Wednesday 11 July 2018

THE GLORIOUS TWELFTH



TODAY IS THE "GLORIOUS TWELFTH" IN NORTHERN IRELAND - AND HERE IS YOURS TRULY WEARING A SASH AN ORANGE MAN GAVE ME OVER 30 YEARS AGO.

At the time I was writing a weekly column for the Belfast based SUNDAY NEWS. One Saturday afternoon the editor rang me in a panic. The lawyers had just pulled his front page story and he needed a story pronto.

That week an orange man had given me the present of his no longer used orange sash. So I said to the editor: "What about a story of me wearing a sash"?

We used it the following day with the heading: "THE SASH A FATHER WORE" playing on the lyrics of the song: "The Sash My Father Wore".

Incidentally, that song was the party piece of the late Cardinal Toman O'Fiaich.


I was on friendly terms with Tomas, visited him on several occasions and benefitted from his tea, sandwiches and as much  Irish whiskey as I wanted.

THE ORANGE ORDER:

I do not enjoy the triumphalism of the 12th. Nor do I like the fact that their bands deliberately play loud tunes as they pass Catholic churches. 

It is a "festival"  I have no interest in. To me, it is an alien festival. I think it's becoming a less religious organization now, and more political, but I think that it is far from being an occasion that Catholics and Protestants can share together, Years ago, before The Troubles, Catholics did go out and watch the parade and the bands. But not now.

PROTESTANT CHURCHES:

Over the years people have always asked me why I didn't join the Church of Ireland or one of the other Protestant churches.

I would have no interest in so doing - although I do have great admiration for the openness and tolerance of the Unitarians and the practical Christian ministry of the Salvation Army and the Quakers.


UNITARIAN CHURCH DUBLIN


If I had to join some church I would join the Unitarians - not because I do not believe in the Trinity - but because they have always welcomed me in when the RCs refused.

The most unpleasant lack of welcome happened when Desmond Connell, the RC arch of Dublin refused to allow me to celebrate the Funeral Mass of my nephew Christopher, who had taken his own life.


CONNELL


When Connell refused I went on RTE radio to appeal for a church for the funeral. The Dublin Unitarians instantly offered me the full use of their beautiful church for the funeral.

I had my Mum's Funeral Mass there too - and the Mass to celebrate the 25th anniversary of my ordination in 2001. I have also celebrated many wedding there.

The Unitarians certainly practice Jesus' command to welcome strangers - "I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU MADE ME WELCOME".


REV CHRIS HUDSON


I also now am welcome in the beautiful All Souls Unitarian Church in Belfast which sits in the shadow of Queens University. The minister there - The Rev. Chris Hudson there is a truly Christian man. He even has the Religious Service for Belfast Gay Pride week - even though he himself is a happily married man.


ALL SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH - BELFAST
A CATHOLIC:

By inclination, spirituality, liturgically I am very happy to be a catholic (small c)

I am not a ROMAN Catholic. 

I am an IRISH catholic.

I am that because I appreciate the spirituality, sacraments, liturgy etc of the catholic tradition.

The catholic church in Ireland was once very independent of Rome and was later romanized by people like Cardinal Paul Cullen.

We need to rediscover the original church that Jesus founded - the church that existed in New Testament times before the Roman Empire took it over.

We also need to rediscover the ancient Irish church and its spirituality and traditions.


*****, Of course, I anticipating today's comments about me being an orange man and a Protestant.

Of course, we should all be "protestants" in the sense of being reformers.

The sad thing is that the Reformation took place outside the RC Church.

That was the fault of the papists at the time who did not want their corruption reformed.

It was also the fault of some of the reformers who became extreme.

Maybe these days the real reformation of the organization is happening -  as we see that organization being challenged in every way in every place. 

Bring it on!


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92 comments:

  1. Love the animated pic, of the 'Marchomatic'. Hilarious!😅

    On a more serious note, here's a what-if and its possible ramifications.

    What if the Church of Rome had treated Augustinian friar and reformer, Martin Luther, more civilly and more openly. Would there have been what historians call 'the Protestant Reformation'? Well, no, in a word. Had Rome been open to its moral and biblical shortcomings and behaved less imperiously and arrogantly, more compassionately and less murderously towards the reformers, there would have been no wars of religion (which plagued Europe for centuries), and no sectarianism. (Psst! And no Orange Order.👍)

    Yes, the Roman whore has much to answer for. Bless 'er.😆

    (Just musin', like.😆)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just trolling like. Just got reject by maynooth like, just got a chip like. Like like like.

      Delete
    2. Mad as that 'traddie'.😆

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    3. There is no such thing as this as this “Roman whore”.

      There is only the Church of Christ - His Bride - which the Lord has compared to a field where good seed was sown by God and where bad seed was sown by an enemy.

      They will both grow until the harvest when God’s angels will separate the wicked from the just.

      Among the wicked, there will be popes and cardinals, bishops and priests, lay men and women, etc.

      Among the just, there will be popes and cardinals, bishops and priests, lay men and women, etc.

      There is something of the “whore” in all of us - including you, “Magna Carta”, because of our unfaithfulness to God.

      We all need deeper conversion away from infidelity - including you, “Magna Carta”.

      Delete
    4. Just like no maybe like what like where's my emojii like bottle of whiskey from Tesco like

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    5. I hear your name is Paul. Ironic considering your outbursts. Just saying like Paul

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    6. 13:22 I'm afraid that there is such a whore, and her presence historically has been felt and is still being felt.

      There is the reality of two churches: one, the legacy of Christ; the other, a corruption of what Christ intended. Historically, these have been in conflict with each other, because good and evil cannot co-exist (at least, not in the same ontological space).

      The institutional Roman Catholic Church is the manifest presence of this corrupt church; it is why the world is convulsed with the agony of abused minors, and the horror of systemic concealment of these legal and moral crimes.

      Wasn't it Edmund Burke who said that all that is necessary for evil to thrive is that good men do nothing?

      There is nothing so conducive to such inactivity as wilfully failing to recognise such an evil as you have denied: the existence of the Roman whore.

      Delete
    7. Deal with the “whore” in your own heart first “Magna Carta”. Jesus will deal with the “whore” aspect of the institutional Church.

      Delete
    8. I'm glad we agree that the institutional whore exists, because it would be moral whoredom to deny such an evil and dangerous reality.

      Yes, there is something of the whore in all of us. But when this quality becomes institutionalised (and especially when it also presents as the spirit of Christ and demands unquestioning obedience, historically under threat of extreme violence), its power and malevolence is raised to a satanically destructive level.

      Delete
  2. I tried the Marchomatic. It's great. I lost £sss.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What's 'LOL' stand for on the Marchomatic?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. C'mon: Laugh Out Loud surely?

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    2. It means laughing out loud, it is the reaction of lay folk like us when Pat tells us about "strange goings on maynooth" Personally mine is more like this: LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL or lololololol

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    3. In this case, it means both “laugh out loud” AND “loyal orange lodge”.

      Delete
  4. Oh Cardinal Cullen... one of his relatives is Fr James Cullen of Ferns. James is very proud of Cardinal Cullen and may object to his name being used here. James too is a Roman Company man.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Brendan

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    2. Hi Anon. Who are you?

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    3. Magna Carta at 00:06

      What you incorrectly call "The Protestant Reformation" was in fact a rebellion! led by renegade priests Luther,Calvin,Knox etc. Catholics do not have to rely on scripture alone we also have Sacred Tradition handed down from The Apostles. It is "The Rebels" who have much to answer for not The One Holy Apostolic and Roman Church.

      Delete
    4. "The One Holy Apostolic and ROMAN Church" is a nonsense.

      An affirmation of loyalty to the Bishop of Rome, or any other bishop, is not in any way a requirement for Salvation.

      The one holy catholic and apostolic Church' spoken of in the Nicene Creed is the Communion of all the Saints; that is, the union of all those who, by their commitment to God the Son, Jesus Christ, are brothers and sisters of Jesus.

      Delete
    5. MourneManMichael12 July 2018 at 11:40

      Pull the other one Bellarmine! Sacred Tradition is simply what the RC quasi monarchical oligarchy promulgated. And those not agreeing suffered the consequences. And I emphasise "suffered ". "To the victor the spoils" applied for far too long But now tables are being turned, and the RC church's pomposity increasingly ridiculed. There is much humanity and spirituality outside the restrictive enclaves of the Roman fold. MMM.

      Delete
    6. "Old Joe" at 11:19

      Well Old Joe that's your opinion. It's not mine and that's all that matters to me. I think you talk nonsense.

      Delete
    7. 11.40: MMM - get a grip. You're becoming worse than Magna with your pernicious, dismissive comments. What's wrong with your mind? Age?

      Delete
    8. Old Joe and MMM should be seen and not heard. Put them in a nursing home, somewhere in Outer Mongolia perhaps.

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    9. Mad 'traddie' with-poor-command-of-English (and even-poorer-understanding-of-Protestant-Reformation-history) alert @ 10:26.😆

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    10. We all think YOU talk nonsense, Little B @ 12:22.

      (But at least we get a laugh from it.😆)

      Delete
    11. MMM at11:40

      You remind my so much of an other blogger on this site. I wonder who that could be? Your pedantic ramblings tell me your not in the Roman fold. I do not feel restricted at all and their is much humanity and spirituality within The One Fold and One Shepherd who leads us, Our Holy Redeemer Jesus Christ .

      Delete
    12. "... you're not in the ..."

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    13. Mad Magna at 12:38

      My understanding of the protestant rebellion( which you are still incorrectly calling a "reformation",which was in fact a rebellion of renegade priests and freethinkers like yourself) is more correct than your twisted anti-Catholic bias evident in every vile comment you post

      Delete
    14. Little B., if your reading ability were even slightly ahead of your level of comprehension and your power of expression, you would know, from my first post today, that it is historians who refer to this period as 'The Protestant Reformation'; I did not coin the phrase.

      There are remedial classes in English available for adults. You should avail of them.

      As for my posts being 'vile'; well, that's a matter of opinion. But I prefer 'vile' to 'poorly expressed, badly spelt, clumsily constructed, triumphalist humbug'. Which is what virtually all of your posts are.

      And that's not a matter of opinion, but of verifiable fact.😆

      Delete
    15. Mad "mod" Maggie at 15:02

      Pauline. Oh! I mean Mad Maggie. Your Nasty,Vile Personal insults show exactly what you are. A bitter twisted pedantic old lush who still thinks she's a teacher correcting exam papers. But what can we expect from pigs but grunts I hope I have expressed exactly what I think of you. And it's not just my opinion but a verifiable fact if you read this blog. May I suggest that you avail yourself again of the services of AA I'm sure there will be plenty in Belfast.

      Delete
    16. Quaintly expressed comment alert @ 11:40

      Delete
    17. From this 'pig' Little B, expect nothing but premier bacon.😁

      Delete
    18. Mad Magna at 16:48

      Yes Polly better than the stringy rashers we'd get from you!

      Delete
    19. Bellarmine @12:22hrs

      I can appreciate your point of view.

      I was a Catholic myself (with a sister a nun) until I was 65.

      A worried and unhappy Catholic, but still a Catholic; and Mass-going several times a week.

      Then, 'a set of curious chances' I heard a sermon by an 80 year old Protestant preacher.

      I'd never before seen the words in a Bible text taken so seriously and sensibly before.
      And inside 20 minutes I was a Protestant.

      Incidentally my sister, unlike the rest of my family, was happy at my switching.

      She expected it to end my perpetual complaints about the way the RCC had concealed Eamon Casey's swindles and debauchery during his time at Catholic Housing Aid in London .

      Delete
    20. Little B., you might make wittier ripostes if your command of English exceeded that of a fifth-grader.

      Your attempt at a sentence ('Yes Polly better...') is so poorly constructed it's meaningless to the point of embarrassment.

      (Sorry, but someone had to point this out. Better it came from a friend.😆)

      Delete
    21. Anon @ 13:58: I do appreciate that when pointing out Bellarmine's poor literary ability you are taking it, ....s l o w l y... for B's benefit, and not pointing out the other grammatical errors at the same time.
      Like you, I appreciate that too much criticism at the same time might harm an obvious fragility.
      WW

      Delete
  5. You looked very well in Your Sash Pat indeed. Those were the days gone by. Especially the late Cardinal Tomas O'Fiaich. What a humble an inspirational cardinal he was. Unfortunately God took him early. He was one of the best cardinal,s Armagh Diocese's ever had, unlike Cahal Daly,Sean Brady two bitter an twisted old women. Armagh Diocese's has never been the same without the late Cardinal O'Fiaich. God rest his soul.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. O'Fiaich was very human and decent.

      Sadly, he let Father Gerard McGinnity down badly over the Ledwith affair.

      He was being bullied by other bishops, especially Eamon Casey.

      Delete
    2. I'm sure Judas Iscariot had his moments of decency, too. But he isn't remembered for them.

      O'Fiach betrayed Fr McGinnity not with a kiss, but with a resignation letter he had him ignominiuosly sign. This is O'Fiach's legacy; this is what HE will be remembered for...a cowardly act of betrayal.

      Delete
  6. Pat do you condone the UVF violence to celebrate the twelfth last night? Be honest.

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    Replies
    1. Absolutely not!

      How could anyone condone such violence?

      Delete
  7. Does God agree with the Orange world, or even Norn Iron view?
    I mean just look at the way He's changed the weather to dampen their Big Day, ...after weeks of sunshine?
    Just wondering like.

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    Replies
    1. It is a beautiful day10.05

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  8. Cardinal Fee was a covererupper where Manooth is concerned.
    He helped destroy Fr Mc ginnity.
    He was also a gorb....
    He also thought he was important.

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    1. Cardinal O'Fiaich is 100 times better than you'll ever be with your bitter mouth. I'm surprised you can shovel food into it It's that twisted.

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    2. Oh angry man or woman.
      U know nothing about me.
      Have a good day.
      We all have an opinion.

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    3. I know enough about you from the little you've said which was insignificant.

      Delete
    4. 10.09. You would know what a gorb is. You must do alot of it yourself. We all have an opinion on this blog. But we are not all idiots like you who can't "Spell" properly. Cardinal O' Fiaich was worth more than what you will ever be.

      Delete
  9. Simple question Pat. Do you agree with the celebratory nature of the unionist/loyalist culture at the deaths of Catholics?

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    Replies
    1. Absolutely not!

      Nor do I agree with the celebratory nature of Republican culture at the death of policemen or soldiers.

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    2. I didn't ask about republicans, I was speaking about genocidal conflict prosecuted by religious and political biggots from the united kingdom. Remember you wear a sash that represents the deaths of my ancestors. That speaks volumes. You probably won't print this as usual.

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    3. That's a very angry outburst.

      I agree with you that Britain has done terrible things in the course of Irish history.

      But are we not trying to move on???

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    4. yes we are moving on pat, but my ancestors were pillaged by the British and that sash, awful color that it is, presents torture and persecution. I think I will wear a white sash or a green one down the garvaghy road from now on. shame on you pat

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  10. 12.54 My mother came from Larne and she was Catholic. My husband's grandma was a member of the orange lodge in Larne and they kept an orange sash in the living room. To us, it is yesterday and about as relevant as the Crusades. We both now live in the UK and have been married for 45 years. When it comes down to it people are just people. They have the same problems and there are good and bad in all sections of society.

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  11. Yes 14-09. My mother and all her people were from just outside larne. A more loyal or orange bunch you couldn’t meet. My father was a catholic from the Antrim Road area of Belfast and his lot were the biggest gang of Rebs and provie sympathisers you could find. My parents moved to Manchester to live and we were all born and raised here. We were all aware of our mixed background. Over the years both sides of the family came over and stayed for football. As we grew up and married etc they all came for weddings and even holidays. My mum would invite some of them over to be here at the same time. Deliberately for the fun of it!
    And do you know this Pat. They all got on famously. They all had their views, expressed them, agreed to disagree agreeably and had great times. Sadly some of the older ones are passed now but they certainly proved to me that if you take folks away from that goldfish bowl which is Northern Ireland the basic decency in them comes through and when they talk and share their own life experiences, their trials, tribulations, highs and lows they realise and show they have much more that unites them than decides them.
    Oldham Annie

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  12. I couldn’t agree more Oldham Annie. There’s much more to life than being a Prod or a Teague. It’s only when you move away as I have ( lived in London 30+ years now) that you realise how narrow minded and conditioned people back at home are. To me most of them are in a similar caste to the rednecks in the southern states of USA ( lived there for 6 years)
    Take them away from all that shit and they are the worlds best.

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    Replies
    1. MourneManMichael12 July 2018 at 20:30

      An apposite and relevant comment Anon @ 16:23. And your observation, "you realise how narrow minded and conditioned people back at home are", not only applies to the herd mentality of aligning with one's own religious tribal allegiance, but with the whole 'religion thing' as well here in Ireland. MMM

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    2. 20.30: MMM, you are so ideogically blind that you fail to see the extremes of your thinking. Now that you've fully embraced atheism, like other militant atheists, you have an intense disregard and intolerance towards religious belief and expression. Sadly, your mindset, representative of your ilk is, in reality, replacing one form of tyranny of thought and reality be it Catholic/Religious/Faith Based with as insidious an ideology, and I say this as a practising Catholic. My faith and religious beliefs are intrinsic to my life but I am intelligent enough to sift through the extremes. Militant atheism despises any other thought process and perspective and is blindingly oblivious to its own tyranny. So, less of your anti religion nonsense.

      Delete
    3. So, 21:30, you're "intelligent enough" to "sift through the extremes".
      Does that mean you have a 'pick and choose' form of catholicism?
      If that's the case surely you're no better than others who reject a lot of catholicism, christianity, or religion in general?

      Delete
  13. 14.09 & 16.04 Do you think we were born yesterday if you are trying to convince us those posts are from two different people. Catch yourself on.

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    Replies
    1. 16.38. I think you’re one of dem dare rednecks. Lol

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  14. 14.09 I wrote this post. I live in Preston in Lancashire. I have never been to Oldham or met Annie. But what we are both saying is in the England...No one cares.

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  15. Princess Gardens to appoint an auxilary Bishop of the Oratory?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous at 18:13

      Oh!my Pat, not Polly you'll close in a week!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous at 18:42

      That's not what I heard. I was told Polly was the whore of Maynooth!

      Delete
    3. The Odds on the Auxilary:

      outsider/unknown 5/4

      Paul Creanor 4/1

      Sean Page 6/1

      no appointee 8/1

      Maureen 10/1

      Pats Partner 20/1

      Sr. Mary Tro 20/1

      MMM 25/1

      Canon Matt Hep 50/1

      King Puck 50/1

      Old Joe Lollard 80/1

      Diarmuid Martin 200/1

      Magna Carta 666/1





      Delete
    4. excuse me! 50/1? AND joint with Puck!!!

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    5. Mad, semi-literate alert @ 19:01 and 19:07.

      (Just warnin', like.😆)

      Delete
  16. My conclusion is that MC didn’t spend a night in Maynooth seminary. She’s a woman who has some Maynooth connections - brother, lover, friend, may have started the BATheol. Ce
    Rtainly didn’t graduate. Not the product of a liberal education.

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    Replies
    1. *Liberal* education? More like not the product of *any* education! There are other people who know that MC is a former seminarian. I doubt he did well academically if so.
      - I think he has given a reference for what he says something like twice.
      - Otherwise his only point of reference is himself, yet states his opinions as facts.
      - He calls everyone else idiots and criticises them for the same howlers he makes himself.
      None of these are the hallmarks of a mind trained in rigorous academic sourcing and argument. If he has a degree at all it's from some tinpot university and he should ask for his money back. More likely, I think, is he was educated to the age of 18 and his academic and personal maturation stopped there. He has mentioned using women for sex at that time so I would guess some loss in love or failure in prowess drove him to the seminary and he's been insulated from maturing since then.

      Delete
    2. Your 'conlusion', 18:42?

      So what were the premises?😆

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    3. 18:42 and 19:03

      I've just been presented with a wonderfully nostalgic image, in my imagination, of two, over-the-garden-fence gossips, Cissy and Ada.

      Could you possibly post here together regularly? The blog could do with occasional light-hearted entertainment.

      Delete
  17. **BREAKING NEWS***

    Monsignor Micheal Ledwith has died aged 65

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    Replies
    1. saw that on facebook. RIP

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    2. He was 75 or 76. Was made President in 1985 at the age of 44.

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    3. 1. Ledwith is a lot older than 65.

      2. He’s not dead.

      3. When Mags Carta is finally unveiled it will be like the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy accidentally unmasks the Wizard! lol

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    4. Ledwith 65??

      He was much more than that.

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    5. He'd be much more than 65. He's nearer 75.

      Delete
    6. Wiki says, the Mo was 76.

      Delete
  18. MMM - Mourneful sod, what's happening to your thought processes? You're beginning to replicate that mouth piece, Mag the Rag and that's not commendable. Doesn't suit you but you are, definitely, cracking...apart.

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure MMM will, like me, hang upon your every word.😆

      Delete
    2. Mommie dearest, where art thou?

      Some of these posters are being ever so cruel to your Magsie-Wagsie. And I know the strength of your protective mother love.

      So where the hell is it?😆

      Delete
  19. **BREAKING NEWS***

    Diarmuid Martin burnt his thumb earlier lifting a big crock of coddle out of the oven for Joe and Paul’s supper. He said a bad word so he did.

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  20. Adam from Love Island is going to be in Maynooth on 12th September. He'll drive the lads crazy!

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  21. MourneManMichael13 July 2018 at 00:46

    Another ad hominem rant! I regard some atheists like Richard Dawkins as militant. As someone of intellectual brilliance and considerable learning, he ridicules religious beliefs in what is, at times, quite aggressive verbal and written contributions, and in that respect, is militant. For my part, I regard much religious belief and practice as superstitious illogical nonsense, and, with respect to the RC church, I view it as a man made self serving institution in which genuinely spiritual caring pastoral clergy are outnumbered and demeaned by a self serving majority clinging to power and the privilege of a cushy lifestyle. The 'scales fell from my eyes' a long time ago! With that perspective I find it both interesting and revealing that when their beliefs are questioned by non believers, religious followers seem universally unable to provide any credible supporting proofs for their beliefs, and soon resort to the customary ad hominem responses. So I continue to question.

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    1. Excessively long sentences alert @ 00:46

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  22. MourneManMichael13 July 2018 at 10:10

    My comment above was specifically directed towards the comment made by Anon @ 21:30. But Anon @ 21:34, you may well consider it applicable to your own comment too. MMM.

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  23. It's commonly recognised that the ability to construct complicated but grammatically correct long sentences usually indicates considerable erudition and intelligence.
    I'm not aware of any common perception concerning an inability to understand such sentences. But I can hazard a guess.

    ReplyDelete