Sacred Space...

Glastonbury abbey apologises after allowing Nicolas Cage to plug film

Ah yes, I can see why they'd be upset about Nicolas Cage being allowed into their sacred space. :P

Ok ok, so it's to plug a movie and so presumably the issue is they didn't want their Church turned into a Hollywood advertising spot, right? Well no....

Hollywood star broadcast live to US chat show from site thought to be King Arthur's grave

The director of Glastonbury abbey today apologised for any offence caused after allowing the Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage to promote his new film, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, from the site said to be King Arthur's grave.

Cage and a film crew were allowed into the abbey in the early hours of the morning so they could broadcast live to an American chat show earlier this year.

But some local people were upset that a film featuring magic was promoted in a place important for many Christians. One resident said he was "horrified and disgusted" that the abbey had been used to sell a film "full of sorcery and black magic".

Ok, first of all it was used for this during the early hours when no one was going to be using the Church for anything else. But yeah, I can see how there might be principle involved. Once they've been allowed to advertise their film there, how are you going to say no to the next lot of people who ask?

What I have absolutely no sympathy for is the whole "it involves magic and magic is eeeeevil" nonsense. Firstly, it's a f***ing Disney movie! Seriously, would they spouting this nonsense if someone asked to advertise a local production of Peter Pan on their notice board?

Secondly, your whole blooming religion is full of f***ing magic! How is Christ consumed in the bread and wine? Magic. How does God hear prayers all around the world? Magic. How does Christ's crucifixion have anything to do with human sin? Magic. The whole religion is full of magic.

And y'know what? The people who made that movie aren't promoting magic. It's fantasy, pure and simple. They don't have spells, they have a visual effects team.

Of course all real magicians are actors, whether they are trying to convince their audience that they can cut a person in two and then return put them back togther, or whether they are asking their audience to feel the presence of the holy spirit.




( Little side note... )

Update: It seems that the Glastonbury Abbey website actually makes it very clear that the Abbey is a tourist site. It is also a ruin, so it won't have a congregation. As such, the people complaining are actually locals getting upset over what happens in a public venue, not worshippers getting upset over a private place of worship that is occasionally rented out. Any suggestions I gave earlier that these guys might actually have a leg to stand on have been wholly shot in the foot now. Also, I had not been aware that Nicolas Cage actually lives in Glastonbury.

(x - posted to atheism)

Maryam Namazie and Sharia

This might seem like a bit of a turnaround for me. I no longer think that Sharia courts in the UK are 'no big deal'.

That said, I stick by my assertion that there is FAR more to fear from independent Sharia courts than from Sharia courts working through arbitration with the UK justice system. As such, the decision to encourage Sharia courts to work through arbitration (meaning their rulings are overseen and checked against British law) is still preferable to independent Sharia courts and it is particularly hysterical when Islamophobes start posing the introduction of Sharia law as part of an inevitable "Islamization". In the end the people affected by Sharia courts in the UK are all Muslim.

The individual who has convinced me that Sharia courts are still worth getting concerned over (though not hysterical mind you) is ex-Muslim secularist Maryam Namazie. She explains my point above as follows:

There has been much controversy about Muslim arbitration tribunals, which have attracted attention because they operate as tribunals under the Arbitration Act, making their rulings binding in UK law.

But sharia councils, which are charities, are equally harmful since their mediation differs little from arbitration. Sharia councils will frequently ask people to sign an agreement to abide by their decisions. Councils call themselves courts and the presiding imams are judges. There is neither control over the appointment of these judges nor an independent monitoring mechanism. People often do not have access to legal advice and representation. Proceedings are not recorded, nor are there any searchable legal judgements. Nor is there any real right to appeal.

(Read the rest of the article here)

(Maryam Namazie is also involved in a protest to save a woman from being stoned for adultery in Iran.)

There's another good article about the problems with Sharia courts here.

(Cross-posted to atheism)