There are some of the Protestant faith who believe that Catholics are not Christians. Sometimes, thinking of nobody and looking at no one, I wonder if they may have a point. But could someone be a Protestant and not a Christian?
I ask the question in the light of Peter Robinson’s recent behaviour. Some time back he was abroad and sent back a letter from America. In it, he broke the news that the agreement about Long Kesh/the Maze and a few other things – well, they were no longer matters for agreement. They were in fact matters for disagreement. Put another way: I promised to act in Way A but now I’ve decided I’ll act in Way Z.
Now on tonight’s news we find that the agreement Peter and his party came to concerning the Speaker of the Assembly – DUP to hold it for three years, then the Shinners – sorry. In the light of mature reflection, Peter has decided that no longer stands. He’ll tell you his reasons if you like. But either way the agreement he came to about the Speaker – now that Willie Hay is bowing out – is heretofore null and void.
When my father used attend the cattle fairs of West Tyrone and beyond, the two parties to the sale of an animal would spit on their hands and then smack each other’s palm as witness of their agreement. Had an agreement reached in plain public view been reneged on, that cattle man would have been deemed a commercial outcast and maybe a social one too.
So why is Peter entering his second major denial in recent times? Because he doesn’t want his party to come a cropper at the looming Westminster elections. The surest way to avoid a repeat disaster is to make a monkey of the Shinners. Tell them one thing and when they’re half-way through digesting it, tell them you’ve changed your mind.
When we were at school, the Catholic catechism used to have a Q and A bit:
Q: Is it ever right to tell a lie?
A: No, for no reason or motive can excuse a lie.
But maybe Peter was taught a different catechism.
Agree with you about duplicitous dupers but of course some priests have mental reservations these aren’t lies are they. Time for shinners to pull the plug and let’s have joint rule.
No real moral dilemma for Peter, Jude. If you believe that you are one of the Chosen People and predestined for salvation then all your actions are already sanctioned by an all-knowing God. Especially if the others (Romanists) are already predestined to damnation. Peter’s God would have it no other way. Glad I kept hold of my catechism. .. just in case Peter is wrong.
Yes Jude,
I have disagreed with you on many an occasion. I watched the news…… could not believe what I heard! I disagree with PR totally, it’s embarrasing.
I also listened to Alex Maskey on the radio, two bouts of embarrassment in one day is not good for the constitution.
I am totally fed up to my back molars with the whole lot of them. Please note them, if I do vote again, it will be UKIP. I have never voted DUP, I cannot understand them.
Last but not least I also as a COI Protestant took my catechism. But as you all know I would much rather be a Jew.
Norma.
Surely you’d rather be a Jewess, Norma??
Can anyone become a Jew? I mean can you take instruction like in other religions and ramp up your Jewishness… or is it something you have to inherit through your family ? That’s one I’ve never really thought about .
Aidan
Theologically incorrect. Christians are instructed to live as Jesus did. Do onto others etc. Regardless of predestination they do not believe they are sanctioned to do what they want.
Of course it’s all mumbo jumbo but there you go.
A shame the DUP could not find the courage to honour their agreement. One wonders how they would ever accept a Nationalist First Minister (or indeed a vote for a United Ireland) if they cannot even cope with a Nationalist Speaker Depressing stuff
Death by a thousand cuts.That’s what it looks like.Anyone else would just call them lying , reneging bastards….never to be trusted again.If Peter Robinson thinks he is either moral or honest in comparison with Sinn Fein ….he’d need to have another look in the mirror .He needn’t try to get back into real estate either because not many will be queuing up to buy any houses he’d care to sell.He and his colleagues are no longer fit to share power with anyone and everyone knows it.No one wants to be caught with the light switch cord in their hand when the lights are switched off at Stormont. That’s all ….
Q. What constitutes a failed political entity?
A. One proconsul
Two First Ministers
3 Speakers
A panel without a named chairperson
A panel without named participants
An Assembly in debt
Policies based on austerity
No agreement on welfare issues
Health care staff involved in industrial action
Ongoing Racist and sectarian attacks
A spot where some individual(s) regard the flag and emblem of the Council of Europe
offensive
Peter has form of course and it does not surprise me that he has gone back on yet another deal but what DOES surprise me is why Sinn Féin don`t just walk away from the house on the hill. It must be all part of the great plan. Norma, do you mean a Protestant Jew or a Catholic Jew?
Stormont is not fit for purpose and Peter gives us another reason why.
Thou shall not lie. Same regardless of Christian tradition, (Catechism is a wee bit old school, all respect intended.)
Sorry for being old (school), Virginia. I was just dipping into the mists of the past in my experience and conjecturing that Peter had a different faith grounding
Jude I think you have missed the bigger point that in reality Robinson doesnt really control the DUP i suspect he didnt have a problem with a SF speaker however he didnt have the power to force it through
That’s the most alarming post I’ve read from you, neill ( and there’ve been some humdingers…;)
Why was my post alarming? I was hoping for insightful…
I think I know why it is alarming Neill. You gave a bit of insight. And, with respect, I like it. You had something to contribute as opposed to the old point scoring.
I apologise if I appear patronising. I most certainly don’t mean to.
More of it, I say. I somehow get the feeling we don’t get the real expressive Neill here – just the reactionary one sometimes. Good stuff!
The Unionist people should protest, otherwise they might give the impression that they see nothing wrong with Robinson’s decision. Some Unionists do have some temerity to call themselves British. They couldn’t be less like the real British if they tried. The real ordinary British people are tolerant ( think orange order), they’re confident (think flegers), and they champion gay rights and multiculturalism ( think…well just think unionist).
Most Unionist philosophy would put them somewhere right of Ukip and perhaps slightly left of EDL ( but only just).
In respect of a world philosophy, we moderate Nationalists have more in common with our real British cousins than Unionists will ever have.
Curiously enough, Esteemed Blogmeister, there wasn’t a dicky bird about the latest demonstration of DUPlicity on the airwaves of the Free Southern Stateen.
Malevolent malcontents would claim that if the brogue had been on the Sinn Fein footsoldier there would have been flocks of v-shaped verbiage. And that the emphasis would have been leant heavily upon the first two syllables of the d-word: demonstration.
Happily, PW is not one of them and so is only too happy to report that there was some happy-clappy news to report from London, via Londonderry or maybe even Beal Feirste itself. It was delivered in the guarded gushiness ( which we have all grown to recognize and admir ) of the gormful Gorman, T. (Gormful. ca va sans dire, is the polar opposite to gormless).
Dublin’s top diplomat (one almost wrote DUPlomat !) to London will be laying a wreath at the Thameside Cenotaph this coming Remembrance Day in honour of all those gallant Irish participants who unassumingly fell on their a. in the Great Donkey Derby 14-18.
Wow.
Indeed, bow wow.
Perhaps the Gold Rush of Gushiness (restrained) was reached on that unforgettable occasion when the gormful and almost tearful T. Gorman on his (metaphorical) bended knees papishly pleaded with the Honourable Dr R. Keane (UCC) to change his mind (?) re his historically hysterical Saipan Decision. Alas, to no avail.
Sobviously.
In its own modest way, this was RTE’s Remembance Day. For that was the day the Nine O’clock News was pushed back by …..six minutes. Not six wee minutes or even a wee six minutes. But six…..long…..lingering…slow and slothful sixty second minutes. Or so it seemed as we Free Southern Stateenagers hung on to every dramatic exchange of dialogue.
Rock on, Doc Hon !
Size wise, it was nothing short of seismic in broadcasting terms. It was akin to an uppity valet at the Pyongyang Hilton telling the Supreme Ruler of North Korea (happily revived) in no uncertain t. to hang on where he was in his bullet proof limo till he checked there was space available in the underground hotel car park.
Ni ga a ra, but T. stands for Tomm.ie and not Tommy. The gormful Gorman was always to the fore in the information highway.
Serendipitily, the great 14-18 tradition was shown to be alive and kicking in the completed Aviva Stadium only last Saturday when the Rock of G was hockeyed by Delaney’s Donkeys much to the delight of the game’s soft drink sponsor’s Seven Up. Buttermilk and barley- water imbibing P. Robinson would have approved.
Numerologist’s will note the scoreline: half of fourteen to nil. As Bainisteoir M. O’Neill, OBE, from Kilrea, County Londonderry, shrewdly observed in his three piece expensively cut choice of words: ‘We’re still only at half time in the Gibraltar encounter’.
(The ‘we ‘generously encompasses his Cone-carrying Assistant).
Obviously.
Rock on, Doc Hon !
More and more Perkie is warming to the polished way with the Q.’s English of M. O’Neill. In short, he likes the cut of his verbal gib. It is only a matter of t. before the wee MON abolishes the over use of the long ball tactic of over using the apostrophe ‘s’ in Irish, erm, footballspeak. (See ‘numerologist’s’ above).
In fact the only difficulty encountered by the bevy of Bainisteoiri in the run up to the fun Gibraltar run out /massacre was the unavoidable decision of the visitors to include some Barbary Apes in their travelling squad. Due to an actual shortage of not so much boots on the ground of Gibraltar as of the human feet to fill them.
Thus, framing the preview in the correct lyrical context at the compulsory daily press conferences was therefore the only difficulty for the be-bibbed Bainisteoiri. They rose slightly magnificently to the task. They, being Bah and Humbug
-It’s a choice between Ger and Ber.
-Obviously.
-And we can’t have Ger.
-Obviously.
– There’s just no way we can have: ‘ The Rockies may crumble
Gibraltar may stumble
But our love is here to stay’.
-Obviously.
-What Bah means to say (explained the thoughtful Humbug, thoughtfully) was that the Ger refers to Gershwin. As in IRA. As in APE, Barbary. And APE as we ex-GAH survivors can tell you stands for….Arm Phoblacht Eireann.
-Obviously.
-So, to choose that particular lyric for the ‘Hamilton Scores’ on my favourite football programme on Lyric FM might only encourage the local maniacal Micks to throw Stones at the Rock of Gibraltar in the Aviva Cemetery.
Collapse of assembled hacks from the meejitria to the floor in palm-pounding laugher.
-So instead of Ger we have plumped for Ber in deference to the Barbary Apes on the opposition bench.
‘Been to Yokohama -been fightin’ in the war
And back – Army chow – Army clothes – Army car – ahh
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business.
-Does Ber, in this instance, refer to Chuck Berry and if so doesn’t it refer to a Chucky Head?
Bundling of awkward questioner (imaginary) out of UCC auditorium- sized press centre.
Well the cock has crowed twice now… just one more denial from the bold Peter to come!