The burka debate rages on…

The subject of the burka, and whether or not it should be banned in the UK has been a hotly debated topic for a while now, and the debate recently reached fever pitch when a Conservative MP declared that he will refuse to hold meetings with anyone who insists on wearing one.

MP Philip Hollobone recently stated that unless the veil is lifted, he won’t be prepared to converse- and this has been met with mixed reactions.

He said:

“I take what I regard as a common sense view. If you want to engage in normal, daily, interactive dialogue with your fellow human beings, you can only really do this properly by seeing each other’s face.”

The burka, which is worn by many Muslim women in the UK, seems to be appearing in the headlines on an increasingly regular basis and the subject is showing no signs of disappearing any time soon…

Big Brother UK housemates argue over religion

Big Brother housemates aren’t generally known for their intelligent conversation, and you’re more likely to find them arguing over who’s used the last teabag rather than anything more intellectual.

However, viewers who have become bored with the usual mundane conversation were in for a treat recently, as two of the newer non-entities- Rachel and Andrew- had a bit of a barney over scientific religion vs faith.

The discussion got so heated that housemate Rachel was actually reduced to tears.

There’s no doubt that the topic of religion can really bring out some extreme emotions- although the Big Brother house isn’t exactly the most likely place you’d expect to find it.

Scientologist Church faces ‘slave labour’ lawsuits from ex-followers

According to the Daily Mail, the Church of Scientologists treats their followers as something like slave labour. The Scientology Sea Organisation compound in Los Angeles is said to be the headquarters of the worldwide faith organisation, but two former members have filed lawsuits against it, claiming they and other loyal members were forced to work around 100 hours a week for next to nothing.

Scientology is no stranger to controversy, but the latest reports suggest that two of the former followers, Marc Headley and Claire Headley (husband and wife) are demanding backpay of more than £1 million from the church.

There are worse accusations from the Headleys too; psychological abuse, pressure to have an abortion and cripplingly long working hours to name but a few.

The church’s response? Those filing lawsuits are “liars looking for money”.

Top religion prize goes to evolutionary scientist Francisco J. Ayala

Francisco J. Ayala used to be a Catholic priest but is now achieving great success with his work as an evolutionary scientist. Now, at first glance these two fields obviously seem completely incompatible, but it is Ayala’s work harmonising whilst at the same time differentiating science and religion that has won him one of the world’s top religion awards, the Templeton Prize.

Mr Ayala, 76, won a cash prize of approximately $1.5 million, which many feel is well deserved. He is extremely respected in scientific circles, but this award shows that his ideas also have relevance and applications outside of science.

Offensive fundamentalists vs. grieving family in Supreme Court Case over freedom of speech

In one of the most shocking stories I’ve read lately, the issue of hate-mongering religious fundamentalists picketing military funerals has raised its ugly head again, thanks to a high-profile case in the US Supreme Court.

On one side is a Kansas church, who follow the (il)logical line of thinking that terrorism and soldier’s deaths in Middle Eastern countries is, of course, a punishment from God for America’s tolerance of homosexuality.
On the other is the father of a soldier who was recently killed in action, who was subjected to abusive campaigning at his son’s funeral in Maryland.

The legal issue here is freedom of speech, a right upheld by the First Amendment. However, the moral issues for me are basic human consideration, empathy and also blind stupidity. The young man who died was a person loved by many – no matter his profession – and the signs the campaigners waved at his funeral, such as ‘Thank God for Dead Soldiers’ and ‘Thank God for 9/11’ were disgusting and shocking.

The aspect that most disturbs me about this story is that at the core of Christianity and many other religions is the concept of love, and I see no evidence of this in the message these fanatics are promoting.

Has Amy Winehouse embraced Scientology?

Recent press reports suggest that troubled singer Amy Winehouse has followed her off-again-on-again ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil (currently in rehab) into a new-found belief in Scientology. The controversial Church of Scientology has many celebrity followers, including John Travolta and Tom Cruise to name but a few.

According to sources close to Amy the press have managed to dig up, the singer will adopt anything Fielder-Civil thinks or believes without question, leading many to worry about her being led astray (again).

Well, whatever you believe about Scientology as a credible ‘religion’; it is at least less physically damaging than copious drug-taking.

Private faith school to open in Hull may cause concern for parents

A new school set to open in Hull this September is causing a great deal of controversy in the local area as well as in the press. The New Life Academy will cost parents £2,000 a year to send their children there, and will follow the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum.

Supporters say the school will provide children with an ‘individualised’ Christian education so that they may learn at their own pace, but those opposed to it hold a drastically different option. Amongst other arguments, those opposed are warning parents that the school will isolate children and attempt to condition them with ‘fundamentalist’ Christian teaching, where they will be taught to interpret the Bible entirely literally.

Cultures are becoming more popular

Cultures that reside around the world are becoming more popular day by day. Of course some will disappear but others will become more popular. There are many reasons for this amongst which are that

• people think certain cultures are cool
• People like certain food and dishes from different cultures
• people get more peace in following a certain culture
• people who are lonely like to a certain culture due to it’s community involvement with each other
• And there are many more reasons.

What do you think, are you aware of 10 cultures in the United Kingdom or do you know many more that this?

Culture and Food

Many people are not aware but a lot of the food you find in the world and all the different sort of dishes that are available; many of them are cultural to the country and nationality.

Take for example, Chicken Tikka Masala. This dish comes from the Indian subcontinent and can be found all over the world however people recognise it as an Indian dish. (Side Note: Indian food was voted the best food in the world! With Chinese food coming in at a number two.)

So next time you see some food in the international line in the major supermarkets, try ans guess the culture!

Culture and Phone

What’s in the phone. The Mobile phone has become something that reflects a persons characteristics and mood and style. This never used to be the case however an interesting point to note is that before mobile phones became very popular, people used to place a lot of relevance on the watch. Your Casio’s, Armani, ToyWatch USE, Rolex, Boss, Ted Baker etc. was the stuff used to define an individuals style and mood.

So it’s an inevitable transition however those people who have a culture also keep their culture in mind when choosing a new phone and sometimes reflect their culture in their new phone.