5 Comments

Londiniensis
September 5th, 2009 | 9:29 am

It would be a good idea if Catholics resumed skipping meat on Fridays, but, no that would be imposing pre-Vatican II religious views on “grown up” Catholics, who have long abandoned such antediluvian pietistic practices, along with Eucharistic Adoration, receiving Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue, regular Confession, Marian devotions and generally respecting the Magisterium.

Chuck
September 5th, 2009 | 11:50 am

Of course that also gives those of us who do not particularly like Islam an opportunity to show our respect for it by having the annual Ramadan Daylight Pork Barbecue.

Craig Payne
September 5th, 2009 | 11:56 am

I am reminded of the exchange between Akbar (a Muslim) and John Raggley (a sort of Christian) in Chesterton’s Father Brown story “A Quick One.” In a pub, Raggley roars out, “with a less broad theological outlook,” “Do you mean that Englishmen mustn’t drink English beer, because wine was forbidden in a damned desert by that dirty old humbug Mahomet?”

Akbar immediately tries to kill Raggley with a sword, after which Raggley laughs uproariously. An inspector who is present asks Raggley if he wants to press charges. Raggley responds:

“Charge him, of course not. I’d stand him a drink if he were allowed any drinks. I hadn’t any business to insult his religion; and I wish to God all you skunks had the guts to kill a man, I won’t say for insulting your religion, because you haven’t got any, but for insulting anything–even your beer.”

I wonder how the current mayor of London would deal with a man like Raggley, who actually respects Muslims enough to insult them occasionally.

Craig Payne
September 5th, 2009 | 11:58 am

Come to think of it, I wonder how Raggley would respond if the mayor of London suggested he fast during Ramadan.

suek
September 5th, 2009 | 12:02 pm

“And non-Catholics skip meat on Fridays, too, of course. ”

Catholics haven’t done so for a long time – but it would be worth it, wouldn’t it!!