Tuesday 21 October 2008

Part of me says No! Don't share this! Why am I uncomfortable with this?



I think the problem I have with this is the idea that God might intervene in trivia while ignoring global pain and injustice but it still makes me stop and think

4 comments:

None said...

It's a cute story, but sadly an urban legend: http://www.snopes.com/religion/chalk.asp

Stephen Neill said...

ah well - thanks :-)

C'est La Craic said...

I've forgetten who it was who said that life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved. I would be highly suspicious of anyone climing to be so certain, of anything, in such an uncertain world. True or not, I think there may be a little moral in the story there somewhere.

Póló said...

Your unease probably comes from how contrived the whole thing is. It is dishonest and preys on peoples fears. At times it reads like a Hammer production.

In the old days, Veritas, the Catholic Truth Society publishers, put out a pamphlet called "Handy Answers". It was basically a script for emigrants when they were confronted by people in English pubs over their religious beliefs. The answer to "one religion is as good as another" always tickled my fancy.

There was once a jockey and he had a friend who was a Sheik in the middle east. He went to visit his friend who confided in him that he had a problem. Once a year he took a bath, the bathwater was bottled and drunk by the faithful. But this year he had a cold and didn't want to infect his followers. He wondered if the Jockey would substitute for him and take the bath. The Jockey obliged his friend and the Sheik's followers all died. Which just goes to show that one religion is not as good as another.

Unfortunatly I don't still have the little pamphlet. But I have never forgotten it. Sounds on a par with the video. Equally contrived, equally unconvincing.