Rowan Williams on the last decade

Rowan Williams, Utopia Chaser, bemoans the last ten years:

The last 10 years have been “gruelling and terrible” but they should not deter people from helping the poorer and needy living thousands of miles away, says the archbishop of Canterbury.

In his new year message, to be broadcast tomorrow, Dr Rowan Williams will say that people can still make a difference in spite of the “terrorism, war, natural disaster and financial collapse of the last 15 months”.

There was one bright spot, though:

the archbishop also expressed his disappointment at the lukewarm commitment to achieving the millennium development goals.

A green response to terrorism

No swearing or drinking allowed for Welsh clergy

Rev. Richard Grey, a Welsh vicar has been booted out of his parish for swearing:

A VICAR who is a personal friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury will leave his church today following allegations about his behaviour made by fellow clergymen.

A clergyman from a nearby parish who did not want to be identified told the Western Mail: “I am one of a number of clerics who made formal complaints to the Bishop about Richard Grey.

“I was very concerned at the language he used in a conversation he had with me. It is entirely inappropriate for a clergyman to use four-letter words.

And drinking!

“They have also accused him of having a drink problem, which is totally untrue. He’s a member of the British Legion club and has a drink down there, and it seems some people think that’s not right for a clergyman.

I have no idea what Rev. Richard’s theology is like but I wonder whether if instead of swearing and drinking, he had married a same-sex couple, he would find himself in this predicament.

Obviously Rev. Richard is a bit rough around the edges (he is Welsh, after all); a bit like that carpenter who was crucified a couple of thousand years ago.

Transforming Christianity into a social club – the Anglican way

I don’t normally pick on individual Anglican parishes however severe the temptation, but in the case of St. Aidan’s, Oakville I am going to make an exception because its rector, Cheryl Fricker, was one of four rectors who attempted to set up a Potemkin parish at St. Hilda’s by staging weekly sit-ins with some of her congregation – well, also because I feel like it.

St. Aidan’s newsletter, the Messenger is a wonderful example of the church as Social Club, a place where the petite bourgeoisie of one of the wealthiest towns in Canada can play-act at embracing those in need (in the nicest possible way), being a community hub and partnering with others. As the Messenger reveals, at St. Aidan’s one can find everything from the aesthetic in the grant-funded Arthouse, to the environmental in pious green sustainability advice, to pop psychology in the Self-Esteem Support Group.

One article in particular caught my attention: Reaching Out by Ann Wood. In the article, Anne extols the virtues of a welcoming church:

Then we added a picture. It shows the congregation heading into the church as the bell rings for the morning service. There we are, walking up the path and shortcutting across the lawn, families, couples, singles, older, teens, and small kids tossing the fall leaves. The Minister is holding the door open. “That’s us,” the picture says, “We’re going into our church, come on in!”

It sounds all very cosy and would by an entirely unremarkable description were it not for the fact that Ann Wood – whom I affectionately think of as Nora Batty – is the notorious Diocese of Niagara Bouncer who marched me out of St. Hilda’s on Easter Day in 2009. I think I might have to join the Self-Esteem Support Group.

A liberal Anglican clergyman taken for a ride

Liberal clergymen take themselves seriously; what makes this particularly amusing is that they are convinced that everyone else takes them seriously too. Thus, their earnest and predictable bon mots –  while of possible interest to future historians probing the cause of the fall of Western Civilisation – are of no interest to anyone else whatsoever.

Rev. George Pitcher appears to fallen hook line and sinker for a letter by an ostensible prostitute who, to protest China’s execution of Akmal Shaikh says, on ethical grounds, she will be withholding her favours from Chinese passport holders, but may make an exception for men from Hong Kong and will take all the Taiwanese she can get. George commends her for doing what she can and reckons that she is acting with great dignity and self-respect. Which is more than one can say for poor old George who, in the characteristic frenzied eagerness of the liberal parson to appear as non-judgemental as a partially set jelly, seems to have fallen victim to a hoax.

He asks for a translation of a phrase in the prostitute’s letter, Diu lai no mo hai, which, had he done a little research, he would have discovered more or less means go f*** your mother. It’s understandable George would not know the translation, though, since there is not much call for that remark in even the most liberal sermon. But he does find that the whole exchange is strangely uplifting; I don’t think that means he paid her a visit.

Rev. Tim Jones, doing his bit to restore dignity to Anglicanism

Ruth Gledhill reports that Rev. Tim Jones church – the CofE vicar who rashly recommended theft to his parishioners – now wants to be known as Pasta Tim Jones:

The Rev Tim Jones of York has been drenched a bucketful of spaghetti and ravioli thrown over him by a parishioner angered by his suggestion to newly-released criminals that they finance Christmas by shoplifting. Thirty tins to be precise. Meanwhile, Father Jones’ letter excoriating me (and Julian Baggini) for my view that theft is somehow, er, unbiblical, was published in The Times. The Press in York reports that the protest was carried out by Martin Stot, 48, who said he filled a bucket with 30 cans of spaghetti and ravioli. ‘I was just offended by what he said. I just got this thing in my head where I thought I would make my own little protest,’ said Stot. He bought the tinned food from Asda and hid the bucket in a phone box while he waited for Father Jones to emerge from the church.

It’s a shame that Stot bought the food; if he had been listening more carefully to the sermon he would have pinched it.

Christian family given asylum in Canada after fleeing Islamic oppression

From the Toronto Sun:

A seven-year-old Pakistani girl and her family have been given asylum in Canada after reports the child was raped and left to die when her Christian father refused to convert to Islam.

The identities of Baby Neeha and her family are being protected by immigration officials, said human rights lawyer Chantal Desloges and One Free World International, a church that was instrumental in getting the family here.

The family arrived in Canada on Dec. 12 after a three-year battle by organizers to spirit them out of danger in Pakistan.

They are living in the Mississauga area and will be visited next month by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who was so touched by the family’s plight that he doled out a ministerial permit, of which he has only issued two.

Church founder Rev. Majed El Shafie said the family of seven have been hiding from extremists in Pakistan for about three years.

Baby Neeha, at the age of 21/2, was raped by the son of her father’s employer and left to die by the roadside, he said. No one was arrested for the crime.

“These horrific events took place because her father, who was Christian, refused to give in to pressure from his Muslim employer to convert to Islam,” El Shafie said.

The family went underground in Pakistan to hide from Muslim extremists who were seeking revenge for their non-conversion, he said.

“The family has lived for years in hiding and in constant fear of being discovered by the employer’s family or Islamic extremists,” El Shafie said. “We are thrilled that she’s finally in Canada.”

Organizers said the case touched Kenney who decided to help the family.

“This case truly broke his heart and he (Kenney) considers himself lucky to have it within his powers to intervene,” Kenney’s spokesman Alykhan Velshi said yesterday. “Fortunately, they are now safely in Canada.”

Kenney found out about the family’s plight six months ago, Velshi said.

“He personally issued a special ministerial permit,” he said. “There were significant difficulties in getting them out of Pakistan.”

This is the same heartless Jason Kenny who cut off funding to Kairos, evoking howls of protest from the Anglican House of Bishops and chuckles of glee from me.

I’m now waiting for a vote of approval from the HoB for Kenny’s rescue of this Christian family……. still waiting.

Thieves rob 4 churches in St. Thomas, Ont., target donation envelopes

From the Canadian Press:

ST. THOMAS, Ont. — Police say thieves broke into four churches in St. Thomas, Ont., during the nighttime hours on Christmas Day and into the weekend and it’s believed the burglaries are related.

In each case, the churches were entered through basement windows and the thieves searched for donation envelopes, broke into locked areas and ransacked offices.

As of December 29^th, no bishops have been implicated.

Diocese of Niagara mushrooms

As a peon in numerous large companies over the years, I have collected little sayings that served as comforting aphorisms while I drifted from one hegemony to the next. One referred to senior managers and it was, “same circus, different clowns” and another was to consider oneself a mushroom: we were kept in the dark and copious quantities of manure descended from above.

For the Diocese of Niagara, the parishioners are its mushrooms. The fact that diocesan leaders have largely abandoned Christianity for a concoction of Gaia worship, Unitarianism and pantheism is disguised by the well practised waffling evasion of its priests and bishop.

Almost as bad, is the fact that the average parishioner has no idea that diocesan assets accumulated through offerings are being used to pay lawyers to throw fellow Christians out of the buildings they paid for.

In this vein, the latest diocesan budget intones:

We have not projected any investment return for 2010 as we anticipate these funds will be required to finance our ongoing cashflow needs as well as having offset operating losses for 2007 and 2008, in addition to funding the expenses related to the breakaway parishes.

The only real expenses that relate to the “breakaway parishes” are the considerable sums charged by the diocese’s lawyer – over $320,000 so far. The actual amount is absent from the budget as is any explanation of where it is really coming from: Niagara parishioners, it is coming from your pockets. It’s time the mushrooms woke up.

Beware of the Radical Christian Underwear Bombers

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab sewed explosives into his underwear (didn’t anyone tell him about the 72 virgins?) and tried to blow up a plane on Christmas day; although he was unsuccessful,  smoke was seen swirling from…. well, never mind.

A Nigerian banker’s son charged with trying to blow up a plane over Detroit claims he trained with Al Qaeda leaders who had explosives sewn into his underwear, it was reported Saturday.

Umar copied this plan from Christians, of course:

h/t: Weasel Zippers

In the Anglican Church of Canada, climate change has replaced sin

Once upon a time The Anglican Church of Canada used to believe that the biggest threat to humanity’s well-being was sin – mankind’s deliberate rebellion against God, causing estrangement from him and from one’s fellow man. According to the Book that the Anglican Church used to use as a reliable guide to How Everything Fits Together, sin has infected not only every person, but the entire creation; the only remedy for individuals is to accept the free gift of redemption offered through Christ’s atoning death on the cross, where he bore the punishment for your sins and mine. The remedy for creation is in Christ’s second coming when entropy will be reversed and there will be a new heavens and a new earth. 2 Peter 3:8ff

A caboodle of Anglican illuminati, including Michael Ingham – who obviously does believe in something other than marrying homosexuals – has signed a declaration that states:

As faith leaders, we believe that unchecked climate change is one of the greatest threats to peace and prosperity for our world.

These Anglican priests have thrown their hand in with David Suzuki, who appears to be an agnostic; an agnostic is a more honest variant of non-believer that an atheist, since an atheist claims to know that God does not exists – something, as Bertrand Russell observed, that cannot be known without knowing everything that is knowable. It is an uneasy alliance, since the betrayal of these Anglican priests has more in common with the dishonesty of the atheist than the scrupled bewilderment of the agnostic. Much as I disagree with David Suzuki, I almost feel obliged to warn him about the brood of vipers that has chosen to associate with him.

Islam, the religion of peace and cutting children

Ashura is a Muslim holy day that commemorates the 7th-Century death of the grandson of Islam’s prophet.

Ostensibly:

“It’s about standing up for justice, standing up for democracy, standing up for peace and equality,” Mohamed Al-Najjar explained at the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center in Dearborn. The center is named after the city in Iraq.

In reality, it’s an expression of demonic barbarism:

A prominent climate scientist uses a naughty word on TV

Professor Andrew Watson – who bears an eerie resemblance to Richard Dawkins – is a professor in the University of East Anglia, School of Environmental Sciences; thus everything he says is weighed dispassionately in the scales of scientific methodology and evidence. In this exchange, Professor Watson demonstrates the clinical objectivity of a scientist by calling Marc Morano an “asshole’.

The least Watson could have done is use the Queen’s English and say “arshole”.

The 2009 awards for Canadian Anglican Dowfart of the Year

The runners up

Primate Fred Hiltz for being unable to do what my five year old granddaughter can do: state what the Gospel is.

John Chapman, Bishop of Ottawa for coining the silliest phrase of the year: experiential discernment: trying to decide whether doing something is right by – doing it. Although I was unfamiliar with the terminology, I was closely acquainted with the technique by the time I was four. When I stole biscuits out of the biscuit jar, my mother experientially discerned me.

Bishop Michael Ingham for having the effrontery to invite ANiC congregations to stay in their buildings under his leadership. Evidently he was under the impression that the congregations had not read Proverbs 26:11: As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

Archdeacon Michael Patterson for saying that poverty is a sin with a capital “S” – move over idolatry, murder and theft.

Rev. Charles Stirling for his defence of homosexuality activity: animals do it, so it must be OK for humans, too.

Rev. Rick Jones for saying that the 135^th Diocese of Niagara Synod would be as significant as the first moon landing. I should have a Moonbat award for Ricky.

The Venerable Lynne Corfield for sending out a letter appealing for $750,000 to fund the Diocese of Niagara’s lawsuits against ANiC Christians and giving it the heading Passion for Justice

Bishop Michael Bird for suing ANiC wardens personally.

Honourable mention: The nameless schlemiel who published a Lenten Meditation claiming that Jesus was a racist.

And the winner is

Nora Batty, Bouncer for the Diocese of Niagara. Nora barred my entrance to the church where I have worshipped for 30 years and pushed me unceremonious out of the building. On Easter morning I was thrown out of my church building, the Niagara Diocese threatened to sue me and my blog had more hits in one day than it normally gets in a month. Thanks Nora, I had a wonderful time; how was it for you?

Merry Christmas!

Silent Night:

The First Nowell:

Once in Royal David’s City:

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing:

Away in a Manger:

O Come, all Ye Faithful:

While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night:

See Amid the Winter’s Snow: