With Thomas, it's the egregious unitarist indoctrination of juveniles, with their plastic brains and unquestioning acceptance of a omnipotent patriarch that I find disturbing.

Totally. But it's not quite as distressing as the blatantly authoritarian Little Golden Book Tootle , which stressed the paramount importance of 'staying on the rails…

Ah yes, the (ahem) "Gentlemen's Train Quarterly." Ours used to keep his under his pillow,

Yeh, that's our picture too, It's the business for them, those tracks don't get built by themselves.

let's all get crochety now why don't we

discuss that, now, ye hard newsies!(insert big smiley)

Does it come in a crochet pattern, too? Because I'd love a set, but I'm crap at knitting.

(All credit to the artist, Anna Maltz).

My three year old studies the Thomas catalogue intensely looking for better track designs.

Ah yes, the (ahem) "Gentlemen's Train Quarterly." Ours used to keep his under his pillow...

Thomas the Tank Engine & co always had unscripted bits when read aloud here.

Having kids makes you master the art of Stalinist revisions on the fly.

I prefer to have my images of war with religous overtones in a more 'Commando' style.

interestingly Commando and War Picture Library comics seem to be the most regular sales in the Trade Me comics section – while the more regular fanboy fare languishes in the "no bids"…

"Gott und himmell"
"Schnell, schnell"
"Feur, Englander ratatatatataaaaat!"
"AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

I was enjoying the coexistence of kids' entertainment and religion.

Actually, I could have been talking there about the insufferable copywrong thread..

And there I was, really enjoying the discussion about Dora and Thomas...

Harumph. You drew me into it.

It wasn't just the Javanese who were in thrall to Suharto's supposed mystic powers.

Indeed and if you want to find him today he's enshrined at Astana Giribangun which has it's own place in Javanese mysticism.

If the west wonders why, after murdering up to a million, stripping the nation…

"fast buck" by being persecuted himself as a member of the new unpopular movement.

Yeah but he got to go travel and just exercise his jaw mainly. And who knows perhaps it was his dream to go to Rome as a mighty messenger, and stonings were like the everyday gauntlet…

On April 7, Saddam Hussein struck a dictatorial pose, under this passage from the First Epistle of Peter: "It is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men."

In this context it's easy to understand the (embarrassing) insensitivity of NZ customs officials when…

how does one USE 'traditional animism' to 'maintain control'

Suharto notoriously used Javanese spiritual beliefs to anoint himself as some sort of divine leader. To this day a large part of rural Indonesia still believes he had magical powers derived from Kebatinan. A mixture of that, Islam, a strong fist,…

the fantasy of so many nz'ers that religion is 'used to suppress thought' is highly amusing, to say the least!

I see what you mean. After all, it only took the catholic Church 367 years or so to apologise to Galileo. And there hasn't been a heresy trial in NZ…

how does one USE 'traditional animism' to 'maintain control'

1) Political opponent makes compelling speech arguing against your course of action, causing your popularity to drop.
2) You sacrifice a pig to the tree-sprites.
3) Political opponent is caught in bed with a transvestite hooker.

Et voila.

ScottY if you want to read the most killer work ever on the very weird dynamics of belief itself then check/loan out asap my man Jean Pierre Dupuy's "Self-Deception and the Paradoxes of Rationality" (1998) )

No offence intended, but I can't ever imagine myself reading a book with a…

how does one USE 'traditional animism' to 'maintain control'

Maybe using the specific gravitas
of "The Black Pantheists"? : )

Yrs
Sir Isaac, Huey, Louie
and Dewey Newton

Isn't that what organised religion is for?

As the American Poet J.M. White put it:

there was a time
in the history of this globe
when conservative
evangelical
fundamentalists
were in charge
of the church
the state
and the schools
they call it
the dark ages

or in the words…

it is to distribute the appetitive object amongst the newly sign-bearing creatures persent around it in such a way that resentment is minimised...

The preacher wants to get more followers/more coins on the collection plate. If this can be managed in any such way the best then religion flourishes, praise…

'Pologies to those who despise consecutive posts

the fantasy of so many nz'ers that religion is 'used to suppress thought' is highly amusing, to say the least!

Sitting in a country where it's illegal not to profess a belief in one of the six officially prescribed religions and where the dictator of the previous three decades worked…

@andin: Did you read the quote?

You aren't quoting from a very reputable source, even if it has been translated for the linguistically challenged.
And tales of Paul's encounter's with the early christian church leaders with Jesus' supposed brother James then the head of the infant organisation are said to…

I may be convinced that I hold the winning ticket for this Saturday's Powerball. I may have an unquestioning belief that I will win.

Meanwhile someone who holds a different ticket holds an unquestioning belief that he/she will win.

Someone has to be…

The absolute unquestioning belief that a divine being rules our lives, despite the absence of any evidence to prove it, is a form of thought after all.

But did you make the thought up or was it placed in your head by numerous visits to vivid shocking statues of a…

The absolute unquestioning belief that a divine being rules our lives, despite the absence of any evidence to prove it, is a form of thought after all.

But did you make the thought up or was it placed in your head by numerous visits to vivid shocking statues of a…

i'm sorry but that's pure horsedog. You're as wrong as an owl in a treetop. the originary function of religion IS fundamental and and it is real: it is to distribute the appetitive…

the fantasy of so many nz'ers that religion is 'used to suppress thought' is highly amusing, to say the least!

Welcome back, pfj. I wondered when you'd show up.

No, religion doesn't suppress all thought. The absolute unquestioning belief that a divine being rules our lives, despite the absence of…

It's (organised religion) design is to supply answers fast. It's not a vehicle for intellectual rigour although it's possible to make a living pretending it is.

Yes and no.

All the big religions have a large body of sacred text to choose the answer from, but a lot of the…

"Her voice, however, could strip paint. There's the beef."

Agreed. I can appreciate all things Dora apart from the extremely irritating voice they've given her. The stage show personas voice wasn't nearly as bad.

Fair enough. Dora's superior to most alternatives, however I thought the stage show surprisingly sparse -…

and suppresses intellectual thought I take issue.

It's (organised religion) design is to supply answers fast. It's not a vehicle for intellectual rigour although it's possible to make a living pretending it is.

Agreed. I can appreciate all things Dora apart from the extremely irritating voice they've given her. The stage show personas voice wasn't nearly as bad.

Isn't that what organised religion is for?

When organised religion is used to target people, persecutes people, breed violence and suppresses intellectual thought I take issue.

Dora a tough Hillary-like explorer. Her oversight is acceptable.

Her voice, however, could strip paint. There's the beef.

http://www.armorofgodpjs.com/

That would be the best costume at a Halloween Party, as long as you knew that no one there would take offence.

Probably don't make it in my size however.

Does this remind anyone else of the Presidential briefings in the Simpsons movie?
"Pick a number between one and five..."
"Six"
"There is no six."

"I was elected to lead, not to read"

Isn't that what organised religion is for?

Sometimes it is, other times it isn't. I know what…

Why does god need armour? Being omnipotent you'd have thought she could just dodge?

Interesting philosphical question.

Can God, being all powerful an' that, make a bullet that will penetrate his/her own all-powerful armour?

Fast buck?

Or whatever that was in those days.
A comfy bed, a roof over your head, a villa by the sea. Gore V ruminated that fine male flanks were a fast buck as well, perhaps some things never change.

Isn't that what organised religion is for?

Amen to that.

But it doesn't seem that this is going away.

Full disclosure is not on any serious agenda and anyways a commission of inquiry into a previous administration would set an unfortunate precedent circa 2017. The longer it takes for disclosure of Bush-stoopidness to precipitate the better for Obama who gets…

You don't want to get me started on Dora the Explorer. Or Thomas the Tank Engine. Actually, the pillow/shield is a work of art.

Thomas is a stupidly compliant sycophant, Dora a tough Hillary-like explorer. Her oversight is acceptable.

You've got a beef?

Don't touch my shit — and if…

the other was from from another letter by a notorious bullshitter and fast buck artiste who claimed to have seen Jesus in a vision years after he was dead.

Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned.…

The way that some people use religious beliefs and religious language to justify immoral policies is just madness.

Isn't that what organised religion is for?

Nothing from Christ himself; of course, US 'Christians' don't have much use for that Commie faggy peacenik stuff he used to spout.

That guy was un-American.

Weren't those new testament quotes?

Only two out of 11. One was from a letter by a guy who used to hang with Jesus, while the other was from from another letter by a notorious bullshitter and fast buck artiste who claimed to have seen Jesus in…

Weren't those new testament quotes?

Indeed, but following the links to the slideshow, there are some quotes from the Hebrew scriptures, like Psalm 139:9--10. But wait, what would be wrong with quoting Psalms in a Muslim context?

The quotation of Ephesians 6 leaves out some important context:

For we are…

But what exactly do you do with that shield in bed?

Shield? – I thought it was a smother-pillow
in case they wouldn't drink the Kool-Ade : )

Or maybe it is for hitch-hiking on passing Vogon Constructor fleets in case the Rapture is…

The previous administration is covered in blood and torture,he's not releasing the photos because he knows the American image abroad will slip even further in the warzone. How much did Bush fuck that country…

Dubya did,

I thought George senior was his father.

Put on the full armour of God

Don't touch my shit — and if you're going to drink my milk, replace it. xxxoxxx GOD

It's ok Giovanni, Dora the Explorer pjs work too.

You don't want to get me started on Dora the Explorer. Or Thomas the Tank Engine. Actually, the pillow/shield is a work of art.

http://www.armorofgodpjs.com/
Christ.

Well, yes.

But what exactly do you do with that shield in bed?

http://j.photos.cx/dodblingie-618.gif

http://www.armorofgodpjs.com/

Christ.

It's ok Giovanni, Dora the Explorer pjs work too.

Remember when their troops weren't being supplied with body armour? Yeah, saddle up boys, put your Armour of God on, the DragonSkins are coming next financial year.

I wonder what's worse: a defense secretary who puts Old Testament quotes on progress updates on an invasion of a Muslim country or a defense secretary who thinks this will add to his president's knowledge and expertise.

Weren't those new testament quotes?

Why does god need armour? Being omnipotent you'd have thought she could just dodge?

Everywhere and in everything, can't dodge.

How long before a President claims to have a direct pipeline from the deity.

Dubya did, he might not even have been the only one.

But I am…

unfortunately Donald Rumsfeld is the Barmy of Gilead
(Doing very nicely out of Tamiflu – thank you very much...
The man who put GILA…

http://www.armorofgodpjs.com/

Christ.

Perhaps a President that was in fact influenced by those statements... is worse…