Commonwealth Games' city mired in poverty, filth and violence

It really doesn't befit a modern day economy or a democratic nation that aspires to bridge the gap between rich and poor. But this city was once part of the British Empire and though the crumbs of colonisation fell to a fortunate few most were left to the queue for work, die in industrial accidents, die of disease and live in squalor. In the slums are the grandchildren of those who fled famine, clearance and repression.

The rich of this city can be seen in their favoured nightspots or shopping at some of the numerous designer boutiques in the city centre. On the outskirts though, where the 'stylish' rarely go, tens of thousands are crammed into damp substandard housing. The homeless are visible under bridges or standing at refuges and soup kitchens. Malnutrition is rampant and in some parts of this 'vibrant' city, your average man will be fortunate to live beyond 60. Thousands of city dwellers attach themselves to various religious sects and violence along sectarian lines is commonplace. Crime, corruption and vicious gangland violence are also rife. At one time, the murder rate was higher than in Northern Ireland during the 'troubles'.

A visiting dignitary commented that 'here people live in houses that we wouldn't keep our dogs in'. *

Yet to this city come the Commonwealth Games. In 2014.

Will there be a dividend? Maybe for the few. What is certain is that there has been little if any 'dividend' from Glasgow's supposed status as the 'second city of the empire'. Sure, grand architecture came our way, but for the many, life changed little. Decades of voting Labour MPs into the local council and into the Westminster parliament have achieved little. Flocking to Papal masses and marching to commemorate debauched foreign tyrants like King William of Orange at best distracts us, at worst breeds new misery.

Local politicians and media have their heads in the sand. Some, like journalist Roxanne Sorooshian from Glasgow's Herald newspaper are more offended by Gaelic-speaking schoolkids (?!!) than the poverty around her.

Our nation's dirty laundry is no secret though. Tourism guides can now see beyond the 'Glasgow with style' hype with its focus on designer fashion and culture. And while Glasgow's contribution to our culture is not in doubt, references to the violence, poverty and 'grim hinterland' are a reminder that the Scots Parliament has much to do.

The posited solutions... Independence? A re-connection with our land, language and culture? Community ownership of land? Better education? Eating berries?

There are no magic pills but looking north for inspiration is a start. These possible remedies range from...

the big scale - Norway is a relatively young nation that has used its oil wealth wisely and not sent it to another nation whereby it goes to feed a habit of warmongering and arms accumulation.

to the easily achievable -  investing in top quality education where children are encouraged to explore their environment, engage with traditional and practical tasks from gathering food, chopping wood to cooking, embrace languages and develop inquiring minds and constructive attitudes. The new Curriculum for Excellence is a positive step but is there the political will from all parties and funding to see it succeed?

to the ludicrously simple - Finland has dealt with similar issues to ours - alcoholism, depression, short life expectancy - by readopting traditional land-based practices such as gathering fresh fruit.

The alternative option of voting Labour for the status quo is a road to nowhere.


*Sulian Stone Eagle of Nova Scotia's MicMac tribe came some years ago to oppose the plans for a Harris superquarry and lent his support to the Pollock Free State protest at the M77 motorway extension. He visited some of Glasgow's schemes and compared the poverty he witnessed to his own tribe's reservation in Canada. For more info, see Alistair McIntosh's site here.

Who do you think you are? Vatican special!

Historic. Two elderly religious figureheads meet in Edinburgh to discuss their shared German blood and to joke over minute differences in faith. Conversation was stilted at first, but a perusal of the Vatican Family photo album soon loosened the jaws of Herr Ratzinger and Frau Saxe-Coburg.

We are thrilled to march down memory lane with them!

Forgive me father for I have SSinned.

What happens here, stays here, OK Frau?

According to Pius, Adolf's confession was rather long.

Then off we went to the Costas on an Opus Dei package deal to meet cousin Franco.

...and wave them like you just don't care!

Jugend will be jugend. Reich?

Not just a boys' club you know.

Hitler knew he had the church right behind him.

Adolf in da House!

Everybody in the house say 'Heil!'

'Onward Christian Soldiers...'

Twas a hun time for all.

The Pope and Paisley in Scotland - who next?

All we need now are some Islamic heid-the-baws calling for heads to roll because of some slight perceived offence and Scotland will, for a day at least, be back in the dark ages. And all of this because of some folk tales from the ancient Semite traditions.

The Pope and Ian Paisley, despite their public image as mortal enemies, have more in common than one may think. More than just fetish for a Middle-Eastern death cult and others' sins of the flesh.

For a start, both are likely to say, 'these poofs put me off my pint'. Though it may be translated into Biblical patois along the lines of 'sodomites are an abomination.' It is however, hard to understand which blawhard and bigot is tougher on 'sodomy and on the causes of sodomy'. Paisley notoriously launched the ludicrous 'Save Ulster from Sodomy' campaign in 1977. They leafleted outside schools and one Eireannach I know was one of the pupils who received one of the leaflets. He was too young at the time to know what 'sodomy' meant but Paisley and his disciples were determined to thrust it in his face regardless. Likewise Pope Benedict, though his days of 'on the street' anti-gay action were probably in his far-off Hitler Youth days.

It is strange for both of these bigoted hypocrites that other people's private lives are of so much interest to them. Especially when they both have turned a blind eye to instances of their own clergy spilling their 'holy water' into places where the sun don't shine. The child abuse scandals within the Catholic Church are as shameful as they are numerous. But, it seems that auld Paisley has got form on this front too.

To quote the current Irish Central magazine:

I'm sure Paisley is familiar with the bible admonition that "Let him without sin cast the first stone."

Back in 1973 a full-time missionary in Paisley's church, Valerie Shaw, approached Paisley with horrific news. A senior administrator at the Kincora orphanage in Belfast and a close ally of Paisley named William McGrath was abusing boys at the home.

Paisley ignored Shaw and refused to investigate.

In January 1980 the Kincora scandal broke amid allegations, later proven of massive abuse of children at the home.

Paisley knew the ringleader McGrath very well and McGrath had accompanied him to many meetings.

He denied Shaw had told him about McGrath years earlier, but under pressure later admitted he had been told of her suspicions.

This is the man who now proposes to attack the pope on the same issue.

( click here for full article)

Fortunately, the pilgrims that follow both these dinosaurs are dwindling in number, though for sheer delusional stamina, they'd beat any Ethiopian long-distance athlete. And then browbeat the poor fellow on his choice of god (s).

Should anyone seek any truly fascinating as well as amusing insights into the world of Abrahamic delusion as we know it then I can thoroughly recommend:

The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins,

Against All Gods, AC Grayling,

The Portable Atheist, Christopher Hitchens

Another apple that I've yet to pick from the tree is:

Why I am Not a Muslim, Ibn Warraq

The question remains. Will any of Scotland's politicians have the courage to seek to stop all religious worship - brainwashing - in our schools?

(Btw, the Benedict Condom image comes from NQB and the sophisticated montage work is believed to be the work of crack graphic design experts deep within Edinburgh's Lib Dem HQ)

What's the Gaelic for Firefox?

It is bound to be asked. Dè a' Ghàidhlig a th'air Firefox? If you thought that George W Bush was an eejit for saying that 'the problem with the French is that they have no word for entrepreneur' then welcome to the world of the Gael.  A mole deep inside Edinburgh's cooncil has catalogued some of the comments from the great monolingual fungus that is your average modern day Brit*. One claimed that Gaelic wasn't fit for the modern age because it had no 'word' for chilli con carne. Another whinged about why the publicity for the Cèilidh Culture festival should be bilingual. 'Don't the Gaels have their own word for cèilidh?' moaned Dùn Eideann cooncil's very ane Dubya.

Anyway, as I tuck into my veggie version of tiolaidh le feoil, I almost choke on my oxymoron to find out that someone has translated Mozilla's Firefox into Gàidhlig. But, before a lynch mob of Tax Payers' Alliance and Daily Mail extremists form an orderly queue outside Salmond's office, it should be pointed out that this appears to be the work of a dedicated volunteer techno-Gael. Good on him. With Google having adopted the ancient Scots' tongue some years ago, it means that Scots can now browse and surf almost entirely in the language that came here with the er... Scots nearly 2000 years ago.

Dè a' Ghàidhlig a th'air hairy skat loving nuns?

Even if only a few hundred bilingual diversity loving zealots like myself use it, it'll still be a step forward for Scotland and her culture. Why? Because there is no fckn value in just being like everyone else. I'm actually quite proud of Scottish Gaelic's contribution to the patchwork of global diversity. It makes the world a more interesting place. Any goddamn dork can just parrot American English.

In reference to the previous posting on Scotland's poverty of ambition, this has to be one instance where someone has got off their arse and done something. Something different, other than shopping at Primark or updating MyScab with inane bullshit. Agus, se siud fàth mo sgeoil. 

Meal a naidheachd air an laoch ud.

Download it here.

* I refuse to acknowledge a 'Scot' who decries his/ her nation's oldest indigenous tongue. To me, they might as well be Gerri Halliwell in her Butcher's Apron. Or David Cameron. Whichever is worse.

Scotland and the poverty of ambition

Admittedly, this is written after the Scottish national football team has plumbed new depths. Though without being too tribal in sporting terms, I must also acknowledge the continued failure of bawbag Britain's latest great white dope in the tennis world, Andy Murray. The main point not being that we rarely win at anything nor even the constant whinging at perceived inequalities on the playing field. No, the problem is that we expect to fail or are scared to conceive success. We are even satisfied to have a primary-school level carving of an Australian Christian wife-beater's interpretation of one of our national heroes exist at the foot of his monument.

Sport though is just that. It's bad enough when the playing field is our very nationhood and culture. There are numerous examples but here are a few that come to mind.

G'day suckers

First up has to be the reluctance - cowardice - of the Unionist parties at Holyrood to countenance a referendum on independence. This is bad enough but the idiocy of some Scots is depressing. It isn't uncommon to hear views such as 'I dinny want to be ruled by an Alex Salmond dictatorship' or words to that effect. Strange that people can't see that an independent Scotland would be ruled by whichever party that won the subsequent elections. Do they think the Republic of Ireland is run by a perpetual Sinn Fein government? Do the Norwegians only have Det norske Arbeiderparti at elections? Or do these amadain even have a concept of 'Norway' as a successful though small and socially democratic independent nation?

And while we're on Norway... Its often amusing to hear 'auld Socialist' types coming across all Daily Mail in defence of the Union. Apparently, an independent Scotland could not survive the current economic crisis. "It just wouldnae work...". I wonder which part of bankrupt Britain's massive £400billion debt could be construed as 'functioning' or 'successful'? Perhaps the saddest thing about all this is not that the Scottish Labour Party or Lib Dems are unwilling to test their pro-Union faith but that they cannot see the opportunity in this for their own parties and for Scotland. Whilst I may happily vote for the SNP or the Greens at the moment because they offer a positive change from a backward Union that has given us little in the way of dividend, I would welcome the chance to vote for a post-Union Scottish Labour Party that had along the way re-adopted some auld and basis principles. The current malaise is exemplified well by Scottish Labour's leader Iain Gray - a man who seems to have made a committment to mediocrity his vocation.

Forward with mediocrity and the war on teeth

If anyone doubts the lack of a Union dividend, they need only go to some of our housing schemes. Decades, indeed centuries, of London rule under different parties has changed little or nothing. Compare it to Norway. I wonder how many young men in Oslo had power drills taken to their skulls by gangsters recently? Or had chisels and knives taken to their groin and face? Maybe we should just compare their longevity and general health and well-being? Or count the number of teeth in your average Norwegian teenagers mouth? In short, just what the fuck is the status quo doing for our poor? Independence aint a magic pill but its a start. And Norway is a pretty good role model to emulate.

Norway too has an egalitarian approach to its two languages - Bokmal and Ny Norsk. Compare this to the usual whinging about Gaelic - most often followed by some vague reference to tax-payers' money and its status as a minority language. Hmmm... I wonder which other minorities should have services denied due to cost? Couldn't we just round all the minorities up into cattle trucks?  Fact is, Gaelic is ours and to those who deny that it has a place in Lowland culture, go and learn some and maybe then you'll see the mountain in front of you. Its like a Francist madrileno denying the Arabic influence in Spanish culture but being unable to explain the significance of Al-Andalus. Gaels are tax-payers too and as native Scots are surely entitled to services in our indigenous tongue. This should not be confused with efforts to reverse the erosion of the language - after centuries of repression and neglect. 

On this point, its dissapointing to see Edinburgh Council further postpone a decision on whether or not Dùn Eideann should have a stand-alone Gaelic school. Pure fence sitting. Arguments about cost won't wash. Our kids have to be educated. We might as well give them 2 or 3 languages in the process as let their minds' potential rot with mono-lingualism.

Lastly, and on subject of education, is the new 'Curriculum for Excellence'. This has been in the pipeline for years. Some though claim that they aren't prepared for it. Others claim that it is too 'vague'. Thankfully, some understand that it empowers the teacher to give children the necessary tools of enquiry and research. Why just teach children to memorise facts? Why not give them the skills to find out for themselves? I for one certainly welcome the new emphasis on exploration, reasoning and philosophy as hopefully it will lead to a gradual reduction of religious worship in schools. Why teach children to enquire and search for evidence while simultaneously telling them to 'just believe' a bunch of unprovable auld tales with absolutely no basis in logic?

There are other issues. From the suspicion of euthanasia (strange, but the churches are at the forefront of opposition to yet another advance in the understanding of, and steps to alleviate human suffering) to our inability to effectively and sensibly deal with the drugs issue - and this includes our harmful relationship with alcohol and tobacco.

In the next qualifying matches for the Euro Championships, it would be refreshing to hear the players talk up a win against world champions Spain - not only because we've practised and relearned the basics of passing and shooting but because we don't fucking fear success. Simply, if the laws of science say its possible, then go for it.

Bad Religion: Darwin meets REM on speed

Punk rock gigs in Scotland are rarely held in venues that accommodate more than 200 souls. And while its not unusual to hear political rants between songs (rants in their own right), this is the first time that I've heard a punk band dedicate songs to Charles Darwin and celebrate Scotland's history of producing natural historians, scientists and other philosophers. Then again, this is Bad Religion and their singer is Dr. Greg Graffin, professor in space sciences and palaeontology at UCLA in New York.

The thousand or so science-punks who crowded into Glasgow's ABC venue were treated to a history lesson on their nation's own proud contribution to the enlightenment and modern science. A section of the lyrics in the classic BR song 'No Control' are taken from Edinburgh born geologist James Hutton's work in the 18th Century:

"we find no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end." 

As well as this hymn to theories of cyclical deposition on the seabed, Bad Religion raged through a selection of their multi-syllabic and tuneful classics including American Jesus, Recipe for Hate, Los Angeles is Burning and Sorrow. Strangely, there was no Anesthesia though if your career stretches back 30 years and some 15 albums then one or two classics are bound to slip through the net. The gig was also an opportunity to view accomplished punk guitarist Brian Baker on guitar. This ex-Minor Threat member turned down work with REM to join Bad Religion after his previous melodic punk project Dag Nasty came to an end.

Only precious few can garner our prosperity,
It makes us walk with renewed confidence.
We got a place to go when we die,
And the architect resides right here.
...We've got the American Jesus

Graffin meanwhile has started to supplement his cultural output by publishing a number of books. The latest is 'Evolution and Religion' in which he discusses evolution and how it is approached by devotees of superstition.  The book includes interviews with well-kent voices on the subject such as Richard Dawkins. In the shops on 27 September.

"I've fckn scored at Easter Road"

From Glasgow and Bad Religion to the Edinburgh Fringe and its Edge Festival. Myself and the Frau get a wild card entry into the Pearl and the Puppets gig at new venue The Electric Circus. The band features young lass Katie Sutherland from Kirkintilloch whose voice makes the band sound like the Cranberries. Pearl and her band have already supported the debauched Hibs supporter and friend of Princess Di, Elton John - he who once lit up Easter Road Stadium with his vile 'Candle in the Wind'. Back to Pearl though and unfortunately, the fuzzy indie guitars heard on the radio were absent here and the gig seemed like a family gathering with barely 100 present. The leggy and cute singer already seems to have acquired one or two stalker types. Watching at least two bald and middle-aged men mouthing every lyric while transfixed on the giraffe-like Katie and swaying like twee indie-kids was somewhat disturbing. All in all, the girl's got a great voice and is probably destined for great things but everything is just so god-damn nice. Its about as edgy as a Presbyterian sphere. Get a new backing band too - they look like Mormons, high on Colgate. Give me Bad Religion anyday...

Everybody is talking about the girl
who went and killed the delivery man,
but she looks so kind and gentle,
it just doesn't stand to reason,
I saw her right there just the other night
as stately as a slot machine,
but when she looked my way something mad
as hell came over me,

Anesthesia, Mona Lisa, I've got a little gun,
here comes oblivion,
I never loved you, how did you find me?
the cops will never prove complicity now, Anna......
all good children go to heaven!

I remember your face that august night
when we lied about the beautiful time to come
and that crazy old man who came much to late
and caused a chain reaction,
I've been hanging out there for eleven long years
like a church mouse wondering where the cat has gone,
and looking at you now
is driving me to distraction

 

The Free Taliban (continuing) of Scotland

Further to the earlier piece marking one year since the 'Sabbath busting' ferry on the Ullapool to Stornabad route, my enquiries have lead me to the enlightenment (?) that is the official website of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. I did plan to write this yesterday, a Sunday, but guess what? The FPC site only carried the following message!

 

(Actually, the bit in bold is my own contribution to their message)

There also exists the Kirk, Free Kirk, the Associated Presbyterian Churches (APC) and the Free Church (Continuing). Of course, the usual others can be found too - the Roman Catholic international behemoth, the Baptists and Episcopalians. Perhaps the existence of so many subsects of this one branch of Abrahamic belief are proof enough that the 'word of God' has about the same legitimacy as a blueprint for modern and moral living as Donnie Dotaman's songbook - though the latter is the only one that is without a doubt the work of a grey-bearded man.

All hail the grey-bearded man.

The enmity that exists between these ever-diminishing sects should be not underestimated. While to the rest of us, there may be a bawhair of difference between the FC and FC(C) or even the APC - these cultists band about accusations of sinning or being the  'Antichrist!' with the ferocity and similar lack of logic that's usually seen in exchanges between tribal fitba fans. A Hearach from my student days told of the day his family visited their local FC manse. Suddenly in mid conversation, the FC minister lept to his feet and exclaimed that Satan's people were at that moment passing the house. The passers-by turned out not to be Black Sabbath fans (Prince Charles too?) or even Calanais-bound hippies but the sodomy-tolerant congregation of the Church of Scotland.

Whatever, a look at the website of the FPC will show you that their world is a world of fear. The logic is difficult to grasp as they kick off by saying that we are ALL sinners who deserve to roast, for ever. What then is their mission? And why then is the 'sodomite' worthy of more column inches of ire than the kindly auld cailleach on her croft? Whatever, the FPC cannot be accused of hiding behind a Nu-Labour-esque airbrushed facade. These guys mean business and from the off, they go for the scrote:

• Everyone is guilty of sin and deserves to be punished in hell for ever.
• God in his mercy has sent his Son, Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, to be the Saviour of sinners.

Comparisons with Islamic fundamentalists may be somewhat jocular but the underlying philosophy is the same. Compare Iran's 'Morality Police' with the FPC's sinister sounding 'Religion and Morals Committee'. The intention is the same, indeed the source is ultimately the same, its just the various splinters of Scots Presbyterianism thankfully lack the manpower and public support. One need only look to Scotland of the 17th century to see hardline Calvinism in full effect. 

Their page of reports has not been updated since 2007. But looking back to 2002, we can see the pattern being set with a list of bugbears being set out. I detect a certain jealousy present when they discuss, with no irony, Islamic fundamentalists and their support for the state of Israel:

When false religion poses such a threat to life and property the civil powers must take action in defence of their people. Atrocities are also being perpetrated against the people and State of Israel.

Palestinian suicide bombers are indiscriminately attacking Israeli men, women and children.

The enemy across the Sruth na Maoile in Ireland gets a mention too:

It is solemn to think that Sinn Fein/IRA, who pursued their own ends by

terrorism, used to meet on the 106th floor of the north tower of the WorldTrade Centre.

Incredible as it seems, the document reads like a collection of the more militant cuttings from the Daily Mail. Multiculturalism too is a source of angst - ironic from a group of people who cling to a Middle-Eastern creed, who evangelise in Africa and whose core heartland consists of a people who have Gaelic as their first tongue and blood from Celtic, Norse, Pictish and even Hispanic peoples.

Over the last thirty years the Muslim community in Britain has doubled and within it a very extreme element has been permitted to develop. Enclaves of extremism and hatred have been created. Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists are afraid to change their false gods
but we, like the Jews of Jeremiah’s day, have changed our glory for that which
doth not profit (Jeremiah 2:11).

Those dreaded Papists are targeted too. The designs of the Antichrist on the British throne in particular are a source of discomfort. Though the complicity of the Roman Catholic Church in the Third Reich comes in for righteous opprobrium, is the source of their anger human rights or the fact that the Papists practise idolatry? They quote the, probably godless, philosopher Adam Smith again with no sense of irony. I particularly like the bit about 'reason':

Whatever we may say of Islam, the famous 18th century Scottish economist, Adam Smith, was clear that Rome stood at the head of the hierarchy of evil when he wrote in his
Wealth of Nations that: “The constitution of the Church of Rome may be
considered the most formidable combination that was ever formed against the
authority and security of civil government as well as against the liberty, reason,
and happiness of mankind.” Such statements are not made without reason.

A section entitled 'Roman Catholics in high places' does not deal with nuns climbing Stac Pollaidh but with various eminent Catholics who may use their power to foist 'superstition' on the populace:

It is reported that Tony Blair usually worships in a Roman Catholic Church. Mrs. Blair is a Roman Catholic and a republican. Iain Duncan Smith, Charles Kennedy, Michael Ancram, Bill Cash, General Sir Charles Guthrie, Chris Patten, Anne Widdecombe, the present
Northern Ireland secretary, and a large percentage of the Scottish Parliament
are Roman Catholics. Mr. Michael Martin is the first Roman Catholic Speaker
of the Commons to be elected for 442 years.

I'm not sure if the Daily Mail would tolerate criticism of Widdecombe as some kind of godless immoral slut. One wonders if the writer had been listening to Green Day's 'American Idiot' whilst penning the following?:

It is sad to read of the President of the United States of America, George W.
Bush, lauding the Man of Sin last year at the dedication of the Pope John Paul
II Cultural Centre.

Then, it is with trembling fingers that I scroll down to 'Morals' and 'Sodomy'. Bad news for vegetarians though. Why oppose fox hunting when people are butt-fucking behind closed doors?

There is a hue and cry against people hunting foxes with hounds and horses, and the Scottish
Executive supports their cause with legislation... but teachers may yet be disciplined if they do not teach children that a homosexual relationship is as normal as marriage between one man and one woman.

The FPC moans the modern sexual education taught in schools. Would they rather it was replaced with the equally explicit Bible that teaches the menstrual fluid is poison, incest is desirable and that boys' foreskins should join the tattie peelings on the compost heap? Further on, we find... the Daily Mail! Hurrah for the Fascists! Now here we have moral backbone...

The Daily Mail reported (5th March 2002) that “Homosexual couples and
unmarried partners have been granted a raft of new rights in a stealth operation
by the Scottish Executive”. The paper says that next of kin status has been given
to those who have been living together for six months. “Bills have been quietly
amended to ensure that cohabitees and [homosexual] partners are treated in the
same way as spouses.”

The Word of God speaks of homosexuality as an evidence of a reprobate
mind, the degrading practice of those who have been given over to vile
affections, by God.

Warning though. If your kids don't fall prey to carpet-munching or bottom-sex then the drugs might get them.

Home Secretary, Mr. David Blunkett, announced that cannabis is to be reclassified from ClassB to Class C; it has been effectively decriminalised, resulting, no doubt in its
increased use and a legalised gateway to harder drugs.

If however, wee Angus comes home with a spliff in his mouth and the Pet Shop Boys pumping from his headphones, feel free to use your 'rod' to show him the moral path:

The Word of God forbids using violence against our children, but it does not forbid using physical chastisement. “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far fromhim” (Proverbs 22:15)

After all this, we find a section on Intolerance of Christian Principles:

 

One of the functions of the minister of Christ is to act as a watchman. His duty
as such, is to identify and expose the movements of the enemies of Jesus
Christ, and of true religion, such as the papal antichrist, and the followers of
the false prophet Mohammed.

Legislation was pushed through the House of Commons, ostensibly to
counter terrorism but containing far-reaching measures which could
criminalise the minister’s duty to be a watchman.

Shit! Do they mean us?

That Mr. Gorrie failed to draw a line between religious hooligans and the
historic biblical Christianity which we as a Church seek to uphold is, quite
frankly, sinister. We fear that there is such ignorance of true religion in
Scotland that strongly held biblical views, and the behaviour of drunkards and
others who perpetrate violence in the name of the Christian religion, are
viewed as different manifestations of the same principles.

After the shame of being lumped together with the violently sectarian hordes of Rangers' fans they come to the final glum conclusion:

We have scratched the surface of Britain’s moral degeneracy.

From there we fast forward to the 2007 report. Surely God hasn't allowed the situation to deteriorate? However, the first paragraph spells it out...

IT is probably fair to say that, while within living memory there has been little
in the sphere of the religion and morals of our nation to cheer our hearts, this
is especially so over the past number of months.

It continues in a similar vein with rants against, Rome, Rome and Islam, Rome and the Anglican Church, Ecumenism, the RCC in Britain, the Papacy and politics, the RCC and the Bible (do I detect a trend here?), the Church of Rome and child abuse, the Papacy and the Crown, religious hatred ("John Knox is airbrushed out of history books"), political correctness (this time the Daily Telegraph gets the brownie points and the great horned one is mentioned... The Devil has tried this before. The State has become the parent, and political correctness impinges on deeds, words and thoughts.), homosexuality (God's punishment of AIDS hasn't worked so far...) and then, we have a new entry into the Immoral Top 40.... Atheism!

Belief in the paranormal has increased 10% since 1954. Last year the Summer solstice drew 21,000 to Stonehenge. We are sinking back into heathendom as the true preaching of the Gospel, and Christian witness, wanes. Atheism too is very militant among us and we are attacked by intolerant evolutionists. An ambitious campaign to spread this Gospel of darkness was launched by the Christian-hating writer Richard Dawkins, with his latest book entitled The God Delusion.

Though somehow I can't see Dawkins sitting cross legged at a Calanais solstice getting his Tarot read. Worse still, he's lumped in with Muslims too. Also incredible is the lamenting of the fall of Soviet Communism, godless as it was...

It is time our nation was realistic about false religions, for there is but one way of
salvation, and that is through Christ. There is no doubt that this is one of God’s
rods upon our country, and the terrible thing is that we do not know that it is
such. Mohammed seemed conciliatory to Jews and Christians to begin with,
but when rejected by them he became confrontational.The break-up of the Russian empire has released many Muslim groupings...

If I were Dawkins, I would sue them.

Fortunately, the congregations of all these sects seems to be on the wane. The APC may have as few as several dozen serious adherents. The Free Church probably no more than ten thousand and the FPC even less. The Kirk itself, 'moderate' but as recently as the 1930s it was enthusiastically spreading hatred of Irish immigrants on the grounds that most were followers of yon Antichrist, is in decline.

There are some in the Highlands and Islands who take offence to the mocking of these extremists and fanatics as if this were a mirror on rural Gaelic society. It isn't. I'm old enough to remember dour Sundays in Midlothian though to be honest, we didn't have to be as secretive about watching Scotsport on the Sabbath as some islanders. A little further back in the 1950s and this mania gripped even the cities. Much of the above would have seemed familiar to my mother, born within a stone's throw of the Hearts ground in inner-city Gorgie. Similarly a friend tells of an Irish grandparent in 50s small-town Scotland whose house was the only one to have a Xmas tree.

To be blunt, its time to leave these Knox and Calvin obsessed maniacs in the past. If we want such a theocracy we can go and live in Iran or Saudi Arabia - hardline Presbyterianism with a different label. A different image on the packet but when the reality is that gays are hung, rape victims are stoned to death and attitudes to sex are dictated by fantastical ancient texts, everyday life will be much the same. This is what happens when zealots of any religion - fascists - garner enough 'souls for Christ' to take power. We saw it in the Scotland of the past and we see it in modern day nations from Iran to the United States.

Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism - its all Dotaman, just different tunes.

Good cop, bad cop... free to kill cop

Ian Tomlinson was assaulted by a uniformed policeman whose ID number was obscured and who was wearing a balaclava. Tomlinson had NO part in whatever protest was taking place around him.

The offender is alleged to be PC Simon Harwood. Perhaps those courageous law abiding citizens at the Daily Mail or some similar organ that usually crusades on behalf of 'law and order' can find it in themselves to bring a private prosecution based on the evidence shown in The Guardian's video above.

Lastly, in recent years we have seen ample evidence of the nature of some cops - yon guy fantasising about being a Klu Klux Klansman and executing Asians comes to mind - and there have been many 'suspicious' deaths in police custody or in the course of their work on the streets. Even if you disregard the conspiracy theories surrounding the state and its police force, one should accept that human nature in whatever role it adopts is fallible, and ask, 'When was the last time a policeman/woman was charged with murder? '

Info on, or donations to:
http://www.iantomlinsonfamilycampaign.org.uk/

Not the Tartan Taliban?

Its been one hell of a godless week. A smattering of press articles on the under-scrutinized subject of religious mania in Scotland appeared and Bill Maher's religious-bating comedy-documentary Religulous arrived on the doorstep courtesy of the entertainment spirit known as Lovefilm and all to a soundtrack of melodic intellectual punks Bad Religion with hymns to non-belief such as American Jesus and Don't Pray on Me.

It is one year since the first Sabbath breaking ferry gave those on Lewis who are not affiliated with one of Abrahamic splinter groups, sects and outright heidcase cults the 'Satanic choice' of travel on a Sunday. It is roughly 5000 years since pre-Celtic inhabitants erected the first Calanais stones, probably because of some vague religious stimulus, ironically in the rough shape of a Celtic cross - predating the suicide mission of the son of God (or was it just God himself in a convenient flesh and bone package?) by some 3000 years. Surely the best scuppering of Roman glory until Italy's recent embarrassing exit in the World Cup.

A recent BBC report brought a smile to my face in which a spokes-mortal from the Free Church Continuing denied that his band of Old Testament obsessed zealots were bullies or 'Taliban'. Some may point out that were the various churches that exist in the Isle of Lewis that extreme then they would have wasted no time in removing yon monument to paganism that is the idolatrous complex of stones at Calanais as did the Taliban with ancient Buddhist statues.

I cannot claim here to offer documented proof of the following as there are so many sub-sects of hardline Presbyterianism active. Further to that, even island congregations of the more 'moderate' Church of Scotland tend to be more extreme, like some kind of St Kildan mouse - more rugged and robust than its effete mainland cousins. To my knowledge though the 'Wee Frees' demand rigid adherence to the Old Testament of the King James' Bible. This results in opposition to:

• the theatre - I've never really seen the theatre as a kind of petri-dish of Satanism but I guess King James' grasp of ancient Hebrew was better than mine
• Sabbath breaking - only 'work of necessity' should be carried out on the 'Day of the Lord'. However, if you are gonna be anal about it, then the Sabbath means Saturday. End of.
• pleasures of the flesh - the classic bogey man. Gay sex, women's rights, masturbation, adultery, sex outside marriage, abortion, scud mags, contraception etc... The usual bugbears of virtually every religious heidcase from Stornabad to Islamaway. But why cherry pick these fruits? Do they also demand that every boy is circumcised? After all, the guid book tells us that God almost killed Moses, of all people, for refusing to mutilate his son's genitals. Or how about women's 'monthly uncleanliness'? While Biblical enthusiasts may shout about the above on a regular basis, they seem less forthright about their chosen punishment for those of us who fall by their spiritual wayside - death. Maybe its this one point more than the others that sees equation with the Taliban as a given. Traditionally, such sinners were put to death by stoning or burning. Do they uphold this? I look forward to learning more.
• music - as per the theatre, another test tube in which Satanic microbes breed uncontrollably. Unfortunately, according to Professor Willie Ruff of Yale University, gospel music has its origins in the Presbyterian psalm singing of black slaves. Join the dots from gospel to RnB to blues and the irony of it is that the unaccompanied psalms of Gaelic-speaking puritans may have given birth to the very rock 'n' roll that sees young girls seduced by ageing Rolling Stones and Oi Polloi singing 'When Two Men Kiss'.
• vanity - myself and the Wee Frees may find some common ground if we were discussing the forthcoming Tom Cruise family reality show but of course, the Wee Freaks take it all too far. I was told by an islander of a native Niseach who went on Radio nan Gaidheal to talk of his wartime experiences only to be later castigated by his local kirk for 'vanity'. He may have survived being torpedoed by both the Nazis and the Japs but the guided missile of Calvin didn't miss.
• dancing... Auld joke time: "Why are Presbyterians against sex standing up? It may lead to dancing."
• black magic - or an sgoil dhubh in Gaelic. One reverend who recently called for Calvinists to 'lighten up' and see the likes of Harry Potter for the classic kids' literature that it is was criticised for "endorsing witchcraft".
  

The fact is that these maniacs are an embarrassment for most islanders. Religion in one form or other has always existed in Scotland, however this dour and extreme Calvinist doctrine is itself a relatively recent import as observed by Gaelic historian and Sabbath-breaking enthusiast Dr. Finlay MacLeod,

"A posse of Calvinists came to Lewis three or four generations ago. They were very effective. They turned Lewis effectively into a theocracy."(Click here for the full article from the Herald)


Though the Leodhasaich may now travel to the mainland by ferry or plane on a Sunday some normal aspects of everyday life are still banned by the cowardly Comhairle nan Eilean Siar such as keeping sports centres closed. Is this out of respect for a dwindling number of mostly aged Christians? Or do they really fear the wrath of god as some proclaimed was witnessed when a whirlwind hit Stornoway last year?! Whatever, some islanders are campaigning for the right to swim in Lewis like you can in Catholic Barra.

Religion remains a poison. Good morals come from common sense and not from ancient middle-eastern texts that encourage us to see women as second class, foreskins as evil, literature as Satanic and whatever other people do with their bodies in their own bedrooms as our fucking business.

You can read an islander's perspective on Iain MacIver's blog here.

Stirling Albion bought by fans

Congratulations to the community of Stirling fans who have bought their football club. Stirling Albion are the first in the British isles to do so though such a concept in not unusual on the continent. Two of the biggest names in the sport - Barcelona and Real Madrid - are owned by their communities as are clubs in the Netherlands and Germany. The Scots' cringe may say, 'we canny do it', but many Scots are doing it already.

The coming of the Scots' Parliament gave crofting communities the right to buy their own land. The crofters of Asainte in Sutherland were the first to mount a hostile takeover bid. They were soon followed by the islanders of Eigg - see above - who had been fucked about by a succession of rich and 'eccentric' landowners for decades to the point that islanders were forbidden to develop or maintain their own homes without permission from some wealthy and foreign fruitcake.

There has since been many takeovers of crofting communities - the latest being a hostile takeover of the Pàirc estate in Lewis. The hard work and dedication involved in these matters should not be underestimated but the flipside is that private ownership does not always work either. And, if it does work, does it work for everyone's benefit?

If communities can do it, why can't football clubs? In both cases we have livelihoods at stake as well as a lot of tradition and history involved. We've seen various clubs go under - Clydebank and Gretna come to mind from recent years - while many more are in deep trouble. Hearts are up to their necks in debt and should their mad owner withdraw many think it would be the end. However, if Stirling can do it, surely a large club like Hearts with a potential support of many tens of thousands could do it too.

Support Stirling Albion and lets leave the nay saying Scots' cringe in dark old days of the London empire.

Meal a naidheachd air Albion Shruighlea is gach deagh dhùrachd is soirbheachas leibh.