Athée Canadien
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“Ex-bishop ‘a societal pariah’: Lawyer”
Dec 20th
An article from the Toronto Sun online, “Ex-bishop ‘a societal pariah’: Lawyer,” is similar, if not identical, to an article I read in the Peterborough Examiner today. I was furious, not so much by the headline but by the article itself. If ex-bishop Raymond Lahey “has, in effect, become a societal pariah,” he deserves to be. Lahey’s lawyer, Michael Edelson, wants a light sentence for the priest who pleaded guilty to importing child porn:
Lahey, who hammered out a multi-million dollar settlement for victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic church, lived a “life of great deeds, good work and immense erudition, education and good character,” Edelson said.
Now, “he wears the scarlet letter,” Edelson said.
Raymond Lahey deserves to wear a scarlet letter even if forensic psychiatrist Dr. John Bradford says that Lahey is no worse, no different than any other man:
Forensic psychiatrist Dr. John Bradford testified Lahey is into sado-masochism — the submissive side.
Submissives, among other things, enjoy humiliation, he said, noting it “is relatively common.”
Bradford was unshaken on a number of critical issues while on the stand: Lahey is not a pedophile, he is not a risk to the community, and he doesn’t need treatment.
Bradford said the ex-bishop of Antigonish, N.S., did exhibit an interest in male youths aged about 14 to 18, as well as in men.
But Bradford warned a tendency towards this so-called “hebephilia” isn’t a formal diagnosis.
“A lot of normal people show (an interest in adolescents),” he said.
So hebephilic men are normal? Isn’t it a failure in logic to say because a lot of normal people show an interest in adolescents, hebephilic men are normal?
The definition for the word hebephilia is not in the Oxford Dictionary on-line; however, Wikipedia says, “Hebephilia refers to the sexual preference for individuals in the early years of puberty,” yet Dr. Bradford claims Raymond Lahey “is not a risk to the community, and he doesn’t need treatment.”
Lahey should receive the 18- to 22-month jail sentence and probation that the Crown prosecutor David Elhadad is seeking. This will send a message to Catholic priests, the Catholic Church and Catholic apologists that a sexual interest in children or adolescents is unacceptable.
God Loves Canada
Dec 15th
In an article about Canadian politics, Richard Gwyn says
But governing Canada, in the sense of steering it past reefs, is a snap. With oceans on three sides and the U.S. on the other, the country couldn’t be more secure. Affluence comes as easily to us, thanks to nature or God.
While “thanks to nature or God” may be a throw-away comment, it is symptomatic of the arrogance of winners. To say that Canada and Canadians are affluent relative to the rest of the world because God put the country and its people in one of most resource wealthy areas of the globe is arrogance.
Gwynn goes on to say,
As a last bit of luck, Scottish virtues — common sense, pragmatism, conservatism — entered early into our national DNA.
If Canadians have common sense, they know that Canada’s affluence comes from its geographical position on the map of the world, not from God. I’m getting increasing frustrated by people who give credit to God for their own or their country’s success rather than to chance or hard work.
50 Top Atheists in the World Today
Dec 9th
The website, The Best Schools, has published a list of the top 50 atheists in the world today.
Larry Moran who brought the list to my attention says, “I’m not a very good atheist ’cause I’ve never heard of most of the top 50 atheists.” I recognize 44% of the names on the list. Does this make me “a very good atheist”?
Check out the list, see how many names you recognize and be prepared to be surprised, perplexed and amazed.
Why Atheists Are Angry
Dec 7th
The video of Greta Christina’s presentation at Skepticon IV was posted by tildeb on his blog, Questionable Motives. Every second of the video merits close attention, but here are some highlights:
I’m angry that people are dying of AIDS in Africa and South America because the Catholic Church convinced them that using condoms makes Baby Jesus cry. (8:40)
I’m angry about the girl in the Muslim family who was told . . . by her teacher . . . that the red stripes on Christmas candy cane represented Christ’s blood, that she had to believe and be saved by Jesus Christ or she’d be condemned to hell, and if she did not convert, there would be no place for her in his classroom. (12:02)
For the purposes of her talk, she defines religion as a
belief in supernatural entities or forces that have an effect on the natural world, the belief in entities or forces that are invisible, inaudible, intangible or otherwise undetectable by any natural means (26:32)
A Jeans Company Defines True Religion
Nov 28th
The Shoppers Drug Mart flyer1 for November 26 to December 2 features “the season’s most coveted scents.” The brand name for two of the featured fragrances is True Religion®.
True Religion® was founded by Jeffrey Lubell
with the intention of redefining premium denim. . . . the company [has] also branched out into numerous licensed products such as Fragrance. . . . True Religion is and always will be Timeless, Hippie, Bohemian, Chic.
So, there you are, True Religion® branded, defined, and registered by a jeans company.
1 I came across the Shoppers Drug Mart flyer, yesterday, in the midst of following the comments to Ian’s post CFI Canada: Half-truths and scandal. I hope my post provides some comic relief.
Where’s the honour?
Nov 24th
A father accused of the “honour killings” of four family members – including his three teenage daughters – was recorded on police wiretaps saying he was “happy” they were dead and that he would “do the same again”, a Canadian court has heard.
Mohammad Shafia, 58, his second wife Tooba Mahommad Yahya, 41, and their son Hamed, 20, are on trial for the first-degree murder of Zainab Shafia, 19, Sahar Shafia, 17, Geeti Shafia, 13, and his first wife Rona Amir Mohammad, 50, in 2009.
Prosecutors told the Ontario court their deaths were “honour killings” committed to remove the perceived shame the women brought on their family, such as by having boyfriends.
via Honour killings: Mohammad Shafia says he would do it again: court.
Ok so normally I should write an introductory thought and lead into a quote that makes or reinforces a point I have made. Instead I am going to ask you to read that quote one more time. This time think very hard about what their father says, their Daddy. Then read the daughters names again. Think back to that age. What were you doing at those ages??? Were you running away? Were you appealing to your school or other officials to be removed from your home because you feared for your life??? Were you trying to find balance between being or dressing as the person you felt you were and trying not to enrage a hyper conservative father who you no doubt loved???
There have been 13 such killings in Canada since 2002, said Amin Muhammed, a psychiatry professor at Memorial University in Saint John’s, Newfoundland.
That is thirteen too many. Officials need to wake up and realize that we need new mechanisms in place to better react to and investigate complaints like this from females that come from traditionally hyper conservative cultural backgrounds. For my part I will be writing my MP.
95 % of Statistics are Made Up.
Nov 21st
OK so I am sure that Ipsos Reid, being in the business of statistics is a little more careful with their numbers, and how they portray them, than the title would suggest. Statistics can be quirky things, they can be made to say a variety of things, even the truth. No that is not my quote. The author is unknown.
The Religious Right and those Pesky women.
Nov 16th
For many of us hearing the words “Harper”, “supreme court”, and “appoints” in the same sentence induces a mild seizure like spasm of panic in the parts of our brain usually in control of functions like reacting to sleazy by elections and listening to the pope praise the Irish Diocese on their work with children.
Are we really giving him a fair shake though?
The selection process for the Supreme Court of Canada does after all allow input from all currently sitting political parties. In an unusual fit of fairness Harper even allowed an ad hoc parliamentary committee of MPs to grill the candidates on Oct 19.
A Pro-Science Article in the Religion Section
Nov 14th
The article, “A Late, But Still an Enthusiastic, Fan of Science,” was published in the Religion section of the Peterborough Examiner on Saturday, November 12 and can be found in the Life section of The Chatham Daily News online as “A Late But Enthusiastic Fan of Science.” The article was written by Bob Ripley, a retired United Church minister, who says,
I’ve always had a penchant for humanities over science. My passion, if you will, has been the human condition. Language and literature; theology and theatre. . . . But lately science has caught my attention. . . . I’m not a scientist. Never will be. But at this point in my life, it seems more fascinating and fruitful to learn about what we actually know, than to argue over which supernatural explanation for life and its woes is the right one.
I think you will enjoy reading the whole article.
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