Religulous by Name, Ridiculous by Nature

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Spoiler alert

Religion is the source of all evil. That is pretty much Bill Maher's not surprising conclusion in his 2008 film “Religulous” which covers the presenter's world tour of self-assertive crusade against religion. Maher, a self-proclaimed anti-religionist, presents in the film some valid arguments against religion, some of which I – an agnostic – agree with. However, his choice of opponents suggests that he either lacks faith in his own intellect – those of you familiar with his work probably giggle just at the thought – or is on a mission to caricature religion by displaying some of its most unfortunate elements.

About god, the UN, and the faults they have in common

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I have earlier, in the entry “The Religious Principle”, argued against the concept of sacredness: The sacred becomes tabooed, indisputable, gets pulled out of its original context and is regarded as valid in all contexts without exception. Had it been possible to predict all possible social developments through time and space, than such a concept could have been very practical to have, maybe even sensible. As this is unfortunately not the case, it takes quite a bit of arrogance, for not to say stupidity,

The Religious Principle

  

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              ”The idea of the sacred is quite simply one of the most conservative notions in any culture, because it seeks to turn other ideas - uncertainty, progress, change - into crimes.”

Salman Rushdie

                                          

Any kind of institutionalised spirituality – more commonly known as 'religion' – can never be anything else but idol-worship. In the following I will explain why all religions in their essence are based on idol-worship and elaborate on the consequences of such idol-worship.

Church, Know your place!

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In the following I will discuss some issues arising from the case of the deported Iraqis' asylum in Brorsons Church in Copenhagen. I will relate to the Church's relation with the state and the reactions that the case had triggered in wide – or possibly just loud – circles in the Danish opposition.

Have We Forgotten What Easter is All About?

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Don't take Easter from us!
Some time ago I heard someone complaining about some friends who were planning an Easter party on Good Friday, the day when Jesus suffered for all our sins. Have people really forgotten what Easter is all about, since they allow themselves the prerogative of partying on Good Friday, of all days?

Teenage Circumcision Celebrations in the Bush

Dear Sue,

The second trip I made to Mbadi has been a completely different experience – for not to say adventure. It opened my eyes to new categories I might operate with in the analysis phase of my work. I managed to get close to the field in a way I never imagined. The last couple of weeks have been intense on the personal as well as the professional level. I have crossed some personal and cultural barriers which I now doubt whether I should have crossed – but enough with the introduction, here comes the story – and before you go on, if you have a weak heart it will be best to stop reading here and ask me to mail a more censored version.

Africa Time!

Time is disappearing between my fingers. That’s what happens when you live on “Africa time”. Africa time is more than just an abstract concept; it is a way of life, a rule to live by, a mantra to repeat and internalise. The choice is simple: accept the fact that time is meaningless, or lose your sanity. I have noticed, already on my first day here, that nothing here happens on time. Now I know why. Nothing happens on time because time does not exist here. Time is merely a remote idea

First Arrival in Nairobi

I have now been in Kenya for about a week and just as I foresaw, not much of what I’m experiencing here could have been foreseen. I am staying with Catherine’s parents, Karen and Simon, who have a beautiful house in Nairobi and are giving me all the help I need and more. The staff in the house is wonderful, and there is always a helping and guiding hand around.

Greenland - Summary

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Here you can read about the background for this article

From an Unknown Place – to a Mission

Having grown up in Israel, my only knowledge about Greenland before moving to Denmark was always quite limited, to say the least. I knew there was a place called Greenland and I could almost certainly find it on the map. I probably had some vague idea about people living there in igloos, but not much more. One of the first things I have learnt after coming to Denmark was that it is one of the largest countries in Europe due to its colonization of Greenland - the largest island in the world. With time I’ve heard more and more stories of Greenland – of the summer’s midnight-sun and of the long and dark winter months. I have heard of the biggest national park in the world, of frozen fjords and of gigantic icebergs.

Packing up, getting ready to go

This is it. My last day at work is behind me and now all there is left is to concentrate on travelling and enjoying myself. But during the last months I’ve been through so many special experiences, bad ones as well as wonderful ones, that I can’t just put it all behind me and go on as if nothing.

Qaqortoq Part II

This is the second article about Qaqortoq. You can find the first article here.

The first day in Qaqortoq I woke up to see... well... not much. A heavy fog enveloped the town, and if I wanted to see anything, I had to go there. Instead of going for a walk in the hills that seemed to have disappeared in the fog, I went for a walk around town. A town that proved to be a lovely holiday destination.
    

A museum and town in one

The centre of town consists of old preserved houses. Nicely kept, they are as colourful and pleasant to the eye as they are crooked and boasting with character. The beautiful harbour houses vessels of all sorts and sizes – from small dinghies and fishing boats, through yachts to large ferries and in the summer this scenic harbour is frequented by large luxurious cruise liners.

Qaqortoq Part I

After several weeks of routine it was again time to go on new adventures, and on Easter I allowed myself a seven days trip to Qaqortoq (Julianehåb). On the days leading up to Easter, Kurt, my host and friend, arranged some accommodation for me through Poul, one of his friends in Qaqortoq. I booked a ticket on the ferry and waited anxiously for the big day to come.

Fire in the Sky!

Beautiful sunset turns into an unforgettable evening

Saturday afternoon, when I was sitting in my room, I noticed this strange blue colour outside – the air was misty and in the setting sun it looked like some thick, blue, velvety material falling softly on the island. I grabbed the camera and dashed outside to play tourist. In the ankle high snow just outside my door, I saw that on the other side of the harbour the sky was in different shades of orange and red that just begged to be photographed.

A day trip to the hills

The temperature has not dropped below zero for almost two weeks now, and there is hardly any snow and ice left in the streets. You can actually see the gravel! The icebergs are still my main source of entertainment – Each morning there are new ones outside my window, each morning new shapes and sizes. And in the afternoons the view is again different.

Greenland - First Expressions

Hi everybody,

Yesterday I’ve had my first Greenlandic dish, boiled seal and a seal soup called suaassat, and I would definitely eat it again if my life depended on it, but am not likely to do so otherwise. Today on the other hand I’ve tried raw whale skin, matak, and that tasted very nice. It is very chewy, and some call it Greenlandic chewing gum. The thing is, that the after-taste hits you with a 15 minutes delay and stays all day. But by then it's too late to regret...