Misc.

I read a weird article about this new type of by called "Modesty Buses" in Israel. Men and women are segregated with men sitting at the front and women sitting at the back. The sad thing is that this is what is actually happening right now in Iran. Men claim it is actually for the women's sake but come on - the moment you enforce these rules and remove freedom of choice you discard the option of claiming something is for the good of a group.
Like the hejab in Iran - women should cover themselves up... why? if you believe it, you should do it and if you don't...? I read the following quote in an article from Playboy the other day: In Iran, before the revolution, people used to pray in private and party in public. Now it is the other way around.
Somehow I think the more you try to enforce something, the more it backfires in the long run.
Btw the Playboy article is here and i haven't finished reading it but it seems interesting. You can download the pdf.
[Note: Unfortunately, there are no dirty pictures on this site! :-) ]

I am going to finish up with the following picture which I thought was really funny!! Essentially, be nice to the US!

Easter and Bunnies

Tonight I watched the funniest episode of South Park - it was a parody of The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I don't know how much of the episode to reveal but basically Stan questions the meaning of Easter (ie the resurrection of Jesus) and its relation to the tradition of coloring eggs and the easter bunny and then he finds out about this secret society called the ... hmm - I was about to reveal all the info! suffice it to say the morale of this story is that the Pope should not really be head of the church (not this pope, but any pope) and that they should not tell people or Christians how to live. Very nice message.
It always amazes me that those who are most religious cannot understand that religion is a personal thing and cannot be forced upon people. Who are they to dictate the word of God. Religion ideally should be spiritual, something that is felt within, something that you want to do yourself. Why is there this institution? Why is there a pope, an imam? why is Judaism a race?

I was listening recently to the radio and they were saying that Pope Benedict was pushing for the sainthood of Pope John Paul to be ordained. It seems that recently and especially in the time of Pope JP, there was an explosion in the number of people who were sainted - especially in their own countries. The idea was (is) that people relate better with contemporary saints. Therefore... Do you know why they claim Pope JP is a saint? because a nun who had parkingson's disease, said she and her fellow nuns prayed to Pope JP and then she was cured. She didn't want to call it a miracle, but... the church should call it that!! Seriously does this make sense? If JP needs to be distinguished because of his actions, say that. Why bring in the idea of holiness, especially when this holiness is given by fellow men, for this is how a pope is chosen right?
Anyway, the bottom line is that why the whole idea of sainthood? why is does religion like the classist way of life? Shouldn't all men be equal?