GF Edward

Britain's Chris Froome has taken the red jersey and leads the Vuelta a Espana, as Italy's Vincenzo Nibali won the third stage. The four-time Tour de France champion finished third on the stage, with Spain's David de la Cruz in second. The Team Sky rider is aiming to become the third man to win the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same year. He holds a two-second advantage over De la Cruz, Nicolas Roche and Tejay van Garderen, with Nibali 10 seconds back. Froome made his move to lead with 7.8km of the stage remaining as the race entered Spain for the first time through the Pyrenees mountains, ending in Andorra. Former winner and Bahrain-Merida rider Nibali, one of Froome's major rivals, attacked in the final 400m, but Froome had done enough to move up from ninth to first in the general classicisation. "It's been a long time since I had the red jersey, it feels amazing to put it back on," said Froome, 32. "To be in this position is something I've thought about for a long time and I worked really hard after the Tour." Despite three second-placed finishes at the Vuelta, it is the first time Froome has led the race since 2011. He added: "It's only two seconds to the next group of riders. It's still really close. I don't expect to keep it until the end but I'm certainly going to fight for it." Britain's Adam Yates is 39 seconds behind Froome, with his twin brother and Orica-Scott team-mate Simon Yates 48 seconds off the pace. Spain's Trek-Segafredo rider Alberto Contador, who is retiring from professional cycling after the race, dropped to 30th - more than three minutes behind Froome, while other pre-race favourites Fabio Aru and Romain Bardet moved into the top 10. Belgium's Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors), who led after stage two, is in 147th place, 23 minutes and five seconds behind. Tuesday's fourth stage is a 198.2km route which takes the riders from Escaldes-Engordany in Andorra, through the Catalan region of north-east Spain to the Mediterranean coast at Tarragona. Stage by stage guide and results Stage three result 1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Bahrain-Merida) 4hrs 01mins 22secs 2. David De La Cruz (Spa/Quick-Step Floors) Same time 3. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 4. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) 5. Esteban Chaves (Col/Orica-Scott) 6. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana Pro Team) 7. Nicolas Roche (Ire/BMC Racing Team) 8. Tejay van Garderen (US/BMC Racing Team) 9. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/AG2R La Mondiale) 10. Michael Woods (Can/Cannondale-Drapac) +25secs General classification 1. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 8hrs 53mins 44secs 2. David De La Cruz (Spa/Quick-Step Floors) +2secs 3. Nicolas Roche (Ire/BMC Racing Team) Same time 4. Tejay van Garderen (US/BMC Racing Team) 5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Bahrain-Merida) +10secs 6. Esteban Chaves (Col/Orica-Scott) +11secs 7. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana Pro Team) +38secs 8. Adam Yates (GB/Orica-Scott)+39secs 9. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/AG2R La Mondiale) +43secs 10. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale) +48secs Selected others 11. Simon Yates (GB/Orica-Scott) +48secs 30. Alberto Contador (Spa/Trek-Segafredo) +3mins 10secs Source: Click

In its magazine issue entitled “Break the Cross”, the Islamic State commands Christians to abandon Christianity, on the grounds that Jesus himself was “a slave of Allah” who will “wage jihad” when he returns to earth. Among what the issue states is that Jesus was never crucified, and that Paul was a “criminal, treacherous Jew” . Interesting that the issue tries specifically to convert Unitarians. As shocking as the declaration of the slavery of Jesus to Allah may come, the Islamic State is basing its “claim” that Jesus was a “slave to Allah” on Islamic scripture. Qur’an 19:30 states of Jesus’ words: “Lo! I am the slave” of Allah, in the Pickthall translation. Other translations state that Jesus declared himself a “servant” of Allah. The Pickthall translation is the work of Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, who was a British convert to Islam Islamic scholar noted for this English translation of the Qur’an. (The Qur’an also says (at 4:157) that Jesus was not crucified.) What far too many Westerners argue is that the Islamic State is an aberration to Islam, but in reality, it is a manifestation of normative Islam that practices a particularly brutal form of jihad by the sword, and does not conceal its intentions in the manner that its more “peaceful” counterparts such as the Muslim Brotherhood do. Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna also stated that it is the duty of all Muslims to wage jihad by the sword, but this command is largely concealed by Brotherhood adherents, who will only reveal and act upon it once the Muslim Brotherhood gains enough power on Western soil to be confident in beginning to show its true colors. Adapted from Dr. Peter Hammond’s book Slavery, Terrorism, and Islam: So according to the tenets of Islam, Jesus is indeed a slave to Allah – or at best, a servant — and the Islamic State has openly declared it. Recall that Islamic State leader al-Baghdadi is an Islamic scholar who spent four years in U.S. captivity, and bases his barbaric actions upon Islamic law, which he uses to justify his ruthlessness. In fact, the Islamic State has now sent a message to the misguided Pope Francis: “ours is a religious war and we hate you”. “Breaking the Cross’: Islamic State Magazine Mocks Christianity, Claims Jesus Is ‘a Slave of Allah’”, by Frances Martel, Breitbart, August 1, 2016: Source: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/08/islamic-state-jesus-is-a-slave-to-allah-who-will-wage-jihad-once-he-returns-to-earth

PAPUA New Guinea is again the best men’s team outside Australia after beating New Zealand by a point in a thrilling division one Grand Final of the AFL International Cup on Saturday afternoon at the MCG. The Mosquitoes won bragging rights as the first team in AFL International Cup men’s competition to win back-to-back titles in a war of attrition with Oceania neighbours, the Hawks. The youngest player in the men’s competition, Hewago ‘Ace’ Oea, kicked a crucial goal on the half-time siren and Clyde Palah kept Papua New Guinea in front when he won a loose ball and pumped it home in the third. Oea – just 16 – was named best on ground with a comprehensive display, utilising lightning speed and tremendous ball skills. “I am feeling proud for all the boys and our supporters here and back home,” Oea said. “I loved kicking that goal and celebrating. That is a moment I will remember forever. “It was amazing to run out at the MCG for the first time. I’ll be back in three years to make it three consecutive titles.” The Mosquitoes know how to play under pressure, having won the title in 2008 by eight points and 2011 by just three points. Half the team, including captain John James Lavai, was playing in a second AFL International Cup Grand Final, with Amua Pirika kicking two goals to win an historic third title. Papua New Guinea voices rang out across the MCG as the raggiana flag soared high in the stands, and players soaked up the triumph with supporters who were out in numbers as they have been for the fortnight-long carnival. Barclay Miller hit the post from close range for New Zealand as the Hawks piled on pressure deep into the fourth quarter before Kataha Siwee had the opportunity to wrap up proceedings, but hit the post against the run of play. New Zealand pushed hard at the death, but the Papua New Guinea defensive wall held tight. “We’re pretty heartbroken right now but we’ll work hard and be back in three years,” Miller said. “I tried to stay calm in the build-up and kicking the goal early on helped to settle my nerves. There are some of my best mates in this team –it’s been a special couple of weeks.” Both teams forged strong bonds during the tournament, but the Mosquitoes stayed relaxed, true to their game plan, as a tense final quarter unfolded. Broken play suited them and they retained ascendancy. With a short spell of hail during pre-game team photos, Papua New Guinea’s running game was under threat, but the Mosquitoes were happy to switch the footy around as the sun dried out the MCG. “The standard continues to improve throughout the tournament,” AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said after handing over the trophy. “I thought Papua New Guinea might rue the missed goal at the end but they stayed calm and got up again.” Papua New Guinea celebrates after the game. Picture: AFL Photos PAPUA NEW GUINEA 1.1 3.2 4.4 4.5 (29) NEW ZEALAND 2.0 3.1 4.3 4.4 (28) GOALS Papua New Guinea: Pirika 2, Oea, Palah New Zealand: Miller, McKenzie, Johnson, Donnell-Brown BEST Papua New Guinea: Oea, Pirika, Johnson, Lavai, So-Ong New Zealand: Clark, Johnson, Clince, Miller, Baker-Thomas Umpires: J. Cannon, M. McGinnis, N. Van Schote New Zealand players celebrate a goal. Picture: AFL Photos Players threw themselves into the contest. Picture: AFL Photos Source: AFL

he Australian Catholic Church said it would fire its employees if they marry their same-sex partner in a threat coming straight from the top. Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart told Fairfax Media the church was warning its 180,000 employees in Australia they should adhere to church teaching “totally”. Any breach of doctrine would be treated “very seriously”. “I would be very emphatic that our schools, our parishes exist to teach a Catholic view of marriage,” Archbishop Hart said. “Any words or actions which work contrary to that would be viewed very seriously. “Our teachers, our parish employees are expected totally to uphold the Catholic faith and what we believe about marriage.” The Catholic Church and other religious institutions are exempt from anti-discrimination laws, allowing them the freedom to hire and fire people based upon marital status and sexual orientation, among other aspects. While there are LGBTI people within the ranks of the church’s 180,000 employees working as teachers and nurses and various other roles, venturing down the aisle into a same-sex marriage could be considered a public denunciation of the church and its stance on marriage. Head of Catholic Health Australia, Suzanne Greenwood, told Fairfax the church’s stance was “not really relevant to the jobs people are performing within the care environment at a hospital or an aged care facility”. As the CEO of the largest not-for-profit, non-government health organisation in Australia, Ms Greenwood said she could not see any reason why the organisation would change it approach to hiring employees who are not currently screened based on sexual orientation. The threat to employment was more plain to Catholic teachers who would be expected to set an example based upon their school and the church’s values. Chair of the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education Archbishop Timothy Costelloe cautioned teachers about “undermining” church doctrine and school values in the case that marriage equality became law. “In accepting a role in a Catholic school, staff will recognise their responsibility to conduct themselves in such a way as not to undermine the fundamental ethos of the school,” he said. Source: https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/36775371/church-threatens-to-fire-employees-if-they-get-same-sex-married/

By Akira Lawson Want to know why Japan has never endured a terrorist attack? Simple, Sakoku (鎖国), a term commonly known by Japanese people and those who study Japanese culture and history. The term denotes the immigration policy enacted by the Tokugawa Shogunate, which dictates that no foreigner could immigrate to Japan, nor a Japanese person could leave Japan, or else it would be ‘off with the head’ for either party. Having no official coinage in the Japanese language till the 19th century, the closed-door policy itself, is situated at the core of Japanese ideology and continues to be the root reason to why Japan is a homogenous society; one of the very few in the developed world. Although Japan’s national isolation or seclusion came to a halt with the establishment of trade/diplomatic relations with the West, especially with the arrival of Commodore Perry with his Black Ships (kurofune) at the Bay of Edo (Tokyo), the policy continues today to be the foundation and contributing pillar in policy making, specifically in the areas of immigration. As of this year, ethnic minorities (Chinese, Korean, Filipinos, and many more) only account for 1.5% of the demographics of Japan with Christianity at 2.3% and people who identify themselves as non-religious at 7%. Religions such as Islam only account for less than 100,000 people in Japan with about 2,000 Jews, plus or minus. In comparison with France, France has approximately 8.5% of their population who identify themselves as Muslim and the religious distribution of the immigrant population in France is well over 3,000,000 Muslims. With the recent Islamic terror attacks in Paris killing over 120 people (still to increase), compounding that with the Charlie Hebdo shooting, Sydney siege, Parramatta shooting, Curtiss Culwell Center shooting; the rise of Islamic terrorism seems to flourish in the Western world as apathy, altruism and left-wing rhetoric seems to silence anti-immigration politicians with contextually infelicitous labelling such as “Islamophobe”, “racist”, “fascist”, or “Nazi”. The unpopular truth is that once you increase the influx of Muslims or introduce Muslims into a non-Islamic society, the probability of having Islamic homegrown terrorism also intensifies. Nevertheless, the rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria also demonstrates areas where unwilling acculturation and assimilation of the host nation’s culture by Muslim migrants and residents are also signs of the increasing nature of the threat that Islam is manifesting. None of which Japan is producing, i.e. foreign fighters. It would be cultural suicide or self-inflicted genocide to suggest increasing the number of Islamic migrants or refugees to Australia for example. What do you think would happen in Australia if the constituency of Muslims in all electorates reached near or over 50%? Well, you can expect them to elect Islamic political parties who will press for Sharia Law to be enforced, losing all forms of freedom and democracy. You can also say good bye to same-sex marriage, as being a homosexual is punishable by death. In addition, you will also see the number of wife-beating, Female-Genital Mutilation (FGM) and rape cases increase. To finish off, not one single form of Islamic terrorism has been recorded in Japan and will hopefully continue to do so as Shinzo Abe (Prime Minister of Japan and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan – LDP) has rightfully opposed increasing the total number of immigrants and permanent residents, as an ageing population and declining birth rate threatens the stability of a homogenous society if the number of immigrants increases. Even if the population stabilises in Japan and the political centre of gravity shifts from right to left, the likelihood of increasing the immigrant count would be highly unlikely as ideological foundations such as Sakoku are deeply entrenched in Japanese philosophy and thought. That said, Japan may have to sacrifice its economic standing in the future as a result of its inability to suffice its shrinking labour force, though, it will do so knowing that it doesn’t have to worry about Islamic homegrown terrorism. Photograph: Carving by Yoshitoshi depicts the shoguns in the Edo Shogunate. By Someblah: As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be for the most part be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in: United States -- Muslim 0.6%, Australia -- Muslim 1.5%, Canada -- Muslim 1.9%, China -- Muslim 1.8%, Italy -- Muslim 1.5%, Norway -- Muslim 1.8% At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. This is happening in: Denmark -- Muslim 2%, Germany -- Muslim 3.7%, United Kingdom -- Muslim 2.7%, Spain -- Muslim 4%, Thailand -- Muslim 4.6% From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves -- along with threats for failure to comply. This is occurring in: France -- Muslim 8%, Philippines -- 5%, Sweden -- Muslim 5%, Switzerland -- Muslim 4.3%, The Netherlands -- Muslim 5.5%, Trinidad & Tobago -- Muslim 5.8% At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world. When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris , we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam, and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam , with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim sections, in: Guyana -- Muslim 10%, India -- Muslim 13.4%, Israel -- Muslim 16%, Kenya -- Muslim 10%, Russia -- Muslim 15% After reaching 20%, nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in: Ethiopia -- Muslim 32.8% At 40%, nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing militia warfare, such as in: Bosnia -- Muslim 40%, Chad -- Muslim 53.1%, Lebanon -- Muslim 59.7% From 60%, nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and ***ya, the tax placed on infidels, such as in: Albania -- Muslim 70%, Malaysia -- Muslim 60.4%, Qatar -- Muslim 77.5%, Sudan -- Muslim 70% After 80%, expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in: Bangladesh -- Muslim 83%, Egypt -- Muslim 90%, Gaza -- Muslim 98.7%, Indonesia -- Muslim 86.1%, Iran -- Muslim 98%, Iraq -- Muslim 97%, Jordan -- Muslim 92%, Morocco -- Muslim 98.7%, Pakistan -- Muslim 97%, Palestine -- Muslim 99%, Syria -- Muslim 90%, Tajikistan -- Muslim 90%, Turkey -- Muslim 99.8%, United Arab Emirates -- Muslim 96% 100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' -- the Islamic House of Peace. Here there's supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in: Afghanistan -- Muslim 100%, Saudi Arabia -- Muslim 100%, Somalia -- Muslim 100%, Yemen -- Muslim 100% Source: http://allfourestates.com/why-japan-has-no-islamic-terrorism-sakoku-and-immigration/

Welcome!

SYDNEY is incredibly into the top four after defeating ladder-leaders Adelaide by three points in a Friday night epic at Adelaide Oval. A capacity crowd of 51,466 were treated to one of the games of the season as the Swans emerged victorious, 13.5 (83) to 11.14 (80). Sam Reid and Tom Papley kicked the final two goals of a sensational contest that wouldn't have been out of place in September. The Swans (13-8) have won 13 of their past 15 games to move up to fourth on the ladder ahead of Richmond on percentage. It was a position unthinkable after last year's grand finalists lost their first six games of the season. The Crows (15 wins, one draw, five losses) could drop to second if they lose to West Coast next week and Greater Western Sydney beat the Eagles and Geelong. Swans skipper Josh Kennedy was superb in his first back from missing two weeks with a hamstring injury, racking up 31 possessions, including 18 contested, while Dan Hannebery (28) and Luke Parker (30, 19 contested) provided great assistance. Champion forward Lance Franklin booted three goals, including a lung-busting effort down the wing that will be on highlight reels for years to come. Franklin showed Crows defender Daniel Talia a clean pair of heels, picking the ball up at half-back, having two bounces on the wing, losing control of the ball, re-gathering and finishing on his left foot from 40m out. Crows star Rory Sloane had a massive game with 20 of his 29 possessions contested, 14 tackles and nine clearances, shaking off the attentions of Isaac Heeney. Out of contractstar Mitch McGovern was the focal point of the Crows' attack with four goals, midfield mover Matt Crouch had 34 touches and Rory Laird (34 disposals) was busy across half-back. The topic ofhome-town umpiring will again be in the news after the Crows finished the game with 28 free kicks to 14. Several of those went against Heeney in his over-zealous attempts to keep Sloane quiet. The Swans charged out of the gates, booting the opening four goals of the game to stun the home crowd. Majors to Zak Jones and Kennedy extended the margin to 29 points early in the second term before the Crows kicked five unanswered goals to hit the front early in the third quarter. But despite having the better of the game general play, inaccuracy in front of goal cost them dearly. The Swans kicked 4.2 in the term compared to the Crows' 3.5 to take an 11-point advantage into the last change. McGovern's fourth goal at the six-minute mark of the last term narrowed the gap to five points before skipper Taylor Walker put the Crows in front with a neat finish from the pocket. However, the Swans rallied to compound the Crows' misery after last year's semi-final victory at the SCG. Jones will have a nervous wait after being placed on report for a late hit on Brad Crouch in the back. ADELAIDE 2.2 5.5 8.10 11.14 (80) SYDNEY 5.1 7.1 11.3 13.5 (83) GOALS Adelaide: McGovern 4, Betts 2, Sloane, M.Crouch, Lynch, Walker, Jenkins Sydney: Franklin 3, Rohan 2, Reid 2, Tippett, Kennedy, Jack, Jones, McVeigh, Papley BEST Adelaide: Sloane, M.Crouch, Laird, Lynch, McGovern, Jacobs Sydney: Franklin, Kennedy, Rampe, Hannebery, McVeigh, Smith INJURIES Adelaide: Talia (ankle) Sydney: Nil Reports: Zac Jones (Sydney) for rough conduct on Brad Crouch (Adel) Umpires: Deboy, Donlon, Pannell Official crowd: 51,466 Source: http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2017/22/adel-v-syd

A heavenly sign, or the work of the devil? If you could look down from above on the parts of Sydney where most people told the 2016 census they had "no religion", the faithless have sought sanctuary in a cluster of suburbs with an uncanny resemblance to the Cross. A rood of inner-city suburbs taking in Glebe, Newtown, Camperdown, Enmore, Redfern and Erskineville seem to have been losing their religion. Father Peter Maher, Parish priest at St Joseph's Newtown. Photo: Anna Kucera Erskineville is now officially Australia's most ungodly suburb. Close to 55 per cent of people living in Erskineville said they had no religious affiliation in the 2016 census, just ahead of Melbourne's North Fitzroy. Father Peter Maher at St Joseph's Newtown. Photo: Anna Kucera Erskineville and the other inner suburbs that are proving a rust belt for the religion industries have a shared history in displacing the poor. They are all somewhat youthful, well paid and better educated than the people they priced out of town. Father Peter Maher, the parish priest at St Joseph's in Newtown, said when he first arrived nearly 20 years ago, the bulk of his parishioners were workers in low-paid jobs who were either single or had large families; many though attended Mass. "Newtown had many boarding houses when I came. Of course they have been sold up for lots of money, and the people who bought them must be exhausted working to pay for them," he said. "They don't seem to come to church. I guess affluence seems to squeeze out belief." The inner-city suburbs have concentrations of the LGBTQIA community, but Fr Maher said many had not lost their religion and in fact bolstered the number of people attending services at St Joseph's. "We hold a gay and lesbian service on Friday nights," he said. "So our Mass attendances have remained pretty constant, although I guess the numbers are kept up by gays and lesbians coming from outside the parish to attend." If youth, sexual identity and wealth are driving the rush from religion, how to explain the mid-north coast town of Bellingen, a mixed retirement/dropout/farming community, were nearly one in two residents told the census they had no religion? Maybe they are just part of a trend where the number of Australians who said they had "no religion" in the census jumped to 30 per cent in 2016, from 22 per cent in 2011. Between 1911 and 2011, the number of Australians marking "no religion" on census papers rose from 0.4 per cent to 22.3 per cent. But Australia is not only country growing increasingly godless. The number of New Zealanders who refused to list religious affiliation in the 2013 census jumped from 35 per cent to 42 per cent. The following year, 48.5 per cent of England and Wales marked "no religion", up from 25 per cent in 2011. In Scotland last year, 52 per cent said they had no religion; 17 years earlier 40 per cent of Scots had lost or not found god. Some Australian commentators have partly attributed the 2016 increase in the "no religion" response to the option being moved to the top of the list of responses on the 2016 census form. It used to sit on the bottom of the religion section. Seizing on the change, the Atheist Foundation of Australia conducted a strong campaign last year urging Australians to mark "no religion" on the census form. Not only did the atheists have apparent success in inner Sydney and Melbourne, but people in South and West Hobart and Canberra's inner suburbs clustered around the Australian National University lost faith or never found it. But belief in god in various forms was alive and well in Sydney's south-west, where more than 80 per cent remain true believers. The most religious live around Bossley Park and Abbotsbury where 88 per cent – largely Catholic, but with populations of Buddhists and Assyrian Apostolic – registered religious affiliations. The original inhabitants are Australia's most faithful citizens. Almost 90 per cent of Aboriginal communities on former missions Yarrabah (Anglican, far north Queensland) and the Tiwi Islands (Catholic, Northern Territory) said they had religion. So too did the descendants of the people of Palm Island in far north Queensland, who were rounded up after a cyclone 99 years ago and cared for by Anglican missionaries. Source: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/losing-our-religion-the-innercity-suburbs-where-the-faithless-seek-sanctuary-20170630-gx1yhj.html

He was baptised as a baby, confirmed as a child and was a Catholic school kid — but, like a growing number of young people, Nick Nohreiter says he has no religion. The census shows “no religion” as the most common category of religious belief for the first time — accounting for 29.6 per cent of the population — overtaking Catholicism, which was at 22.6 per cent. For those aged 18 to 34, the figure is more striking: 39 per cent have no religion. Mr Nohreiter, an 18-year-old studying commerce and economics university in Brisbane, said he had “gone through the whole Catholic thing”, but doesn’t think he ever believed in God. “My family’s not very religious but I did go to a Catholic school, so I always used to have mass and stuff,” he said. “It was just (a) general lifestyle. It’s sort of a stereotype of our modern society, that we always go to a Catholic school because that’s how everyone else had.” Losing our religion For the first time in history the number of people who claim no religion at all have overtaken Catholics as a proportion of the population. He said he had pondered the big life questions and wondered about the existence of a creator, but had never believed. “I always just come back to: This is what I find more plausible. With growing science and technology, it makes sense,” he said. Most of his friends felt the same. One friend, 18-year-old primary education student Brooke Hayes, said Mr Nohreiter was typical of others in her circle who did not share her Catholic beliefs. “It’s a social trend,” she said. “If I said (to) my group of friends, come to church with me on a Sunday, everyone’s going to be like ‘no thanks’. I think it’s because there is a lot of unanswered questions when you do believe in God. And I think because science is such a strong topic, these days everyone wants to have an answer.” Ms Hayes said many of her friends had drifted away from Catholicism in their teens. Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/census-2016-young-people-looking-to-science-over-faith/news-story/17012a68fb569cb20fb7b6a3b38745db

“Man enjoys the great advantage of having a god endorse the code he writes; and since man exercises a sovereign authority over women it is especially fortunate that this authority has been vested in him by the Supreme Being. For the Jews, Mohammedans and Christians among others, man is master by divine right; the fear of God will therefore repress any impulse towards revolt in the downtrodden female.” Simone de Beauvoir – The Second Sex 1949 Islam, Christianity and Judaism are patriarchal, monotheistic religions and are bound by one thing – their contempt of women! When confronted with the issue of women’s plight in Muslim countries, Muslim apologists insist that their religion has been misunderstood and that Islam actually grants women certain rights. They blame tradition and tribal societies for the low status and oppression of women. Since Islam exerts absolute power over every aspect of Muslim society, from diet to relations between the sexes, why has it failed in fourteen centuries of its existence, to eradicate injustices against half of its adherents? Turkey’s women are the most liberated in the Muslim world. This was achieved not through Islamic reformation but through secularisation established by the founder of the modern Turkish republic Kemal Ataturk. Kemal was the product of secular education and had always admired Western culture. He pursued a program of westernisation that affected all aspects of Turkish life – women were granted the vote and veiling was prohibited. If the Turkish system were to collapse and replaced by an Islamic theocracy we can be certain that women’s progress will be reversed and women will be at the mercy of the mullahs. In countries where there has been a raise in fundamentalism and reversal to strict religious law such as Pakistan, Sudan and Afghanistan women are targeted with vengeance and brutality. Some Muslim scholars agree that Mohammed did proclaim some rights for Muslim women. For example he abolished the pre-Islamic Arabian custom of burying alive unwanted female infants. He also decreed that women could own and inherit property, and that women have the right to enjoy sex! However, he did enshrine women’s inequality and inferior status in immutable Quranic law accepted by Muslims as the infallible word of God. “Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because men spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those among you who fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them.” Sura 4:34 “…Women shall with justice have rights similar to those exercised against them, although men have a status above women. God is mighty and wise.” Sura 2:228 Under Shari’a – Islamic law – a man can marry up to four wives. He can divorce his wife or wives by saying “I divorce you” three times. For a wife to obtain a divorce is usually very difficult. Muslim apologists claim that Muslim women have the right to divorce and that in Islam the mother is revered and respected. Upon divorce, fathers win custody of boys over the age of six and girls on the onset of puberty. Many women would be reluctant to divorce violent or polygynous husbands for fear of losing their children. Despite the exaltation of motherhood – Mohammed once told a follower that paradise is found at the feet of the mother – children are considered the property of the father with the mother being merely the caretaker. How is it possible for a Muslim man to respect his mother when immutable religious law proclaims women’s inferiority and inadequacy? Under the Shari’a, compensation for the murder of a woman is half the amount of that of a man. A woman’s testimony in court is worth only half of a man’s. Women are entitled to only half the inheritance of males; the reason given for these is that males have families to provide for. In sura 4:34 men are granted superiority and authority over women because they spend their wealth to maintain them, this implies that women are a burden on society and that their work in caring for children, household and livestock is insignificant and trivial. Girls as young as nine can be married off by their father even if the mother disapproves of the marriage, often they end up as second or third wives of much older men – here is a way to instantly eradicate illegal paedophilia! Conservative clerics have resisted moves to raise the minimum age for girls. One of Mohammed’s wives, Aisha was seven when she was betrothed to Mohammed and nine when the marriage was consummated, Mohammed was in his fifties with several wives. Any attempts by various governments to give women more freedoms, greater property and marriage rights have been vehemently opposed by conservative Islamists, who insist that the reforms are against Islam. In the Qur’an the prescribed penalty for adultery is one hundred lashes and a year in exile – sura 24:1. However, Mohammed did condemn people to be stoned to death, in one case the rabbis brought a man and a woman accused of adultery, Mohammed ordered the pair to be stoned to death. The Jews practiced stoning for adultery and it is mentioned in the Old Testament under Mosaic Law. Today many Islamic fundamentalists advocate the stoning of women and stoning does occur in many Muslim countries. In Muslim countries, men have the power of life and death over their women. Honour-killers usually escape punishment and the ones that are tried and convicted, receive only a few months in prison where they are treated like heroes by other inmates. Honour killings are carried out by men against women in their family for disobedience or suspected sexual transgressions. Even women who have been raped are killed for defiling the family honour. In Jordan, the royal family has condemned honour killings but the government has not acted in repealing lenient laws for fear of enraging Islamic conservatives. The frighteningly powerful Islamic Action Front party, has declared that the proposal to introduce harsh laws against honour-killers “would destroy our Islamic, social and family values by stripping men of their humanity when they surprise their wives or female relatives committing adultery” (“family values” are certain to raise their ugly head whenever there is talk of justice for women!). Also they declared that honour killing is an Islamic duty and they justify their actions by the fact that Mohammed advocated stoning for adultery. A 12-year old Jordanian girl returned home one evening from a walk with some friends. She was confronted by her enraged father who was shouting that she had dishonoured the entire family. He began beating his daughter with sticks and iron chains until she died. He told the police that he killed his only daughter because she went for a walk without his permission. In Batsail, Bangladesh an 18-year old woman was flogged to death for “immoral” behaviour on the order of Muslim Clerics. A 16-year old Jordanian girl had her throat slit by her brother after having been raped by another of her brothers. An Egyptian father paraded his daughter’s severed head through the streets shouting: “I have avenged myhonour” . A woman that is not a virgin on her wedding night is likely to be killed by her male relatives. Honour killings also occur among Arab Christians who claim that it is their tradition. Tradition has always been religion’s ally in the subjugation of women. Tradition and religion are the iron ball and chain that hinder women’s progress. In countries governed by the Shari’a a woman’s testimony is worth only half of that of a man’s. In Pakistan since Islamisation, rape victims are charged with “zina” – sex outside marriage – and are sent to prison. In 1977 a Saudi princess and her lover were sentenced to death and executed. The princess was separated from her husband and intended to leave the country with her lover. The execution was captured on camera by a British tourist and was televised all over the world. In Saudi Arabia women are subject to many harsh restrictions. They are forbidden to drive and most jobs are denied to them. The only evidence of their existence is the appearance of their name on their father’s or husband’s ID card. While women are expected to abide by a medieval and self-effacing moral code, Saudi men are importing planeloads of prostitutes from overseas and are buying sex- slaves from impoverished countries in addition to being permitted up to four wives. The law on adultery usually applies only to women. Since men are permitted up to four wives plus concubines they would hardly have the time for “unlawful” sex! Recently there was a case in Nigeria of a woman accused of sex outside marriage. She was sentenced to death by stoning while the man she had sex with was not charged because there was not enough evidence against him! When Afghanistan was occupied by the Russians, women’s rights were protected by law – much to the dismay of Islamists. When the Russians withdrew Islamic fundamentalists went to work in eradicating any gains made by women. The Taliban, a product of the Madrasah – fundamentalist religious school where boys spend hours every day reciting and memorizing the Qur’an – has taken the subjugation of women to new heights. Women were barred from employment and girls are forbidden to attend school. Women were also denied medical care because it was illegal for women to be examined by a male doctor. Any woman caught in the company of a male not related to her was sentenced to death and women were not permitted to leave the house without being accompanied by a male relative. Some women earned a small income by baking bread, when discovered by the Taliban they were burned alive in their own ovens. In the Indian province of Kashmir, Muslim fundamentalists have demanded that all women (even those who are not Muslim) start wearing veils. When the call was ignored Muslim thugs threw acid in the faces of uncovered women. Female genital mutilation is an African custom that pre-dates Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is widely practiced in African countries, the Middle East, Malaysia, Indonesia and also amongst certain ethnic groups living in Europe, North America and Australia. In Africa FGM is practiced not only by Muslims but also by some Christian and Animist groups as well. Some Muslims believe that Islam mandates FGM and they continue its practice in order to ensure that their daughters will remain chaste until marriage. The doctrine of “chastity equals goodness” is nothing more than a device designed to control women’s sexuality and to reduce women into objects “new” and “used!” Sounds familiar? In the US, Christian fundamentalists have embarked on a “chastity and family values” crusade in order to curb women’s sexual freedom and autonomy. Islam’s psychotic obsession with female chastity, modesty and virginity has rendered men incapable of viewing women as equal and worthy companions. How can we expect these men to treat women decently when their religion and culture forbids it! In fact, Muslim men can relax only when their foot is firmly placed on their women’s necks! In Muslim societies religion governs all aspects of life and has priority over secular laws and local customs, therefore, the excuse that tradition alone is responsible for women’s oppression is untenable. Unless Muslim apologists are prepared to back their claims by a campaign to reform their religion and improve the situation of women, their assertions that Islam is blameless in oppressing women, are null and void. There is a risk that multiculturalism and freedom of religion will ensure that tradition and religion remain eternally immutable. Should respecting other cultures mean that we should turn a blind eye to sadism, torture and brutality? How long I wonder, will the world continue to tolerate the gender apartheid in the Islamic world and still persist in calling itself civilised? Source: Click

Welcome!

Muslim gangs have been filmed loitering on streets in London and demanding that passersby conform to Islamic Sharia law. The self-proclaimed vigilantes, who call themselves Muslim London Patrol, are seen in several videos abusing people for drinking alcohol, for showing too much flesh and for being homosexual. In one three-and-a-half minute video posted on YouTube on January 17, a number of hooded men are seen repeatedly shouting "this is a Muslim area" towards non-Muslim passers-by. In the footage, which was shot at night on the weekend of January 12/13 on a mobile phone, in what is believed to be Whitechapel in east London, one gang member is seen telling a young woman who is wearing a short skirt, "you cannot dress like that in a Muslim area, this is a Muslim area." A few moments later, the vigilantes confront a man carrying a can of beer, telling him "no alcohol is allowed." They then force him to empty out the contents of the can on the sidewalk. One gang member shouts: "Get him to pour it out, pour it out, Muslim area. Alcohol bad. This is a Muslim area. This area is a Muslim area. No drink in this area." He continues: "What this is, is a Muslim Patrol. We are Muslims and we patrol the area. Forbidden … evil. Alcohol is evil. No alcohol. Yes? Have a good day." A few moments later, the vigilantes accost a woman who, referring to the imposition of Sharia law in the neighborhood exclaims, "I cannot believe it!" The Muslims respond: "We do not care if you believe it or not." At another point, one gang member admonishes another gang member not to allow non-Muslims to pass along the sidewalk in front of a mosque. He shouts: "You need to control this area and forbid these people from dressing like this and exposing themselves outside the mosque." A few moments later, a gang member accosts two non-Muslims who are passing by. "Remove yourself away from the mosque. Go away now. This is a Muslim area. Muslim patrol. Muslim patrol. Move away from the mosque." Another Muslim then shouts: "This is democracy, this is freedom, this is secularism, move away from the mosque. We clearly need Islam. Go away and don't come back. Don't come back. Keep your mouth closed." Next the men then accost a woman passerby. "We do not respect dolls who disobey God, we don't respect them." The woman, stunned, responds, "I am so appalled." The men reply: "We don't care if you are appalled at all." She says: "This is Great Britain." The men reply: "This is not-so-Great Britain, this is a Muslim area. We are vigilantes implementing Islam upon your own necks." In another video, Muslims are seen harassing a man they perceive to be a homosexual. They aggressively pursue the man and shout at him, "Hello mate, don't you know this is a Muslim area. Why are you dressed like that for." The man responds: "Why are you bothering me." The Muslims respond: "You are walking in a Muslim area dressed like a fag, mate. You need to get out of here." Clearly terrified, the man responds, "I am getting out of here." The Muslims respond, "Get out of here quicker then. You're dirty mate. Admit you're dirty. You're gay, mate. Get out of here, you bloody fag." The vigilante video follows another clip in which Muslim vigilantes protest against advertisements for push-up bras by High Street retailer H&M. In the three minute video they say: "The Muslims have taken it upon themselves to command the good and forbid the evil and cover up these naked people." They then show a number of advertisements for the product which have been sprayed over and also film themselves pouring petrol over one advertisement and setting it on fire. In a fourth video, uploaded onto YouTube on January 23, one day after two gang members were arrested by London police, members of Muslim London Patrol are defiant. As the video opens, men are heard shouting, "Allah is the greatest! Islam is here, whether you like it or not. We are here! We are here!" What we need is Islam! What we need is Sharia!" The video continues: "We are the Muslim Patrol. We are in north London, we are in south London, in east London and west London. We command good and forbid evil. Islam is here in London. [Prime Minister] David Cameron, Mr. Police Officer, whether you like it or not, we will command good and forbid evil. You will never get us. You can go to hell! This is not a Christian country. To hell with Christianity. Isa [Jesus] was a messenger of Allah. Muslim Patrol will never die. Allah is great! Allah is great! We are coming!" In a January 23 interview with the online newspaper International Business Times, Anjem Choudary, a radical preacher who has long called for Sharia law to be implemented in Britain and other European countries, defended the gang, saying Muslims are simply trying to rid London of prostitution and drunkenness. According to Choudary, "The practice of Muslims going out and forbidding evil is not new. There is a prevalence of prostitution and drunkenness in London and the police are not dealing with it. The problem is so widespread that I'm not surprised more Muslims are not taking it into their hands. The area [Whitechapel] is a Muslim area so for them to say these things are not allowed is correct. They should be commended for their actions." He added: "This is a wake-up call for society to ask 'where are we headed?' There is a clash between Islam and liberal democracy in hotspots areas of London." Choudary has previously led a campaign, known as the Islamic Emirates Project, to turn twelve British cities — including what he calls "Londonistan" — into independent Islamic states. The so-called Islamic Emirates would function as autonomous enclaves, ruled by Islamic Sharia law, and operated entirely outside British jurisprudence. Source: Click

Welcome!

Daily headlines prove that Europe is bursting at the seams with Islamists attempting to establish Sharia law and homegrown terror plots. France is ablaze with radicals, ISIS threatens they will send Spain back to the times of the Ottoman Empire, and Britain is much too concerned with appeasing Muslims that they are doing away with their own citizens’ free speech. The world is idly watching to see which European country will fall to Islamic rule, creating the first Muslim nation. According to TMI, Muslims have already established which country will be the first to cave to Sharia: A website claiming to be the Danish Muslim Party (DAMP) published a “press release” in English and Danish, saying that Denmark will be the first Muslim nation in Europe. The website also stated as follows: “[W]e can assure you that everything will be better in Muslim Denmark: No drugs, no crime, peace, and humanity – instead ofdrug culture, immorality, possibly human rights crimes and violence which we have now.” “Every immigrant or Muslim in Danish jails should be released from prisons, because it is possible that there has been plotting or framing or provocation towards them – and all cases should be investigated again carefully.” “Muslim party will bebiggest party of Denmark – and it may be soon. First day after Turkey becomes EU member country – about one million 20-50 year old Muslims [may] move to Denmark, and after that Denmark [may] be a Muslim country. Be ready!” “Danish Muslim party’s only agenda is to get Muslims into Danish politics and into the parliament, no matter what our ideas and religious or political beliefs are.” Mathaba News Networkcites that 700,000 Muslims live in Denmark, and about one-third of the Danish parliament is Muslim. With this large of a percentage of Islamists in government, Muslims are seeing their religious views established in legislature under the guise of anti-discrimination. According to the website, riots and violence from the Muslim community is a direct response to the mistreatment ofMuslims, and can be solved by integrating them into politics. So, to keep Islamists from killing and rioting, we must put them in positions of power, and if we don’t, they will resort to destruction and violence. Does this sound like the kind of people who you would trust to lead a nation? Denmark had better wake up to the religious revolution before their rights are stripped away from them infavor of an Islamic State. Source: Click

One man. 14 countries. 18,000 miles – Mark Beaumont, the former round the world cycling record holder, wants his title back. And then some. Ten years after he broke the record for fastest manpowered circumnavigation of the world, Mark Beaumont has a new target – Phileas Fogg. This week the Scottish adventurer sets off on an 18,000- mile race around the world, which he aims to complete in 80 days, smashing the current world record by an astounding 43 days. If he can keep up the 240 miles a day pace. Odds are against him but Beaumont’s determination is as steely as his thigh muscles, and as he explains, the regret of not trying would be more painful than any potential injuries along the road. The Big Issue: Cycling around the world in 80 days. Why? Mark Beaumont: Good question, probably the one that’s hardest to answer succinctly. I’ve been doing this since I was a 12-year-old kid [when Beaumont set himself the challenge of cycling across Scotland], so that’s 22 years building my ability as a biker, taking bigger and bigger journeys, going faster and faster. It’s not like I’ve rolled out of bed and decided to try this. I’ve always wanted one chance to put all my cards on the table and find out what my personal best was. So this is it, this is me shooting for the stars. Isn’t it a lot of pressure to think your life comes down to this one challenge? It’s huge motivation. The fear of failure is massive – it’s scary, hugely intimidating. You don’t have to be a bike rider to understand that riding for 16 hours a day for two-and-a-half months is quite a commitment. But how many people in their lives have the opportunity to take on their biggest dreams? What’s worth doing, what’s worth fighting for? I don’t want to have regrets. I don’t want to look back knowing I had the chance to take on the world and didn’t do it. You’ve already cycled around the world, broken the Cairo-to-Cape Town record… have you always had a list of goals you want to achieve? My life has not been particularly well planned. I did an economics degree and planned to work in finance but I’ve spent the last 11 years going on big adventures. I’m not a big believer in the five-year plan because the world changes so fast – you’re stuck in a rut before you realise and you limit your options. It’s about being furiously busy with what’s in front of you. There’s a lot of suffering and a huge amount of commitment but ultimately I love it. I realise now, looking at my friends and peers, how lucky I am to do something I genuinely enjoy. That adds fuel to my fire to keep going. How have you chosen your route for this trip? I’ve found the flattest 18,000 miles around the word. The biggest criteria are the topography – the climb, wind direction – that’s huge, it could be a difference of 5mph, road quality, border crossings… You seem to take a detour across America. Your total miles have to add up to more than 18,000. If you pinged straight across the continent it wouldn’t be enough. You are never allowed to go back on yourself and you have to hit two points on the opposite side of the world. In the faster countries you have to make up miles. Do you know what the toughest leg will be? I think there will be massive relief getting out of leg one, going through Russia, Mongolia and China. Physically and logistically that’s going to test us. Then it becomes a more straightforward bike race. Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne’s book Around the World in Eighty Days is suspected of being on the run from the law when he goes off on his adventure. Are you planning any heists before you go? Good idea. I like the history of the story. I went in and introduced myself to the Reform Club and, when I come in, I’m going to give a talk to the members, which will be pretty cool. Fogg is delayed on his journey when he has to save a damsel in distress. Would you delay your journey for similar reasons? I’m afraid I’m going to be pretty brutal about this one. There’s going to be no pleasantries along the way, no time to stop and smell the roses. I’m not going to slow down for anything or anyone. So I’d probably delegate it to my team. Fogg had quite an easy journey because lots of the places he lands – India, Singapore, Hong Kong – were British territories. Does being a Brit abroad still have currency? I’ve got a lot of experience of that because I’ve travelled to 130 countries in the last 10 years. When you arrive on a bike it’s a real leveller. That said, I do look a bit ridiculous this time – aero helmet, visors – I look properly racey. When I arrive in the middle of Outer Mongolia looking like a spaceman on a bike, I think people will be bemused. Are you remembering that you’ll gain a day overall? Both Fogg, and Michael Palin following in his footsteps, forgot. It’s annoying because you lose an hour every time you cross a time zone. If you travel 240 miles to the east you lose 15 minutes in that day. Every morning at eight o’clock my team put their watches back to try and incrementally lose time as we go, which means basically we have to treat every day like it’s 23 hours 45 minutes. Mark Beaumont cycles past of the Pyramids of Giza. Why is a view from a bike a good one? You get to see a hell of a lot and you get to see it in detail. Walking is too slow and a car cuts you off from the world around you. A bike is perfect – you can travel vast distances but your eyes, ears, your senses, are switched on to the world around you. What advice would you have for people who want to have their own adventures, if on a slightly smaller scale? People spend their life talking about stuff they’re going to do – I’m a huge fan of stopping people talking about it and actually getting them doing it. You don’t need to pedal around the world to have a cool adventure, you can quickly escape anywhere. And some of the tough stuff that’s a bit miserable at the time – camping out in the rain, hiking up a hill – becomes your fondest memories and you find out a ton about yourself. Source

welcome!

Welcome!

Following Sunday’s mass shooting at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, many progressives made a straightforward observation: If the gunman was not motivated directly by anti-gay activism, conservative Christian rhetoric around gay rights is both vicious and irresponsible—and the Orlando massacre could mark a moment for anti-gay advocates to reconsider the vitriol of their language. In response, and with tellingly defensive vigor, many conservatives rejected the notion that their rhetoric on LGBTQ rights might be reckless or dangerous. A statement by Matthew Franck, a National Review writer who has repeatedly compared same-sex marriage to slavery, is representative: Christians who have resisted the redefinition of marriage, and who now want to be free to live what their faith teaches them is the truth about marriage, do not hate anyone, and legislation to protect their freedom is not “anti-LGBT” except in the minds of the intolerant enforcers of coerced conformity. The thrust of Franck’s assertion—echoed by others—is that anti-LGBTQ have never done anything more than promote “traditional marriage,” and protect the belief that marriage is “a union of man and wife.” Let us examine the recent historical record to ascertain the veracity of this claim. We will focus on Orlando, the scene of Sunday’s crime, and use as our anchor that city’s most famous and beloved icon: Walt Disney World. Starting in 1991, Disney World drew annual anti-gay opprobrium as the theme park began to allow “Gay Days,” where gay people and their families set a date to enjoy the Magic Kingdom together. The first Gay Day lasted a single day and drew 3,000; it now lasts nearly a week and draws 150,000. Although not officially sanctioned by Disney, Gay Days earned the company the ire of conservative Christian groups, who denounced the event as a depraved celebration of sickness. In 1996, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution excoriating Disney for “giving the appearance that the promotion of homosexuality is more important than its historic commitment to traditional family values.” The convention also denounced Disney for “establishing of an employee policy which accepts and embraces homosexual relationships for the purpose of insurance benefits.” It declared that Disney’s willingness to tolerate an independently organized gay and lesbian event was a “gratuitous insult to Christians.” The convention’s boycott lasted eight years, and drew support from similar groups, including the American Family Association, the Catholic League, Catholics United for the Faith Inc., Citizens for a Better America, Concerned Women for America, and Free Will Baptists. Naturally, Focus on the Family—maybe the single most influential anti-gay group from the ’90s through the mid-aughts—jumped in as well. “It has become clear that the Disney organization has utter disdain for those who hold traditional moral principles and conservative family values,” Focus on the Family President James Dobson declared. “Year after year, its leaders have insulted this large segment of the population by producing films, television and music that contradict cherished beliefs.” (Dobson is referring here to Disney’s production of My Best Friend’s Wedding, described by the American Family Association as gay propaganda and proof of “the entertainment industry’s open-armed embrace of the homosexual agenda.”) “Focus on the Family now vigorously supports a boycott against anything that bears the Disney name and recommends that families,” Dobson continued, “especially those of the Christian faith, no longer trust or patronize their products and programming.” Dobson and his allies compiled a list of Disney movies to boycott, including 101 Dalmatians, Air Bud, and Bambi. Incidentally, the American Family Association promoted ex-gay conversion therapy in the same newsletter that announced the boycott. The attacks on Disney and Gay Days have continued apace ever since. In 1998, televangelist Pat Robertson warned that Gay Days would cause hurricanes to descend upon Orlando, and that acceptance of homosexuality would bring about “terrorist bombs.” One month later, Robertson blamed Gay Days for the state’s massive wildfires that year. Robertson’s television show, 700 Club, still airs on ABC Family’s Freeform channel—which is owned by Disney.* In 2008, the Christian Action Network, and anti-gay and anti-Muslim organization, launched its own campaign against Gay Days, calling the event an “orgy of depravity” and complaining that it was inappropriate for children to see “homosexuals kissing.” The theme park, CAN argued, should return to the days when it “enforced strict policies against homosexual behavior.” In 2012, the Florida Family Association hired three planes to fly banners reading “Warning: Gay Day at Disney 6/1.” The purpose of the planes, the FFA explained, was to ensure that children “were not exposed to this coming out sordid spectacle [ sic ].” In 2013, the notorious anti-gay group One Million Moms issued an statementregarding “Gay Days,” warning “unsuspecting families” that “homosexuals, bisexuals, and transvestites … with an agenda” planned “to expose and desensitize children to this lifestyle by same-sex couples holding hands, hugging, and kissing.” And so on. Perhaps this rhetoric helps to explain why the Pulse gunman apparently considered Gay Days as an alternate target for mass slaughter. It is critically important to note two things about the ongoing protests against Gay Days and Disney. First, the organizations behind the boycott—which today sound like batty loons on the fringe of conservatism—were completely mainstream in their day. There was, at the time, simply less societal pressure, as there is today, to dress up their anti-gay animus in neutral-sounding pabulum about “traditional marriage.” Second, many parents took these protests and boycotts seriously. Growing up in Florida, I knew of families that avoided Disney movies and theme parks specifically because of Gay Days. These parents’ actions sent a clear message to their children, some of whom turned out to be LGBTQ: Queer identity is so vile, so morally repulsive, that even supporting a gay-tolerant corporation is sinful. Until very recently, the Christian right’s primary mode of attack on the LGBTQ community did not center around pleas for “traditional marriage.” It centered around cruel, ferocious attacks on our families and our identities, depicting us as debauched perverts and disgusting lechers. And once a year, the entire weight of this animus came crashing down on Orlando—just because a bunch of gay families wanted to take their kids to Disney World at the same time. Conservative Christian activists may not be directly to blame for the massacre at Pulse. But they are responsible for relentlessly vilifying the LGBTQ community in terms that often spilled over into outright hatred. Reference: Stern, M. (2017). Conservative Christian Activists Share the Blame for Anti-Gay Hate in Orlando. Slate Magazine.

Riding a bright yellow bike to match his leader's jersey, defending champion Chris Froome won his fourth and most challenging Tour de France title on Sunday. The 32-year-old Kenyan-born British rider finished 54 seconds ahead of Colombian Rigoberto Uran overall, the smallest margin of his wins. "This Tour has been my toughest yet. I want to pay tribute to all riders for their sportsmanship," Froome said. "We raced hard together, we suffered together." This was the third successive overall win for Team Sky's Froome. His first in 2013 came the year after former teammate Bradley Wiggins sparked off an era of British dominance. His margin of victory over Colombian Nairo Quintana in 2013 was by more than four minutes. Quintana pushed him much harder in 2015, finishing only 1:12 back, but Froome beat Frenchman Romain Bardet by 4:05 last year. Bardet was third this time. Froome looked emotional as he lifted the race winner's bouquet of flowers, his eyes seemingly watering. Then, smiling broadly, he gave a thumbs-up to the crowd before going to pick up his young son and walking back onto the podium with him in his arms. "I want to dedicate this victory to my family. Your love and support make everything possible," he said. "I also want to thank my team Sky (for your) dedication and passion." Then, switching to an admirably improving French, Froome addressed the Parisian crowd. "I wanted to thank the French fans, thank you for the welcome and your generosity," said Froome, who was nevertheless loudly jeered in Marseille on Saturday. "More than 100 years ago you created this beautiful race. Your passion for this race makes it really special. I fell in love with this race." Bardet placed two minutes, 20 seconds behind him. But he denied Spaniard Mikel Landa - Froome's teammate - a podium spot by just one second. Italian Fabio Aru, who briefly led the race, finished fifth, 3:05 behind. As per tradition, the 21st stage was reserved for sprinters and mostly a procession for Froome and the other overall leaders. Froome now needs only one more title to match the Tour record of five shared by Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian Eddie Merckx and Spaniard Miguel Indurain. Source: SBS News

More than half of Canadians believe religion causes more harm than good, a new poll has found. The survey by Ipsos found the proportion of people who held the belief had increased in recent years, from 44 per cent in 2011 to 51 per cent this year. Less than a quarter of people, or 24 per cent, believed that religious people made better citizens, down eight points from 2011, Global News reported. However, an overwhelming majority, 90 per cent, said they were "completely comfortable being around people who have different religious beliefs than me". Sean Simpson, vice president of Ipsos Affairs, told the site: "There’s a lot that’s happening in the world right now in the name of religion. "Of course, [Isis] being the primary example that’s using religion to justify what they’re doing. "But I think we hear about these incidents more often, not just because they may be happening more often but because of the information age." Reference: Sharman, J. (2017). Most Canadians now think religion is bad. The Independent.

As secularism grows, atheists and agnostics are trying to expand and diversify their ranks. You don’t usually think of churches as going out of business, but it happens. In March, driven by parishioner deaths and lack of interest, the U.K. Mennonites held their last collective service. It might seem easy to predict that plain-dressing Anabaptists—who follow a faith related to the Amish—would become irrelevant in the age of smartphones, but this is part of a larger trend. Around the world, when asked about their feelings on religion, more and more people are responding with a meh. The religiously unaffiliated, called "nones," are growing significantly. They’re the second largest religious group in North America and most of Europe. In the United States, nones make up almost a quarter of the population. In the past decade, U.S. nones have overtaken Catholics, mainline protestants, and all followers of non-Christian faiths. A lack of religious affiliation has profound effects on how people think about death, how they teach their kids, and even how they vote. (Watch The Story of God With Morgan Freeman for more about how different religions understand God and creation.) There have long been predictions that religion would fade from relevancy as the world modernizes, but all the recent surveys are finding that it’s happening startlingly fast. France will have a majority secular population soon. So will the Netherlands and New Zealand. The United Kingdom and Australia will soon lose Christian majorities. Religion is rapidly becoming less important than it’s ever been, even to people who live in countries where faith has affected everything from rulers to borders to architecture. But nones aren’t inheriting the Earth just yet. In many parts of the world—sub-Saharan Africa in particular—religion is growing so fast that nones’ share of the global population will actually shrink in 25 years as the world turns into what one researcher has described as “the secularizing West and the rapidly growing rest.” (The other highly secular part of the world is China, where the Cultural Revolution tamped down religion for decades, while in some former Communist countries, religion is on the increase.) And even in the secularizing West, the rash of “religious freedom bills”—which essentially decriminalize discrimination—are the latest front in a faith-tinged culture war in the United States that shows no signs of abetting anytime soon. Within the ranks of the unaffiliated, divisions run deep. Some are avowed atheists. Others are agnostic. And many more simply don’t care to state a preference. Organized around skepticism toward organizations and united by a common belief that they do not believe, nones as a group are just as internally complex as many religions. And as with religions, these internal contradictions could keep new followers away. MILLENNIALS TO GOD: NO THANKS If the world is at a religious precipice, then we’ve been moving slowly toward it for decades. Fifty years ago, Time asked in a famous headline, “Is God Dead?” The magazine wondered whether religion was relevant to modern life in the post-atomic age when communism was spreading and science was explaining more about our natural world than ever before. We’re still asking the same question. But the response isn’t limited to yes or no. A chunk of the population born after the article was printed may respond to the provocative question with, “God who?” In Europe and North America, the unaffiliated tend to be several years younger than the population average. And 11 percent of Americans born after 1970 were raised in secular homes. Scientific advancement isn’t just making people question God, it’s also connecting those who question. It’s easy to find atheist and agnostic discussion groups online, even if you come from a religious family or community. And anyone who wants the companionship that might otherwise come from church can attend a secular Sunday Assembly or one of a plethora of Meetups for humanists, atheists, agnostics, or skeptics. The groups behind the web forums and meetings do more than give skeptics witty rejoinders for religious relatives who pressure them to go to church—they let budding agnostics know they aren’t alone. But it’s not easy to unite people around not believing in something. “Organizing atheists is like herding cats,” says Stephanie Guttormson, the operations director of the Richard Dawkins Foundation, which is merging with the Center for Inquiry. “But lots of cats have found their way into the 'meowry.'” Guttormson says the goal of her group is to organize itself out of existence. They want to normalize atheism to a point where it’s so common that atheists no longer need a group to tell them it’s okay not to believe, or to defend their morals in the face of religious lawmakers. But it’s not there yet. ATHEISM’S DIVERSITY PROBLEM The Center for Inquiry in Washington, D.C., hosts a regular happy hour called Drinking Skeptically. On a Wednesday in late March, about a dozen people showed up to faithlessly imbibe, and all but one were white. “Most of the groups I’ve seen have been predominantly white, but I’m not sure what to attribute that to,” says Kevin Douglas, the lone African-American drinker, shrugging at the demographics. He came from a religious family in New York and struggled internally with his skepticism until shortly after college. The only time he mentions having difficulty with others accepting his atheism was when he worked in Dallas, Texas, and race, he says, had little to do with it. But more typically, “there is pressure from our [African-American] community,” says Mandisa Thomas, the founder and president of the Atlanta-based Black Nonbelievers, Inc. This pressure stems from the place religion—Christianity in particular—holds in African-American history. In the abolition movement churches “became a support system for blacks. It became almost the end-all be-all for the black community for a number of years,” Thomas says, adding that the Civil Rights movement was dominated—she says “hijacked”—by religious leaders. “If you either reject or identify as a nonbeliever, you’re seen as betraying your race,” she says. Thomas is an outlier among nonbelievers for another reason. She’s a woman. The secularizing West is full of white men. The general U.S. population is 46 percent male and 66 percent white, but about 68 percent of atheists are men, and 78 percent are white. Atheist Alliance International has called the gender imbalance in its ranks “a significant and urgent issue.” THE PRIVILEGE OF NOT BELIEVING There are a few theories about why people become atheists in large numbers. Some demographers attribute it to financial security, which would explain why European countries with a stronger social safety net are more secular than the United States, where poverty is more common and a medical emergency can bankrupt even the insured. Atheism is also tied to education, measured by academic achievement (atheists in many places tend to have college degrees) or general knowledge of the panoply of beliefs around the world (hence theories that Internet access spurs atheism). There’s some evidence that official state religions drive people away from faith entirely, which could help explain why the U.S. is more religious than most Western nations that technically have a state religion, even if it is rarely observed. The U.S. is also home to a number of homegrown churches—Scientology, Mormonism—that might scoop up those who are disenchanted with older faiths. The social factors that promote atheism—financial security and education—have long been harder to attain for women and people of color in the United States. Around the world, the Pew Research Center finds that women tend to be more likely to affiliate with a religion and more likely to pray and find religion important in their lives. That changes when women have more opportunities. “Women who are in the labor force are more like men in religiosity. Women out of the labor force tend to be more religious,” says Conrad Hackett with Pew. “Part of that might be because they’re part of a religious group that enforces the power of women being at home." In a Washington Post op-ed about the racial divides among atheists, Black Skeptics Group founder Sikivu Hutchinson points out that “the number of black and Latino youth with access to quality science and math education is still abysmally low.” That means they have fewer economic opportunities and less exposure to a worldview that does not require the presence of God. Religion has a place for women, people of color, and the poor. By its nature, secularism is open to all, but it’s not always as welcoming. Some of the humanist movement’s most visible figures aren’t known for their respect toward women. Prominent atheists Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins have awful reputations for misogyny, as does the late Christopher Hitchens. Bill Maher, the comedian and outspoken atheist, is no (nonexistent) angel, either. The leaders of Atheist Alliance International, Dawkins Foundation, and Center for Inquiry who I talked to were all well aware of the demographic shortcomings, and they’re working on it: All of the leaders I spoke to were women. Even people who are white, male, and educated may fear the stigma of being labeled a nonbeliever. A white dentist at the CFI’s Drinking Skeptically event didn’t want to go on the record out of a fear that patients wouldn’t want an atheist working on their teeth. “We have this stigma that we’re combative, that we’re arrogant, that we just want to provoke religious people,” Thomas with Black Nonbelievers, Inc. says. She’s working on changing that, and increasing the visibility of nonbelievers of color, too. Thompson believes the demographics of nones don’t accurately reflect the number and diversity of nonbelievers; it just shows who is comfortable enough to say they don’t believe out loud. “There are many more people of color, there are many more women who identify as atheists,” she says. “There are many people who attend church who are still atheists.” EXPANDING THE RANKS What’s sometimes called the New Atheism picked up in the mid-2000s. These were years of war, when Islam was painted as a threat and Christianity infused U.S. policy, abroad and domestically, most visibly in faith-based ballot initiatives against same-sex marriage. In the U.S., many state legislators are still using a narrow interpretation of Christian morals to deny services to gay people and appropriate restrooms to people who are transgender. But the national backlash to religious legislation has become faster and fiercer than ever before. Europeans seem set on addressing Islamophobiaand the forces that could create tension with the “rapidly growing rest.” And compared to past campaign seasons, religion is taking a backseat in this year’s U.S. presidential election. Donald Trump is not outwardly religious (and his attraction of evangelical voters has raised questions about the longevity and the motives of the religious right). Hillary Clinton has said “advertising about faith doesn’t come naturally to me.” And Bernie Sanders is “not actively involved” in a religion. Their reticence about religion reflects the second largest religious group in the country they hope to run. Aside from Ted Cruz, the leading candidates just aren’t up for talking about religion. The number of Americans who seek divine intervention in the voting booth seems to be shrinking. For all the work secular groups do to promote acceptance of nonbelievers, perhaps nothing will be as effective as apathy plus time. As the secular millennials grow up and have children of their own, the only Sunday morning tradition they may pass down is one everyone in the world can agree on: brunch. Reference: Bullard, G. (2016). The World's Newest Major Religion: No Religion. News.nationalgeographic.com.

It will be impossible to keep Adelaide fans quiet today after the Crows spanked Port Adelaide with a record 84-point win at Adelaide Oval in wet and windy conditions. It was Adelaide's biggest win over the Power as the Crows took a 22-21 lead in Showdowns while retaining top spot on the AFL ladder. The Crows dominated the game even though early on they could not make it count on the scoreboard. Then the floodgates opened, with Adelaide in front by 36 points at half-time before a remarkable seven-goal third quarter. There were more awesome goals from Eddie Betts and a superb goal on the run from Brad Crouch as the Crows surged ahead to lead by 62 points at the final break. The final score was 18.22 (130) to 7.4 (46) as Adelaide chalked up five Showdowns in a row with yesterday's victory in front of a crowd of just over 45,000. Sam Jacobs wins Showdown Medal Best-on-ground Sam Jacobs outplayed Paddy Ryder while up forward Betts and Josh Jenkins kicked four goals each and Taylor Walker two. Brad Crouch had 29 disposals, his brother Matt gathered 34 and Rory Sloane 30. For Port Adelaide, Robbie Gray and Jared Polec were the best performers on a forgettable day. Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley described the result as disappointing and unacceptable. "Maybe we have to be prepared to look at some of the positions that are in there and say ok well if you're not getting it done we'll make some change if that's what we have to do." Adelaide coach Don Pyke was more than pleased with the result, especially with the finals approaching. "You know at the start of the year you'd say you want to make the finals and you want to make top-four and we're in a position where I think tonight we've secured top four," he said. "So there's no reason to suggest we shouldn't be shooting to finish top-two and give ourselves the best opportunity come finals." Adelaide will this week assess David Mackay's thigh injury. Adelaide takes on Essendon this Saturday while the fifth-placed Power plays Collingwood at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Source: ABC News S S S

Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome!