blackshama's commentary on Philippine issues

The Holy Church of Apple has given the Vatican a run for its money (or more accurately a run for its franchise on heaven) by ensuring by iPad acclamation that its founder Steve Jobs gets canonized as a saint. St Steve Jobs has been given a job as the patron saint of gadgets and this is just few days after his death. The Vatican says that there is a heaven but Catholics have to accept that on faith while non-believers seriously doubt that given the recent peccadilloes many of which are scandalous, by priests and bishops. In a sense St Steve Jobs has had it better leading a rather mysterious life and having a lot of cash. Many of the Roman Catholic saints led mysterious lives in the cloister or seeing mysterious things as visions or by dying for the Faith, but the main requirement is and was, to give away the moolah to the poor . Sounds familiar? It's in the Gospel! All these are quite remote for the typical layperson. Similarly St Jobs led a rather mysterious life far detached fr...

Britain's Wiccans have formally asked their government for an apology and pardon for the judicial murder of witches. The witch burnings happened from the medieval period to the 17th century. When European society became more enlightned starting from the Renaissance, these executions ceased. This would be a judicial hot potato in Britain and the European Union. After all, Wicca is a recognised faith in Britain. If witches are pardoned, then Catholics and other non-conformist Protestants would also demand apology and pardon. Their co-religionists suffered the same "burn at the stake" penalty. While Wiccans will have to prove that they are the real heirs of the medieval witches, Catholics would have an easier time. The legal history of their Church is well established. Britain's Roman Catholic Church can easily sue for damages for burning their saints. Protestants can easily do the same for theirs. These are some things the British establishment have to think about these...