Some friends of mine decided after twenty seven years of living together and having three children that in the event of either one of their deaths ( they are in their fifties) that they would rather not money from their estate go to David Cameron and his party but instead to their children, so they did the honorable thing and got married.
I wouldn't say I love hearing wedding day horror stories; some of them are just so tragic it pains me terribly and it lingers far to long to refresh the tales on this blog.
But the story of Jan and her partner Reece's wedding is hilarious.
Everyone seated at the registry office, the mumbo jumbo from the registrar and the usual ritual of 'if they are any objections to this marriage say now etc etc' A statement that is so ritualistic as well as the ordinarily silent response. However on this occasion, a desenting voice.
Oh my, just who could be objecting to the marriage of this long standing couple?
None other than their sixteen going on seventeen year old daughter in this posh registry office. When asked to expand on her objection she launched into her views, that she didn't think it was a good idea, she was not sure it was the right decision and that she had been happy to have grown up where they had not been married. Katie was serious.
The registrar dismissed it without raising an eyebrow and said there was no legal case to be heard against the marriage and simply continued with the proceedings.
Jan could hardly contain her amusement at her gobby child. She had tears rolling down her face as she tried to stop herself from letting out an almighty laugh. She was told by the registrar to look at her future husband and she couldn't to save herself from laughing.
Altogether sounds just about right to me, forced to marry for financial reasons with rebellious children in tow. That seems like one wedding I would have loved to have seen.
Thursday 23 September 2010
Thursday 16 September 2010
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Is The Pope Catholic?
The Popes visit to Britain seems to have caused some vitriol from certain circles. some like Peter Tatchell, take a position against the Pope because of the relatively large cases of child sex abuses that have occurred under the gaze of the established catholic church to which, the Pope has not given the kind of apology to those abused as should be. Also, among these people is the criticism of subjugation of women and gay men and women within the church.
There are others opposed to the Popes visit because they suffer from bigotry and have beef with catholicism and those who follow the catholic religion (although I have not seen them give a coherent reason why, they just display some ugly superior disdain without giving reason).
There is no way I am going to defend or make allowances for the above average numbers of cases of child abuse in the catholic church, or the sexism or the homophobia. But I will say the obvious which is there are pressures on priests to have all the answers, to be a bit above the masses and the pressures from celibacy. Often catholic priests go into the profession at a young age and are inexperienced, not mature emotionally and may have no or limited sexual experience.
That they vow celibacy means they might find sexual gratification from children as they are disallowed and disallow themselves a relationship with someone who is an equal. That is out of the question, so they find that children are not only eager to please but also easily manipulated. It is a combination of the sheltered lives that the priests lead and that they are emotionally underdeveloped and insecure.
It is the link between the catholic church and the state that causes this problem. It is not the fault of the people who practise this religion, and the priests themselves need a lot more understanding.
When Marx says that religion is the opium of the masses and the heart in a heartless world, it is true and for a religion to be practiced it requires some level of ritual and ceremony, however bizarre it looks and might be to others on the outside looking in. In no way is this a justification for the vast wealth that places like the Vatican have, it does not cost much to practice rituals and ceremonies, let alone accumulate vast sums.
Due to the unequal society we are born into, every institution will reflect this inequality, and there will be and is struggle within them for something better, for something that has freedom and equality at its heart.
All institutions contain this struggle, from the family, hospitals, schools, leisure, sports industries and also religious institutions. These institutions are here when we are born, we can choose to shape them and / or get rid of them as adults... However this must always be done with the interests of the majority of people. What they (the majority) understand and are prepared collectively to do.
There are others opposed to the Popes visit because they suffer from bigotry and have beef with catholicism and those who follow the catholic religion (although I have not seen them give a coherent reason why, they just display some ugly superior disdain without giving reason).
There is no way I am going to defend or make allowances for the above average numbers of cases of child abuse in the catholic church, or the sexism or the homophobia. But I will say the obvious which is there are pressures on priests to have all the answers, to be a bit above the masses and the pressures from celibacy. Often catholic priests go into the profession at a young age and are inexperienced, not mature emotionally and may have no or limited sexual experience.
That they vow celibacy means they might find sexual gratification from children as they are disallowed and disallow themselves a relationship with someone who is an equal. That is out of the question, so they find that children are not only eager to please but also easily manipulated. It is a combination of the sheltered lives that the priests lead and that they are emotionally underdeveloped and insecure.
It is the link between the catholic church and the state that causes this problem. It is not the fault of the people who practise this religion, and the priests themselves need a lot more understanding.
When Marx says that religion is the opium of the masses and the heart in a heartless world, it is true and for a religion to be practiced it requires some level of ritual and ceremony, however bizarre it looks and might be to others on the outside looking in. In no way is this a justification for the vast wealth that places like the Vatican have, it does not cost much to practice rituals and ceremonies, let alone accumulate vast sums.
Due to the unequal society we are born into, every institution will reflect this inequality, and there will be and is struggle within them for something better, for something that has freedom and equality at its heart.
All institutions contain this struggle, from the family, hospitals, schools, leisure, sports industries and also religious institutions. These institutions are here when we are born, we can choose to shape them and / or get rid of them as adults... However this must always be done with the interests of the majority of people. What they (the majority) understand and are prepared collectively to do.
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