Tiananmen, the Bible, the usual rant

Oh dear me, where do I start? Well, here in Hong Kong, Ma Lik has put his foot in it stating that the Tiananmen Square ‘massacre’ in 1989 was not technically a ‘massacre’, and he’d thank HK school teachers NOT to keep calling it such. Ouch. Just a tad before June 4th anniversary, is that. Have to say though, he does a lovely line in quotes:

“How could people say bodies were minced under tanks? Has anybody tried mincing meat under tanks?”
“I never said nobody was killed, but it was not a massacre. A massacre would mean that the Communist party intentionally killed people with machine guns indiscriminately.”
“It is not something that teachers can teach whatever they want about. Are we saying [what happened] should be decided by gweilos [foreigners]?”

Just fert record, I stay away from teaching other people’s history and politics. I do English language. If people ask me about historic events, or just events in history even, I tell em to ask their dad. It’s not my place.

However… A lot of kids here in HK go to schools established and run by religious outfits. St. Stephen’s Boys’ School, St. Anna’s Kindergarten, St. Peter’s, etc… So when in class, I do not come out wi ‘oh my God’, cos [1] I don’t have one and [2] I don’t want kids to go round saying this and people asking where they’ve picked up such comments in English (this is where the old ‘oh my dog’ came from). I have never held with religion and likely never will, so in class I avoid the topic at all costs. I will not discuss it in class, purely because it’s a Pandora’s Box of problems. And again, I’m an English teacher, not a social commentator.

My private life is a different matter, of course. I am an atheist, and so it delighted me to look int paper yesterday and see the headline ‘Is the Bible indecent? HK officials have 208 complaints saying it is’. Well, had to buy the rag after that, didn’t I? Story in a nutshell: some anonymous website has asked the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority to “re-classify the holy text as an indecent publication”. Apparently they believe that stories of incest, rape, murder, sacrifices, cannibalism and good old fashioned violence should not be taught to people under 18 years of age. And I agree, in principle. But then, am I biased?

So here’s my five bob about religion then ~ and this has been a long time coming. Anyone who believes or does not like to read people mouthing off at their chosen/assigned religion should look away now.

Actually, I move we ban all religion from the world. It shall be illegal to worship any god / deity / idol of a religious nature until further notice (this does not include Sean Bean on the grounds that he’s not an actual deity, contrary to popular belief). No-one shall attend places of worship, sell or buy religious matter or literature, and stop harassing me ont MTR or coming to me door to try and convert me. Of course, yer free to do this in underground, secret meetings and such (save the conversion attempts). And we’ll make a half-arsed attempt to find you and pretend to give you long jail sentences. But really, we just want you to get religion off the streets and back inside yer own homes, where it’s meant to be if you believe in that kind of thing.

And no religious protesting, no marching or carrying on wi killing people cos they don’t believe in your spin on the Bible / ‘holy book’ or some such god. Don’t start wi that, or I’ll start marching as an atheist, protesting at me having to put up wi all yer shite about the above, when I don’t even believe in all that crap. Why should I be put at risk from bomb alerts and religious protest marches when I don’t believe in ANY religion, save ‘live and let live’? Why do I have to put up wi you lot whining and complaining and going out trying to murder people cos they have different religious views? What are you, five? You never learnt to let people do what they want so long as they leave you alone to do what you want? I mean, fuck’s sake people, if two kids can play nicely and share a fucking PSP, why can’t grown-ups stop getting tetchy over which (and I move to insert the word ‘fictitious’ here) god you believe in? I don’t care who or what you fucking believe in, just don't punch some bloke int face cos he dunt believe it too. Crikey Blimey fucking Charlie, grow up.

Er, that's it, I think. It's the weather over here, you know. It makes me say nasty things and want to stab people in the eye with a blunt pencil every time they start going on about socio-political bollocks. I need to get me iPod charged, and get some Arctic Monkeys and Little Man Tate down me. I’ll be much better. Oh yeah, and go to work! Almost forgot about that…

Coming up soon ~ a review and a few changes to our fantasy league of Royal Marine Commandos!

Soopytwist.

Tags:
Tiananmen Square ~ Ma Lik ~ the Bible ~ religion ~ Sean Bean