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Last updated on June 15th, 2017 at 11:54 am
Despite popular demand, The Continuing Crisis is back:
A certain globally-influential organisation has been much in the news recently. You know who I’m talking about; that corrupt cabal led by a weirdly-named fellow whose election nobody understands, and whose underlings seem to specialise in sex scandals, corruption, accumulation of vast wealth, and causing the deaths of millions in the third world. From where, exactly, does this venal, outdated body derive its authority? Why do so many remain in its thrall when every one of its programs ends in controversy and division? Why is it so violently resistant to reform? Why do furious crowds not storm the luxurious buildings in which this group’s elite, unaccountable princelings sit planning their next amoral incursion against elemental human rights? How is it that we even tolerate the existence of this vile, poisonous outfit, with its sickening claims to moral superiority despite a history—continuing to this very day!—of sucking up to some of the worst tyrants the planet has ever known?
But enough about the United Nations. Let’s talk about the Catholic Church instead.
Earlier columns here. Also in this week’s Bulletin, Paul Toohey reports from Bali on Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine:
Bali’s most revered Hindu priest, Ida Pedanda Gde Made Gunung, says there is no special place in the Balinese afterlife for foreigners. Seated cross-legged on a kangaroo-fur mat on his temple verandah, the long-bearded sage smiles through gentle Baghwan eyes and says: “What we believe is the death sentence is not always a bad decision. The death sentence is to help the soul of the punished, to free the soul from the bad thing his body has done.”
He says the Australians, if shot, will come back in the next life “as beasts, lower than the human level. That is their sentence from God”. It seems their troubles have just begun.
And John Birmingham unburdens himself of certain feelings regarding Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Birmingham has been grouchy ever since this appeared three years ago …
- I’m talking about; that corrupt cabal led by a weirdly-named fellow whose election nobody understands, and whose underlings seem to specialise in sex scandals, corruption, accumulation of vast wealth … But enough about the United Nations. Let’s talk about the Catholic Church instead.
Dang, I was thought Tim was talking about Bill and Hillary.
Posted by wronwright on 04/26 at 03:11 PM • permalink
Bali’s most revered Hindu priest, Ida Pedanda Gde Made Gunung, says there is no special place in the Balinese afterlife for foreigners
Man, talk about your religious tolerance. I had to double-check and make sure we weren’t talking about the Religion Of Peace(tm) here…
Posted by Dr. Zoidberg on 04/26 at 04:00 PM • permalink
- “reporting from Bail..”? Is that in Bolorado?Posted by richard mcenroe on 04/26 at 07:39 PM • permalink
- Read the column. Saw the picture. Where the hell is the bow tie and the silly little beard? Aren’t they mandatory? What kind of conservative columnist are you?Posted by richard mcenroe on 04/26 at 10:08 PM • permalink
- “…says there is no special place in the Balinese afterlife for foreigners.”
Of course there isn’t.
In Hinduism there is no ‘special’ place for anyone in the afterlife unless you have such good karma that you are able to attain Moksha.
And if you’ve got bad karma you are going to pay for it in your next birth. Whether you are a ‘foreigner’ or not.
I think the words of this priest was misinterpreted somewhere.
The journalist has done some misinterpreting, whether it was through intentional sensationalism or genuine misunderstanding, I don’t know.
Posted by The_Consigliere on 04/26 at 10:17 PM • permalink
- That inserting-yourself-into-the-conversation technique is hilarious!
I’d love to see more of it.
Posted by Evil Pundit on 04/26 at 10:36 PM • permalink
- Glad John Birmingham found an outlet to get that bile off his chest. Well written too!
My boss was chanelling him just yesterday. Probably didn’t help my promotional chances when I said that the secret of Joh’s success was generating that very reaction from people whose opinions the majority of Queenslander’s did not have much time for.
(That said, I can see their point about the old bastard, accountability was quite a low priority for his Government)
- A fun new element has lately been introduced to shopping: the awkward plastic bag moment.
Loved the column Tim. I proudly ask for plastic bags hoping to attract outrage from the meddling chardonnay socialists that infest Canberra.
Plastic bags cost 0.1 of a cent each. Conversely those green reusable bags sell for 99 cents each, so you can get almost 1000 disposable bags for that price.
Posted by ArtVandelay on 04/27 at 12:36 AM • permalink
- I think we need Joh’s water powered car more than ever now! Now I wonder where he has hid the secret plans.Posted by Astonished on 04/27 at 04:35 AM • permalink
- Excuse me. I’m an ignorant, insular American RWDB and even I understand the wheel of kharma. Saying that people who have lived bad lives will come back as a lower beast is about as shocking as saying Catholics go to confession. So why is some nuanced, sophisticated global journalist like Paul Toohey surprised by the basic tenets of one of the world’s largest and oldest religions?Posted by richard mcenroe on 04/27 at 10:23 AM • permalink
So why is some nuanced, sophisticated global journalist like Paul Toohey surprised by the basic tenets of one of the world’s largest and oldest religions?
I think Toohey was just trying to create some non-existant controversy. Ended up showing off his ignorance.
Posted by The_Consigliere on 04/27 at 07:19 PM • permalink
Lucky that Hindu priest doesn’t manage the English football team or he’d lose his job.