More photos
Your article about Wendi Kent’s journey from pregnant 13-year-old, through addiction, jail and a failed marriage to her current endeavors as a documentary photographer and activist was very compelling (“Shining a Light,” 3/10/2016). Having read her story, however, I found myself wishing you’d devoted some space to a few more of her images, of which there must be hundreds. The two small photos you ran did not adequately tell the story.
Brent Nicastro (via email)
Editor’s note: We have added photos to the online version, at Isthmus.com.
Don’t go, “WhadYa Know?”
Re “I Wasn’t Ready” (3/10/2016): I have loved Michael Feldman’s show for nearly 30 years. I am going to miss this as part of my Saturday routine. What a shame that WPR did not try harder to keep the show on air. It certainly seems fishy, and it is a terrible way to treat all who bring us this show.
Jennifer Nelson (via Facebook)
So, WPR is canceling the show because only 100 stations are carrying it. That is BS. They should be able to produce a show even if only WPR is carrying it. What about the noon crop reports? If those don’t go viral on Twitter, they are canceled?
Alicia Diehl (via Facebook)
Catholics, Buddhists and Pastafarians
Dave Cieslewicz: I see where you took a moment to launch a couple of shots at one of your favorite targets, the Catholic Church (“The Dalai Lama and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster,” Citizen Dave, 3/8/2016). Of course I’m well aware of your thoughts on the church. But I was surprised you showed a complete lack of knowledge about two of what are supposed to be the Church’s greatest atrocities: The Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition.
You seem to be under the misconception that the Crusades were some kind of early imperialism, intended to spread Christianity at the point of a sword. Not true. The Crusades were a defensive war. Their purpose was to reclaim Christian lands that had been converted to Islam at the point of a sword. Furthermore, the Muslims won. For the past 15 years all the politically correct types such as you have been warning us not to mention the Crusades because it upsets the Muslims by reminding them of the terrible humiliation they suffered as a result. The problem with that narrative is that they won each crusade and celebrate them to this day because it was the Christians who left humiliated.
Then you mention the Spanish Inquisition. This is when the church tortured and killed people accused of heresy right? Except that they didn’t.
There were a number of Inquisitions, not just the Spanish one. But they were all pretty much instituted for the same reason: To stop the murder and torture. It wasn’t the church who was committing the atrocities; it was the noblemen and prominent citizens. Heresy was not just a crime against the church, only of interest to clergy. Royalty was considered royalty by divine right. Their power to rule came directly from God, and they could not afford to have that right openly questioned. So people who had a grievance with a neighbor or rival would concoct some accusation of heresy, to which the king had to respond, usually by torture and death. This allowed their property to get “acquired” by the aggrieved party. The pope declared an Inquisition for the purpose of stopping the abuses.
Patrick O’Loughlin (via email)
Have you read the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Have you any real Pastafarian friends? It would seem not. Otherwise, you would understand that we are not put here to mock religion. In fact, many of our followers have dual belief systems. All are welcome at the table of the FSM. Read some more before you spout off about a faith. In particular read the eight “I’d really rather you didn’ts.”
Regardless, you should know that we have the best community and best faith. Our heaven is better and our hell is bad but not as bad as the Catholic one. Our food and drink are terrific and we offer a money-back warranty. Name a religion that competes with that!
Bob Anderson (via Comments)
There is plenty of mocking humor in many Buddhist traditions. And one of my favorite koans is still this one: “The Buddha is a dry shit stick.”
A religion that presents wisdom in the form of a statement like that about itself (and no, I didn’t make that up; it’s a real koan used for teaching) understands Pastafarianism very well, I’d say.
There’s enough thoughtless, reflexive veneration of religion out there already. A little counterbalance, a little deflating is healthy. Maybe even necessary to prevent harm in the long run.
Lee Burvine (via Comments)
I would agree with Dave if there weren’t a constant assault by religious folks in our political system and our communities to force their beliefs upon me in ways that actually do affect my life, not just a goofy statement that doesn’t rob women of health care or researchers of stem cells to cure the world’s most frightful diseases. Fighting back may seem petty to Dave, but it’s necessary.
Ryan Billingham (via Facebook)
Dave needs to lighten up. In the Name of the Holy Noodle, RAMEN.
J. Fernando Moreno Arias (via Facebook)