A Sunday meditation, in which the pond roams from the word of Christ to the word of the Bolter ...

In the pond's time within the bosom of the Holy R C whatever, it was notable that the word of Christ was rarely at the church's heart.

The Bible, and even Christ, were treated as secondary sources. Oh sure, they both turned up in the Mass in some fair abundance, but it was quite clear that the head honcho was actually the infallible Pope, and he might invoke limbo or purgatory, or dismiss them into limbo with a word or a gesture...

The pond, being in a mixed religion family, had this constantly pointed out by the 'sola scriptura' members of the family, and so became a bit sensitive to the charge ...

This also leads to a certain defensiveness amongst Catholics, as shown by one Father Dwight Longenecker here ...

Well it's a good try, but in the pond's day, there wasn't a bible in the house, except for the ones that came from the protestant side.

The pond didn't sit down and read the Catholic bible from cover to cover at a tender age - nobody knew there was an officially approved translation - and so it was the King James version which transfixed and was a revelation ... both as to the sublime nonsense and the post-Elizabethan way with words ...

By comparison, the Catholic version fed to the pond in school was a gobbledegook of catechism and Roman propaganda, with occasional readings larded into the gaps ...

The church provided the official line, and if you strayed, hell was waiting ...

In modern Protestantism the Bible has decidedly fallen from the primacy which the Reformation had so loudly conferred upon it. The fall is a fatal one, becoming deeper from day to day; and without remedy, since it is the logical consequence of the fundamental principle put forward by Luther and Calvin. Freedom of examination was destined sooner or later to produce freedom of thought. (here).

Gasp, could there be a more astonishing or wicked or evil thought crime than freedom of thought?

Which neatly brings the pond to this Sunday's meditation and an explanation of just why the Catholic church is so obdurate and resistant to change in relation to others, while within the body of the beast there is much corruption, of a fleshly and banking and power-seeking kind ...

All this is actually old enough news, in terms of concepts ... all the blather about grave danger to souls high minded jargon for protecting the franchise ...

Of course nothing has changed locally in the war between the conservatives and those who actually noted the content of some of Christ's speeches ...

Yes indeed, Galileo could be called out of retirement to testify to the way that the church has preserved learning, and perhaps we could also reference a few of the books on the long serving Index Librorum prohibitorum ....

Rule IV 

Since experience teaches that, if the reading of the Holy Bible in the vernacular is permitted generally without discrimination, more damage than advantage will result because of the boldness of men, the judgment of bishops and inquisitors is to serve as guide in this regard. Bishops and inquisitors may, in accord with the counsel of the local priest and confessor, allow Catholic translations of the Bible to be read by those of whom they realize that such reading will not lead to the detriment but to the increase of faith and piety. The permission is to be given in writing. Whoever reads or has such a translation in his possession without this permission cannot be absolved from his sins until he has turned in these Bibles …

Of course when they say the church can't change, they reckon without the way it can spin on a dime, or even read Herman Hesse if it will help ...

More here, but the pond wishes it was around in a couple of hundred years time, when the defiantly gay Pope Francis X proudly reveals that the roots of the ecumenical Catholic church arose almost entirely from the gay marriage movement ...

Meanwhile, this being a Sunday meditation, the pond should also report on an event which has sent the reptiles into a frenzy of fear and loathing ...

Yes, the ever-alert reptiles were ready to whip up a front page frenzy ...

Now frankly the pond was shocked that anyone would make a joke about such a grave matter. "Are children safe at Mercure and Accor hotels?"

Well indeed, if you've seen the Sydney Airport Hotel you might wonder ...

We keed, we keed, but why were they meeting at this very tired site? 

Why couldn't they comfortably fit the 100 or so within a church hall? Is it possible that there were territorial disputes and suspicions?

Or was it the lure of catering and a chance to flop down in a motel room and live a life of decadence, if only for a night?

Of course Willy was always a big one for hotels and motels, for deals and one-night stands, and always be closing ...

But enough of the gay music, because the news naturally sent the Bolter into a frenzy ...

Yes the spluttering Bolter is reduced to a spluttering repetition of himself, and never mind that Shelton himself has been in breach of Godwin's Law and not put a cent in the swear jar.

The Bolter really can't stand anyone different, and Pantsdown really sends him into a frenzy. That alone should please Simon Hunt ...

Of course how singing a satirical song is a totalitarian frenzy is something only the Bolter, in his infinite stupidity, could possibly understand ... though the song "I don't like it!" should really be at the top of every Bolter posting ...