I had something of a
lonely breakfast this morning. I've got used to handing the crusts of
my toast to my dog. This morning when I came downstairs he was
snoring on the sofa and wasn't interested in eating half my brekkie.
In fact he only stirred himself five minutes before I had to set off
to work.
I'd left home with a few
minutes to spare today, and I stopped a few times on my journey to
look at the floods. Places and paths I've walked through and along
only a few months ago are now under large swathes of water. It's no
secret that I get very over-excited by floods, but even I have had
enough of them now.
I can't help but wonder
where all this water has come from? Perhaps someone should be digging
enormous underground reservoirs to hold all this water; we will have
hosepipe bans and droughts in just a few short months.
Being Sunday the
morning's radio was of an ecumenical persuasion. There was an
interesting discussion on a current phenomenon in ecclesiastical
circles; namely the formation of new churches. Apparently a lot of
new churches are springing up; many are evangelical splinter sects
with somewhat bizarre beliefs. Few have much in the way of resources
and many are renting out existing church premises in which to have
their services.
There was a London vicar
being interviewed who was saying that her church and associated
premises were being used by three other religious groups as well as
her own congregation. This woman went on to say that she gets
contacted at least once a week by leaders of various sects asking if
they can use her church, and she's having to turn people away.
This vicar then brought
up an interesting point. Schools are subject to all sorts of
inspections and regulations, as are care homes and hospitals. There
is absolutely no control over religion in our country. Any crackpot
can start up their own church and preach whatever nonsense they like
to all and sundry. And it would seem that this is what is happening
more and more.
I wish I could remember
the exact words used on the radio show; the vicar's implication was
that many of the people who go to church are rather gullible and are
inclined to believe any old nonsense that is spouted loudly and
confidently. And it would seem that these new churches that are
springing up appeal to the very gullible and easily led; far more so
than do established churches. This is a worry for society because
(apparently) it is very important to ensure that the general populace
are only exposed to the correct and acceptable forms of patent
nonsense. The vicar was most insistent that only some invisible
friends are real and that only certain superstitions have any merit
(!)
The concern was then
expressed that there are some unscrupulous people taking advantage of
this loop-hole in the law to prey on the elderly and the vulnerable.
It was implied that the more nonsensical a belief, the more effective
it might be as a "get rich quick" scheme. I thought
organised religion had been playing this scam for years, but what do
I know?
There was then a
discussion on the need for control of the entire area of religion,
and on how one might become a "state registered cleric";
which isn't quite such a daft idea as it might sound.
And then the Sunday
service was broadcast live from Leeds Cathedral. I've mentioned
before that when working on a Sunday I like listening to the Sunday
service. It can be uplifting and invigorating. Today's was soporific.
I like choral singing; a
friend sings in a very good choir. Today's singers weren't singing;
they were howling. The preacher wasn't imparting sage wisdom; he was
blathering platitudes.
And they wonder why the
Church of England struggles whilst religious crackpotism is on the
up-and-up.
The
morning news made me smile. One in three secondary school
teachers are scared to try to instil any form of discipline into
their charges. Many head teachers are against any form of punishment
against bad children for fear of being sued for infringing children's
rights to be obnoxious little sh*ts.
The Education Secretary
is now advocating a return to the good old days in which unruly
children were punished for their bad behaviour rather than being
rewarded for it. So far he's only going as far with punishments as
litter patrols, tidying up and one hundred lines. But it is a step in
the right direction. Hopefully it won't be long before the slipper
and the cane are brought back.
Don't get me wrong... I'm
not advocating wholesale thrashings; just the threat of it. Back in
the halcyon days at the Hastings Academy for Budding Geniuses if a
foot was put wrong one got caned. One boy would have a sore arse for
a day; one thousand boys would then behave themselves and get on with
their lessons for two years. After two years people would have
forgotten the example of the previous caning and would get restless.
One lad would go too far; an example would be made. Another sore
arse, two more years of getting on with schoolwork for fear of the
consequences of not doing so.
And every year that
school would send dozens of undergraduates to every university in the
country including half a dozen to Oxford and Cambridge. Compare that
to the output of today's schools. Had the teachers at Swadelands
school punished bad behaviour rather than rewarded it maybe "Daddies
Little Angel TM" would have graduated four
years ago rather than this coming summer.
Or just look at the
Facebook posts of anyone aged under thirty. Or the entire Twitter
phenomenon which is designed for those who cannot be bothered to use
the English language correctly.
Spelling, grammar....
perhaps we might get those back again.
Sometimes I can be rather
opinionated, can't I...
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