Quote of the Week - Epicurus

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

~Epicurus

Child Abuse - (3)

Letter to My Younger Self

Stephen Fry has written a letter to his younger self which has encouraged a whole host of people to do the same.
If you were writing to yourself aged 18 years old what would you say? What advice would you give yourself?
I find this quite interesting and reading the contributions from and comments by other people made me think about what I would say to my younger self. I'm still (after a lengthy period!) in 'thinking mode'...

What would you write to yourself?

Prisoners of a White God

I chanced upon this film which I felt compelled to post here. It is disturbing and illustrates why I consider religious indoctrination to be mental, social and psychological abuse. Watch how a community is slowly destroyed by men with rituals, fancy gowns, screwed up world views and a need to control.
Excuse the slight delays but as it is subtitled it does not take away from a sensitively presented film.

If you are unable to watch it now then I implore you to watch whenever and wherever you can - let me have your views.

'Let's Stay Together' - Al Green

Okay, okay! I agree I must be in a soppy mood. Al Green doesn't sing this version as vocally brilliantly as some of his others I have heard but he whipped the crowd, played with the tune and sat down exhausted and was so on a high that he had to do a little jig at the end. Wonderful.
Do let me know what you think.

I dedicate this to the General. Thank you for being such a wonderful person!

P.S. Lorraine and Jonathan have commented on a previous post - Are Black People Allowed to Critically Analyse Other Black People? - and I have some further thoughts to contribute on this topic - so over the coming days you should see something posted here. I love it when people comment. Thank you all!

Child Abuse - (2)

A Jamaican Poem - 'Back to Africa'

I love this poem by the late great Louise Bennett, also known as 'Miss Lou'. This poem is written in the Jamaican patois and deals with Miss Mattie's yearning to go back to Africa.
Miss Lou questions this desire very eloquently. Let me know what you think.


'Back to Africa'

Back to Africa, Miss Mattie?
You no know wha you dah seh?
You haf fe come from somewhe fus
Before you go back deh!

Me know say dat you great great great
Granma was African,
But Mattie, doan you great great great
Granpa was Englishman?

Den you great granmader fader
By you fader side was Jew?
An you granpa by you mader side
Was Frenchie parlez-vous?

But de balance a you family,
You whole generation,
Oonoo all barn dung a Bun Grung-
Oonoo all is Jamaican!

Den is weh you gwine, Miss Mattie?
Oh, you view de countenance,
An between you an de Africans
Is great resemblance!

Ascorden to dat, all dem blue-yeye
White American
Who-fa great granpa was Englishman
Mus go back a Englan!

What a debil of a bump-an-bore,
Rig-jig an palam-pam
Ef de whole worl start fe go back
Whe dem great granpa come from!

Ef a hard time you dah run from
Tek you chance! But Mattie, do
Sure a whe you come from so you got
Somewhe fe come back to!

Go a foreign, seek you fortune,
But no tell nobody say
You dah go fe seek you homelan,
For a right deh so you deh!

Are Black People allowed to Critically Analyse Other Black People?

I had a discussion with a relative of mine recently concerning black history and some black writers. My relative took particular exception to my criticism of certain aspects of IvanVan Sertima's book 'They Came Before Columbus'. On discussing her objections further it became clear that her real objection was that I could dare to make a critical comment about another black person. Her reasoning was that if, as Prof. Van Sertima had tried to do, the aim was to make more black people aware of their history then if he fabricated a few stories then he should be completely forgiven as the ends justified the means.
Words failed me. Then I understood: 'Oh, you mean like the Bible?' I said.

She couldn't see the link and advised me that she loved black people and anybody who felt it necessary to criticise black people quite clearly didn't. Anyway, Prof Van Sertima's aim was to (having both read his other books) 'enable black people to reclaim their kings and queens and princesses'.
Very much in the vein, it seems to me, as the absolute rubbish espoused by those who revere Haile Selassie and call themselves Rasta. So now we can look to Africa and say we have a black person who is similar to the Queen! It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. Don't criticise black people. (A bit like the 'don't snitch' policy, eh?)
I don't think, like my relative does, that being 'spiritual' andwhat I call a 'Designer African' is positive for black people, especially when it is wrapped up in a belief in the supernatural.
Bullshit is bullshit no matter how it is dressed up and black people should not be excluded from any form of critical analysis.

Just in case you don't know: I don't care where you are from - your colour of skin, hair, race, belief system, gender, sexual orientation or anything else - if you are black you will not be excluded from criticism, praise or even indifference. The same applies to any 'group' I come across.
I chose 'black woman thinks' as the name of this blog to enable people to find me in amongst the billions of sites out there, but don't be fooled into thinking that this site is a lovefest exclusively for black people and all other groups will be trashed.

I don't speak for or on behalf of any group. I have my opinions but I am not the voice of 'the black world' or women (what a horrible thought!) and I will continue to try my best to see the world as it really is and not try to ignore things that make me feel uncomfortable or embrace fabricated myths as truth.

I don't always succeed but as the late Carl Sagan said:

“I would rather face a cold reality than delude myself with comforting fantasies”


What do you think?

Quote for the Week: Aldous Huxley

This quote could, at first, seem rather depressing. The question is:
Is he wrong? Are we humans, after evaluation of our known history, very different to this description?

"I know of no study which is so unutterably saddening as that of the evolution of humanity, as it is set forth in the annals of history. Out of the darkness of prehistoric ages man emerges with the marks of his lowly origin strong upon him. He is a brute, only more intelligent than the other brutes, a blind prey to impulses, which as often as not lead him to destruction: a victim to endless illusions, which make his mental existence a terror and a burden, and fills his physical life with barren toil and battle.
He attains a certain degree of physical comfort, and develops a more or less workable theory of life, in such favorable situations as the plains of Mesopotamia or of Egypt, and then, for thousands and thousands of years, struggles, with varying fortunes, attended by infinite wickedness, bloodshed, and misery, to maintain himself at this point against the greed and ambition of his fellow-men. He makes a point of killing and otherwise persecuting all those who first try to get him to move on; and when he has moved on a step, foolishly confers post-mortem deification on his victims."

~ Aldous L Huxley

'Poison Tree'

I was angry with my friend:

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe:

I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,

Night and morning with my tears;

And I sunned it with smiles,

And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,

Till it bore an apple bright.

And my foe beheld it shine.

And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole

When the night had veiled the pole;

In the morning glad I see

My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

~ William Blake

Showing Off Their Underwear

Is it me? Am I showing my age? Or maybe there is something that I don't understand: the fashion for young men showing off their underwear, usually boxer shorts, at every opportunity.
Now perish the thought that I am one of those types who constantly frowns and tut-tuts at the things young people do. It wasn't so long ago that I was doing crazy things that I don't understand now and didn't then but they were part of my growing up. All of it. The truth is I'm still 'growing up' and learning about life and doing crazy things!

But this need to wear trousers underneath your arse/bum/ass seems very strange. How do they stay up? Who started this trend?
I travel throughout England and see a certain type of young man modelling this trend and I just ponder. It cuts across races and seems to have a hip-hop vibe to it all.
I have to admit, I don't understand it. Maybe I'm not meant to.

Child Abuse - (1)

Catholic Church Child Abuse

The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse has published a report regarding the systematic abuse and torture by Catholic institutions in Ireland from 1936 onwards of children who were placed in their care.
It is unlikely that any of the abusers identified by the Commission will face prosecution.

The Catholic church has a long history of trying to cover the atrocities it has committed.

'I'm Going to Church'...The Review

On the way to the church I asked my 2 female friends if they could be themselves and try to ignore the fact that I was there as I wanted them to be their 'normal'.

The building was old with arched stained glass windows and inside the seating was on 2 levels. The downstairs section was crowded and so my friends suggested we head upstairs as the loud rock-style singing belted out.
As we took our seats near the front I was struck by the racial makeup of the congregation - a place that seemed to have almost every different race and mixes present. The black female singers on stage wore denim and high heels and had a slight air of indifference.

My eyes wandered around, darting everywhere as I noticed the peeling paint on the wall across the atrium.

The congregation sang loud and as the song almost came to its natural end a man in a suit with a microphone appeared on stage and said, "Lift your hands high...say, 'Lord, touch my life, I want to be changed, transformed, I give you all the honour and glory' - In Jesus' name."
The people clap and shout praises, waving their arms above their heads. The man starts to mumble and then gets louder and I realise he is speaking some kind of gibberish - 'speaking in tongues' and the people do the same. The murmurs get louder and louder and I watch people around me and a few have tears streaming down their faces. The singers leave the stage and the music stops.

The 1st suited man leaves the stage and another one appears, this time in a darker coloured suit. He tells us about how successful their recent missions have been. He has just returned from Mali where he saw over 500 people give their lives to Christ. (I notice my friends quickly glance over at me at this point. I don't meet their eyes. I don't want to convey my thoughts to them, although they surely know.)
The 2nd suited man continues, telling a story about the old man he met out there who couldn't see and God opened his eyes. And that a little boy was brought to him at the end of the service out there who couldn't speak and Jesus opened his mouth - 'Amen!'. The people said 'Amen!'.

It suddenly dawns on me that my friends had failed to let me know that the church they attend each and every Sunday was a place where they carried out 'healing sessions'. A 'charismatic ' church. I am in shock.

The man tells us to 'prepare for the battle - the final battle'. He hands over to a 3rd man also with a suit and a microphone but this man says he is going to sing a song about the mercy of God. His preamble prior to his song had 'Allejuiah' at the end of each sentence. He starts singing to a backing track. The crowd seems a little bored. I notice a man sitting on the ground floor directly below me with a large Bible open across his lap and he's using a bright orange fluorescent pen to highlight passages. He seems so focused on his task. He's probably mid- 40s. The man on stage is still singing and during his song ushers walk around distributing leaflets. The song comes to an end.
Then a 4th man arrives on stage, someone younger, who talks about the money raised so far to repair the roof and also there will be some a course available over the next few days which will help 'you to disciple to others so they can be led to Christ'. Also they are setting up a group to bring together all the creative members of the congregation so that they can help to 'drive the message forward'.

The Pastor arrives and the 4th man leaves the stage. The Pastor is an older white man who talks about how 'God's blessings' helped a woman to get a rebate of her Council Tax. He then talked about the CDs and DVDs which were available for 14.99GBP and 24.99GBP but could be downloaded for free. He emphasised the benefits of paying for them rather than downloading as they were in beautifully presented cases. He held them up and showed them around, telling the crowd they could buy them on the way out. He calls to the ushers to distribute the 'offering envelopes'.
He tells the crowd that 'god has not forgotten about your physical needs...Ezekiel 36...I will put my spirit in you...you will live in the land...I will save you from all your uncleanness...I will increase the fruits of the trees'. He continues, 'As we give we'll pray. It's like sowing a seed. It's sowing a seed. God knows your needs and gives when you give. The God of abundant supply. How much will your heavenly father provide for you? All these things will be given. He always provides. Amen. Allejuiah!' The crowd shout 'Amen' and 'Allejuiah'. The band and the singers arrive back on the stage and stay in the background.
He tells the crowd that if they complete the information on the envelope they have been given then they qualify for the governments Gift Aid scheme where the church can claim back 29% more than they give. As the ushers make their way around the church handing out the envelopes he asks for the crowd to pray: 'We thank you for people seeking jobs. Those who are struggling with issues, financially and we commit our offerings. Let us sing as we receive the offerings. Let us give and receive your offerings with joy!'
As the band starts playing the congregation stand and sing. A young boy a few seats down from me jumps up and dances wildly to the music. The crowd seems slightly subdued. The Pastor thinks so too and waves his hands at the band who lowers the volume of their playing. 'I don't think you feel it. This song says 'love came down and rescued me, I was once blind and now I see'!' The crowd took the hint and somehow managed to crank it up to a level that was acceptable to the pastor. He smiled. And clapped.
At the end of the song he asked the crowd to be seated. The ushers did the rounds with the envelopes and yellow plastic buckets.

Another man, a new person, arrived on stage - a man with a Northern accent and wearing trainers. He tells the congregated that 'Religion will try to bind you up, but Jesus will set you free' and 'God is not natural, god is supernatural! Amen.'
He talked about how god healed a man 5 years ago who had Parkinson's disease and a twisted spine. No one prayed for him he just was healed. "I get so excited that god wants to bless me with being able to heal through me.' 'You can leave here free cos my yoke is easy.'
He walked around the stage in an excited manner. 'Some fantastic miracles are taking place here tonight. I could jump off a doll's house!' The crowd applaud.
'When you die are you going to heaven? Jesus paid the debt for our sins at Calvary by grace - this was a gift from god. He had a crown of thorns on his head...' (he became choked with emotion at this point) '...he was was dying for YOU! and me...'
'I used to be a gambler and went to the best casinos and had the best cars, stayed in the best hotels but there is no buzz like Jesus! I used to leave nightclubs with pains and I didn't even know where I was. When I found Christ indescribable things happened to me. The Gospel can transform England and the world. This God is a supernatural god and people will be healed.'
He said a prayer for all those who wanted to repent of their sins and receive Christ. He asked for those who had prayed with him who had not yet received Christ to raise their hands. He acknowledged them and thanked them. He asked if there were other people who had not raised their hands but wanted to to do so. A few more people raised their hands. He asked them all to come to the edge of the stage.
He directed his next comments at those people had not come forward, 'You are going to burn in hell if you die tomorrow. This is your final opportunity to receive Christ. Christ died naked in front of his mother for you. Leave your seat that the Devil has you super-glued to right now.'
Turning to the 7 people gathered below him he said, 'I'm going to pray for these people' and he called on the Pastor to join in the prayer. Each person had an usher assigned to them and the the ushers and the new Christians walked off into the back area of the church.
The 2 men were joined on stage by 2 other guys who stood off to one side. The man with the trainers appealed to those who had any pain in their bodies to come up to the front. Along the front edge of the stage were church aides who would greet those people and talk to them. Several people lined up down an aisle. A woman usher assigned each person presenting themselves for healing with an aide. Each aide touched the person and spoke to them in their ears. Some people, after discussions were passed down to a group of men who lined them up near the stairs to the stage.
An elderly woman was ushered up the stairs towards the middle where Mr Trainers man stood with another man. The man asked her where she had pain and she said she felt pain in her foot. She was a woman from Portugal and her English was not fluent. She answered the questions he asked as if she was bewildered by the whole experience. She said she had pain for about 6 months but she hadn't seen a doctor. Whilst she was speaking a 3rd man came up and stood behind her with his hands out - no doubt expecting her to fall over at some point. Mr Trainers Man placed his hand on her head and blew puffs of air 3 times towards her head and shouted, 'Lord, set her free! Loose her from this pain, oh merciful God!' She was asked if the pain had gone. She hesitated and then shook her leg, hesitated again and then said, 'Gone.' The man turned to the crowd and shouted, 'The pain has gone! The pain has gone! The merciful Lord has set her free! Praise God! Allejuiah!' He punched the air. The crowd clapped and shouted, 'Allejuiah!' 'Amen!' 'Jesus is Lord!'
An elderly man limped onto stage and explained that he had fallen down 2 years ago and now suffers from severe arthritic pain. He was supporting it with a bandage but the pain 'comes and goes'. He was a black man with a strong accent from somewhere in Africa. The Trainers man bent over and grabbed the man's knee shouting gibberish/speaking in tongues and exalting the higher power to heal the man and rid him of the knee pain. The 'healed' man was encouraged to walk up and down to show he had been healed. He limped away down the stairs to clapping and whooping. There were another 2 encounters and I think at this point my friends nudged me that they were ready to leave.
I stumbled down the stairs and on the way to the exit had to pass the table of books, CDs, DVDs, brochures, etc. for sale. I collected as much free information as I could.

As we got into the car I was asked what I thought about it. My brain was scrambled at this point. They both wanted my initial views and I stated that it is a money-making con which preys on the weak-minded and the ignorant. I felt violated and angry and sad and so confused that all those people were so sheep-like and pliable.

For me being atheist is so obvious and valid and I had not been in a church situation for years. I had not witnessed these charlatans close up. It was shocking and tragic.
The people commandeering this con weren't clever and yet what did that make those handing over their money and whooping with joy?

One of my friends told me that she has her doubts about the healing and that the church seems to have less crowds each week. Small comfort that things may be changing.Yet the so called healing session was not the issue for me. Some churches have a few prayers, some people pray at home in private - if you put it all into a bag it is all a belief in the supernatural. The differences are are all about degrees and it is one and the same. The people are being fed a line and they believe it. They suspend all forms of rationality and avoid critical analysis of the information presented to them and swallow the con whole.

I have tried to record the events as I saw them, through my own eyes and in a later post I will write a commentary. Please share your thoughts.
P.S. I do know that not all churches are like this one but the point is they all believe. I don't.

I'm Going to Church...mini-update

I attended a church service today and quite frankly I am traumatised.

The experience was so horrific and so sad that I need a day or two to collect my thoughts in order to write my review.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I hadn't forgotten.
Bear with me.

Homophobic Jamaican Prime Minister

Dangerous. I know these views are prevalent in many societies not just Jamaica, but for the Prime Minister to promote homophobia and then clumsily try to squirm his way around it with a pile of words that could be described as nothing other than bullshit is revealing.
Let me know what you think.

True Self

I'm Going to Church...

...yes, you read it here first.
I have been invited to attend a church service by some dear friends of mine. I have agreed to attend on condition that they understand that:

a) I will not be giving money

b) I will be writing about it on my blog.

My friends and I have had some hot debates through the night and into early dawn and I have even been told, 'I pray that you get to know Jesus'. Incredible.
Anyway, in the interest of those who read this blog, whether atheist or supernaturalist, I will be visiting their multi-cultural church with pen and notepad in hand.
I plan to go as soon as our calendars meet, which I expect will happen in the next week or so. So watch this space.

Time for Change...

I have decided to simplify my blog. Make it easier to read and navigate by narrowing the width of the page and so on.
What you might call a bit of spring cleaning and I intend to get back to highlighting some brilliant blogs and equally brilliant people out there like GeneralX, Ralph Dumain, etc. as well as some of my observations about people and life.

I want to say a big 'thank you' to everyone who has taken the time to comment here and especially those who drop by regularly. Without readers and visitors this blog would not be what it is. Thank YOU!!

Naturally 7

I'm in a melodic frame of mind at the moment and wanted to share some real talent with you. I watch this video and imagine I'm a person travelling on the Paris Metro, minding my own business and chance upon these guys singing. What a treat!