Lech Walesa

Talking of closets, someone should lock this Polish icon in one. The world’s Polish darling, Lech Walesa, has just come up with some amazing catholic right wing stuff: Homosexuals should “ know that they are a minority and must adjust to smaller things… not rise to the greatest heights ... spoiling things for the others and taking from the majority.” Asked, in an interview, where homosexuals should sit in the parliamentary chamber this primitive man added, "No minority should climb all over the majority. Homosexuals should even sit behind a wall, and not somewhere at the front.”

His Eminence and sexual conduct

Should archbishops and cardinals have sexual “conduct” at all?

The most senior Catholic cleric in the UK, Cardinal O’Brien, has just announced to a no longer surprised world, “there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal.” Wow. But, what else could a catholic cardinal define what is said to be fondling and kissing seminarians? 

Somewhere I feel sorry for this 75 year-old gay man who chose priesthood as his vocation, at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in his country. That was probably his way of trying to control, deny and thereby perhaps kill his sex drive - one that society chose to punish.

O’Brien’s sex drive being what it is was stronger than his will and he is alleged to have abused his position to make advances to some men junior to him. This is undoubtedly wrong. It is wrong to take advantage of your position for sexual gratification. It is also wrong for a man of the church to live a lie. Nobody, by the way, suggested child abuse or pedophilia.

Perhaps, however, our eminent cardinal would not have found himself in this terrible position, had society - led by Catholic and other religious institutions and by lawmakers all over the world - not made homosexuality illegal? Had we not been brought up that gay sex is immoral and disgusting? Had society not pushed homosexuals into deep closets hoping that they might suffocate in them?

Syphilis Sells Books

In time for Benjamin Britten’s 2013 centenary, Penguin is publishing a new biography. The press is full of the “exciting” findings that Britten’s heart failure and death were the result of Syphilis, of which he was unaware and which he probably was given by his partner Peter Pears.

Twenty years ago, another biography of Britten, which went to great lengths to discuss Britten’s homosexuality and even possible abuse in his childhood, was published. At the time, I asked a friend of Britten’s who was also a close friend of my parents, what he thought of the newly published biography. This friend did not like it and thought that this delving into Britten’s private life was wrong. I disagreed.

I thought and still think that Britten’s sexuality and attitude to homosexuality played an important role in his work and that the information was therefore relevant. This cannot be said about Britten’s sexually transmitted disease. We do not need this very private information in order to understand his music.

Could it be that syphilis sells more books than musical analysis of the composer’s Church Parables?

Fires in Israel

41 people have died, more than 13,000 evacuated from their homes, villages and a kibbutz completely ruined and forests still burning in the Carmel Mountain area of Israel because of a blazing fire that Israel’s evidently bankrupt fire-fighting system does not seem to be able to contain.

Israel on Fire I

Various countries are coming to Israel’s aid, sending fire fighting planes, other equipment and material. Bulgaria has even sent a team of 100 to help.

Lately, Israel is rightly preoccupied with the notion that it is being delegitimized in the world. Israeli politicians should not mistake humanitarian aid for political support.

Israel on Fire II

How would Israel have reacted had the fires in the Carmel been the result of a Hezbollah attack? Fortunately, that is not the case – otherwise we would have had a full-blown war in the Middle East.

How much death and misery would the world have been spared had the attack on the twin towers in New York been just an attack of a madman or the same damage caused by an earthquake? No Iraq war, no Afghanistan war and a weaker Iran and this is just for starters.

Israel on Fire III

Two years ago, ultra-religious Israeli Member of Parliament Mr Benizri explained that an earthquake that had taken place at the time was God's punishment for gay sex.

Now Benizri (like quite a few of the other ultra-orthodox party leaders) is in jail for corruption. I wonder whether his experience in jail has changed his mind about the evils of homosexuality or has he added the fires in the Carmel Mountains to the catalogue of God's wrathful acts?

The Pope and Mrs. Robinson

The Pope has just come out with a statement linking the Catholic Church’s opposition to gay marriage to global warming. Both, according to Benedict, are a threat to creation. The Pope has clearly not yet finished reading his copy of Double Cross: The Code of the Catholic Church.

About a year ago, Protestant Iris Robinson, wife of Northern Ireland’s First Minister and a Member of the UK Parliament, branded homosexuality “an abomination” and urged homosexuals to seek psychiatric help. Robinson, it appears, had it directly from God: “Homosexuality is not natural. My Christian beliefs tell me that it is an abomination and that is very clear. It is an offence to God, an offensive act and something God abhors… I have a lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my office trying to turn homosexuals away from what they are engaged in. I’m happy to put any homosexuals in touch with this gentleman.”

Loathing of homosexuals seems to unite Protestants and Catholics. There must be hope for Ireland, after all.

It now turns out that devout Mrs. Robinson did not read the rest of her Bible. Did she miss class when they taught about adultery? Perhaps she was getting laid at the time. Not only did a 59-year-old Robinson have an affair with a 19-year-old boy, she appears to have paid him for it. The MP and wife of Northern Ireland’s First Minister arranged for two property developers to fund a business for her lover to the tune of £50,000. Greedy on top of it all, Robinson demanded a 10% cut. Lover boy had to give her £5000 in cash-back in return for the money she had organised for him.

As a good Christian she must believe in hell. I wish her all the fires she believes in. She is already getting a taster and is hiding behind a “nervous breakdown”.