Women, days and nations

Yesterday was International Women's Day and one or two things caught my eye while window shopping on sites such the BBC and Bella Caledonia. Most interesting to those of us who seek self-determination for Scotland and her people was this article on the BBC from October 2013 which saw a surge in readership, perhaps due to IWD. Is it just a co-incidence that small nations perform better in areas of equality?

Top of the pile is wee Iceland - with a population roughly the same as the city of Aberdeen. So much for Alistair 'Black Dwarf' Darling's moaning about Scotland being 'too small' to do all sorts of things.

Also interesting is that a country such as Ireland, where a significant number of people still adhere to the teachings of the Catholic church, can leave behind shameful episodes like the Magdalene Laundries scandal and move forward. While abortion rights are still a major issue in Ireland, it's good to see auld Eirinn recognised here. As more Irish people lose their Catholic superstitions in years to come, it can only be expected that Ireland makes more progress on gender equality.

Overall gender gap

Europe has seven countries in the top 10. The UK is 18th and the US is 23rd.The Philippines, at fifth, is the highest ranking Asian nation and Nicaragua is the highest-placed country from the Americas, at 10th.
The G20 group of leading industrial nations has no representative in the top 10, nor do the Middle East or Africa.

Top countries

1. Iceland
2. Finland
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Philippines

6. Ireland 7. New Zealand
8. Denmark
9. Switzerland
10. Nicaragua

Also, was this piece on Bella by bana-Ghaidheal Mary Ann Kennedy touching on issues such as bilingualism and the fear of change.

The Gaelic angle on independence and women brings to mind the bana-bhàrd of the crofters during the Clearances, Màiri Mhòr nan Oran. Her songs are still popular though some lines such as that which calls for the 'Sasannaich' to be cleared from native Skye may make some sing it through gritted teeth. A brave woman who was ahead of her time.

This finally leads on to the Poison Girls and their singer Vi Subversa. Noted for their quirky and jazzy punk on the Crass label, Poison Girls were every bit as political as Màiri Mhòr though the satire was a bit closer to the bone and the language a bit more colourful. Think of NoMeansNo with Elaine C Smith on vocals and out of her head on acid.

Aye right. But who popes up now?

The reaction to the Pope's resignation on 'health grounds' will surely be 'aye right' if you're Scottish and cynical. And let's face it with a history that encompasses almost all shades of religious mania from Catholic witch hunts to Presbyterian extremists to Orange Order violence and latterly Islamic jihad against Glasgow airport - we Scots have a right to be cynical of religion.

I don't usually subscribe to wild conspiracy theories but it seems as if the nature of the Catholic Church is to cover-up secrets while maintaining the right to stick it's nose into the lives of others. Especially the sex lives of others. So, accepting the premise that a Pope resigning due to old-age is bullshit - how many Popes have we witnessed who were obviously plugged in until eventually the wires frayed? - what could be the real reasons for the Pope's premature ejacu divestment of his responsibilities?

• The sheer weight of the global Catholic sex-abuse scandal? There seems to be 'a priest a week' being unmasked as a child abuser. With so many cases brushed under the carpet, why stop now?
• The Magdalene Laundries? Shameful as it was, the collusion between the Irish state and the Catholic Church to enslave and abuse women who they deemed as 'unclean' or 'immoral' was confined to one small part of the global Catholic empire. Not a big enough fish.
• Pope Ratzinger's Nazi past? Old news and while the RCC was guilty of complicity with the Nazi regime many individuals did resist Nazi tyranny. And while Ratzinger joined up he was probably too young to have too much of say so stories of his hand on the trigger as Jews,  Slavs, Gypies or homosexuals were sprayed with gun fire are unlikely to surface.
• Financial? Possibly. Maybe some back-scratching with Silvio Berlusconi?

We may never know. But that doesn't stop us speculating on the next old man to wear the silly hat. Some have speculated that a Third World Pope may be in order. Possibly but who's to say that someone from our very own Gr8 Britane could not step into those holy robes?

Let's go fishing...

Racist and homophobic Leigh Griffiths.

Leigh Griffiths - still in his early 20s so no chance of him being too auld anytime soon despite his haggard appearance. He's certainly right-wing enough with a history of racist and homophobic abuse against members of the public. However, even the RCC has sought to distance itself from its Nazi past in recent decades. Bit of a trouble maker though. Fortunately, if the Pope gig falls through Leigh knows that Hibernian FC - the 'holier than thou' club of Scottish fitba - will always give him a home.

Let us prey.

Tony Blair - has converted to Catholicism in recent years, perhaps with one eye on attaining the Vatican throne. Like Leigh Griffiths though, his past is a bit problematic - namely being a war criminal. However, the RCC found it within itself to accommodate Adolf Hitler and Franco as buddies in the past so who knows... Pope Antonio of Sedgefield step forward?

Notorious heterosexual Clarkson.

Jeremy Clarkson - a master of making offensive comments like many senior Catholics. His posh-school upbringing may stand him in good stead but his wide variety of victims could be problematic. Sure he's got problems with women's rights and homosexuality but he also has chips on shoulders regarding the disabled, Mexicans, Indians, Scots, Germans and the Welsh which would leave the Vatican with little wiggle-room in their global contest against Islam and Judaism to covert the gullible.

"In a statement released this week, Pope Benedict said that he has forgiven the Beatles for John Lennon's claim that they were bigger than Jesus and for their Rock & Roll excesses – in the clearest sign yet that the Vatican is working from the bottom of the complaint box." –Seth Meyers

Out of the frying pan into the fire for Scotland's Presbyterians

There's a battle in my garden with weeds. An aggressive specimen introduced from the Middle East has been wreaking havoc. The only good thing is that this specimen will, in time, apparently destroy itself - constantly breaking up into smaller and smaller pieces until there's nothing left but some annoying little nodules that wear orange sashes and become animated at the sound of a flute.

The genus is Abraham. The species is Christianity. The varieties are legion though there are several that fall within the Calvinist category. Sadly, these have taken root in Scottish soil and despite the efforts of various stalwart gardening experts from David Hume to Hugh MacDiarmid and Iain Crichton Smith, this poisonous weed still thrives in some quarters. Even calling in modern day pest-control experts such as Richard Dawkins and Iain Banks hasn't solved the problem.

The Church of Scotland sub-variety has been in turmoil of late. This is the creation that decreed that the Highland Clearances were the work of god. God had, apparently, chosen idle syphilitic landlords to get rid of poor crofters who sinned against the guy in the sky by living unprofitably on land that could instead by occupied by god's chosen sheep. In later years it orchestrated a vitriolic campaign against a Roman variety of this weed whose seeds were brought to Scotland from neighbouring Ireland. In recent times, the Auld Kirk has become more benign and in a fit of enlightenment recently allowed gay men the right to preach the musings and prejudices of Semite tribes. Some local pods rebelled against this and a few seeds have now ejected themselves and joined with their Free Presbyterian variety.

However, the 'Wee Free' variety is also not without its problems. After years of playing 'bad cop' to the Kirk's 'gay cop', It recently gave the godly green light to music in the house of god. This may seem incredible to most normal people who like a tune or two but many in the Free Kirk still contend that music in any form is the work of Satan and will only worship their god with ancient psalms. Each to their own, I guess. I wonder though what the stern and dour seed pods of the Wee Frees will make of a new crop of all-singing, all-dancing happy clappy Church of Scotlanders joining in?

Park on the Isle of Raasay

The Wee Frees are to reason and progress what the Lib Dems are to honesty and principles. Recently, one Wee Free supporter on BBC Radio nan Gaidheal, bemoaned 'the passing of the Sabbath' on the Isle of Lewis after Caledonian MacBrayne decided to run a Sunday service. His logic was that were humans to disregard the Good Lord's commandments regarding work and play on 'his' day then it wouldn't be long before 'thou shall not kill ' went out the window too and murder and mayhem would ensue. As this man's church also believes that we are all sinners anyway, no matter how heterosexual or sabbatarian we are, and that we are all destined for hell, then one has to ask why a Sunday sail on the Minch would make much difference?

One wonders if all these homophobic Calvinists will insist on upholding other parts of "God's word"? Shall their be stonings of tattooed men? Will adulterers be hung from lamposts? Will a dour but godly minister inspect every new born boy to check that his foreskin has been sliced off? Will there be a campaign to stop men conversing or worse, touching, their wives during their 'monthly uncleanliness'? Indeed, I understand that Deuteronomy even frowns upon women who wear 'men's clothes' as it is 'an abomination unto the Lord'.

Or will the 'gentle churches' content themselves with, as Sorley Maclean put it in his poem 'Ban-Ghaidheal', to speak about the lost state of our miserable souls?

Sing if you're glad to be British

Talking of music and homosexuality though... those Village People of Northern Ireland and their followers will take to the streets of Glasgow this weekend. This tiny but very aggressive variety of Abrahamic horticulture usually goes under the name of the 'Orange Order'. They proclaim their opposition to the aforementioned Roman variety due to its love of 'idols' (that means statues, pictures and photographs to me and you). However, their wind-blown meanderings along West of Scotland byways often sees them miss the entrance to their churches and instead end up inside the football stadium of Ibrox. It has also been pointed out that as they march under large banners of King William of Orange that they too are guilty of 'idolatry'. While this pedantry is nothing that a good dose of laxative wouldn't solve, it has also been observed that 'King Billy' was reputed to have 'enjoyed' more homosexual liaisons than all the gay ministers in the Church of Scotland put together.

Funny that. Nothing like religion to give you a good moral compass and consistency of disapproval.

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)

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.