By Dwight Swanson

According to The Times 'the feuding Church' has forgotten its message.

This is old news to Christians and no great surprise to non-Christians, so one wonders why the bother to print such a headline. The British press have been full of stories of a similar nature with regard to the election of a woman as bishop in the American Episcopal church--part of the 'Anglican Communion'. For the public school educated journalists (see link in the previous Media Watch on this), of course, 'The Church' is the Church of England, in a peculiarly English way. Commentators who never darken the door of a church, and have no interest in Christianity other than to dismiss it, seem to believe that they have the right to make public pronouncements on what the Church should believe.

Jasper Gerard's little commentary is but a minor though succinct example of this. His few short paragraphs are most revealing.

The very first two sentence paragraph skews the issue at stake within the Anglican communion in two ways. He says, 'Why do churchmen get so steamed up about what goes on below the waist? A woman is to become head of the American branch of Anglicanism, which infuriates African Christians.' Can you spot the red herrings? (more)

By Dwight Swanson

The print media have been fairly quiet towards religion since the film of The Da Vinci code failed of its promise. Today's lead comment in The Times takes fair aim at the religion of Contemporary Art, but reveals ignorance of the nature of religion as a whole.

The story to which David Lee refers brings to mind something that happened some time ago in a village in Germany where I once lived. A new Town Hall, in the latest architectural style, was being built. The Burgermeister and his council had decided that the new building needed an art statement to match, and so a sculpture was commissioned. It was to be a contemporary sculpture rich in symbolic meaning. There was considerable opposition to the idea, not least due to the rather high price tag that went with the commission.

One morning the whole village awoke to discover the sculpture ensconced in the square in front of the new building. It appeared to be a random grouping of rusting bits of farm implements (this was a rural area) welded together into a 15 foot high work of 'art'. Reactions were predictable.

However--the Town Fathers' response was not to defend the indefensible, but to express puzzlement. The fact was, this was not the commissioned sculpture. In the end, it proved to be the case that an area farmer had, indeed, welded together a random grouping of rusting bits of farm implements. As contemporary art, it surely would have passed muster with the Tate Gallery. The point, however, was to show that the project could be done without paying someone large sums of money!

The rusting hulk was removed after a few weeks. To this day there is nothing in its place.

In this respect, Lee's article hits the point very well. But, he reveals his ignorance at this point: (more)

By Dwight Swanson

I used to enjoy reading Polly Toynbee in the Guardian. But she has taken her faith in the National Secularist Society too seriously of late, with regular rants against religion, particularly Christianity (see 'Media Watch: Art as Religion' for another example of irrational approaches to Christianity). It now appears she has become a devotee of American civil religion, however. In today's Guardian she states," It is not fanciful to make the pursuit of happiness a political imperative." Although she cites David Cameron, that liberal icon, as the source of her thinking, this clearly comes directly from the US Declaration of Independence, whose preamble states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (obviously sexist) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator (obviously religious) with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (this is the pertinent part)."

The pursuit of happiness as essential to being human is so ingrained in American consciousness that even Christians tend to believe it to be based on the Bible (rather than a product of the deistic philosophy of Thomas Jefferson). A poll of the average Evangelical American Christian (a different category from American Evangelical Christian, or Evangelical Christian, or even American Christian) would probably find a fair percentage who believe that the 'pursuit of happiness' can be found in Scripture. It seems Toynbee is one of their number.

Whatever the notion is, it is not Scriptural, nor is it particularly Christian. (more)

By Dwight Swanson

This is the sixth day of the sixth month of the sixth year-- 6/6/6. This must be the day in which the Antichrist is revealed!!! [After all, doesn't God follow the Gregorian calendar?]

In view of the seriousness of the situation, the editor of the Gazelle has determined to publish the five most likely candidates for the position. They will all be placed in the Big Brother house while the population of the entire world votes them off one at a time over the next seventy weeks (or, seventy weeks of years, I can't remember), or until the Rapture occurs--in which case the real Antichrist will be Left Behind.

We announce the candidates in reverse order of likelihood:

Number Five, nominated by most Northern Irish Protestants (a rather boring and predictable choice), as well as this choice website link, is THE POPE.

Number Four, considered for being the most obscure and least frightening prospect ever nominated (its amazing what the Bible Code can reveal) link, is MAITREYA, the 5th Buddha. [I hope you didn't miss the announcement at 06:06 Eastern Standard Time this morning!]

Number Three, and a personal favourite because the Gazelle staff were trying to find a way to make his name fit the requisite 666 but someone else had alreadys sorted it out for us link. This will come as no surprise to half the US and the population of the whole world outside the US--GEORGE BUSH.

Number Two, and our own nomination based on the methodologies learned from the above sources, is TONY BLAIR. Why should George W stand alone on this one? It is perfectly clear he is the one. All one has to do is substitute Hebrew letters for the English letters, and add up the Hebrew numerical value. One or two minor adjustments for the language difference are required (nothing important, just substituting the 'r' with an 'n', and replacing the impossible 'ai' with the Greek letter 'eta') and we become aware that the end of the world is nigh!

And, finally, Number One. This has to be prophetic, and is without a doubt the most frightening prospect the world has yet known. It is time for residents of the cities to flee to the country (but not Cornwall), and those who are on the roof to slide off and head for the hills, and those who are suckling at the breast to...(sorry, we don't want to go there).

The Antichrist is none other than: CHARLES, THE PRINCE OF WALES link [The nominating website does offer a disclaimer that it is just possible Prince Charles could be the opposite of the Antichrist, and be some sort of force for good!].

The world will be notified by Internet of how to vote. (more)