In Pakistan, it is forbidden to write the name Jesus Christ in SMS text messages (according to Fides newsagency).

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority has ordered mobile phone providers to block text messages containing any of about 1600 forbidden words.

Mostly vulgar and objectionable words – obscenities of a sexual nature etc. — the banning of which is arguably not a bad idea.

But is the name of Christ objectionable?

Only if you consider it objectionable to share with others the beautiful gospel of Christ  and the matchless moral principles which he taught.

* * *

The Telecommunications Authority excused its action by saying that the freedom of Pakistanis is “subject to the limitations provided by the law in the interests of the glory of Islam”

But this action will bring, not glory, but shame and contempt  upon Islam.

Usually bizarre acts of persecution are the result of fear.

What are they afraid of?

Last year a technician employed by the Canterbury District Health Board in New Zealand refused to assist in preparing surgical instruments to be used in performing abortions.

She was called before a disciplinary board and given an ultimatum – do your job or be dismissed.

She sought legal advice and discovered that NZ law states that “no registered medical practitioner, registered nurse, or any other person, shall be under any obligation . . . to perform or assist in the performance of an abortion . . . .”

The lady was NOT sacked.

Since then, two of her co-workers have joined in refusing to assist in abortion.

* * *

This couldn’t happen in the state of Victoria, Australia, where there is no such conscience clause.

And the Queensland government is now preparing similar legislation.

Why do something so controversial just before a state election?

What little hope the Queensland government has of being re-elected will depend on getting each and every single Greens Party preference with no leakage.

The guaranteed way to get the Greens onside is to have policies which undermine the sanctity of human life.

US Secretary of State, H. Clinton, wants the UN Security Council to “send a clear message of support to the people of Syria”.

i.e. to get rid of President Bashar al-Assad and have him replaced by somebody else.

Who else?

Recent history shows that each time the US and its Western friends involve themselves in the internal affairs of Middle Eastern nations, things get worse.

* * *

President Obama praised last year’s Egyptian uprising saying it reflected the people’s yearning for “a government that is fair and just and responsive.”

What did they get? A People’s Assembly dominated by the “Freedom and Justice Party” — the Muslim Brotherhood under another name.

15 million Coptic Christians live in fear — killed on the streets, their women abducted.

In Libya, thousands of NATO air strikes resulted in — what?

A National Transitional Council whose draft constitution states that “Islam is the religion of the state and the principal source of legisation is Islamic jurisprudence (i.e. Sharia Law)”.

Already polygamy has been re-legalised.

* * *

If Bashar al-Assad goes, the Sunnis will take over Syria.

There will be a blood-bath.

(see this blog, 10 December 2011 and 13 June 2011)

Bashar al-Assad. President of Syria, denies responsibility for the killing of many (some say 4000) anti-government activists in recent months.

He claims that hundreds of police and soldiers have been killed by the “peaceful” protesters.

The “protests” in Tunis, Egypt and Libya in the last year or two seem to have done nobody much good.

Their net result may well turn out to be no more and no less “democracy” – but plenty more Sharia law and military rule.

* * *

What “rights” did the protesting Syrian rebel groups actually have in mind?

The “rights” to elections?

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

If victorious, one “right” they’ll probably give themselves is the “right” to kill every Alawite and every Christian in the land.

* * *

Syria is 75 percent Sunni Muslim. The biggest minority is the Alawites (sort of Shi’ites),12-15 percent. Christians about 6 percent.

From a Christian viewpoint, Assad’s Alawite government has been streets ahead of most Muslim-dominated governments . . . .

Tolerant of all religions — including having Christians prominent in government, administration and the army.

We of the west might do best to keep our noses out of internal matters of nations whose cultures we don’t really understand.

In February and March 2011, the violence in Bahrain was bad.

The military used live weapons to clear protesting crowds.

The soldiers were Sunnis.

The victims were Shi’ites.

The injured were treated by doctors at the local Salmaniya hospital.

Subsequently many doctors were arrested — on the pretext of  having, by their actions, “plotted to overthrow the monarchy”.

* * *

Their only crime was doing what all doctors vow to do — to treat the sick and injured regardless of class, creed or colour.

Some doctors were kicked, beaten and threatened with rape.

Thus “confessions” were obtained and the “guilty” doctors sentenced to up to 15 years prison.

To avoid arrest, those doctors would have had to consider persons of the “wrong” religion as non-humans — not entitled to be treated like real humans.

* * *

What about Victoria in Australia?

Here the law says that any doctor unwilling to do an abortion, and who declines to refer the patient to a “doctor” who does such things, can be arrested.

We are expected to pretend that unborn humans are not humans — but fair game for extermination.

Looking at it from God’s point of view, this must be very displeasing.

God has created all his children in love, and expects us to give them all love and justice accordingly.

In principle, Victoria is not even a little bit better than Bahrain in this regard.

Jeff Kennett, head of Beyondblue, a charity devoted to fighting the epidemic of depressive illness in Australia, has made a tactical error.

He said something without prior approval from the media and the feminist/homosexual lobby.

He said that, “Clearly the best environment in which to bring a child into the world is a stable, loving environment in which a male and female are married to each other.”

A welcome bit of common sense.

* * *

Now, of course, he is being told to resign — blackmailed by past donors threatening to pull out unless he knuckles under.

His CEO has resigned without explanation.

Anyway, Mr Kennett has said he will neither apologise nor step down.

So far . . . .

* * *

There is a condition called “coprophagia”, which affects some unfortunate children. They eat their poo.

Few continue doing so into adult life. But coprophagia is said to be observed in small numbers of patients with schizophrenia, depression and autism.

It is normally treated using strategies aimed at reversing the underlying condition.

What is NOT done is tell them they’re doing the right thing — and to organise poo-eating Mardi Gras-type celebrations.

Some things are not just “diversity”, they are wrong, unhealthy and abnormal.

Mr Kennett didn’t say all that about homosexual practices, but his enemies may fear that one day he will.