Was the "Big Bang" God's Work?

I have always wondered why the Catholic Church felt threatened by science supposedly undermining religion. After all, how much simpler could it be than to say that science exists because God wants it to and then place God one step in front of anything that should be 'discovered'. So, in that sense I am wondering why the recent declaration by Pope Benedict XVI that God was responsible for the "Big Bang" is even news at all?

Yep, the "big bang" happened. But, nothing in the universe that God has created happens by chance. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that God is responsible for the big bang. Simply, what might look like chaos for most of us is in fact a well-thought out and planned act of God.

I will definitely sleep better tonight knowing this, particularly after I watch "The Big Bang Theory" on television. Will you?

The Pope Sees the Light...

Pope Benedict XVI has seen the light at the end of the tunnel, and it is not Jesus. The Pope, God bless his soul, has finally worked out that abstinence, although the best solution, is not a reality that the Catholic Church can make happen. Well, not unless they start forcibly restraining unmarried or un-partnered couples.

Condoms, particularly the use of them, are not a 100% effective way of preventing the spread of STD or STI. However, they do significantly better than the option of taking a shower without a raincoat. In any event, the Pope's support is not blanket support for the idea that the Catholic Church facilitate a program of condom distribution through its parishes.

The Pope's support suggests that prostitutes, and in particular male prostitutes,would be beginning to act responsibly if they were to start using condoms. I might have to go out and get the book from which the Pope's comments are sourced: Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times. And, the news story that I pilfered for this piece was quoting from excerpts that were published in The Vatican rag, L’Osservatore Romano.

The Catholic Church has adopted a position that is anti-condom use. It has maintained this position in the face of some intense and harsh criticism. So, is this statement by the Pope indicative of a softening in the position of the Catholic Church? No, it is not. The Pope was very explicit in restricting his comments to a very narrow range of condom use. His choice of male prostitutes was undoubtedly a conscious one that was sort to deflect any concerns about condoms being used as a contraceptive device. The position of the Catholic Church with respect to the use of condoms as a form of contraception remains unchanged.

Yet, when it is all said and done, there is an argument to be made that this may in fact be a first step in recognising that the issue of HIV / AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease and infection is an issue that transcends simple arguments of morality. It is an issue that has and will continue to be a measure of the times in which we live, particularly if you live in Africa or Asia.

Progress is progress even if it is in small and scripted steps.

Pregnant Nuns, Ice-Cream and Catholic Outrage...

Truth be told, I am not a really religious person. I do have my moments of Zen and other spirituality from time-to-time though. However, the fact that a pregnant nun advertising an ice cream product so outraged Catholics that they complained to the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) seems a little over-the-top at first look.

The ad is clearly satire, some might even say it is taking the piss out of the religious concept of the immaculate conception, but when it is all said and done it is best described as an ad of questionable taste (no pun intended considering it is for ice-cream).

The ad campaign was using a slogan "ice-cream is our religion". The ad itself, shows a heavily pregnant nun with the words "immaculately conceived". The beef that those that complained have is that the ad makes a mockery of Roman Catholic beliefs. Maybe it does, but I wonder if these same complainants are so similarly outraged by the excesses of Roman Catholic priests that rape and abuse little boys, and who have done so for centuries. These men parading as priests have ensured that the mockery begins from within the Roman Catholic church itself.

Nevertheless, the ASA decided that even the light-hearted use of such an image was likely to cause serious offense to some, and then banned the image. The advertising agency had argued that its use of religious imagery was legitimate. Unfortunately, the ASA did not buy into that argument. It is not the first time that Ad Agency Antonio Federici has come into conflict with Catholics and the ASA. An ad from last year suggesting a kiss between a nun and a priest was also banned. \

As I said, a nun and a priest getting down to it in a full-on lip lock is hardly offensive compared to some of the things the Catholic Church has been complicit in allowing to occur and then go unpunished for decades upon decades. It is time to take stock and seek out a little perspective. If you are Roman Catholic and you are offended, then that is your right. Express that displeasure through boycotting the product, writing letters to the editors of magazines and newspapers, get your priests to preach from the pulpit. But to seek to ban all expression that runs counter to your beliefs is no different from any other religious group that seeks to control freedom of thought and expression in order to achieve some kind of world domination plan. It is ultimately destined to fail.

When it is all said and done, if you truly believe in an all-powerful omniscient God, then s/he is likely to ensure on the coming judgment day that Antonio Federici and his cohorts get their comeuppance for their poor sense of humour. I am sure that one of the main lessons of religion was something about letting those that are free of sin cast the first stone. And, there was that other one about people who live in glass houses not throwing stones.

Final point, perhaps some of these complainants and those that get to rule on these complaints need to do a couple of Sunday Schools sessions and get back in touch with what Roman Catholicism says about the immaculate conception, it is enlightening; it is not about virgin births but rather it is about freedom from original sin (feel free to correct me if I am wrong).

Ho hum...

The Catholic Church and Abortion -- Brazil

The right of women to choose in the case of abortion must be absolute. I can appreciate that nothing is ever absolute, but any restrictions placed on access to abortion must be limited to clearly identifiable objective terms. I am sure there are plenty of people that disagree with this position and I am sure that some of my readers will disagree with me on this as well. One and all feel free to voice your opinions.

A couple of cases out of Brazil have shown that absolutes seem to work from both perspectives of this little argument. The Catholic Church of Brazil under the leadership of Father Jose Cardoso Sobrinho in the Recife region where the abortion was carried out has stated that abortion is against God's law and even where other law may permit abortion, God's law must prevail. The argument being, nothing can be higher than God's law, and where human laws are contrary to God's law then human laws have no value.

I am happy for the good father to have an opinion on this and to argue for it passionately. However, if there was ever a case for the Catholic Church to take a somewhat more moderate view on the issue, then this would be the time.

A nine-year-old girl that had been continuously raped by her step-father eventually fell pregnant with twins. I am guessing that carrying twins to term as an adult is a challenge, but at nine-years-old, life-threatening might be a more apt word?

The stepfather is 23-years-old, has been arrested, and is in protective custody. Protective custody is probably a good thing for him, as rapists of children are likely to become victims of rape themselves when put into the general prison population. Some might argue that this is still better than what they deserve for the crimes they have committed.

It is worth noting that abortion is illegal in Brazil. Nevertheless, there are specific exceptions to this absoluteness where there are clearly identifiable reasons such as where rape was involved or the health of the woman is in jeopardy.

However, in this case the Church's response has been to excommunicate all those involved in the abortion procedure.

I am not Catholic so perhaps I should not concern myself with all or any things Catholic. However, as a mere mortal man with an interest in humanity and the protection of those less fortunate than myself, I cannot reconcile an absolute stance adopted by the Church and the rights of the child in this case, arguments on abortion aside.

The sad part is that this is not the only case in Brazil that is getting news coverage. Another prominent case involves an 11-year-old who is seven months pregnant after being abused by her 51-year-old stepfather. The stepfather's defense is that it was the girl who initiated the sexual contact and not him.

Child sexual abuse is not only a Brazilian problem, it is a world-wide problem!

Poland, Divine Sex, the Karma Sutra, and the Catholic Church

A Polish Friar by the name of Ksawery Knotz has become a bit of a guru in advising couples, married of course, in how to practice divine sex. Now, I am guessing divine sex would climax with a divine orgasm for both parties at the same time. But I am just guessing because I am not the guru on this one, Friar Knotz is!

It goes without saying that this assistance has seen the good Friar dubbed the "High Priest of Catholic Karma Sutra", nice title if one can earn it I suppose. The Friar is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin in Stalowa Wola, southern Poland.

The sessions with Friar Knotz start out with the need to ensure that couples are praying to God for a good and happy sex life. I reckon I would become a believer if such a prayer were possible and was granted. Unfortunately, for me the sex life is good and happy, but if I were in desperate or dire straits then perhaps a trip to Poland might be warranted.

If you are wondering about the popularity of Friar Knotz's services, then you should probably make a booking as the Friar and his service are fully booked for the next 12 months. That's right, 12 full months!

Since 2000 the Friar has had more than 3000 couples enjoy the trip into sex and spirituality through his workshops. These sessions have the approval of the Church and many therapists are also praising the work that the Friar is doing.

According to Friar Knotz, "If you believe in God, then you believe God is involved in life, in love, marriage and in sex and sexuality -- it seems natural to talk about sex to remove taboos and the label of sinfulness."

The Church is not an institution that you would associate with the open and frank discussions on sex and love making that the Friar's workshops are sure to entail. However, the Friar sticks to the good ol' Catholic doctrine of marriage being a union between a man and woman, and that the sexual relationship is one which springs from this union.

The Friar has published a book and maintains a website. The book "The Act of Marriage" and the website a "Chance to Meet" (http://www.szansaspotkania.net/) are in Polish and English. This means that a non-Polish speaker like myself can get online and enjoy the Friar's graphic depictions of divine sex.

I am not quite sure how the Friar knows this considering he has taken a vow of celibacy, but his book includes a passage titled "theology of the orgasm". In this passage the Friar likens an orgasm to an experience similar to meeting God. How he knows this I do not know. Yet, I could not imagine anything more embarrassing than meeting God and then climaxing on his sandals, but once again what do I know of these things?

The fact that the Friar is celibate should not mean that what he has to say and how he helps people is irrelevant because he does not have the "hands on experience" of sex to be able to discuss it authoritatively. This is like saying a shrink cannot counsel the psychologically challenged among us who rape and kill because they do not have the hands on experience of being a rapist and killer.

I would agree with those that say, if people think that the services provided by the Friar work for them then, why not?

Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church -- An Apology

I have been contemplating writing something on this for some time and have hesitated because the issue deserves more than just passing comment. I have not done the research on the statistics of the prevalence of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, although I am sure others may have numbers, names, locations, and the like. Yet, perhaps if there was more open and frank discussion on issues such as these then progress towards a workable resolution might be quicker in coming.

The Pope, Benedict XVI, was alleged to have said on his way to Australia for the World Youth Day festivities that he was going to apologize to all those who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of clergymen over the years. This blanket apology might not mean much but it would have meant that the Church acknowledges and has remorse for what has happened but is genuinely sorry for the tragedy that it has allowed to occur. This profound sorrow might not pay the bills of the victims or bring back loved ones who have committed suicide as a result of not being able to cope any longer with the pain, but it would say that even though we can never fully make amends for what has happened "we" accept responsibility.

Unfortunately, the Pope's point man on media communications has spent much of the day backtracking on whether an apology will be forthcoming and has even indicated that this might be one of those lost in translation moments, where what the Pope is alleged to have said might not actually be what he said.

Father Federico Lombardi, Director of the Vatican Press Office, has been saying that there is no papal commitment to making an apology and perhaps what Australian victims should be expecting is the Pope making brief mention of the "issue" in a statement. Stupid! This would seem to be the perfect moment to capitalize on the good will of Australians during WYD to make the apology.

It would seem that the Pope has not been pontificating on the issue and is on the record as saying that the Church needs to examine how it is going to, "prevent, heal and reconcile" the past crimes of the clergy. The Pope then went further in terms of putting this into context with, "this is the essential content of what we will say as we apologise."

Father Lombardi seems to think that any apology would be limited to a meeting with church officials and novices. This is the same means that was adopted by the Pope when apologizing during his visit to the US. This is a cop out! He does not need to apologize to the members of the clergy and the novices of the Church. He needs to apologize to the victims of the crimes perpetrated by the clergy on children for decades past.

Why is an apology necessary? The answer to this question is simple and is best done through an Australian example of the tragedy the sexual abuse of children has wreaked on one particular family. Their story is a sad and tragic one that has been played out in many thousands of families across the globe.

The Foster family was by all accounts a happy one. However, this changed tragically for the worst when Emma and Katherine Foster were raped by Father Kevin O'Donnell when they were in primary school. The Catholic Church does not seem to have a very good record in weeding out those applicants that have a penchant for young children.

Emma committed suicide at the age of 26. Katherine developed an alcohol abuse problem and this led to her being struck by a car driven by a drunk driver. Katherine now requires 24-hour care as a result of the physical and brain injuries that she sustained.

In reference to this sad tale the Bishop Anthony Fisher in his infinite wisdom expressed the following sentiment, "Happily, I think most of Australia was enjoying delighting in the beauty and goodness of these young people and the hope - the hope for us doing these sorts of things better in the future - as we saw last night, rather than, than dwelling crankily, as a few people are doing, on old wounds."

Bishop Fisher, you are a fool! These are not old wounds to those directly affected by them! These wounds are open and festering sores that are slowly but surely eating away at the very life essence of the victims of these abhorrent crimes. It is time the Catholic Church ante-ed up and faced the fact that it is responsible as the employer of predators like Father O'Donnell.

Priests like father O'Donnell when they are found guilty of the crimes they have committed they should be sent to prison. They should not be put into the protective wing of the prison. These brave souls that pray on children must be put into the general prison population where it should be known that they like to have their way with children. You should not be surprised that prisoners have families and they have children and that the mere thought of someone sexually violating their children is enough to ensure that the Father O'Donnells of this world get a firsthand understanding of what it is like to be violated. This would give a new meaning to "get what's coming to you"!

The Catholic Church has to start making amends in Australia. This can start with a full, open, and frank apology to victims. Then, I personally do not care if this means the Catholic Church has to sell off all its assets or mortgage its properties to the hilt, but it must pay compensation to victims for the harm these victims have suffered at the hands of the employees of the Church.

Thus endeth my rant (or is it a sermon?) on this subject.

Annoyance Provisions -- Tossed

Just a very brief update.

The Federal Court has tossed the annoyance provisions as they were written in Clause 7.1 of the legislation. The legal reasoning was that the provision was an infringement on free speech as there was no intelligible boundary as to what an annoyance is. The secondary reasoning was that current provisions in other laws and regulations are more than sufficient to deal with offensive behaviour.

Let's go annoy some pilgrims! The photo is of the two individuals that brought the action to the Federal Court, Amber Pike and Rachel Evans.

World Youth Day -- Annoying T-Shirts

The annoying t-shirts that are likely to get their next airing once WYD gets underway were part of a fashion demonstration in front of the NSW Parliament building earlier today. Some of the slogans that front the t-shirts include "Pope Go Homo" and "The Pope Is Wrong - Put a Condom On".

There are certain to be protests in spite of the new powers that police have been given. Every single WYD has been subject to protest and the slogans above highlight who is likely to be coming out to protest.

Let the fun and games begin!

World Youth Day -- Transport Strike Update

The government is taking the threat of strike action seriously. So it should considering the traffic problems that it would create. However, the government's plan is to go to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) with a view to resolving the stagnant negotiations or getting an order that would prohibit any strike action during the Pope's visit.

I have a sneaky feeling that resolve in the government's mind is getting the AIRC to sign off on the 2.5% cap on wages. If that fails then an order that simply says any strike action on certain dates would be illegal.

The NSW Minister of Transportation, John Watkins (pictured), says that the "industrial action ... is irresponsible, and in particular next week." I wonder irresponsible for who? The members of the RTBU whose families are going to be negatively impacted by a wage rise that is below the rate of inflation? Or irresponsible to those who are going to be making some big cash out of the Pope's whirlwind tour of Sydney?

The irresponsible party here is the NSW Labor Government who have failed to put into place any contingency plans in the event their negotiations with the RTBU went belly up. Another fine example of the NSW Government taking their eye off the ball and then looking to blame someone else for their complete ineffectiveness. Then again, maybe we should have seen this coming.

My hope is that the government does take this to the AIRC and they slap the 5% increase that the RTBU is demanding on the government. This would avert any industrial action and ensure that nothing irresponsible happens.

I wonder who is looking after the little people while the NSW Government is looking after the interests of the Catholic Church?

Postscript:

It seems that the government might not be all bad. Latest reports are saying that the government has a 4% wage offer on the table that would require some productivity improvements and some head office changes.

The drama continues.

Human Rights, Freedom of Speech, and the Catholic Church

It would seem that not all Catholics are thrilled about the new annoyance laws put into place to "guarantee" that pilgrims are not annoyed or inconvenienced during the World Youth Day festivities.

Father Frank Brennan (pictured), who also happens to be a lawyer, feels that the new police powers are not only excessive but an interference of the civil liberties of people and in fact the new laws run contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Fr. Brennan cites the Pacem In Terris, the 1963 encyclical of Pope John, where it is clear that responsibility of all authorities was "to safeguard the inviolable rights of the human person". Perhaps the NSW Government has interpreted this to mean the inviolable rights of the Catholic pilgrim.

However, the Catholic Church holds no such reservations. The Church has in fact indicated that it fully supports the laws and that it lobbied the government to ensure that the laws were enacted on the grounds that everyone wants WYD to be held in Sydney and that the people of Sydney, not only the pilgrims, were in favour of such measures because they want the event, which will be full of enthusiasm and joy, to run smoothly. I am not sure who the Catholic Church has been talking to on this.

Whether the laws are contrary to Catholic teachings is neither here nor there in that sense. I would have thought that pedophilia was contrary to Catholic teachings as well but it still happens. The laws are simply an affront to basic human rights that the majority of us take for granted but that the Catholic Church does not. In any event putting laws like this into place is like showing a red rag to a bull. Those groups that might not have been inclined to protest will now come out of the woodwork and protest on principle.

It is interesting that the organizers of the WYD and the Catholic Church want to have their cake and eat it too. An argument could be made that Jesus was the protester of his time. There were many in power who disagreed with his message and his teachings for which Jesus paid the ultimate price. The analogy drawn by Dr John Sweeney, the co-ordinator of research at the Edmund Rice Centre, says the following, "It would rather be like Jesus calling for a police escort on Palm Sunday. Obviously, he wouldn't and when Jesus went into Jerusalem people yelled out things the religious leaders in their time didn't like and they rebuked Jesus and he said he couldn't quieten his supporters."

This is a thought worth pondering. If Jesus really was about free speech and the right to preach his message then isn't it a little rich that the organizers want to curtail that very freedom for which Jesus died?

As you can see these increased police powers bother me.

World Youth Day -- The Annoyance Provisions

Here is a copy of the relevant articles from the amendment regulation that many have claimed are an affront to civil liberties and free speech.

The actual regulation in full can be found here.

7 Control of conduct within World Youth Day declared areas
(1) An authorised person may direct a person within a World Youth
Day declared area to cease engaging in conduct that:
(a) is a risk to the safety of the person or others, or
(b) causes annoyance or inconvenience to participants in a
World Youth Day event, or
(c) obstructs a World Youth Day event.
(2) A person must not, without reasonable excuse, fail to comply
with a direction given to the person under subclause (1).
Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(3) A person is not guilty of an offence under this clause unless it is
established that the authorised person warned the person that a
failure to comply with the direction is an offence.
(4) In this clause, authorised person means:
(a) a police officer, or
(b) a member of an SES unit (within the meaning of the State
Emergency Service Act 1989) or a member of the NSW
Rural Fire Service, but only if the member is authorised by
the Authority in writing for the purposes of this clause.

8 Request to undergo search as condition of entry to World Youth
Day declared areas
(1) For the purpose of promoting safety and security within a World
Youth Day declared area, a person’s entry to the World Youth
Day declared area (or any part of the area) is subject to the
condition that the person must comply with such of the following
requests as may be made of the person:
(a) a request by a search officer that the person undergo a
search conducted by electronic means (such as by passing
an electronic detection device over or in close proximity to
the person or by the person passing through a detection
device),
(b) a request by a search officer that the person allow a search
of articles in the person’s possession and identify articles
in the person’s possession,
(c) a request by a search officer that the person remove his or
her overcoat, coat or jacket or similar article of clothing
and any gloves, shoes and hat (or other headwear), and
allow an examination of those items,

(d) if the person enters in a vehicle or vessel—a request by a
search officer that the person open the vehicle or vessel, or
part of it, for inspection and allow the vehicle, vessel or
part to be searched.
(2) A search officer may exclude a person who refuses such a request
from entry to the World Youth Day declared area or part of the
area concerned. Reasonable force may be used to effect the
person’s exclusion.
(3) In this clause, search officer means:
(a) a police officer, or
(b) a member of an SES unit (within the meaning of the State
Emergency Service Act 1989) or a member of the NSW
Rural Fire Service, but only where the member is assisting
one or more police officers at a point of entry to a World
Youth Day declared area or part of such an area.

Happy Reading! By the way the cartoon can be found here.

"Causing Annoyance" -- World Youth Day

It seems that New South Wales is bending over backwards to accommodate those running the World Youth Day festivities later this month. Although considering some parts of the history of the Catholic Church it might feel to some as they are bending over forwards and getting the right religious shafting. This is one of those things you read or hear and then find yourself asking yourself is this for real.

The NSW police have been given additional powers during the World Youth Day festivities to arrest and fine people for "causing annoyance" to participants or as they are more frequently called pilgrims! These powers include a power to search and the power is based on the mere belief that someone is causing annoyance.

As Anna Katzmann SC, President of the NSW Bar Association, points out, there are already laws on the NSW Statute Books which regulate behaviour and police powers at large events like New Year's Eve on Sydney Harbour which attracts up to a million visitors or more. These regulations seem to work well enough at other events so what is different this time around?

Under the new powers if I was to hold up a sign that read "the Pope allows pedophilia" then I have committed an offence and can be arrested and fined. Where is my right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Simply, if I wanted to hold up a poster that said "Kevin Rudd is a wanker" then I am entitled to do so and I would not be arrested. So, why does the Pope get special treatment? Is it because he is Catholic? or the Special Emissary of God?

The special powers granted to police also allow them to conduct searches in designated areas that may require people to remove jackets, gloves, shoes, and head wear, as well as offer up any bags for a police search.

It is not surprising that the NSW Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, is in favour of the new powers. He even goes so far as to say that they are not really new powers but the extension of already existing powers. So, really they are new powers after all. This seems to me like the NSW Police have thought all their Christmases have come at once as this is the perfect ruse to clamp down on protests and protesters.

The powers are draconian and seem only to have been put into place so that visiting Catholics and the Pope think that all Sydney-siders are for this little love fest. I wonder if NSW would be going to the same lengths to appease organizers if this event were some kind of Jewish, Protestant, or Muslim love fest?