Should Creationism be taught in schools?

Posted on by Opher

There are many people who believe that the world is 6000 years old. Should we allow them to teach this to our children as a fact?

There are many people who believe that evolution is nonsense. Should we allow them to tell our children that it is nonsense?

There are many people who think god put fossils in the rocks. Should we allow them to tell our children that this is what happened?

There are many people who believe there is a god. Should they be allowed to tell our children that god is a fact?

There are many people who believe that their religion is right and all the others are wrong. Should they be allowed to tell our children that their religion is the only right one?

There are many people who believe that the Old Testament, or New Testament, or the Koran, or the Upanishads, or the Vedas, or the Talmud, or the Bhagavad Gita, is the word of god. Should they be allowed to instruct children that this is so?

Iranian Hijab Protest Spreads!!

Posted on by Opher

Perhaps it is time for British Muslim Women to make a stand to support their Iranian sisters. Enforcement is obnoxious.

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/iran-hijab-protests-womens-rights-masseus-freedom/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=UK_09_Feb_2018_content_digest_alive

Schools Should Be Secular And Not Used As Tools For Religion.

Posted on by Opher

Angela Speilman, the Governments Chief Inspector of Ofsted, has spoken out against schools being used for the teaching of fundamentalism and narrowing of children’s horizons. She sees some groups are actively perverting the education of children. They are foisting their fundamentalist views on children.

This is happening in Christian, Muslim. Jewish and Hindu schools. It should be stopped.

Schools should provide a broad and balanced curriculum, be responsible for the welfare and development of children and promote tolerance and respect for all religions and none. They should not be used to ram religious doctrine into malleable minds. That is indoctrination.

Angela Speilman stated that it is the duty of schools to challenge fundamentalism.

Personally I do not think religion has any place in schools apart from objective comparative study as part of the formal curriculum. The setting up of religious schools, of whatever denomination, runs counter to the policy of integration, mutual respect and community cohesion. Our children should mix and get to know each other. Segregation and brainwashing runs counter to everything a multicultural society should be doing. We need to promote British standards of tolerance, freedom and respect – not narrow religious dogma.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/amanda-spielmans-speech-at-the-church-of-england-foundation-for-education-leadership

Garden of Gethsemane – Photos

Posted on by Opher

The garden of Gethsemane was not exactly a huge place. But it had some great old olive trees. I found it interesting to think back to the historical times 2000 years ago when it was probably bigger and Jesus and his followers were hanging out there. What started as a fringe sect of no real import was then made into something else. I bet Jesus would be amazed if he came back. I wonder how much of what he was preaching ended up in the bible and how much was totally misrepresented?

 

A Few Buddhas from Around the World – Photography.

Posted on by Opher

I used to be a Buddhist. I got married in a Buddhist Temple. For me Buddhism isn’t so much a religion as a philosophy of life coupled with a practical guide to assist one in developing oneself.

I like its positive message of Love and Kindness to all living creatures.

There are many Buddhist statues in my house. I have enjoyed seeing and photographing Buddhist Statues from around the world. I love their serenity.

Buddha is not someone to be worshipped so much as revered.

Fostering Hatred – Poetry

Posted on by Opher

Fostering Hatred

 

Fostering hatred

Through Peace TV

Seeking Heaven

Mistakenly.

Using texts from

The dawn of time.

Indoctrination

The chose tool for the crime.

Chanting and gesturing

In the streets

Clenched fist striking

To different beats.

 

Opher – 9.1.2018

 

I was watching a program about Islam and radicalization. It was bemusing. Young kids indoctrinated in their schools reciting the Koran. Young unemployed men with nothing to do. People out in the streets chanting and waving their fists in synchronization. Muslim preachers on Peace TV preaching about death to the infidel, the non-believers and being funded to set up schools and carry out terrorism. Young men believing that killing was OK and that being martyred took them straight to heaven.

There was gullibility.

There was hopelessness.

There was stupidity.

There was indoctrination.

There was cynical manipulation.

There was power.

There is a madness at work in the world.

Newgrange – Ireland – A BBC recording of the Winter Solstice!!

Posted on by Opher

The fabulous Newgrange was a Neolithic tomb dating back 5000 years – before Stonehenge and the Pyramids.

This broadcast tells the story as the shaft of light hits the inner chamber on the Solstice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08590kb

Merry Solstice!!! Merry Solstice!!!! Merry Solstice!!!

Posted on by Opher

Merry Solstice!!! Merry Solstice!!!! Merry Solstice!!!

 

May the long time sun shine upon you

All love surround you

And the pure light inside you

Guide your way on!

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Today is the shortest day of the year. After today the days start drawing out. This is the turning point to look to create something great out of the new life.

This was a day of pagan celebration!

The Christians purloined it to make into Christmas but the pagans had it first.

I raise a glass of rich red blood wine to you!!

I wish you all a glorious new year full of great possibility!!!

Here’s to the strengthening Sun!!!

Here’s to a year of great joy and triumph!!

MERRRRRRYYYYYYY SOOOOOLSTIIIIICEEEEE!!!!!!!

I wish you love, happiness and fulfillment!!

Winter Solstice is nearly upon us! Why not shock your staid relatives with a present of an Opher book?

Posted on by Opher

Winter Solstice is nearly upon us! Why not shock your staid relatives with a present of an Opher book?

 

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Yes. What better time of the year? In the midst of winter. At the culmination of the shortest day of the year.

Forget Christmas.

Celebrate the Saturnalia of Pagan Celebration.

Shock your relatives to the core with some subversive poetry, libertine Rock and alternative Opher.

Warm their cockles. Stimulate their sensibilities

Or, alternatively, immerse yourself in the pleasures of a great Opher book and forget about Christmas and the relatives.

What could be better?.

The Real meaning of Christmas

Posted on by Opher

Anecdote – The Real Meaning of Christmas

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A nice tree with a gnarled spirit!

Another nice tree to worship.

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father-xmas

Doesn’t look like a shaman to me – high on some hallucinatory drug!

The Real Meaning of Christmas

The real meaning of Christmas is locked away in pagan mythology. Most religions that usurp other religions take over the ceremonies of previous religions and modify and adopt them. Christianity did this with both Christmas and Easter.

What we now have as a Christmas celebration – the birth of Jesus with all the nativity scenes – is actually a celebration of the winter solstice.

The winter solstice was celebrated by ancient tribes all over the world. It is, in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day of the year. The days are drawing out, though, because of the way the earth cools, the coldest winter months are still all ahead. This celebration was accompanied by ritual and feasting.

We see a number of the Nordic traditions surviving.

The Christmas tree is a throw-back to the animism of old where spirits were thought to inhabit trees, streams, rivers and rocks. Tree worship was a world-wide religion; we still touch wood for luck. In Scandinavia it was prevalent in the shamanistic tradition.

Santa Claus is another throwback to Scandinavian lore. The shaman used magic potions of hallucinogenic mushrooms to fly through the sky on a sled with his reindeer to converse with the gods. The mushrooms were Amanita muscaria, the fly agaric, and had bright red caps flecked with white. Nowadays Santa Claus (Father Christmas) decked in his bright red and white costume flies through the sky magically to bring gifts to people. These used to be the gifts of insight and wisdom. Now they are usually plastic goods of dubious durability.

So mixed up with our story of Jesus we have tree worship and hallucinatory acid trips.

It’s a heady mix for a small kid to take in!