Friday, March 26, 2004
More from the political correctness files
A philosophy professor at Lakeland Community College in Ohio, James Tuttle, has possibly had his career ruined by complaints that he made comments in his lectures deemed offensive to women, gays and Muslims. It is not unusual for teachers at the college to tell students of their personal political and social views. Feminist instructors routinely inform classes of their particular perspective. Similarly students have heard professors declare, "I'm Marxist, so you know where I'm coming from" or "I'm a socialist." Prof. Tuttle, however, has been vilified for explaining that he is a committed Catholic and Christian philosopher. The whole story makes for very sorry reading in the land of the free.
The Catholic Church has faced many obstacles to spreading the word in its 2000-year history, but advertising agencies in 21st century Melbourne was not one it anticipated. Slogans such as "Don't look down, look up" and "Talk to the Boss online every day" are too controversial, even illegal, Father Michael Kelly has been told. His bid to publicise a new church website in the CBD and outdoor railway sites has been refused by agencies due to stringent rules that apparently forbid any form of religious advertising.
A philosophy professor at Lakeland Community College in Ohio, James Tuttle, has possibly had his career ruined by complaints that he made comments in his lectures deemed offensive to women, gays and Muslims. It is not unusual for teachers at the college to tell students of their personal political and social views. Feminist instructors routinely inform classes of their particular perspective. Similarly students have heard professors declare, "I'm Marxist, so you know where I'm coming from" or "I'm a socialist." Prof. Tuttle, however, has been vilified for explaining that he is a committed Catholic and Christian philosopher. The whole story makes for very sorry reading in the land of the free.
The Catholic Church has faced many obstacles to spreading the word in its 2000-year history, but advertising agencies in 21st century Melbourne was not one it anticipated. Slogans such as "Don't look down, look up" and "Talk to the Boss online every day" are too controversial, even illegal, Father Michael Kelly has been told. His bid to publicise a new church website in the CBD and outdoor railway sites has been refused by agencies due to stringent rules that apparently forbid any form of religious advertising.
Meditation to relieve stress
Imagine you are in a beautiful valley.
You are in a large meadow of lush grass, with wildflowers making splashes of colour against the vivid green backdrop.
Above you, there is a brilliant blue sky, with just occasional whisps of cloud. Overhead, a skylark calls in his clear, fluting song.
You are standing barefoot on the bank of a small river. The water laps over your toes as you gaze into its clear depths.
The water is delightfully cool in the warmth of the day. And it is pure.
So pure, you can clearly see the face of the person whose head you are holding under the water.
Imagine you are in a beautiful valley.
You are in a large meadow of lush grass, with wildflowers making splashes of colour against the vivid green backdrop.
Above you, there is a brilliant blue sky, with just occasional whisps of cloud. Overhead, a skylark calls in his clear, fluting song.
You are standing barefoot on the bank of a small river. The water laps over your toes as you gaze into its clear depths.
The water is delightfully cool in the warmth of the day. And it is pure.
So pure, you can clearly see the face of the person whose head you are holding under the water.
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Gummint - what is it good for?
Down through the centuries, different people have had very different views on this. Charles II wanted to be a supreme monarch, but the English parliament managed to strip him of most of his grandiose powers.
Outside of communist (and other totalitarian) states, the people have had a fairly conservative view of what powers government should have, as witness the following quotes:
"When a government becomes powerful, it is destructive, extravagant and violent; it is an usurper which takes bread from innocent mouths and deprives honorable men of their substance for votes with which to perpetuate itself." - Cicero
"Government is not reason. It is not eloquence. It is force." - George Washington
"In all that people can do for themselves, the government ought not to interfere." - Abraham Lincoln
"The most cogent reason for restricting the interference of government is the great evil of adding unnecessarily to its power." - John Stuart Mill
Then we get NZ's Prime Minister, Helen Clark: "The government's role is whatever the government defines it to be."
Doesn't that have a sort of familiar (sinister) ring about it?
For more discussion on her remarks, see this piece by Roger Kerr.
(Acknowledgements to Dave Crampton for this link.)
Down through the centuries, different people have had very different views on this. Charles II wanted to be a supreme monarch, but the English parliament managed to strip him of most of his grandiose powers.
Outside of communist (and other totalitarian) states, the people have had a fairly conservative view of what powers government should have, as witness the following quotes:
"When a government becomes powerful, it is destructive, extravagant and violent; it is an usurper which takes bread from innocent mouths and deprives honorable men of their substance for votes with which to perpetuate itself." - Cicero
"Government is not reason. It is not eloquence. It is force." - George Washington
"In all that people can do for themselves, the government ought not to interfere." - Abraham Lincoln
"The most cogent reason for restricting the interference of government is the great evil of adding unnecessarily to its power." - John Stuart Mill
Then we get NZ's Prime Minister, Helen Clark: "The government's role is whatever the government defines it to be."
Doesn't that have a sort of familiar (sinister) ring about it?
For more discussion on her remarks, see this piece by Roger Kerr.
(Acknowledgements to Dave Crampton for this link.)
