WHO WAS SAINT VALENTINE, ANYWAY? For how much longer will we be celebrating/commercialising his memory?
Saint Valentine was a Catholic priest, first clubbed almost to death — and then beheaded — by Roman Emperor Claudius, apparently on February 14, in about the year 270AD.
Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship the Roman pagan gods.
The alternative was execution.
Valentine had been famous for his real love for mankind, giving from his heart and assisting the poor, the needy and widows – and encouraging the well-to-do of his time to be generous to the less privileged in their communities.
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In Saudi Arabia, celebrating Saint Valentine’s Day is prohibited.
The nation’s Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is supposed to enforce bans against “pagan holidays”.
Virtue Commission spokesman, Sheik Ali Qarni, defends this ban, saying that Muslims know the true meaning of love — the love of God — and behave accordingly throughout the year.
Of course, wherever there is a ban there is a black market. Some Saudi florists are supplying bootleg bunches of red roses (at over three times the regular price) to those who will pay.
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Meanwhile, polls are reporting that 40 percent of Muslims in the United Kingdom want Sharia Law introduced in Britain – more so young British Muslims than their elders.
Muslims now number 1,591,000 in the UK — 2.7 percent of the population — a proportion said to be rising 10 times faster than rest of society.
What about Australia?
At the 2006 Census there were 340,000 Muslims in Australia. In early 2010, WikiAnswers estimates it is now 446,500 (about 2 percent of the population).
How many Australian Muslims want Sharia Law? Nobody seems to know. Perhaps we don’t want to know.
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This year, Melbourne’s Latrobe University is offering an 18-month course in Master of Islamic Banking and Finance – described as a “cutting-edge program built around a defined body of knowledge of proven relevance to the Islamic finance industry”.
The thin edge of the wedge, perhaps?
Certainly, it’s a long way from amputation for thieves, stoning for adultery etc. . . . .
And a long way from being clubbed and beheaded for being a Christian . . . .
But you have to start somewhere if you want “change”, as President Obama might say.
What you have just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent post were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone who has read this is now dumber for having done so. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Thank you for the comment.
It is true that the post was a bit extreme in style.
Your criticisms were generalized and therefore not easy to respond to.
Two of the more obvious points I was making can be re-stated more simply:
(1) Islam is so different from, and incompatible with, the religion of Blessed Mary MacKillop and traditional Catholics, that it is foolish to pretend otherwise.
(2) Christians are faced with the possibility of real persecution from resentful and cashed-up enemies, and we must consider whether our belief is strong enough that we are ready to suffer and die for it.
Thanks again.
Please keep in touch.
Arnold Jago