Bad day for the Godly

Two egregious examples of (alleged) Christian thoughtlessness have come to my attention in the last 24 hours.

The first is an already notorious Youtube video in which a young woman thanks God for the Japanese earthquake. I'm not linking it because a) it has been pulled by Youtube, and b) I don't want to be seen as joining in the viral hate campaign against this woman.

Since she posted it, her (alleged) identity has been exposed, and her address and contact details have been posted online. It's depressing that she made the video in the first place - though I suspect it is actually a hoax - and even more so that people have responded by aiming hatred and vituperation at someone who is already a rather troubled individual. It's contemptible bullying.

As I said, I'm not even convinced as to the authenticity of the video. I wouldn't be surprised if it was some demented atheist making them, pretending to be a demented Christian, and chuckling at how clever she was being ... not realising that, all along, she is merely demented.

There's no limit to how far people will go when in the grips of some crazed obsession, either pro- or anti- religion. We like to think atheists are sane, rational, reasonable ...people, but there are plenty of fuckhead loons on our 'side' as well.

I'm even less convinced by the address or addresses?) being put up, supposedly allowing people to contact this young woman. People are assuming that they are real, but they have no way of verifying that. I wouldn't be surprised if someone had taken advantage of the furore to get some cheap revenge on a personal enemy, or simply make someone's life Hell for a while.

On one level, it doesn't matter if it is a genuine address or not. People should not be hounded by Hellish hate campaigns simply for sounding an opinion, no matter how dumb. On the other hand, of course, the idea of an innocent person being the target of abuse, hatred and possible violence is disgusting. The people posting the address are, too my mind, worse than the very silly girl in the video.

Far more deserving of contempt is Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the head of the Catholic church in Scotland, who condemned the British government for increasing aid to Pakistan without demanding a guarantee of religious rights for minorities:

Speaking at the launch of a report into the persecution of Christians worldwide, Cardinal O'Brien said: 'I urge (UK Foreign Secretary) William Hague to obtain guarantees from foreign governments before they are given aid.

'To increase aid to the Pakistan government when religious freedom is not upheld and those who speak up for religious freedom are gunned down is tantamount to an anti-Christian foreign policy.

'Pressure should now be put on the Government of Pakistan - and the governments of the Arab world as well - to ensure that religious freedom is upheld, the provision of aid must require a commitment to human rights.' (1)

On the surface, this seems sensible. Why send aid to these reprehensible fundamentalists that are murdering and terrorising anyone who doesn't adhere to their perverse, brutal creed?

But it is also short-sighted and naive. Pakistan has just been buggered ruthlessly by massive flooding (remember that?) and effectively washing our hands of it (religious pun intentional) will just leave more desperate, hopeless people to be recruited by the militants and hate-mongers: "Brother, your life here is over, no-one cares about you. they have left you and your family to die. Take this gone and go and wage jihad against the infidels in Afghanistan!"

And I didn't realise the good Samaritan checked up the worthiness of the people before offering succour.

1 - "Pakistan aid is 'anti-Christian': Stinging attack on Government from church leader," unattributed article. Published in The Daily Mail, 15th of March, 2011. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366351/Pakistan-aid-anti-Christian-Stinging-attack-Government-church-leader.html#ixzz1GgoB06zA)