Teaser Tuesday - Mar 18

The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

I've not done one of these for a bit, but am enjoying this book!

She changed tack. "This watch is for Anna's own good, to disentangle her from her web of deceit

From The Wonder Emma's Donoghue's novel of moral complexity in 19th century Ireland.

Meanwhile in St Peter's Square

Maybe the next dual press conference will have the translation?

Much too funny - and do keep watching for the last 30 seconds!
(via the MadPriest - surely you don't need a link?)

Horrific anti-gay violence

(not that there's much violence which isn't horrific!).
We don't normally get the Observer but this weekend, being away, we did I was glad (if that's the right word), appalled is probably a more fitting word to read this article on the systematic murder of gays in Iraq. If you don't think that anti-gay sentiment in religion is a problem, read this and see where it takes you.

The killings are brutal, with victims ritually tortured. Azhar al-Saeed's son was one. "He didn't follow what Islamic doctrine tells but he was a good son," she said. "Three days after his kidnapping, I found a note on my door with blood spread over it and a message saying it was my son's purified blood and telling me where to find his body."

Old Maids cycling to church

(™ John Major) Are rather transformed in Andrew Rilstone's take on Sharia. Well worth a read!

Spiritual experiences

Via the Ship of Fools forum comes this quote from Ned Sherrin's obituary in the Telegraph

He believed in God, but "avoided" spiritual experiences by regular attendance at church, turning up before the Communion, but after the Peace. He remained unconcerned about the Bible's strictures on homosexuality, noting that the Good Book also forbids the eating of shellfish and pork. He was an energetic campaigner for Aids charities.

Not sure whether it was the time he arrived or his church attendance that was there to avoid spiritual experience. Well worth reading the rest of the obit - that was the penultimate paragraph. The Guardian one is quite fun too, inevitably they have different stories...

Changing Attitude Chester

As I'm attempting to advertise this elsewhere, I'll also give it a plug here..

The Changing Attitude Chester group are running a day conference
with speakers Kenneth Leech and Jean Mayland

Does the Church limit God's Love?

Principles & practice and Changing Attitudes - Workshops & Discussion

Saturday 11th November 10am - 4pm at Chester Cathedral

Drinks provided, bring your own lunch.
To book for the day, send cheque (payable to Changing Attitude, Chester) for £7 (£4 concessions) together with your details to: Irene Pendleton, 55 Carlton Close, Parkgate, NESTON, CH64 6RB.

For information: e-mail imp<insert obvious symbol>fish.co.uk (or me!)


Posters available at the Chester Group's website

Ummmmm

This image appears to be going the rounds - I thought at first it must be a spoof. Via though I actually found it at Mad Priest but how much different is it to fighting for peace, or the other one?