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July 02 New domain nameWe added a new domain name to the site over the weekend, to make it just that little bit quicker (and easier) to find us:
An appropriate time to add this interviewAs the UK remains on high-alert due to the recent failed terrorist attacks, you might be interested to read the second part of my interview with Asma Afsaruddin, professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Notre Dame. In this section she talks more about the teaching regarding the use of violence and war found in the Qur'an, the work of Islamic feminists and how to interpret the meaning of Muhammad's hadith (saying), 'I was ordered to fight all men, until they say 'There is no God but God'. Although this interview was conducted a few weeks ago, what is interesting about her comments is the way she draws attention to the fact that Islam is a predominantly peaceful religion, and shows how and why the actions of these terrorists would not be supported by the Qur'an.
June 29 Evan AlmightyI was in Blockbuster the other day, browsing films to review for the site - I left empty handed! It seems there is a real dearth of anything remotely interesting in the movie category of religion - some might say that's an oxymoron - but sometimes it is tough trying to find easily accesible and interesting films to review for the site. Not only that, but I am looking for a diverse range of content... It would be nice not to have just Christian themed-films, or Fox faith Movies. So having left the store empty-handed, I suddenly thought that maybe I should be reviewing new films at the cinema - afterall, Evan Almighty is currently playing, and is the #1 movie in the USA. You know, something inside me baulks at going to see this film. I mean, I loved Bruce Almighty - I thought the concept was great, and laughed my arse off at the antics of Carrey and Carell. But Evan Almighty just does not appeal to me... and I am not sure why. I was actually in Richmond (Virginia) last year, when they were shooting scenes for this film. At that time I was looking forward to seeing this picture... but then I saw the trailer, and it just seemed to suck! Maybe it's because it was not as funny as I hoped, or maybe it was the underlying (heavy-handed) message of it? Who knows... All I do know is that I will not be going to see it, and might (if I can stomach it) review it for the site in the future. Strange how someone who runs a religious website can be so anti-religion at times... Anyway, I am now off to buy and watch the new and highly rated DVD Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon... no arks, no animals, just a black-comedy with a serial killer and and a far better use of my hard-earned cash! June 26 Updates, updates, and stuffI finally got round to writing and adding a review of the Dalai Lama's book The Universe in a Single Atom, which I added to the site today. Actually, that sounds like I was reluctant to write a review - but I was not. The problem was that I so enjoyed the book, and found it so full of great ideas, that it took me a little bit of time to pick out what I wanted to focus on - Afterall, these are supposed to be reviews, rather than essays.
Today I also added a new interview to the site. Felix Vasquez Jr. runs Cinema Crazed, which is website particularly interested in promoting and raising awareness of independent films and the independent film-making commmunity. Felix got in touch with me after reading my interview with Uncle Creepy from Dread Central, suggesting we could discuss his views on the way religion and the supernatural is dealt with in films. It was great fun chatting with Felix, and I hope you enjoy reading what he has to say (and hopefully visit Cinema Crazed as well).
Aside from these two updates, yes I admit that things have been a little slow with the site recently. Basically, I have been taking a little breather to gather my thoughts and to see which direction I want to take things next. However, I got a message in my guestbook today about the lack of articles related to Hinduism on the new site, which has prompted to me to begin thinking about revising and updating more articles from my old website www.faithnet.org.uk. I have also been thinking about what to say at my mate's wedding in August, as I am best man. All this, and I am still trying to complete my window painting duties around the house! Still, at least I managed to dismantle, repair and put-together the entire downstairs toilet yesterday - and without flooding the bathroom - yey! June 25 On the nature of the modern child (Dalai Lama)I found these two quotes from the Dalai Lama's new book The Universe in a Single Atom very thought-provoking: June 22 Friday musings...
June 21 Did you know we spend more money on...
June 20 Interview with Asma Afsaruddin (Part 1)I have just posted a great interview with Asma Afsaruddin on my site. Asma frequently consults with US governmental and private agencies on contemporary Islamic movements, inter-faith, and gender issues. In part 1 of our interview, she discusses the war in Iraq, the idea of jihad, the terms dar al-islam ("the abode of Islam") and dar al-harb ("the abode of war"), and the relationship between Islam and the West.
Part 2 coming soon... Google tarot cardsI loved this story... I mean, how lazy are we as a human race getting, if one day we will need a frickin search engine to do our thinking for us? Speaking about the long-term aspirations for Google, Eric Schmidt, the firm's chief executive, said one day the search engine could potentially answer questions such as "What shall I do tomorrow?" and "Which college should I go to?".' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6221256.stm) June 19 Whoops corrected!Despite accidently uploading this page half-way through writing it, a new article on the divine command theory of ethics (DCT) can now be found here:
A train of thought...I was sitting here thinking about what to write in my blog today, when I thought that this blog is really just a rather selective picture of who I am and what I do. I mean, there are tonnes of things I could write about each day - but I choose not to! This means that you are only really getting to know me as I let you! Then I thought how much this sort of thing goes on each day. I mean, we are (normally) careful who knows what about us, and who does not.
So that got me thinking about this blog, and also what to title it... which then got me onto another train of thought!
I considered making the title for this blog entry 'Who we am' - this being a play on the phrases 'Who I am' and 'Who we are' (related to the earlier points) - but then I decided that people might not get what I was trying to do, and think that I was merely being gramatically incorrect.
Which also got me thinking...
Who decided these rules of grammar? I mean, who decided that 'Who I am' is correct, but 'Who we am' is not? In the early years of human history, when people started to communicate with each other, I cannot imagine they sat down and discussed the rules of grammar as they went along. I imagine they just sort of worked things out on the basis of what sounded good - but then if so, who decided that 'Who I am' sound better than 'Who we am'?
Oh, and while I am at it... who decided that coffee should be spelt with two fs, when it is clearly pronounced as cofee?
Just thought I would let you read some of the things I have been thinking about these last few minutes  June 18 Today has been an interesting day...I have been editing the first part of an interview I did with Asma Afasruddinan about matters related to Iraq, jihad and western/middle east politics. I must say that this was an amazing interview, and I learnt a TONNE of new stuff about Islam. I am anxious to post the interview, but we are currently in the midst of final revisions, so my itchy fingers will just have to wait a few more days.
I have also been reading a book by the Dalai Lama called The Universe in a Single Atom to review for the site. It is a really interesting book, and I am learning lots of new stuff about Buddhism and the world of science. Although this book is not going to change the world as we know it, it is interesting to see how the Buddha's philosophy was a forerunner to some modern scientific theories of the nature of reality. One wonders if we had adopted his view of things quicker, how much further along the scientific enterprise we might be - time machine anyone?
Finally, I have been adding myself to various religious discussion groups in My Space and Live Space, in order to begin to see what else is out there in the world of faith/faiths. If you see me around a group you are in, please say hi. I tell you one thing though, you can sure waste a lot of time browsing around to see what people are up to. Good job it has been raining today, 'cause I still have some windows to get painted!  June 15 The Lost Tomb of JesusYou know, a lot of Christians have got their knickers in a twist about this film, but unless these ossuaries are forgeries (a hypothesis not explored in the film), there is a good chance that the Talpiot Tomb in Jerusalem is the tomb of Jesus' family. But if so, how does this affect the Christian belief in the literal and bodily resurrection of Jesus, and the belief that without this event taking place that no-one can be saved (see 1 Corinthians 15:12-14). Well, in my book - it does not! Whether this is the actual tomb of Jesus' family, whether Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had a son called Judah, whether he never literally rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, is somewhat irrelevant as millions upon millions of people believe this to be a historical fact, and will continue to believe this. That this documentary sets out the arguments it has, has not changed the fact that people continue to worship Jesus, continue have faith that he is alive today, and continue to believe that the Christian faith is true (based on this).
However, I have just one question... Why, if this tomb is the actual family of Jesus, did God (if God exists) allow this to be made known to the world after 2,000 years of Christian history? Why not earlier? Doesn't this seem a little odd, if this really is the tomb of the family of Jesus?
Discuss this blog entry (and the film) in the forum. June 14 On the matter of freewillIn light of the previous blog entry, you might be interested to note that I have just added an article on the subject of freewill to the site. This is basically a review of key themes and ideas associated with this topic, as well as some of responses to it. The article is:
You know, I think I just broke my personal record for the longest page title! The Nanny StatesI found myself torn between two sentiments upon reading this story. On the one hand I agree with general analysis of the situation, on the other I cannot help but think that to make this a law is going a little too far... What do you think?
Discuss this story in our forum. June 12 Blockbuster visitLast night I stopped by Blockbuster to pick up some DVDs to review for the site. By chance I happened to browse the special interest section, and in doing so found a documentary called 'Keep the River on your Right'. It is a film about the late Tobias Schneebaum (d. 2005), who is said to have experienced cannibalism in the Peruvian Amazon.
Most of us have no doubt heard of Hannibal Lecter... but tales of cannibalism in this day and age are not just limited to the depths of the jungle and the movies. For instance, in 2001 Armin Meiwes advertised on the internet for a 'victim' to kill and eat. In response to his ad, Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes contacted him, and agreed to become said victim. The two met (after much correspondence) whereupon Meiwes amputated Brandes' penis and the two dined on it. Then Meiwes stabbed Brandes in the throat, hung him on a meathook and dined on his flesh for the next two months. For his actions, Meiwes received a life sentence.
However, this was not the first time the internet had been used to satisfy cannibalist desires. In 1996, internet entreprenaur Sharon Lopatka advertised for a someone to kill and eat her, in order to fulfil a cannibalistic sexual fantasy (aka Vorarephilia). In reponse to her ad, she was consensually tortured and strangled to death in October 1996, by computer analyst Robert Frederick Glass.
Reading about this subject reminded me of two quotes from the book What makes you not a Buddhist by Dzongsar Jamyang Kheyntse:
Now one cannot help but reflect on the motivations behind cannibalistic acts, especially as this seems such a bizzare and inexplicable thing to choose to do (I am not speaking here of cannibalism by necessity, such as in this situation). Cannibalism is also an odd behaviour to explain (and maybe condemn) when people see no problem eating animal flesh, and when we think how certain people in the Christian Church have no problem believing that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Jesus Christ during Mass, but at that same time do not view this as an act of canibalism. As strange and controversial topic, and no doubt one for further reflection in the coming weeks and months. Discuss this blog entry in our forum. June 11 About the site...Okay, so my great idea to change some of the pages on the site a few weeks ago, was not such a great idea after all. I found that having made separate pages for books and movies (and reviews and interviews related to them) made things far too restrictive. So this morning I got up at 4.30am, and changed it all back again (it had clearly been playing on my mind). No great sweat to do that, and I kinda got some better ideas for how to arrange the pages anyway... Getting up at that time was also good practice for when the new kid comes along!
 You can see the re-revised pages here:
I also made some changes to the blog link. This is to reflect the fact that I have both a Windows Live Spaces and a My Space page for the site. NOTE: I mirror this blog entry in both of these. You can view the new blog page here: In term of new content, I added a page on Jewish attitudes to abortion today. I found this a fascinating subject to read and write about, and as such I hope to add something on Jewish attitudes to euthanasia in the very near future. In terms of other things being planned for the site, I am currently interviewing a respected Islamic scholar about her views on Jihad, Iraq and feminism - which will be very interesting - and I am also in the process of arranging an interview with someone on the subject of religious themes in the work of Stephen King - which will also be very interesting! Lots of exciting things... Now I'm off to paint a window! WE can do anything!Eleven years ago, Lewis Hamilton walked up to Ron Dennis (the boss of McLaren F1 racing), and told him that 'one day', he wanted to be driving one of his cars... Yesterday, 22 year old Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix in a McLaren F1 racing car, in only the sixth race of what is his rookie year!
I believe the only reason people do not fulfil their dreams, is because they choose not to! WE can do anything... Lewis Hamilton is a testimony to that fact!
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