Religion

Saudi Arabia is no softie when it comes to ‘crime fighting’ so why I ask would it decide now is the time to take the kinder, gentler approach to punishment? I mean, this is a country that still believes in the good ole death penalty via stoning, hanging and/or firing squad. It’s a bizarrely warped place where raped women must fear being punished as adulterers and face stoning death rather than receiving accurate recognition as VICTIMS and treated rightfully to needed medical care while being assured the justice system will punish their attackers. Nah, that’s not how things work in Saudi Arabia. Victims are punished and criminals – at least criminals in the eyes of most logical people – either go free or in the case of admitted al Qaeda supporters, are treated to a stay at the Saudi prison system equivalent of Club Med.

Get married or you’re fired! Something uttered by a new version of the obnoxious Donald Trump on his famed reality show The Apprentice? No, afraid not. This is the threat issued to single workers at Iran’s state-owned Pars Special Economic Energy Zone Company which controls the gas and petrochemical network along the Gulf.

Shockingly: a screwy policy in Iran – home of the ‘fashion police,’ that go about harassing both citizens and foreign visitors alike for dressing too un-Islamically with such violations cited as ‘showing too much hair’ or wearing a color they deem too bright.

Tragically I must report I’m mourning the loss of my oldest and dearest friend’s brain – not to illness or accident but rather to religion. Yes, I’m beside myself with grief over the news that my once logical, sensible, intelligent, parallel-thinking friend has fallen prey to societal pressures and joined a Catholic church. OH THE HORROR! What’s even worse is that she actually believes this is good for her and will make her a better person. I’m still trying to figure out what was wrong with the person she already was. Upon delivering the tragic news ever so proudly, she then audaciously suggested that perhaps I should consider doing the same in order to find ‘happiness and direction in life.’ At that point, I knew her mind was lost forever. Disheartened and distraught not strong enough language for the way I feel over such horrible news.

Beware this Easter: Crucifixion could be hazardous to your health

I’m all for the Easter bunny and Easter egg hunt for the kids but some seem to feel it more festive to hang from the cross just like their hero Jesus allegedly did many eons ago. Firstly, the whole Jesus story is questionable in itself. Personally I find the story hard to buy and if you watch films like The God Who Wasn’t There, there is a long list of things that don’t add up and poke enough holes in what I deem the best fictional story of all time, the Jesus fable, to make it look like Swiss cheese or Boris Yeltsin's liver.

Guys: Can’t get it up? Blame a woman – at least that seems to be what’s happening in the story of this woman Fawza Falih who’s been sentenced to death for witchcraft in our favorite faked-up place: Saudi Arabia where a man’s problem is ALWAYS a woman’s fault.

Typical Saudi injustice system shenanigans: accuse someone of a nonsensical, far-fetched crime so imaginatively unreasonable you can’t possibly believe any justice system would take it seriously – but then remember there is a faked up place called Saudi Arabia where they sentence women to death for such bizarre crimes like a man’s impotence; the direction of the wind or the position of the sun in the sky if it displeases some man; taking too many breaths per hour which depletes oxygen levels for the male population; bearing ugly children even if she’s stunningly beautiful and dad’s a hideous beast - it’s her womb’s crime for failing to erase dad’s repulsive qualities from the child before giving birth to it. It’s always the woman’s fault in Saudi Arabia even for things upon which she has ZERO control or influence.

I am sure you are wondering what do two far-away countries have in common between each other and Valentine's Day. Perhaps they regular readers of this blog (if there are any) already know the answer because they can understand how I think. For all the others keep reading until it becomes apparent to you that, indeed, Valentine's Day, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines do have something in common.

I could try to give you a hint but it would have helped if you were a regular visitor of the BBC web site. Anyhow, I am sure that just by looking at the tags of this story you could get the basis of the story. It is about consumerism, religion and health. If you are still wondering then just keep reading. I hope that it will become clear to you.

Religious bigots found yet another way to release their venom against the atheists and agnostics.

Apparently, social networking site, MySpace.com, deleted the Atheists and Agnostic Group which had 35,000 members. This deletion, due mainly to complains from religious people marks the second time MySpace has removed the Group since November 2007.

Needless to say that the company refuses to re-instate the group using their back ups. They even refuse to comment on what happened. Apparently the Group has been hacked by religious vigilantes. Then, MySpace decided to permanently remove the Group.

January 22 marks the 35 anniversary of Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court case that legalized abortions in the United States. This is something to be celebrated and protected especially with the skyrocketing number of pro-life(ie anti-abortion) whacktivists just dying to yank away a woman’s right to choose. Frighteningly, pro-life members easily stand to outnumber those who are pro-choice for the simple fact that pro-life populate more rapidly because they give birth to EVERY baby they conceive unless the baby is miscarried or dies at birth while pro-choice proponents actually think and consider whether or not they should bring another child into the world.

First of all let me wish Happy New Year and all the best for the future to our reader(s). We haven't abandoned this site but the Xmas vacation gave us an awesome opportunity to have a break from many things including blogging and thinking about the stupidity around us.

I spent my vacation in Greece doing the things I wanted including celebrating my birthday. However I had to attend a funeral. For my emotions and thoughts on that, read the rest of this post.