Posts by Ross Mason
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Tangaroa's existence may be only metaphorical, but that doesn't change the fact that what Tangaroa wants, Tangaroa will take.
I prefer the idea that if you happen to be in peril on the sea, rather than Tanagaroa wanting you, it may be a case of your boat not being up to the moment. Happening 1000km from land there is a very high probablility that the sea will take you.
Why would Tangaroa "take you" out 1000km and then "take you"? Giving a name to a "taker" - like god - seems to be a common theme with spiritualists.
Build a better boat.
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I'm buggered if I can see any relevance Kurt Wise has to religion and media???? Some nut associated with creationism of whom Dawkins says:
Kurt Wise doesn’t need the challenge; he volunteers that, even if all the evidence in the universe flatly contradicted Scripture, and even if he had reached the point of admitting this to himself, he would still take his stand on Scripture and deny the evidence. This leaves me, as a scientist, speechless... We have it on the authority of a man who may well be creationism’s most highly qualified and most intelligent scientist that no evidence, no matter how overwhelming, no matter how all-embracing, no matter how devastatingly convincing, can ever make any difference.
But if the discussion is moving along these lines then the proliferation of the versions of (any) religion can be argued were formed from power struggles. Access to the collection plate is a very powerful aphrodisiac. I get the jillywiggles everytime I hear of pacific island churches (especially) advertising how much folk are contributing. It should offend us all. And then to have the gall to suggest it is in the name of "christ".
Of course the classic goon is our mate L Ron Hubbard. His classic quote is that "You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion."
He and his successors are doing very well thank you. And tax free.
Back to media. Should any religious organisation be able to pay Sky or any TV station to take over the airwaves for the benefit of spreading rumour and propaganda? Is being able to afford such programmes be sufficient reason for TV stations to broadcast them? Or are these too just another way of filling the content quota?
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..the size of a needle's eye :)
One hump or two?
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if I was to set up an atheist primary school, it would attract no
public funding, right?As far as I am aware, you shouldn't need to as that is the norm in our public schools. Anything religious is - and should be - voluntary. I have issues with religion even being accommodated within the education system. Other than in social studies as a means to educate the world wide existence of it.
But back to the media. I do notice media is easily tempted to dangle the miraculous to rare and extraordinary events. Miracle birth, miracle miss - lots of those after the Chch earthquake. It is a miracle someone lives. Is it a miracle someone, inches away, died?
I am all for tolerance of the diversity. But imposing diverse effects on the rest of the population because some authority (usually male BTW) has chosen to tell their followers they must pray on a specified day of the week, five or seven times a day, and demands days that are allocated as acknowledgement to some event related by this head-voiced authority it then becomes a wider issue when the imposition affects others. So rid the country of all of celebratory days. Celebrating or acknowledging nothing is an option.
As far as Newstalk ZB's cosy relationship with CBA is concerned, I wonder if it is a cheap way of getting content into the airwaves. After all, christianity hasn't got something to 'sell' but rather the funding usually comes from the collection plate and the message, no doubt, is recruitment. The production is done by the outside agency rather than the deliverer. And, it appears to both deliverer and listeners to be safe programing.
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There is no doubt this country has developed over the last 200 years under the direct influence of the christian faith. Practically any connection with other world religions was nigh impossible. There is no doubt this so called “god given” and “god’s own” country is now being watered down by other religions and god rejecting heathens – commonly they call us atheists.
Rather than progressively pander to all and sundry, the rational approach is to assert that public NZ should be a fully secular country where individuals are entitled to partake in their own weird practices but ensure the rest of the country’s day to day operations (from employment and education upwards) go ahead prayer free.
So for starters, eschew christmas, eschew easter.
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And a C&W parady for ya. John Prine had a hand in it apparently.
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Dylan imitation......nice version
Waste yourself -
Small Faces.
and here is one of my classics
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Danielle
Up where? On top of Mount Fantastic?
No. Bloody disco bloody land.
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Kate….Celine
6m 53 in