (as I often do), I ran across this article. When I read it, I actually made sure that the date was no April 1st. Imagine a Theme park, a slavery memorial, a 5 star hotel, golf course, and Jacksons musuem in the same breath. Can you imagine what they would name the hotel? The golf courses? The rollercoasters?!? I am really curious as to the intended audiences. Something like this would (hopefully) come up as tackless in the United States. Auchwitz is crumbling , and the dabate rages on about what should be done with it - will this business model prove its saviour? Last question: is this really different from casinos on Native American land? I don't see it as being any less exploitative.

The crucifixion is officially 'not PC' in Sussex. I can understand the reasoning on this one - Christianity advertises itself (on a theoretical level, like all religions) as peaceful and inspiring. Then we have a sculpture that, as art, does an excellent job of sparking conversation of its subject matter. I have to admit that it's a pretty powerful peace, and one could pull a lot of meaning from the expression on Jesus's face. Personally, I think it represents the conflicts between the establishment of religion and the philosophy of a man. (Would Gandhi be considered a religious symbol in 1000 years?) Not as provocative as 'Chocolate Jesus', but it's up there! BBC Video