of course, I could be wrong...

THE DVANT DISCODEFEAT IN MAINE SPECIAL

2009-11-04T13:43:00.007Z

MYSPACE

CAPTION COMPETITION

2009-11-04T12:06:00.007Z

As today is rapidly becoming Grandmère Mimi day
at OCICBW... I've decided to nick today's photograph
for you humourous (or just plain nasty) captioning
from her WOUND UP BIRD (barely legal) blog.
Go on, do your worst!

JIM THE SPIN OFF TOSPIN WEB ELSEWHERE

2009-11-04T11:54:00.002Z

Jim Naughton, the diocese’s canon for communications and advancement is resigning on December 11 to form Canticle Communications, a strategic communications consulting firm focused on churches and faith-based advocacy groups, Bishop John Bryson Chane announced last month. Naughton, the founding editor of the Web site Episcopal Café will continue to work for the diocese as a consultant."

COMMENT: I cannot tell a lie. Personally I hope Jim's new venture is a complete disaster (though with no financial consequences) and that he is forced back to blogging among us as soon as possible. However, the official OCICBW... response is "Well done, Jim the Spin. Go forth with our blessing."

Further to this shock announcement, I trust I can count on all of you to support OCICBW...'s new campaign:

GRANDMERE MIMI FOR
EDITOR OF EPISCOPAL CAFE!

My reason for launching this petition is as I stated at PRELUDIUM earlier - there is simply not enough complete anarchy in the world.

WHAT'S IN A NAME, MAINE

2009-11-04T11:37:00.006Z

In an unexpected move, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has just summoned the US Ambassador to Downing Street to request that the American Government removes the State of Maine from New England. In fact, he has told the envoy that if they dare to use the word "England" in conjunction with the word "Maine" he will sue their Yankee pants off.

This is the second blow for the gay-hating state this morning. Earlier The United Nations petitioned the US legislature to ban Maine from using the word "New" as it would be a lie.

In an emergency session, the Maine legislature has met and agreed to both requests. From now on they will simply be known as
"Same Old, Same Old."

THE PRAYER LIST

2009-11-04T11:06:00.010Z

Posted by Charlotte at THEATRICAL MILESTONES:

Jacques Derrida
aka Jackie Jackie Jingleboy
aka Little White Canine
06/04/1994-11/03/2009

What is there to say when you say goodbye to a best friend who spent nine years of his life making sure that you get up early enough in the morning for a little walk, that you're safe from the evil bicyclists swooping by the patio window, or that you'd never find a hotel bed without someone to snore on the pillow next to you? Who, in those really dark hours, never once thought of leaving your side? Who celebrated your joy with a crazy little circle dance because that's how you celebrated when, as a six-year-old, he found his way into your life, all the way through abandonment, the internet, the plane from Jackson, Mississippi, to San Francisco, California, to Toadtunnel Toontown, Orangevale, Prisontown, New Mexico, Sunnyvale, you name it?

What is there to say, other than "Thanks, sweet little buddy, for sticking by me with your amazing love and trust throughout all those years. Here's looking forward to seeing you in my dreams, whole enough again to dance those circles again, your eyes open and clear, and your brain firing just the way it should. Your little black nose, your cat-meow yawn, and your mighty farts will always stay with me."

***

Posted by Grandmère Mimi at WOUND UP BIRD:

From Frank, my brother-in-law, about his Corgi:

Looks like we have another dog struggling. Zoe has had a swollen area under one eye for about a month - two rounds of antibiotics didn't help. Doc thought it might be a particular tooth that usually abscesses. Turns out it was another tooth totally unrelated to the swelling. Took out a teaspoon of unknown yellow fluid from below the eye - off to the lab. She was struggling to breathe while at the vets - so she did x-rays - she has an extremely enlarged heart - mashing the lungs somewhat - diagnosed as dilated myocardiomyopathy. Vet said she was at the point where if she has any kind of crisis - it would not be productive to treat her. Broke my heart. Haven't cried like this since Gayle died. Zoe is my connection to her and I have been dreading this possibility. Will keep you posted.

Gayle is Frank's wife and my sister, who passed away three and a half years ago. This same family recently lost Murphy. Trouble upon trouble.

***

Posted by Cany at
JUST ANOTHER
BLACK SHEEP:

Those of you following the fate of the 24 Lancaster cats/kittens know that we have been holding out GREAT hope for one wee kitten, only 17wo, Mazarella, to keep one eye. We KNOW she can see something. Cat's don't chase things like she does (well, chase is too grand a word... perhaps bat-at) if they are completely blind.

Sadly, it turns out that the untreated herpes caused a prolapsed Iris (Iris bomb), and she has to have the only seeing eye (be that as it may) removed. So, Mazzie, as of tonight, is now blind.

I'm really heartbroken, actually. And I am madder than hell at the woman that caused all this.

***

Please pray for MadPriest's friend and rural dean, Kevin, whose father died yesterday. It was not unexpected but my friend's sadness will still be great.

Please pray for MadPriest who has had another of his nightmare filled nights. This always leaves him very fuzzy and down the following day. Gone is his usual cheerful optimism to be replaced by the phrase, "Sod it! What's the point?"

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MAINE - ANOTHER STATE NOW DEFINED BY THE HATRED IN THE HEARTS OF ITS PEOPLE

2009-11-04T10:10:00.003Z

From THE BOSTON GLOBE:

Maine voters overturned the state’s same-sex marriage law yesterday, delivering a potentially crushing blow to gay-rights advocates after a year when their cause seemed to be gaining momentum with legislative and legal victories in four states. As the ballot counting continued well past midnight, the margin continued to grow - with 52.7 percent of voters in favor of the repeal - and the Associated Press called the contest in favor of gay-marriage foes shortly before 1 a.m. The veto’ came six months after Maine’s law was approved.

“This is an amazing moment. It’s beyond words,’’ said Mary Conroy, spokeswoman for Yes on 1/Stand for Marriage Maine, the organization leading the fight against same-sex marriage in Maine. “I feel energized, overcome, overjoyed for the family and the people of Maine."

With the news, supporters of gay marriage dissolved into tears. One couple, Susan McCray and Yvette Pratt, had married in Massachusetts, but every time they crossed the border back into Maine, where they live, their marriage was no longer recognized.

“We thought we had it,’’ McCray said, holding Pratt’s hand. As they walked out, a woman called to them, “It’s not over.’’

COMMENT: The sadness of those people who voted against the veto will be immense. But they will suffer an even more paralising grief. The grief that comes from the realisation that they are now living in a community of which they are not really a part. I'm not talking about the gay people of Maine who must be well used to this feeling. I am talking about all those who now find themselves living among an alien people, a people whose belief systems are so different to their own that, from now on, talking to 52% of their neighbours will be like talking to foreigners whose language they cannot speak. Except, of course, it is the no-voters who are the foreigners - strangers in their own land.

I know this feeling. It happened to me when I was ostracised from my beloved Anglo-Catholic tradition after I stood up for women's ordination in the Church of England. Happily there are now many Anglo-Catholics who have come to see the rightness of the vocational aspirations of women and you can be as high church as you like without having to be a misogynist. But for those few of us who felt the first wave of reactionary hatred there is no turning back or going back. The pain of such betrayals, by those you once considered your people, remains forever.

THE MIDNIGHT JUKEBOX

2009-11-03T23:43:00.006Z

I am completely overwhelmed by the response to
last night's Townes Van Zandt selection. So here's a
whole load more.

I don't know wether or not the horse in the
photo below is the legendary Amigo.
But, whatever, it's a nice horse.

COMPETITION TIME

2009-11-03T23:14:00.002Z

From PREMIER CHRISTIAN RADIO:

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to be the keynote speaker at a national event hosted by Fresh Expressions at the Epic Centre, Lincolnshire Showground on 5 March 2010. The Archbishop will be looking at growth to spiritual maturity, while the day will also help those leading new congregations to find out more about such key issues as finance, accountability and sustainability. The conference is open to anyone interested in reaching those normally well off the Church’s radar with a regional, inter-denominational and co-ordinated approach to mission and evangelism. Tickets are £25 and can be booked HERE.

In the highlighted sentence there are three words that should not be there if Premier had been completely straight. 200 days off purgatory for the first person to tell me which ones they are.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHINGCOMPLETELY DIFFERENT

2009-11-03T17:03:00.004Z

CREAM CHEESE - YUK!

2009-11-03T16:11:00.003Z

From THE NEW YORK TIMES:

What do you get when you take an iconic food product, change its ingredients and release it under a kitschy new name, prompting cries of outrage and a storm of media coverage: A marketing failure or a publicity coup?

The executives at Kraft Foods Australia, the company that makes Vegemite are still awaiting the answer to that question after a recent experiment with the country’s most recognized food product went awry.

It all began in July when jars of caramel-brown Vegemite mixed with cream cheese began appearing on supermarket shelves with brightly colored labels inviting consumers to “Name Me.” After weeks of secrecy, during which the company sold more than 3 million jars of the new product to a population of just 22 million people, Kraft took an expensive advertising slot during a nationally televised Australian-rules football final Sept. 26 to announce its winner: Vegemite iSnack 2.0.

The reaction was fierce. Vegemite-loving consumers took to the Internet to voice their collective indignation about the name. Thousands of Twitter posts, at least a dozen Facebook groups and a Web site dedicated to “Names that are better than iSnack 2.0” blasted American-owned Kraft for tampering with an Australian icon.

One online commentator suggested that the 27-year-old designer who had submitted the winning name be tarred with Vegemite and forced to run naked through the streets of Sydney “as retribution for his cultural crime.” Others called the name “uStupid 1.0” and “un-Australian.”

After four days, Kraft announced that it would put the name back to a vote.

This time, it put forward six rather more conventional choices — including Vegemate, Snackmate and Vegemild — from which Cheesybite was elected through an online and telephone poll. The controversy quickly died away.

COMMENT: For some reason my suggestion didn't get through to the final six.

Thanks to Ann for sending in the link to this very important news story.

ALL HAIL THE (SELLING) POWEROF DORKINS' NAME

2009-11-03T15:20:00.002Z

By Frank Schaeffer.
Posted at ALTERNET:

Go to Dawkins's website and change a word or two and it could be the site of a particularly egoistical internet-savvy swami posing in hagiographic photos while collecting birthday greetings and good wishes from his deluded (not terribly bright) followers.

One doesn’t have to buy Dawkins’s books because he’s found a way to offer his wisdom to passersby. Just hang around New Atheist gatherings and you may read Dawkins’s writings on T-shirts worn by his disciples or emblazoning their sweat shirts, tote bags, and bumper stickers.

Here are some samples taken from Dawkins’s official website of the means and methods for spreading the Dawkins’s gospel and/or for collecting his life’s work. What follows is just as I found it on the Dawkins site in the spring of 2009. And this sampling represents a mere fraction of what would, if downloaded, run to hundreds of pages of products, tips for atheist living, resources, further thoughts posted on bulletin boards, and so on.

NEW! The God Delusion T-Shirt Product 5/7 $20.00
sizes m, l, xl and 2xl are in backorder, and will be shipped as soon as they come back in stock (approx. 2 weeks).

The God Delusion T-Shirt with what is perhaps the book’s most famous quote: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”

Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion

White text on slate grey t-shirt. 100% cotton, American Ap¬parel. Made in the U.S.A. These sizes may run a little smaller than some are accustomed to. Add to Cart:

If T-shirts aren’t what you fancy by way of proudly displaying “perhaps the book’s most famous quote,” there are many other fine products. For instance, you may purchase the “Scarlet A Lapel Pin” (I’m not making this up.) And if you don’t know what that is, you may “watch [as] Richard Dawkins explains his Scarlet A lapel pin during an interview, just click Here.”

According to the atheist product catalogue, the Scarlet A Pin is a “Red A with silver edging and back,” and it costs $5. The customer reviews published on Dawkins’s site are glowing. The pin gets Five Stars from just about everyone. Oliver gives the pin Five Stars! and writes, “Brilliant badge. Sub¬lime concept. Let’s get in their faces. Thank God for Dawkins!” Rich also gives the pin Five Stars! and says, “Excellent. Worn it for a couple of months now; four conversations followed I have to order two more.” Another satisfied customer writes, “I love it, but you should really consider offering a Scarlet A necklace.” The next reviewer gives it only four stars, but moving on, Yvonne gives the pin Five Stars! and says, “It looked awesome on my black bag.” Luke gives the pin Five Stars! too and notes, “Great product. I actually turned mine into a pendant by bending the pin and attaching a wire loop.” Then we get back into four star territory: “This is great, but I would much rather have it as a necklace.”

I know a deranged faith-based personality cult when I see one, given that my late father Francis Schaeffer was a fundamentalist guru to millions in the 1970s and 80s and a leading founder of the Religious Right.

COMMENT: Do go read the rest of this article. It is brilliant.

Thanks to Ellie for sending the link into MadPriest Towers.

And don't forget to visit the OCICBW... merchandise page for lots of great ideas for Christmas presents.

FAIRBANKS AIN'T NO PLACEFOR AN ANGRY OLD MAN

2009-11-03T14:42:00.002Z

From THE FAIRBANKS DAILY NEWS-MINER:

An 81-year-old Episcopalian priest was Tasered during a traffic stop last week.

Court documents allege that officers with Eielson Air Force Base’s 354th Security Forces Squadron pulled Glen M. Wilcox over just after 1 p.m. Wednesday for going 11 miles over the speed limit on the Richardson Highway.

An officer, identified as a senior airman in court documents, took Wilcox’s license, registration and proof of insurance and wrote him a traffic citation. When he returned to Wilcox’s car, Wilcox refused to accept the documents and sped down the highway, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.

Wilcox disputes that version of events.

“They waved to me and I thought that meant I could go on,” Wilcox said. “They stopped me again and told me to get out of my car.”

Alaska State Troopers were notified of the incident, and the 354th “initiated a high-risk traffic stop” near 336 Mile Richardson Highway. When Wilcox, a former commander of the Civil Air Patrol, again stopped, he initially refused to roll down his window.

He eventually got out of his vehicle and was told to put his hands behind his back, something he claims is physically impossible for him.

“I showed them I could barely touch my fingertips and they insisted,” he said.

Charging documents allege Wilcox used profanity with the airmen. When they tried to handcuff him, Wilcox, described in court documents as being 6 feet 1 inch tall and 250 pounds, allegedly tried to jerk away from the airmen and used his body to push them around, a claim he also disputes.

After several warnings, one of the airmen used a Taser on Wilcox to take him into custody.

“It hurts like hell,” Wilcox said. “I’m laying on the ground when they Tasered me. It’s painful and very sharp. If I were their base commander, I would put them in jail. Four young men in their 20s do not need to Taser and handcuff an 81-year-old.”

COMMENT: No wonder we're not making any headway in Afghanistan. The Taliban are all far too young for our boys to handle.

SPAWN OF SATAN GET THEIR OWN SHRINEIN EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH

2009-11-03T14:20:00.002Z

From THE OREGONIAN:

Reflections of blinking white bike lights danced up and down the organ pipes inside St. Stephen's Parish on Monday night. On the north wall, Lady Madonna had 35 bicyclists at her feet.

Pushing their bikes inside the church, the riders had escaped the autumn chill of downtown Portland. They had come to watch the Rev. Dennis Parker bless the nation's first known church shrine honoring the Madonna del Ghisallo – patron saint of cyclists.

The new shrine at St. Stephen’s is intended to be place where cyclists of all faiths or beliefs feel comfortable to come for reflection and memorials, church leaders say.

COMMENT: The last thing we should be doing is encouraging these people. We should be preaching against cycling from our pulpits. And, in this case, not only should we be hating the sin, we should be hating the sinner as well.

PLEASE NOTE: The above rant does not apply to well-mannered old boys in sensible tweed on bicycles who stop at traffic lights when they are on red and don't ride on pavements at 20 m.p.h. Blessed are they. They shall inherit the Cycle Lane of God.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-03T14:17:00.000Z

An Australian psychology expert who has been studying emotions has found being grumpy makes us think more clearly. In contrast to those annoying happy types, miserable people are better at decision-making and less gullible, his experiments showed. While cheerfulness fosters creativity, gloominess breeds attentiveness and careful thinking, Professor Joe Forgas told Australian Science Magazine.

Full story at THE BBC.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIESTS TO BE GIVEN KINGDOM OF GOD ON RETIREMENT

2009-11-03T14:04:00.002Z

From THE FINANCIAL TIMES:

The Church of England is considering cutting the rate at which members of its current pension scheme for clergy accrues benefits, it was reported today. The Church of England’s funded clergy pension scheme is rapidly becoming unaffordable to its sponsors.

What makes the church’s scheme unusual is that it has put all of its investment eggs into one basket: equities. At the end of 2008, before the stock markets rebounded, the scheme was roughly only 60 per cent funded. Only in recent months has it begun to diversify into other investments including corporate bonds and currencies. The church is no stranger to the risks of concentrating its investments. In the early 1990s, its bets on commercial property such as the MetroCentre in Newcastle went sour and forced church commissioners to close the scheme at the end of 1997.

The church has been frank about its shortcomings. “It is an uncomfortable fact that the costs of the pension scheme introduced by the General Synod in 1980 have been consistently underestimated. Unless action is taken, far larger increases look unavoidable from 2011 even if the financial markets recover somewhat before the next formal valuation of the pension fund at the end of 2009.”

MADPRIEST'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

2009-11-03T13:58:00.002Z

We do not have freedom of speech. But we do have the freedom to vote in a secret ballot. In MadPriest's opinion, this is why the result of our voting is so often an unenlightened mess. We are not given the chance to talk about things beforehand.

See TELLING SECRETS.

THE PRAYER LIST

2009-11-03T13:10:00.003Z

Hopeful news from Dan at CULTURE CHOC:

Feeling well enough to work from home. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the daily hospital visits will stop by the end of the week.

***

Hopeful news from Shelly at MAYBETHINKING:

Who says you can't change a 40 year habit?!?!?!?

Friends, it's true, after 40 years of supporting R.J. Reynolds I've been smoke free for 52 days.

***

TRACIE has emailed in the following prayer request:

This is from a very beautiful lady, my friend Andrea - someone I'd describe as "a sister that I chose." Long story behind that. This concerns her 9 year old daughter Morgan. Andrea writes:

As some of you may have gathered, we've had a bit of emergency with Morgan.

Last Friday, Morgan started showing some symptoms of the flu, fever, vomitting diarrhea, tummy ache, etc. I took her to her doctor and they confirmed according to her symptoms she did indeed have the flu. She was sent home and we were told to call if things got worse. Early Saturday morning she was vomitting some more and having some diarrhea and complaining of tummy pain. It hurt to move around, but we figured it was due to the virus passing through her system. We were trying to make sure she was hydrated, but slowly and surely she was taking less and less fluids, not eating and become very dehydrated. Around 5:30pm, she woke up from a nap and we knew things were really wrong because she was hallucinating!! We got her to the ER immediately. She was evaluated and finally admitted because of her symptoms were presenting with the flu and she was still having a lot of tummy pain, but she wasn't letting on HOW MUCH pain she was in... She was given an I.V. and after she started getting rehydrated, she started vomitting, a lot...

The next morning, and after some iv fluids and antibiotics, breathing treatments, her upper respiratory system was showing signs of improvement. BUT, she was still having tummy pain, a lot... Her admitting dr checked in around noon on Sunday and was getting very concerned about the tummy pain and was suspicious of appendicitis or an obstruction of some sort. He... called UVA to collegue who is a pediatric surgeon and he insisted on having her transported immediately...

As soon as she got to the hospital at UVA, she was literally decended upon by a team/gang of doctors trying to figure out what was going on. As soon as they assesed the situation and symptoms, she was sent down to get an ultra sound... (which) showed pockets of fluid in her abdomen and they could not find her appendix. So according to the findings/exam/test results and a little gut instinct, the amazing Dr McGeron decided they needed to go in and get it and remove the fluid/abcess/pus that was in her belly. They went in laproscopically first to identify and then decided that they needed to open her up even further to get to everything. Morgan's appendix had burst and it was also located BEHIND her colon, which is why they couldn't find it in the ultrasound. The poor baby was full of some nasty and painful stuff. The infection was so very bad. We came a little too close for comfort to losing our child. Luckily, we got to everything in time.

... she 's doing as well as can be expected and her doctor is saying that she is right where she needs to be in regarding someone in her situation. We are looking at her being there at least until Friday/Saturday if all goes well. She still has a long road to haul.

I will update more when I can and when I know more about what is going on with our little girl. Thank you all again for all the prayers and well-wishes. I will post some new and positive information later.

Love to you all.
Andrea

***

Posted by Jay at BAILEY'S BUDDY:

Years ago I used to go dancing. You know it had to be years ago because it was disco. I used to love swing and boogie and rock and roll and yes, I was not necessarily a good dancer but I had fun... The thing is I have not been dancing for ages. And about five years ago I had a condition which is diabetic related which caused me to have an ankle fusion operation... It does not help with dancing.

Saturday night at the Gala I tempted the Gods.

... we ventured out on the dance floor and the next think I knew I was about 30 years younger and dancing again. I loved it. Until I really ended up on the dance floor. Now the main reason I fell was probably the shoe but it did not help that I had some lovely Scotch and a bit of Templeton Rye... But I will always maintain that it was the shoe that did it, That and my exuberance.

I scared the Bejeesus... out of my table mates... I was worried about by glasses but they stayed on. I believe my hat went flying. Anyway I also have these KNEES which do not work like they are supposed to so I knew I was going to have to have help getting up... The thing is I hate to have people treat me like I was old. I much prefer not to be reminded. I know that they are being helpful but it bugs me.

Well anyway they got me up and I went back to the table and continued to enjoy myself. No broken bones and still cognizant. I have fallen before (lots of times since I got this shoe) so I probably have some sense of how to do it.

Sometimes when I fall I feel worse the second day than I did the first and that was the case today. I have a sore shoulder and... bruises...

***

Paul at BYZIGENOUS BUDDHAPALIAN has posted a new heart thread.

***

Please pray for the husband of MadPriest's Aunt Jenny. His name is Lawrence and has has been told that the equipment that is keeping his heart going will lose all effectiveness in 6 months time and will have to be removed. He is extremely scared and Jenny is, of course, extremely distressed.

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THE MIDNIGHT JUKEBOX

2009-11-03T00:20:00.005Z

Those of you who have been paying attention will know that I went to see Steve Earle tonight who is nearing the end of the European leg of his Townes Van Zandt tribute tour. It was brilliant but, as usual with Steve, very long. So, if I'm going to get any sleep tonight, I only have time to stick a few Townes' songs on the jukebox for your entertainment. I will probably do some more stuff on this tomorrow.

When it comes to Van Zandt, I'm with Steve Earle who once said that Townes Van Zandt was the greatest American songwriter ever and that he would "stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in his cowboy boots and say it."

LONDON TO BE RENAMED CAMERONGRAD

2009-11-02T14:35:00.002Z

AND NOW FOR SOMETHINGCOMPLETELY DIFFERENT

2009-11-02T12:46:00.006Z

would you adam and steve it?MADPRIEST GOES OUT FOR THE EVENING

2009-11-02T12:34:00.003Z

THE DVANT DISCO

2009-11-02T12:03:00.009Z

Four tunes from the new album by
OCICBW... faves, THE HOLD STEADY.

Enjoy!

A CRY FOR HELP

2009-11-02T11:40:00.002Z

A mission congregation in Port Royal, South Carolina, is having all sorts of problems with Bishop Porkie Pie. Please pop over to OFF-TOPIC ALLOWED to read the full details of their troubles and to see if you can help.

REVISION NOTES

2009-11-02T11:38:00.001Z

Thanks to Tracie for sending this
helpful link into MadPriest Towers.

CARDINAL SMELL SNIFFS VICTORYAS FORMER PENAL COLONYFORGETS ITS ORIGINS

2009-11-02T11:25:00.003Z

The Catholic and Anglican Churches are praising a decision that overturned a finding favouring a gay couple's bid to become foster parents, with Sydney's Cardinal Smell calling it a "helpful" step "in the right direction."

The couple, who were refused access to the Wesley Mission's foster care agency because they are homosexual, had successfully pleaded their case to the Administrative Decisions Tribunal, they were awarded $10,000 and the Wesley Mission told to change its practices so it didn't discriminate.

A highly critical appeal panel has however quashed that decision and ordered the original tribunal to hear the case again. Magistrate Nancy Hennessy instructed the tribunal to take into consideration whether monogamous heterosexual couples are the norm for "Wesleyanism" and whether they might have had to reject the couple in order to preserve their beliefs and not offend people in their religion.

"It is important to protect people from unjust discrimination but it is ridiculous to claim discrimination every time we show a preference for some people over others," Cardinal Smell is quoted as saying in support.

COMMENT: It is rumoured that Benny, who has a distinct preference for homophobes and bigots, will soon be offering Cardinal Smell a job at his organisation's HQ. In my opinion, especially after this decision by its legislature, Australians don't deserve to be so lucky.