Watched “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” and if the play we watched the other night “And Evermore Shall be so” was convoluted and unintelligible this was even more so though of course on a much much much grander scale. If ever there was an inane screenplay this one surely takes the biscuit. Scene followed scene seemingly with little or no reference to what went before and after about twenty minutes I said, ‘Does anyone know what’s going on?’ To which the reply from both was a definite no. In consequence the whole thing became one long bore and I am surprised we stuck it to the end. Had I been on my own I most probably would not have. There were some wonderful effects of course and a lovely music score but apart from that one out of ten.
Having last time mounted my hobby horse, sex; I mount its companion, religion. There is little if any doubt that were I to live in a Muslim country or had I been alive in former times (particularly in Spain) I would have been in grave danger of hideous torture and certain death so I make no apologies to any who have a religious bent for my view of something I believe is pernicious and which mankind should have jettisoned a long time ago but, alas, never will. God’s name is spelt p-a-i-n and therefore as pain, like the poor, is always with us so He will always be with us in some form or another. It’s unfortunate but obvious I suppose that religion and all the dodgy, devious, dreadful, deleterious, didactic and yes, oft times deadly hokum it is imbued with has been responsible for a great deal of that pain and still is. (Thought I would dabble deftly in a bit of Mrs McK.Ros there). Murder and mayhem and permissible, encouraged, and lauded cruelty are not exactly unknown to the religiously minded of whatever persuasion. Neither of course are smaller matters, especially when it comes to doctrine and bigotry. At Westminster Cathedral, because they do not agree with the ordination of women, three former Anglican bishops are to be ordained as Catholic priests: Keith Newton, Andrew Burnham, and John Broadhurst will take up roles in the section known as the Ordinariate. Other traditionalist Anglican clergy have spoken of their sadness and anger about the bishops' conversion. Mr. Burnham, along with fellow bishops, Mr. Newton and Mr. Broadhurst, had all formerly supervised Church of England parishes that had opted out of contact with women priests. The ordination of former Anglican bishops as Roman Catholic priests could fundamentally change the Church they leave behind. ”Mr. Newton has estimated that about 50 more Anglican clergy might join the Roman Catholic church in the coming months - along with members of their congregations. Like some other traditionalist clergy on the Catholic wing of the Church of England, they opposed the introduction of women bishops, and do not believe sufficient provision was being made for traditionalists to avoid coming under the jurisdiction of women. Note that word – jurisdiction - If that isn’t male chauvinism I would like to know what is. The Vatican will allow them to maintain a distinct religious identity and spiritual heritage within the Ordinariate. How nice, how convenient, how generous. Other Anglican traditionalists have warned that the bishops' departure will jeopardise the future of the Church of England as a broad Church able to balance its Protestant and Catholic traditions. I have a question or two – if the bishops had gone over to the Muslim or Jewish faith and the other fifty who it is reckoned will follow and, if they have not already been, would they be willing to be circumcised? It is important you know. You can’t be a fully paid up member of the club if you’re not. And if they are already married will they be willing to divorce and jettison their families for the sake of being Roman Catholic priests? Or will they be excused? What does Holy Writ and His Infallibility have to say about that?