The Pagan Prattle

Oh noes! We're doomed! SF is eeeeevil!

2010-01-06T18:33:52Z

Science fiction is apparently evil and to be avoided, but not because most of it is crap. No, it's because it's about science and written by atheists.

With it being a product of an evolutionary worldview that denies the Almighty Creator, you'd think the Way of Life Literature's Fundamental Baptist Information Service would have no trouble coming up with more than the six dead men they did. They completely forgot about Douglas Adams, Iain Banks, Ben Bova, Angela Carter, Thomas M. Disch, Greg Egan, Harlan Ellison, Harry Harrison, Stanislaw Lem, H.P. Lovecraft, China Miéville, Terry Pratchett, Rober J. Sawyer, Bruce Sterling and Charles Stross.

They also chose to ignore this list and linked pages at adherents.com, which shows a wide variety of superstitious belief, or lack thereof, among SF writers. And clearly are unaware of that noted name William Charles Deich IV (via Pharyngula.)

Meanwhile, here is a useful summary of all knowledge.

Annual End-of-the-World post 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:01Z

If you are reading this, it's safe to say that none of last year's predictions of doom came true. So, how are we to meet our end in 2010? It seems many of the doom-merchants are obsessed with 2012, but the usual suspects are still coming up trumps. I'm going to try a new format this year, organised by date.

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May 9th: It seems that the First-Trump Rapture will probably take place in 5770, hopefully on Ascension Day, Iyar 25, 5770, Sunday, May 9, 2010, because there doesn't seem to be another harvest until the end of the Tribulation.. Marilyn Agee

May 19th or 20th 2010: I believe that MAY 19-20 2010 and JUNE 8-9 2011 AD is one of five possible Encoded Dates ("five futures") when The First Rapture can happen. BIBLE CODE: HARRY WALTHER - RAPTURE - 2011 AD, Satan's Rapture.

Between June 21st and December 31st 2010: New York City will be struck by a nuclear bomb explosion.... This bomb will be an actual nuclear bomb, not merely 'dirty bomb.' It will not be sent by a missile. The city will not be totally destroyed, but the effects of the explosion will be devastating. The radioactive fall-out will devastate the surrounding area, particularly New Jersey. The bomb will be sent by the group of Arab/Muslim nations formed during the year 2009, led by Iran and Iraq. This nuclear attack marks the start of World War 3. The Nuclear Attacks on New York City in 2010, and on Rome and Vatican City in July of 2013, Catholic Planet. This prediction is predicated on a war between Middle Eastern nations having occurred in 2009. It is also similar to the one the Lord's Witnesses have been making for years, though at the time of writing, their date is still December 2009. Note that the person behind Catholic Planet does not believe the world will end any time soon, at least not before 2437.

July 2010: Nancy Lieder's latest date for Planet X's arrival. I think. It's a bit hard to tell. Once again this signifies the Figure 8 wobble that has been so well documented by Nancy during 2004-2005 and again confirmed in 2007 and 2008. Move ahead 25 months from June 20, 2008 and you arrive at late July, 2010. Make of this what you will!, ZetaTalk: GodlikeProduction Live, 21st June 2008. Other Niburu/Planet X advocates suggest that the planet will become visible during the coming year.

November 2010: The start of WWIII. The war will begin in November of 2010 and will end in October of 2014. Will start as a normal war, then will include usage of nuclear and chemical weapons. World Predictions 2010-5079.

2010: A trailer for a series of YouTube videos about the world ending in 2010. Someone else please watch them for me?

2010: Alien End Of Days In 2010, Their New World Order By 2041: Down To Babylon, Iraq, Return The Anachim Of Olam, Nephilim Of Nibiru - Elohim Return To Jer ..., title of vanity published book by Steve Canada.

sometime between the start of 2010 and the end of 2012: Helena Lehman. How Prophecies in the Psalms May Pinpoint the Timing of the Rapture and Second Coming of Christ, American Chronicle, 5th September 2007.

Between 2010 and 2017: Signs of the End (note the domain name).

A correction

2009-12-19T17:56:39Z

Matthew Sephton has mailed to point out an error in our piece about homophobe Richard Carvath:

Richard Carvath is NOT trying to become the Conservative PPC for Salford and Eccles. In fact, he has NOTHING to do with the Conservative Party. He has stated his intention to stand in the constituency as an Independent however.

New York nuke date changed (again)

2009-12-18T10:45:19Z

The Lord's Witnesses have been using Bible codes to predict a terrorist nuke on New York for some time now, the most recent missed date having been December 15th or 16th. Sometime overnight, their site was changed and the prophecy now reads:

We now predict a terrorist attack using a form of fire from the heaven that we cannot conclusively determine, but we think may be nuclear. The US will be hit with a with a weapon producing a mushroom cloud rising from the sea (1Kings18), hitting midtown Westide Manhattan, near the Hudson river on 2009Chislev28 (December19/20).

We are warning you about this, so that when it happens you know that God has spoken of this event beforehand and in fact will save us from nuclear annihilation in the near future...

Still not convinced I can avoid going there in February.

Marilyn Agee has still not updated her site after her most recent failed prediction.

Paging New York

2009-12-17T17:03:04Z

Are you still there? I promised to update the readers today, but there's nothing on the BBC News website about the terrorist nuke that was predicted. It couldn't be that the merchants of doom were wrong (again), could it? And like Marilyn Agee, the Lord's Witnesses have yet to update their site.

Pull the other one, it has sleigh bells on.

2009-12-16T16:56:07Z

United States: Newspapers usually only prank their readers on April 1st, but the Arkansas Sunday Post (bringing you the biggest stories for the tiniest minds, every Sunday!) appears to be engaging in a bit of festive tomfoolery. I mean, there is no way on earth this story can be true, is there?

Arkansas church ban popular carol promoting homosexuality. Protests grow.

The church in question is Saint Catherine and Angelic Martyrs in Puftville, the very name of the town making the story suspicious, but what makes it really doubtful is the apt name given to the pastor: Randy Pillock!

Explaining his decision, he points out, The second verse is the problematic part. The first line ‘Don we now our gay apparel’ is clearly incongruent with our values. The outrage doesn’t stop there for Pastor Pillock who explains that the third verse is an homage to a ‘Blazing Yule.’

He is not alone in his views though. Church stalwart, Ted Trotter agrees, This carol has been part of the gay agenda for years and it really is time to put a stop to it. It’s unbelievable that we have been singing it unnoticed for all these years.

Nice try.

Gay carol ban: No more Deck the Halls—Arkansas Sunday Post, 16th December 2009 (not a Sunday!)

Rapture/Armageddon update

2009-12-15T14:56:16Z

There have been a number of forecasts that the Rapture would occur sometime about now. Perhaps Marilyn Agee was finally right, as as of now, her web site still reads Surely, the First-Trump Rapture must take place this year, HOPEFULLY DEC. 13, 2009.

A few days ago, PZ notice a rapture prediction we'd missed, suggesting the world would end on 14th December - i.e. yesterday. Well, today I checked the site to which he linked, and what do you think it says?

Obviously not as Elect as Marilyn, or simply quicker to cover up his cock-ups.

We will update on the Lord's Witnesses' prediction that New York will be nuked today or tomorrow on the day after tomorrow!

Bigoted cunt round-up

2009-12-15T12:10:15Z

The Court of Appeal has ruled that a Christian was not discriminated against when she was sacked for refusing to do her job. Lilian Ladele had claimed that she was unfairly dismissed for refusing to carry out civil partnerships, a fundamental part of the registrar's job. She plans to whine to a higher court. This is the second recent case where someone claiming to be Christian has insisted that it is religious discrimination to make them obey the law from which they themselves are trying to benefit. Only two weeks ago, former counsellor Gary McFarlane lost his appeal against being sacked for refusing to do his job.

Perhaps they should enlist the help of Richard Carvath, who is trying to become a Tory prospective parliamentary candidate for Salford and Eccles. He's started his campaign for the nomination by engaging in positive dialogue with one of his competitors with whom he disagrees, in an attempt to find common ground. No, he hasn't. He called Matthew Sephton a homosexual pervert and describes a blog post about the LGBTory group's trip to Manchester Pride as heavy with pro homosexual pervert content. I never knew Manchester Pride was that good! Must pop along one year.

A self-styled pro-heterosexual, he describes his platform thus:

If elected he vows to; work for a complete ban on homosexuals fostering or adopting children, for the abolition of civil partnerships, for the re-criminalisation of the act of buggery, for the restoration of ‘Section 28’, and for the criminalisation of public homosexual behaviour and the public promotion of homosexuality.

Sounds to me like the only place he can get any is the local gents' loo.

Carvath has already acquired a non-fan club on Facebook. Unfortunately, some people have decided to encourage his persecution complex by reporting him to the police for hate speech, rather than just laughing at the silly monkey throwing his fæces all over his own bed.

Anti-gay registrar loses case in Court of Appeal—Ekklesia, 15th December 2009; Tory chair branded pervert by election competitor—Pink Paper, 11th December 2009 (I do hope that last headline is not literal!).

End of the World 2009 checklist

2009-12-08T12:03:58Z

Around this time of year, I start to put together the "Annual End of World" post, but I figured it would be a good idea to check out how the predictions for 2009 are doing.

December 31st 2008 - January 1st 2009: There will be a dual terrorist attack on the US and the UK taking the form of fire from the heavens and a rising mushroom cloud... The US arm of the attack will hit Westside Midtown Manhattan producing a man made mushroom cloud rising from the Hudson river (Lord's Witnesses). Well, as we know, the only thing to hit the Hudson at any time close to that was an A320, successfully ditched by Captain Chesley Sullenberger after a bird strike on January 16th. So that's a miss then? Not so fast - the Lord's Witnesses are now predicting something very similar for December 15th or 16th this year: We now predict a terrorist attack using a form of fire from the heaven that we cannot conclusively determine, but we think may be nuclear. The US will be hit with a with a weapon producing a mushroom cloud rising from the sea (1Kings18), hitting midtown Westide Manhattan, near the Hudson river on 2009Chislev24 (December15/16). I somehow suspect that there is no hope that my planned trip to New York in February will be called off, alas, and they provide no news on their predicted attack on the UK.

20th January 2009: terrorist attack on Washington DC during the presidential inauguration after Bush launches attack on Iran (Satan's Rapture). I watched the inauguration in the telly, and there was no sign of any bombs or similar.

January 2009: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and all of the Netherlands will be completely inundated (Nostradamus and the New Prophecy Almanacs). Oslo, Copenhagen and Amsterdam seemed no wetter than usual during my visits this year, and did not appear to be recovering from any flooding.

March 2009: Queen Elizabeth II will pass away peacefully in her sleep and the royal succession shall pass to Prince Charles (Nostradamus and the New Prophecy Almanacs). Predicting that an elderly woman will die would seem to be an easy option, but so far she is continuing to prove that she is her mother's daughter. The same source also predicted a Russian invasion of Germany in August, of which there was no sign.

29th May 2009: I'M HOPING FOR THE RAPTURE BETWEEN NOW AND PENTECOST; HOW COULD IT BE LATER THAN THAT? (Marilyn Agee). Easily, it seems, but she is still optimistic on her new site. In a note posted on the 6th December this year, she says Surely, the First-Trump Rapture must take place this year, HOPEFULLY DEC. 13, 2009, because there is no other harvest until the end of the last five years of the Tribulation. We'll know within the week, anyway.

Annual "have I got a bargain for you" post

2009-12-04T20:09:39Z

It's a week or so to go to Channukah, so it's time for our regular visit to Jewish Source to see what bargains they have on offer. First up is a nifty Menorah Hat. At least they admit it's silly:

Oh, lighten up! Okay, maybe it's a little over-the-top, but we think it adds to the fun of the holiday. Made for adult (but young at heart) sized heads, though there is an elastic cincher with Velcro closure so the hat can be made smaller.

If barkingly inappropriate is more your style, there's always this Noah's Ark menorah. No, the story of Noah has no connection with Channukah whatsoever.

Or how about a snowglobe? That's nice and seasonal. This Draydel Man Musical Water Globe plays I Have a Little Draydel, of course.

Tales Inside School: Condoms Cause AIDS

2009-12-03T02:11:42Z

Australia: It seems an unofficial front for the Catholic Church's contraception disinformation campaign has been sleazing its way through regional New South Wales state school spreading its propaganda about condoms being ineffective in preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Real Choices Australia operates the program, Choices Decisions Outcomes, mainly in government schools across Australia. One of its directors and spokeswoman, Debbie Garratt, has links to the Catholic Church and has worked with anti-abortion groups.

The program is used at Ulladulla High School. Teams are trying to promote it in the Newcastle, Kempsey, Macksville, Port Macquarie and Taree regions. On the Choices Decisions Outcomes' website, students are warned that condoms are not 100 per cent effective in stopping sexually transmitted infections. It highlights that children who engage in sexual activity are flirting with danger.The website goes on to say there is no scientific evidence that condoms prevent the transmission of most sexually transmitted diseases.

]]> Amusingly enough, CathNews pimps the Real Choices Australia web site as ensuring that women and men have access to accurate information, with the former receiving the support they require to make an informed choice, when pregnant which is all a complete load of bollocks. Your only choice on that site will be church doctrine, which consists entirely of deceptive information and outright lies.

The Greens are not happy.

The NSW Greens MP John Kaye said the program compromised the State Government's public health strategy, which says the use of condoms during casual sexual encounters significantly reduced STI transmissions.

The program is using subterfuge to infiltrate the classroom and indoctrinate young people with a minority viewpoint, putting their sexual health at risk, Dr Kaye said.

Neither ACON nor Family Planning NSW are pleased with their propaganda either.

Nicholas Parkhill, the chief executive of ACON, formerly the AIDS Council of NSW, said questioning the effectiveness of condoms put the lives of young people at risk.

It is very concerning to learn that groups are questioning the effectiveness of condoms in relation to the prevention of HIV and other STIs, Mr Parkhill said.

Ellie Freedman, medical education co-ordinator of Family Planning NSW, said scientific evidence existed that condoms prevented the transmission of most STIs. She said laboratory studies showed latex is impermeable to STIs.

At Family Planning NSW we advise that consistent condom use is the most effective way of protecting against STIs, Dr Freedman said.

Looks like it's a loophole that saw these lowlifes get in through the back door. They don't need departmental permission, which seems strange considering the topic, they just need a word in the ear of a friendly, if dim, principal.

A spokesman for the Department of Education and Training said Real Choice Australia did not require departmental authorisation for its presentations, only approval from principals.

Hopefully, outing the bastards will see them booted before their lies result in increased HIV and STI statistics and even more teen pregnancies.

Today's lesson: condoms in the classroom cause controversy—Sydney Morning Herald, 3rd December 2009.

Debbie Garratt and Real Choices Australia—unBelief.org, 25th January 2009.

World AIDS Day roundup

2009-12-01T13:18:14Z

In the UK, there is still some stigma attached to HIV/AIDS, but it's nothing like the scale we see in other parts of the world. HelpAge International, noting an increase in HIV infection amongst older heterosexual couples in sub-Saharan Africa, draws our attention to what that stigma can mean:

In Tanzania, older women are accused of witchcraft if a member of their family has HIV. These women are ostracised from their communities and subjected to violence and even death.

Superstition still plays a part in shaping people's attitudes to the condition, and has provided some novel preventatives and "cures". In her entry to the The Guardian International Development Journalism Competition, Kirsty Taylor looked at the situation in Kenya:

I went to very many herbalists to try and find a cure, but they didn't know what was wrong with me, [Damaris Cagina] explains. They told me my mother-in-law had bewitched me. They told me to buy special fabric - a white cloth with red stripes - and to put soil in a basket to stop the spell. I tried it all but nothing helped. It was only after very many visits to herbalists that I decided to come to hospital.

Cagina is one of the estimated 1.4 million people living with HIV/Aids in Kenya today. But like many of them, she first refused tests to discover her status, viewing a positive result as an immediate death sentence and spiritual curse.

The role of religion in promoting superstition, stigmatising people with HIV/AIDS and getting in the way of preventative efforts is well-known, and doesn't just affect Africa. Even in the relatively godless UK, it's regarded as a problem.

Religions are often credited as the means by which moral values, such as care for others, are reinforced and passed on.

But some charities and anti-HIV groups claim religion is helping to breed the very stigma that the UN says has helped give the UK twice as many new cases of infection each year as any other country in western Europe....

In denouncing the behaviour that allows the virus to spread, religious leaders sometimes drive HIV-positive people underground.

That same story contains an interesting profile of an HIV-positive imam, originally from the Ivory Coast, but now resident in the UK, and afraid to let his family know of his condition because he would be ostracised. Another African Muslim explained the problem from his point of view:

Along with a conservative African culture, religion has played a significant role in creating this taboo. Ismael is 40 and originally from Sudan.

The imams don't talk too much about it, but they start off by saying 'this is a taboo, this is a sin, a punishment from Allah'.

"When you disclose it, straight away they think you are gay, or maybe you got it from a prostitute or you did something bad and Allah is punishing you. That is why it has to be kept secret.

Over in Indonesia, we see a fine example of exactly that problem:

The image of a giant condom draped in Indonesia's national red and white colors towered over the opening ceremonies of National Condom Week in Jakarta. To coincide with World AIDS Day, the National AIDS Commission crafted the message, Use Condoms, Celebrate Life. But some hardline religious groups don't believe condom use should be promoted, let alone celebrated.

The Islamic group Hizbut Tahrir held banners during a demonstration on Sunday aimed at urging the government to end programs that provide free condoms to male and female sex workers, based on the argument that condoms encourage sex outside of marriage.

Because humans always need to be encouraged to have sex, right?

Rise in HIV and AIDS cases among older Africans—HelpAge International, 1st December 2009; Truth is the first casualty—The Guardian, 25th November 2009; Imam aims to break Aids taboo—BBC News, 1st December 2009; Condom friction in pious Indonesia—Asia Times, 1st December 2009.

Update: Relate vs. Gary McFarlane

2009-11-30T12:22:01Z

England: Almost a year ago, we mentioned the case of Gary McFarlane, an alleged Christian who had been sacked from his counselling job because he claimed that doing it without discrimination was against his religion. Well, the case went to an employment tribunal, and McFarlane (or MacFarlane - I've seen both spellings) lost. He appealed, and lost again.

Christian loses sex therapy case—BBC News, 30th November 2009.

One for Julie Bindel: porn causes earthquakes.

2009-11-29T11:48:24Z

Indonesia: Muslims aren't supposed to drink alcohol, but it seems that Indonesian communications minister Tifatul Sembiring had a wee tipple before he addressed a prayer meeting last Friday in an area where over 1000 people had been killed by an earthquake last September.

Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring linked disasters to declining public morals when he addressed a prayer meeting in the city of Padang to mark a Muslim holiday on Friday.

Television broadcasts that destroy morals are plentiful in this country and therefore disasters will continue to occur, national news agency Antara quoted Sembiring as saying in the Bahasa Indonesia language.

He also referred to Indonesian-made hard-core sex DVDs available in street markets as an example of growing public decadence and called for tougher laws against pornography.

It looks as if his intemperate words might be a career-limiting move, as it has offended relatives of the victims, who know perfectly well that Indonesia lies on a series of fault lines.

Kikie Marzuki, a Muslim Aceh resident who lost 10 relatives in the tsunami, said victims were not to blame.

I prefer to believe that natural disasters occur because of the destructive force of nature that cannot be avoided by humans, he said.

The minister does have the support of religious authorities, though, as they are not concerned with actual facts or anything resembling the truth.

Indon minister blames disasters on immorality—My Sinchew, 29th November 2009; Indonesia minister says immorality causes disasters—BBC News, 28th November 2009.

Any relation?

2009-11-25T17:28:36Z

United Kingdom: Police are investigating whether a man who allegedly stabbed his son to death in a frenzied attack is related to "miracle babies" pastor Gilbert Deya. Unfortunately the media have not explained why they are looking for such a connection, nor why it would be relevant. There is some discrepancy with the suspect's name, though: the BBC calls him Paul Otieno; the Daily Mirror Paul Deya. The latter, though, has not carried the story about his possible relative.

The press all point out something else though:

Neighbours have said the family were regular churchgoers.

and

Neighbours said they were a friendly family who regularly went to church and had lived in the flat for a year...

The last time I saw them was Sunday. You could tell they were going to church because they would come out all smartly dressed.

Stab father's family ties probed—BBC News, 25th November 2009; Knife frenzy dad 'kills son aged 3' in bloodbath after divorce row—Daily Mirror, 25th November 2009.