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09
Feb

Prolific NZ blog follower accidentally spends 3 days debating with himself

A prolific blog follower has discovered that he accidently spent 3 days last week arguing with himself on a local Catholic blog about Just War, the Death Penalty and the Catholic teaching regarding the non-ordination of women.

The argument lasted for almost 180 different comment postings, and took many different twists and turns before prolific blog follower realized that he had actually been arguing with himself for the entire three days of the debate.

The blog follower, who wishes to remain anonymous, has told the Being Frank staff that he even accused himself of thread-jacking and flaming at one stage during the 3 day discussion.

“I normally come to this blog and post a modest 20 or 30 comments a day, but for some reason, last Wednesday I just forgot about my earlier comments on the blog and then became so caught up in what I was reading that I responded to them in the strongest terms possible, and it all just took off from there.”

Dr. Methuselah Beard, who holds a PhD in YouTube and Facebook from the Stotts Correspondence College, has told Being Frank that while this sort of occurrence is not common, it does still happen from time to time.

“I know of another case where a woman from Timaru spent seven months in an Internet relationship with herself, and it was only after she tried to call herself to berate herself about a offline date that she didn’t show up for that she discovered her mistake.”

Dr. Beard says that he also knows of an international case where a Kenyan Internet scammer gave himself access to his own bank accounts and then proceeded to defraud himself of several thousand dollars in supposed banking transfer costs under the assumption that he would profit financially from the deal.

The prolific New Zealand blog follower says that his mistake has actually inspired him to start a new Internet based trend which he calls ‘clogging’.

“Clogging is going to be the next big thing on the Internet. Instead of commenting on other people’s blogs, I have simply decided to set up my own website, called a ‘clog’, which consists entirely of comments about comments that I have made previously.”

08
Feb

Probably imposterble

I just don’t get some people. And some people just don’t get the English language.

I’m a guy. I’m happily married to an amazing woman. And I’m getting a bit sick and tired of hearing that the life that I lead is apparently an impossible one. Whether it is people jumping up and down on Australian leader of the opposition Tony Abbott because he said that his daughters should wait until they’re married before having sex, or the article in the NZ Herald yesterday on monogamy not being possible, I’m getting fed up with hearing same rubbish, different day.

Look people – controlling sexual behaviour and dealing with temptation is hard…but it’s not impossible. Look up the difference between those two words in the dictionary. The NZ Herald article quotes everyone from Caligula to Tiger Woods to “prove” that men remaining faithful to one partner is simply not possible. I love the quote from Dr Michelle Mars: “Ducks are monogamous – not people.” Nice one Dr. Real scientific!

As for Abbott, you’d think he had said that people can fly like Superman or that the Moon
is
made of cheese or something! All he said in the magazine article to the question what advice would he provide his three daughters on sex before marriage, was “I would say to my daughters, if they were to ask me this question… it is the greatest gift you can give someone, the ultimate gift of giving, and don’t give it to someone lightly”.

Outrage! Scandal! A politician talking common sense! Except – and this is the real crux of the problem – that sense isn’t that common anymore. And I suppose this is what annoys me the most: all these articles and media stories, and sensationalist headlines and pop psychology seem to be oriented towards the same, ridiculous goal – to make that which is right (but difficult for some) to be seen as abnormal, whereas the stuff that is a bit dodgy should be seen as perfectly alright. Usually the latter point is under the auspices of “tolerance” for the “different perspectives” or some such rubbish.

This line of reasoning is basically moral relativism at its best, right? The concept being that there is no absolute right or wrong, just what we all feel is right or wrong. While I stand by my points in previous comments that it is foolish to put all Catholics in either a “Right” or “Left” camp (a fool’s errand at best!), I do think that we need to remember that where the label “right” should be safely used is in describing that which is objectively correct and true.

In these cases, Abbott is right to say that waiting until you get married to have a sex is a good idea, and Rod “Auckland king of the swingers” Jackson is wrong to be saying that making a man monogamous “is like asking a gorilla to do brain surgery: He’s got hands and a brain, but there’s no way he can do it. He’s not equipped.”

Wake up World: you’re being scammed!

07
Feb

A new tax system and a new flag?

As Waitangi Day comes round again (not giving us a holiday :-( ), it seems there is much suggestion for change about. It is a New Zealand day of sorts… although I think it would be cool if perhaps after 2014 and Treaty Settlements are hopefully settled it could a proper national day, rather than one marred by activism or one not really remembered at all apart from being a holiday. The Sevens weekend down in Wellington has a ‘big party’ feel – with crazy costumes everywhere – very fun! Perhaps future New Zealand day could be a bit like that! Though one thing I did think yesterday while I was there is that so many girls dress up as if they are prostitutes or something, and I saw more than one old man stare at them like that – why do they want to be looked at like that??! yuk. You can look attractive without looking that…

Anyway, the current debate about whether New Zealand needs a new flag, shows many want to push our national identity and move away from our British colony status. Personally, I quite like our flag and think it would be way too hard for everyone to agree on an alternative anyway! Plus, I don’t think it’s a problem that our flag is like others in the Commonwealth. I think it might be the old Republic pushers who want this as a further step away from Britain…

So what about a new tax system then? Working groups have suggested some controversial measures so we can afford to better align the current tax system. For example, property owners might face a new land tax and the tax break for depreciation on buildings could also go. Landlords and land owners won’t be too happy. Personally I think is unfair that all other gains are taxed, and huge increases in land value are not. People work hard for their business incomes and get taxed -while land owners are often just lucky with the capital gains they enjoy. Plus, it makes it impossible for young entrants to the housing market to buy because good deals are pounced on by rich investors with more money, who then push up prices even more… If demand went down and people invested in other ways, it would be easier for everyone to own a home wouldn’t it? And it would make it more equitable that all types of income gets taxed, rather than just debt investments and income….

Change won’t be comfortable in the short-term. Reconciling long-term benefits with short-term discomfort will be a challenge for the Government…we should pray for our political leaders and ask God for that they be given the grace needed to make the right decisions.

06
Feb

Economic Fertility

Many people I know today say that having too many kids (large family) is ‘irresponsible’. Why ‘burden’ this world with so many kids? Economically, you need to be able to provide for them. For the average woman across Africa, this would mean having virtually zero kids, which is exactly what many say is good reason to push contraceptives across the continent. Right. The ‘Population Bomb’ is still pervading common society today as it did when it first came out – yet it flies in the face of current evidence. Many countries are, in fact, declining in population, and quite dramatically.

Enter this interesting article detailing the dire situation facing many countries, especially across Europe and Asia. Then, in comes the Americans, with a higher fertility rate than virtually all of the developed world (Heck Yes!). But, this is not necessarily due to its religious disposition, but rather its policies that make it easier for women to reenter the workforce…. Go America (ahem..)…

But, aside from the nice little American bragging rights around fertility rates, the entire article compares having children only to the economic consequences on the people/country involved. It is interesting to see that the country that has the most lenient policy around re-entry to the workforce has the highest fertility rate. A further reflection of children being valued to their economic impact on their parents and society? A mere commodity perhaps? An inconvenience?

Every time I see a little child smiling, the last thing on my mind is the economic impact he/she is having on society. A human life is so much more than its monetary value. When a society loses sight of this fact, we get the unfortunate consequence of a culture of death, fueled by the selfish desire of its members to be as well off as possible, viewing children as a major inhabitant of that.

Pray for generous hearts!

05
Feb

“Oh! My son doesn’t stand a chance! The whole world’s gone gay!”

Cities are great.  Unlike say a husband, wife, or significant other, you are allowed to love as many cities as you want without any moral stigma attached to it.  With that in mind, I have to say I love London.  Sure Auckland is my home and will be my home once London and me are over, but in the meantime there is so much about the city that I really love.  Number #239813 – walking across the Thames at night on the Millennium Bridge with St. Paul’s illuminated in front of you, and Tower Bridge lit up in the distance.  Breathtaking.  Almost makes me forget that St. Paul’s is Anglican.

I’m not the only one who loves it here.  Pope Benedict has recently declared his love for London and has decided to make a trip over here; the first papal visit since 1982.  Of course, no Papal visit would be complete without some form of controversy preceding it.  And so we have the following article.

Despite being over here since October, this is the first I’ve heard of the Equality Bill.  A brief glance at it shows it’s intentions are good.  Reducing the pay gap between genders and all sorts of other PC stuff.  I couldn’t see any mention of what the Pope was alluding to, but I’m sure it’s in there.  Is the Catholic Church right in it’s desire to ban gay people from Church positions?  In my opinion, yes.  Now before you label me a homophobic bigot, I have no problem with our gay brothers and sisters, or working with them, or well anything to do with them.  But when it comes to the Church, well we’ve already seen the division that it has caused over in the Anglican Church, and yes the Catholic Church should be inclusive and loving, but at the cost of what it teaches? Wouldn’t that be a tad hypocritical? (to which some might say that being hypocritical hasn’t stopped the Church from doing anything in the past…)  Equality as a goal as all well and good, but at the cost of religious freedom?  I hope not.

04
Feb

I love your work, Ricky Gervais but not your ethics:

A couple of comments for you to chew on made by Ricky Gervais in the London Sunday Star Times last weekend. Gervais called for the mandatory sterilisation of “irresponsible parents”.
He told the reporter there were “too many unwanted children, too many people who are poor and struggling…. If they all had a good quality of life, no one would complain. What there is, is too many useless people. Too many people who shouldn’t have children.”

Maybe he should have read about this girl and her family Eugenics = slippery slop.

03
Feb

What would Jesus have done? Tongue poking or not?

A couple of weekends ago I decided, in a fit of madness, to go to 7am Mass in Lingala, the dominant local language in Kinshasa. Apparently the choir was quite something to hear…mind you, that goes for just about any Mass you might go to here in DRC.

At the end of Mass after Communion I took a seat near the door since I couldn’t get back to my original seat. In front of me was a little boy, probably no more than 4 years old. He turned around and stared curiously for a few seconds at this ‘blanche’ lady behind him.

I smiled and winked at him but he clearly wasn’t quite sure about the bizarreness of a ‘blanche’ at the Lingala Mass. He turned around and snuggled in to his Maman a bit more.

A few minutes later as the notices are being read out, I look up and he’s looking at me again, this time grinning from ear to ear. Now we’re talking. I wink at him again. He tries to wink back but hasn’t quite mastered the ‘one-eye-shut-one-eye-open’ nature of winking. So we blink at each other instead. I put a hand out to him, he gives it a shake then decides better still that it’s a good place to rest his head for half a minute. Righto, pas de problème.

I can’t remember who did it first (read: I probably was first, but that would imply that I taught a four year old a terrible habit during Mass)…but then there was a tongue poke-off. I even silently challenged him to touch his nose with his tongue…by demonstration of course. Then I thought, why stop at eyes and tongues? So we did some eyebrow exercises and toe flexing too.

An old and fragile-looking Maman behind me was trying to contain her giggles while simultaneously trying to be serious with the little lad and tell him to turn around and pay attention. Oh, come on, it was only during the notices…

So sincere apologies to the poor mother and Maman who now have a four year old who learnt from a ‘blanche’ to poke out his tongue in church. I’ll be doing penance for that one for a long time to come…