Bible references on guns??
This from BBC News:
Coded references to biblical passages are inscribed on gunsights widely used by the US and British military in Iraq and Afghanistan, it has emerged.
The markings include “2COR4:6” and “JN8:12“, relating to verses in the books of II Corinthians and John.
Trijicon, the US-based manufacturer, was founded by a devout Christian, and says it runs to “Biblical standards”.
What the… ???? That’s like a pig farmer branding all his prize Tamworths with the phrase “Kosher for Shabbat”!
Seriously, if these nutjobs are looking for references from God’s word of life to emblazon on their wares of death, I’m sure there are more appropriate proof-texts. Texts that address them, the arms-makers, together with the safely-distanced warmasters, rather than purporting to proffer a hollow piety for those who will carry and use the weapons.
Lamentations 1.20, perhaps? Or Numbers 14.3, or Psalm 146.3? Ezekiel 33.25-26?
Add comment January 20, 2010
Avatar: a précis
Disclaimer: I haven’t seen Mr Cameron’s latest oeuvre.
But someone evidently has… before…
Add comment January 10, 2010
RIP Edward Schillebeeckx
I happened upon his obit yesterday – Roman Catholic theologian Edward Schillebeeckx died two days before Christmas.
May he rest in peace. And in time, may he be remembered as much for his reforming ecclesiological agenda as for his rather splendid name.
Add comment January 5, 2010
Image of Big Bang seen in piece of toast!
“I have always been an Atheist and to see my life choices validated on a piece of toast is truly astounding,” said one guest at the Huddlesfield Arms Hotel.
It must be a sign…
Add comment September 29, 2009
Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the Pentatonic Scale
Ooh yeah… wow.
World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.
Hat-tip to Errol.
Add comment August 1, 2009
Cross-cultural calendrical clarification
Elsewhere on this thing called internet, I have today noticed a query from someone wishing to know “do they have July 4th in England?”.
The answer, of course, is No.
Since 1776, there has been no July 4th in England. Instead, we move directly from 3rd to 5th July (without passing go, without collecting £200). England is thus unique in the world in having a 30-day July.
There are varied and curious by-products of this calendrical anomaly. For starters, it goes some way to explaining the unpredictability of the English summer: dropping a day is bound to have an impact on calculations of mean monthly temperature, rainfall etc. More significantly, the accumulation of skipped days over the last 233 years has nudged England slightly ahead of the rest of the world: here we are now on 22 February 2010.
I hope that clears things up.
1 comment July 4, 2009
Today’s News in Limerick Form, #4
A face from the Old Middle East
in the lid of a breakfast-time feast?
Is he saying, I ponder,
to this family in Rhondda:
“Beware of the Pharisees’ yeast”?
Add comment May 28, 2009
Intelligent life?
So the boffins have been using computer simulations to estimate the chances of intelligent life arising on some of the 330 exoplanets so far discovered.
While researchers often come up with overall estimates of the likelihood of intelligent life in the universe, it is a process fraught with guesswork; recent guesses put the number anywhere between a million and less than one.
“It’s a process of quantifying our ignorance,” said Duncan Forgan, the University of Edinburgh researcher who carried out the work.
Less than one form of intelligent life in the universe? Quantifying our ignorance? Well, I had my suspicions…
1 comment February 5, 2009
Today’s News in limerick form, #3
“Go Jade, we have made our decision:
save Royaume-Uni from derision!”
But despite all those votes,
can a song with six notes
really go on to win Eurovision?
Add comment January 31, 2009
