Thursday, May 24, 2007
“The tactics of Satan..”
The First Minister, being a believer in the supernatural, has his own particular strategy for dealing with awkward witnesses.. as this Belfast Telegraph report details
It starts: “It is the ploy of Satan to attack those whom God has signally appointed and specially anointed as leaders in His work.” A source close to the DUP leader confirmed the article was aimed at members of the church, most of whom have access to the monthly Revivalist magazine. “The tactics of Satan have not changed and the Bible was written that we might be prepared for similar satanic attacks upon the leaders of God’s work today,” Mr Paisley wrote.
In related news, via Will Crawley, Christopher Hitchens clearly isn’t a fan of self-declared men of faith in politics..
And yes, before anyone asks, I am going to hell.
Pete Baker @ 11:04 AM
You mean I’ll not be spending eternity with Richard Turnbull and Roy Gillespie? The horror, the horror!
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 11:40 AMTheologists believe there are separate heavens for Catholics and Protestants.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 11:44 AMI seem to remember ‘Catholic Heaven’ (dancing, drinking, fighting) and ‘Protestant Heaven’ (Tennis, Pimms, pastel shades) being featured on the Simpsons.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 11:51 AMDec,
Really? If you click on the word theologists above you’ll see they agree.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 11:53 AMSS
Sorry. Firewall in work blocking that link. However, I’m assuming by your tone that it’s a link to a Simpsons’ clip.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 11:57 AMHitchens really is superb when he is in that kind of form,"a little toad” is a neat summary of the man! However, I myself wouldn’t doubt that Falwell was capable of reading a “long book” like the Bible. Hitchens is right to highligh the links between anti-semitic Christian Fundamenalism and the worst elements of Israeli life. A very strange and dangerous alliance.
As for Ian: narrow is the road to righteousness, massive is the size of his ego. The squad that Satan has assembled to oppose The Anoited One has been truly amazing: O’Neill, Faulkner, ELO, Fitt, Trimble, UKUP, IRA, Line Dancers, Sunday Playground visitors, BBC, etc. etc. etc.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 11:59 AMHow can you every really trust a person who worships a sky pixie that can’t be seen, touched or proved to exist in anyway beyond a work of fiction written over a thousand years ago and translated and retranslated so many times it’d be suprised if any of the original meaning was left in it.
Live is all the eternity you will ever have.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:02 PMSpeaking personally, I’ve been fully up front with my past criticism of this increasingly sad and ridiculous figure with a messianic complex. He spent so many years throwing metaphorical stones at unionist leaders who surrendered less than he has done and doesn’t know what to do when others confront him with his own hypocrisy.
That’s not being in league with the Devil, and if Paisley feels he has to resort to such nonsense then he is showing why he is not up to his new job.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:03 PMMaurice Mills (DUP) has even stronger views on the supernatural.
The councillor, who’s twice been Deputy Mayor of Ballymena stood by his views that God sent Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for organising a gay pride event and that Africa’s Aids epidemic is also punishment for homosexuality.
“Asia was hit by the tsunami because of the continent’s people not being Christian”, he said, adding that “God had marked their cards.”
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:20 PMI was quite shocked when I read the Tele article. During the election campaign we had Paisley/DUP denouncing any opposition to them as ‘aiding and abetting Sinn Fein’. Now we have the situation where any criticism of the leader or DUP strategy (whether within his own church or not) as ‘the ploy of satan’.
I would not be surprished if the Free Presbyterians’ are angered by these statements if they are directed at Ivan Foster, as it is Ivan Foster who has been consistent with his teachings. It is also a good reason as to why a separation from church and politics is drastically needed.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:21 PMI don’t particularly mind that Paisley is loony religious folk.
What disturbs me, and always has, is the complete contempt Paisley seems to have for the idea of seperating out church and politics. I mean this article is essentially internal Church matters concerning political criticism of church leadership (something which is ridiculous anyway). What terrifies me is Paisleys response that they are doing the Devils work…
So Paisley, after years of intermingling religion and politics to such a degree that his politicised his religion and sanctified his politics, is now officially standing up and saying the to do Gods Work (aka be Free Presbyterian) is to subsrcibe to a particular political stance. And what is that stance?
Well… it seems it’s whatever Paisley thinks it is as he is now lambasting people who are parroting his 1998 comments…
And I thought Paisley hated the Pope, clearly he just wants to get into that racket.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:22 PMTD
don’t forget arch Satanist Jim AllisterPosted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:27 PM“Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.”
Gandhi
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:31 PMWhen people in any organisation - religious or otherwise - start claiming that God is on their side and if you oppose what they are saying then you are against God then that is the time to run for cover.
It is the cynical enemy of freedom and serves only to underwrite dicators and autocrats who cannot abide any criticism of their actions.
It is also contrary to Protestantism and the belief that there is one mediator between man and God and that everyman is responsible for his own conscience in judging the actions of others.
However the power of this will be to shut down opposition within his own church.
I recall one particular discussion with a feeble minded Free P DUP activist who when I criticised Paisley reminded me of the fate of Brian Faulkner for opposing the Reverend Doctor.
He commands a totally unProtestant, popish blind obedience from these people.
In any free thinking Party Paisley would have been deposed by now but for all their so called talent none of them have the balls to say the Party needs a Leadership challenge.
The DUP is neither Democratic or Unionist and is more akin to the darkest Africa type of tribal Party ala Robert Mugabe with Paisley as Chief.
Indeed if this was Africa I would have little doubt that Paisley would have eaten most of his opposition by now.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:35 PMdodrade,
True. I always except that religious people’s politics will essentially be the moral system of said religion.
What I take umbrage to is an organised religion getting actively involved and instructing their members what is the correct political position for them to assume, rather than merely exposing said moral position.
So politics can be religious but religion can not be political… In my opinion anyway
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:37 PMVhristopher Hitchens’ book is terrible and devoid of any information. He is just cashing in on the atheism bandwagon.
Protestants vote for Paisley in alarmingly large numbers. He is the Protestant Pope.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 12:53 PMPaisley the Protestant Pope lol People vote for him for the same reason people vote for Sinn Fein - which is out of fear of the other side, and both sides have been successful in cultivating that fear into votes. As to why, given the baggage, well Gerry said a voter today does not remember a bomb going off. In the same manner the golfing prod today who votes DUP does not remember bombs, or maybe does not wish to, all he is interested in, is his property investment portfolio. Maybe explains why one of our DUP Ministers was an estate agent by trade.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 01:50 PMButterknife,
Im a SF voter and I have never cast so much as one single vote in my entire life out of fear of what you call the ‘other side’. I vote purely on idealogical and political grounds,
Im afraid your comment is pure uninformed balderdash…
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 02:01 PMIndeed if this was Africa I would have little doubt that Paisley would have eaten most of his opposition by now.
Africans eat people now, do they?
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 02:05 PMDec,
I hoped it was some kind of wry Idi Amin joke…
My expectations are low though
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 02:13 PMProtorious
Considering he also used the word ‘popish’ without any apparent hint of irony, my expectations are non-existant.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 02:37 PMDec - it could also be President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, but do you really have to grasp at straws to be offended - it makes you seem like a bit of a prat.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 02:53 PMMacswiney: ‘I vote purely on idealogical and political grounds’
Excellent I’m glad to here it. Do explain to us unbelievers what attraction SF has for you.
They’re rather keen on a United Ireland. After that I have to admit I’m a bit stumped. Having seen Gerry’s beautifully choreographed election broadcast on Slugger the other day, I’m still stumped. More social housing and don’t privatise the health service with public money? Hardly revolutionary is it?
Do tell.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 03:10 PMDK
Personally, i’m not offended. Nor, I believe, am I grasping at straws. JEB appeared to make the link between cannabalism and the entire African continent. And oh look, up you pop with President Nguemo of Equatorial Guinea (after a frantic wikipedia search) as if to justify the statement and suddenly I’m the prat. Perhaps you’re right. Next time some fundamentalist eejit starts wittering on about popishness, heretics, Devil’s buttermilk and witch doctors in darkest Africa, I’ll keep quiet.
Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 03:12 PMPaisley may be a deluded old fart but does any religious belief seriously have a heirarchy over others?
Big Ian may believe that Satan has it in for his good works and Maurice Mills may believe that gays deserve hurricanes, but it is really any dafter than believing in transubstantiation or paradise through suicide bombing?Posted by on May 24, 2007 @ 03:16 PM
