Islam's "Heavenly Ornaments." Notes By Uncle Monty.

Islam’s “Heavenly Ornaments.”

Notes By Uncle Monty

=:=

Islam both fascinates and frightens me at the same time.

As a belief, Islam rejects those like me who they disparag-
ingly call “Worshippers of the Cross.” And, Islam is a growing

global force that will eventually eclipse Christianity in terms

of numbers, reach, religious power, and political potency

on the world stage.

=:=

With the English translation from Urdu by Mohammad
Masroof Khan Saroha of BAHISHI ZEWAR or “Heaven
Ornaments,” I began to carefully read the Quranic text
as presented in the 1991, 483-page, first edition book
that came, by chance, into my hands while I was inside
an Islamic charity shop at London’s West Ealing a few
months ago. The hardback cover was in bright green
with all the words on the front cover printed in
gold-leaf from Karachi, Pakistan.

=:=

What I started to read “Heavenly Ornaments” it was
quite an eye opener for me as a thinking Anglican not
versed with any depth in the Muslim faith nor with
much knowledge of The Holy Quran.
=:=
Yes, I know of the two major branches of Islam -

Shia and Sunni. Yes, I know Muslims have Friday

Prayer Day. Yes, I know Muslims view Christian
Jesus as a Minor Prophet with Almighty Allah the

only one for them. Statues and pictures of people

and animals are also rejected by the Islamic faith.

Yes, I know that right now there are some 1.8 billion

people who are steadfast adherents to The Holy

Prophet. Yes, I know of the Islam’s yearly Ramadan

and other festivals. Yes, I have visited mosques in

three or four countries and my first one was at

America's Washington, D.C. on Embassy Row.

I know perhaps 3 or 4 folkz who are

practicing Muslims.
=:=
But beyond that, I am pretty ignorant all around
about Islam as a Christian by birth, upbringing,
and faith. So upon finding the book “Heavenly
Ornaments,” I had hoped it would help me to have

more knowledge and understanding of Islam.
It has, but I am perhaps now more frightened,
while still deeply fascinated, with such a belief
system after reading what I have of Saroha's
translation of BAHISHI ZEWAR
or “Heaven Ornaments.”
=:=

Book Cover of "Heavenly Ornaments."

True Beliefs (Aqa’ed)
Mas-ala 1 – There was no Universe in the

beginning. It came into being by order of Allah.
Mas-ala 2 – Allah is one. He is not subordinate to
or dependent upon any one. He has neither given
birth to any one nor has been born of someone.
Mas-ala 3 – He is eternal. He has been from
eternity and shall remain till eternity.
The Mas-ala is presented in 52 problems.
=:=
Heresy (Bid’at)

lists 33 such bad customs.
No. 12 – To bring water pitcher singing from

the river; to listen to music or play musical
instruments or to make dancing-girls dance
and to give them rewards.
No. 25 – To hang pictures or photos in the house.
No. 26 – To use golden or silver utensils or to
wear very thin clothes and jingling ornaments.
No. 28 – To adopt and wear the dress of the
opposite sex and its manner.
No 29 – To get the body tattooed.
No 32 – To give opium to the children to keep
them quiet and asleep.
No 33. To treat an ailment of the child with
milk or meat of a lion.

=:=

Of Wuzu – Ablution
a) While making ablution one should sit on

some raised place facing Ka’ba (Mecca) …
b) (The) inner part of the nose should be
washed and cleaned with the left hand …

c) Then wash the face three times wetting
the fore-head from the hair of the head to the
lower portions of the ears. No portion of the

face should remain dry.
d) Then wash the feet beginning with the right (foot)
upto and including both ankles three times each.
The little finger of the left hand should be passed
between the fingers of both the feet beginning
from the little finger of the right foot and ending
with little finger of the left foot.
This is the method of Wuzu

as prescribed by Sunna.

=:=

Breaches of Wuzu (Ablution)
Mas-ala 1 – Passing of stool, urine, or gases
breaches the ablution.
Mas-ala 8 – If blood or pus is pressed out of a

wound and it flows, then ablution is breached.
Mas-ala 12 – If one gets stung by a leech and
it sucks so much blood that cutting the leech
the blood flows, then Wusu is lost.
Mas-ala 16 – If vomit is mouthful, then

ablution is breached.
Mas-ala 20 – If one faints or loses sense in

insanity, ablution is lost even though the

faintness or the insanity was momentary.

Similarly, if some intoxicant is consumed

and it makes one to lose balance while walking

and steps are unsteady, the ablution is lost.

=:=

The Lord's Prayer in Arabic

=:=
The Leavings of Animals
Mas-ala 2 – The leavings of a dog are unclean.
Mas-ala 3 – Leavings of a pig is filthy.
Mas-ala 9 – Leavings of Halal animals (slaughtered
according to Islamic law) i.e. sheep, goat, cow,
buffalo, antelope, etc., and birds like maina, dove,

pigeon, parrot, sparrow, etc., are clean.

The leavings of a horse are also clean.

=:=
Obligatory Bath
(Things or acts which make bath obligatory)
Mas-ala 1 – If semen is discharged with excitement
while asleep or awake, bath becomes obligatory in
whatever way it may discharge whether by touching
the opposite se or by mere thinking.
Mas-ala 3 - When the top of a male organ (penis) has
entered the vagina and is not visible, bath becomes
obligatory whether there has been the discharge of
semen or not. But it is a major sin to insert the

penis in the back side.
Mas-ala 10 – If an infidel (non-Muslim) accepts

Islam it is appreciable for him to take a bath.
Mas-ala 11 – If one bathes a dead man, it is

appreciable for him to take a bath.
Mas-ala 13 – Those for whom a bath is obligatory,

it is prohibited for them to touch the Holy Quran

or to enter mosque.
There are over 100 different other

Mas-ala (problems) obligatory bathing.

=:=

Many detailed rules regarding baths, water,

washing, cooking, sexual activity, and women’s

dress are also outlined in “Heavenly Oraments.”
=:=
Acts To Be Avoided in Urination:-
a) Takling and coughing unnecessarily.
b) To recite any verse of the Holy Quran

or a Tradition or any other sacred Text.
d) Passing urine in standing position or lying
down without any genuine cause or doing

it being completely naked.
=:=
Rules and obligations regarding
Muslim prayers list over 350
instructions for those at the Mosque.
=:=
Recitation of The Holy Quran, Death,
Shrouding, Funeral, Burial, Martyrdom,
Congregration, are ruled by over another
350 rules and obligations for those of
the Islamic faith.

=:=

Respect and Reverence of
Friday Prayer Day.
Mas-ala 1 – Every Muslim should make prepara-

tions for Juma (Friday) from Thursday. He should
arrange for clean clothes and perfume them.
Mas-ala 2 – One should bathe properly on Friday
and clean his body and hair of the head. Use of
Miswak (toothstick) is also of great virtue on Friday.
=:=
The Fast (Saum)
Mas-ala 1 – Keeping of fasts is obligatory

for every Muslim who is not insane or minor.
Mas-ala 4 – It is not essential to express the intent
in words, but merely a resolve to keep the fast and not
eat or drink anything or indulge in sexual intercourse
for a whole day, completes the fast. It is better to say,
“O Allah, I will keep fast tomorrow for Thy sake.”
=:=

Breaches of Fast
Mas-ala 17 – If any one committed sexual intercourse
with a dead woman or with a minor girl who does not
excite the passion or with an animal or embrace or kiss
anyone or masturbates and in all instances seman came out,
the fast will be disrupted but recompensation will not be due.
Mas-ala 25 – Fast is not distrupted if a man enters some
oil or water with a syringe or otherwise in his penis
though it may reach the bladder.
Mas-ala 27 – It is execrable (abominable) to embrace or
kiss a woman if there is apprehension of discharge of seman
or may commit sexual intercourse under force of passions.
Mas-ala 28 – It is execrable to suck the lips of a woman

or to bring together the private organs in a naked

state without indulging in sexual intercourse whether

there was apprehension of seman discharge or not.
=:=

I could go on and on even more to describe the

Quranic text from Islam's "Heavenly Ornaments."

But for those who want to read the complete book,

simply key in the words "heavenly ornaments"

on any major search engine and you'll soon find

plenty of Islamic booksellers ready to sell you

the book title online.
=:=
I have admittedly made my own selections from the

hundreds of Muslim requirements as stated in the

book due simply to presenting a short overview of the
almost 500-page book. I have selected those items
which seem to me to be so totally different to what
most Christians practice and believe. Nor have I

attempted here to write a book review about

"Heavenly Ornaments" since I do not have the

knowledge let alone the gall to try to do so.

=:=

My aim has been to simply and briefly inform those

who may be like me - both fascinated and frightened

at the same time about Islam and what it means to

those of us who are non-Muslims. Of course, each

person is free to dig more deeply into all that is truly

Islamic and truly Muslim. I just hope perhaps that

by having read what I have stated, such will lead

to greater understanding and knowledge of Islam

for those who are so inclined for whatever reason

may come to their heart and mind. For me person-

ally, Islam's "Heavenly Ornaments" has been

a truly big eye-opener into the Muslim faith.

=:=

While I hold absolutely no religious prejudice

against others, I very much doubt that I'll

consider any time very soon about converting

to Islam that's for sure ... An avid Anglican I

am and an avid Anglican I pretty much plan

to avidly stay, thank you very much ...
=:=
Shalom, Uncle Monty.

+St. Gwynedd, 2oo8.

=:=

:: UPDATE ::

Mistrust Risks Violence, Interfaith

Conference on Christians-Muslims told.

By Tom Heneghan, Reuters Religion Editor

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2938447420080729

=:=

Christless Acts At Lambeth Conference. By Uncle Monty.

Christless Acts At Lambeth Conference
Story and Photos By Uncle Monty
+
Strifling security greeted all at The
2oo8 Lambeth Conference. Archbishops
and bishops could not be seen high or low. It
was like they'd been cocooned or sequestered
from ordinary Anglicans and unnoted mortals.

+

Trying to find the various conference venues
was like hitchhiking here and there across the
huge campus of the University of Kent and falling
flat on one's face to find it or that wasn't there.
Posted signs were rare and what few I saw were
mainly felt-pen scribbled and struck on some
existing door or wall.

+

The Marketplace -- where church and religious
groups and Christian businesses could offer
their sales or program pitch was so tucked
away it was finally discovered after a number
of tries and then only to be disappointed by its
small size and poor selection of goods. It took
less then 15 minutes to see everything
on display at The Marketplace.
+
Crowds were non-existent on what was the
first official day of the public being permitted
to attend the conference's fringe events and
the marketplace. It was hard to tell if seminars
were or were not open to members of the public.

The glossy 96-page Official Programme and Event

Guide of The Lambeth Conference looked all pretty

and nice, but it was absolutely useless when denied

access to attend this and that as a member of the

Anglican public.
+

Archbishop Rowan Williams' Crown Cope.

+

But it was at the rigmarole registration process
at the Grimond Building that the whole sad story
of The 2oo8 Lambeth Conference showed its ugly
face in the form of the truly cynical and officious
Rev'd John Carter, the main press co-ordinator for

the conference. His christless acts were priceless.

+
More like a prison official was Mr. Carter than a kindly

church minister, whose minnow mouth opened and

closed much like the very little fish he is in the big

global Anglican Communion fish bowl. And, he was

as subborn as a mule was he. Visit his two blogz:

1: http://churchinaspin.blogspot.com/

2: http://www.blogger.com/profile/02719886452231429452

+

He told me that some of the bishops were

so frightned of being attacked and harmed that
the need for tight security was paramount for them.
Really? And, yes John Carter was the conference gate-

keeper and paid Anglican arbiter of who was or who was

not “legitimate” press according to his christless eyes and

severe judgement. I instantly took an intense disliking to the

fellow. No, he’d never heard of Uncle Monty before. That

was enough for him to callously deny me access to news

briefings and seminars and freedom to attend fringe

events. For me then, The Lambeth Conference quickly

became a non-event due primarily to the impish and

and garbage behaviour of the Rev'd John Carter, who

is also the communications officer for the English

Diocese of Ripon and Leeds. He's involved, too,

with the Churches Advertising Network (CAN).

+
At Where Some Lambeth Conference Bishops Meet

+
The conference's stifling security was based on the

issuing of a variety of different coloured lanyards from

purple to white to red to blue, etc., to those of various

rank and status so attending The Lambeth Conference.

Without a lanyard around your neck you were dead.
Security folkz worked like vultures against those without
lanyards. Paul Squires was a good example of such a security

vulture and overkiller that I personally encountered twice

from him aside from John Carter, who was so contemptuous

of his fellow Anglicans I wondered how he could call himself

an Anglican “reverend.” And still get away with it. At one

point during my bitter encounter with him, the “no good”

reverend even went as far as to verbally threaten me with

taking me to court to sue me should I write anything

about him that he didn’t like. Well, make my day ... I

saw no grace or prayers at The Lambeth Conference.

All I saw were little men on secular "power trips"

and christless acts.
+
Rev'd Canon Pamela Wilding

+
Thus such was my sorrowful experience at
The Lambeth Conference set at the See of
Canterbury at where to visit the cathedral
precincts now cost £7.00 or $US14.00. Last
time I was at the cathedral three years ago
it was free for all visitors. Now they charge
one and all. It's too much and it's too bad.
+
Sincerely, Uncle Monty.
+The 8th Day of the Lambeth
Conference, 2oo8.
+

The Big Top at The Lambeth Conference, 2oo8.

Below, I leave you with a small selection of my

"Images of The See of Canterbury."

+

+

+
+

+
A further note now on The Lambeth Conference.
Most of the 700+ archbishops and bishops will be
parading in London along with the earthly religious
mighty like Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Conner,
head of the Holy Catholic Church in England and
Wales; Dr. Jonathan Sachs, British Chief Rabbi; and
chairman Ibrahim Mogra, leader of the British Mus-
lims, as they gather by interfaith endeavour for the
"Walk of Witness" against world poverty. So perhaps
I'll finally get to see and meet some of the "Big Whigs"
of the religious establishment that I was prevented
from meeting by that Carter dude at Canterbury.
+
My question is this: If the bishops are so
frightened for their security and safety, as Carter
stated so melodramtically to me, why then are those
same consecrated clerics now planning to parade
themselves openly on the streets of London as they
make their way to Lambeth Palace before returning
to The Lambeth Conference at The See of Canterbury?
I see, so they're to be escorted as they walk the streets
under ready armed British cops or what?
I rather -think not ... Rev'd Caaaaaarter.
Your's, Uncle Monty.
+Mary Magdalene, 2oo8.
+

Anglican Mainstream

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/

+

Dogz of the Vendors. By Uncle Monty.

Dogz of the Vendors
Story and Photos By Uncle Monty
.
“She is all that I own. I have nothing but her. I love her
more than I can say.” The young man wasn’t talking
about his dead mom or his new girlfriend or his little
sister or his state care baby girl. He was talking about

his beloved dog called "Missy." As a Big Issue vendor,

Ryan takes Missy with him wherever he goes and he

holds on to her like grim death. Ryan found Missy

under the bridge one night as he went to find a place

to rough sleep. Within minutes, Ryan and Missy hit

good chemistry and they soon became the

best of friends.

.
Missy isn’t a dog to Ryan, she is a four-legged friend

that he can rely upon better than most of his two-
legged ones. He’ll go without food in order that she
eats first. A chocolate lab, Missy is ever protective
of Ryan and Ryan is ever protective of her. They’ve

been together now for five years and they’re growing

old together. Ryan could well sing Ron Miller's song:
“For Once In My Life I Have Found Someone Who

Needs Me” or is it the song that Missy sings?

He Ryan and she Missy represent one of the many
love stories of the dogz of the vendors. And such dog

stories are also to be found among homeless folkz who

aren't necessarily street vendors of The Big Issue.
.

Dogz are my favourite creatures. That’s why I wanted

to write about, and to photograph, such dogz of the
vendors that I've seen and found on the streets of

London and elsewhere in my constant travels

around the world of homelessness.
.

With his dog, cold vendor John, No.

296, at his territorial NPG pitch.

.
I call him “The Colonic Jerk,” that he is, despite
his lovely black dog who is to be found with him
outside London’s National Portrait Gallery across

from the National Memorial to Nurse Edith Cavell

(1865-1915). She was sentenced to death by a Ger-

man firing squad for helping WWI British soldiers

escape back home.

.

John, who I’ll spare from telling the world his last name
that begin with a “B” and ends with a double “n,” is
far from sweet unlike his faithful dog. In fact, the jerk
spews out his obscenities like the hard-core alcoholic
that he is. Presently, he’s in rehab after a month in detox.
I hadn’t seen him or his dog for almost 18 months since
he reported me to The Big Issue for allegedly “intruding”
on his pitch so the nasty son of bitch said, who is not only
a pathological drunk but also a pathological liar, too.

Most other vendors steer clear of him for he's

that disliked by them, too.

.
When I last saw him by chance again last month,

he looked like death warmed-up as his unleashed

dog was unconditionally following him as usual. The
only good thing I have to say about “The Colonic Jerk”
is that he treats his pet dog with care and kindness with
no hint of abuse that I have occasionally seen among one or

two other homeless folkz. I hate and detest to see any kind of

cruelty, either intentionally or unintentionally, to any of the
animals, domestic or otherwise, by so-called humanbeings.
All creatures in my sight are among us by the pure
grace of God. Remember, too, when you spell the

word “dog” backwards it says – GOD.

.

The Colonic Jerk, No. 296.

He's Like Death Warmed Up.

.
When it comes to Keith (shown below), he’s like

sunlight compared to John, The Colonic Jerk. With

his beloved dog Breeze, Keith at age 27 has been selling

The Big Issue on and off for a number of years. And un-

like The Colonic Jerk, Keith tends to show respect and
manners to other fellow vendors like me. That's nice for

sure ... Keith isn’t mean, either. While I have found

that vendor No. 296. to be so mean and so cold.
.
Keith and Breeze

.
Dogz of the vendors aren’t all male dog lovers, al-
though most are. I have seen two or three women vendors
with their dogz. I saw one of them on The Strand I think
with three dogz all content to lay next to her as she begged
for money or offered a back issue or two of The Big Issue to
those who might help her and her dogz out to buy some food.

She asked, too, that I not photograph her and
I respected her rightful request for privacy.
.
For some street vendors and homeless folkz, dogz are
not only desired for companionship but also for physical
protection against others who may attempt to rob
them or harm them on the streets. Dogz are also used to
avoid or prevent arrest by the cops for petty offences like
begging or minor trespassing. Such dogz require the
police to ensure they are picked up and transported to safe
keeping at the nearest dog shelter and that can be quite an hassle
for such cops to have to do before taking up the case of the arrested.
In America, the cops will oftentimes shot dead the dog first as they
arrest the homeless on the mean streets for something or other as
they then soon ship them fast to the local jailhouse or county
detention facility. Many of the dogz of the vendors are also badly
underfed and really need veterinary care to help them live a
better quality of life. The poorer the vendor, the poorer is
usually the shape of the dog. It can be a dog’s life literally
for both the dog and the street vendor, especially during
the cold weather months of open exposure to the outdoor
winter elements that can result in death by hypothermia
and severe frost bite. Neither vendor nor dog should
have to suffer such a plight.
.
Photograph, But Don't Show My Face He Said.

.
"Fudge" is one of my favourite dogz (shown below)
with one of my favourite homeless pals called
Michael Browne, who is a true dog lover if I ever
saw one. Until he and Fudge moved out of
Betterton Street, they would daily come to visit me
at my Big Issue pitch. I invariably brought dog food for
hypo and delightful Fudge and food for Michael, too.

.
Fudge is such a photogenic dog to photograph with his
pure breed of line coating and precise features. He’d
be great in some kind of dog ad for dog food, he really
would … And he’s such a lovely dog is Fudge, but so
hypo you'd think he was a TV star. Maybe he already
thinks he is, I guess. So, this again is another love
story, in this specific case, of an homeless “marriage”
between homeless Michael and homeless Fudge.
Luckily, both of them now have a home to call their own.
And so together they are and both are off the streets
for good. They both deserve that like all other dogz
and vendors should ideally be housed and sheltered
to live life off the cold and mean streets.
.
Fudge and Michael Browne

So, in end the dogz of the vendors may one day
reach the rainbow’s end together in loving peace. And,
then far away from the maddening crowd that so often refuse
to give them dignity or a cup of humanity. If you cannot love
the vendor, then at least love his or her dog as best you can.
.

Homeless 4 with pet puppy at Harmsworth Park, 2oo5.

Dogz of the vendors also attract would-be customers to their pitch and such helps them in their attempt to make sales. I think animal lovers tend to give for the pet's sake rather than for the vendor's sake when they buy The Big Issue at such a pitch. In giving for whatever reason, the person who gives is doing so because he or she can identify in someway or other with the pet or the vendor or the magazine or all three. Friendly dogz tend to disarm others, while aggressive ones do the opposite. And vendors who are friendly will also get a better deal from the public than those who are rude and hostile. I think that's how naturally it should be. But another thing, dogz show that the homeless aspire to being as normal as say the customer's next door neighbour who may keep dogz or cats and/or other pets just like most normal people off the streets. But above all, it is the desire of the individual to love and to be loved that is symbolised by owning a dog or a pet of some kind. My arguement is that a dog or a pet doesn't need an owner per se, but rather a good friend before all else. As my dear friend Dr. Susan Grinnnell once told me at the time of the death of her own fond dog Joey - "He was born a dog and died a friend." That is certainly what some of the dogz of the vendors have or will become ... either at life or at death. I know for me, all the dogz I have had over the years I have always treated them as a friend and most certainly not as an owner. If a dog needs only an owner, then the dog shelter is the place. If a dog needs a friend, and they do, then a loving home is the key to such fond care.

.

'Biggest Issue' for 170 homeless of India ... Launching The Big Issue in India by this Christmas, John Bird is confident of its success with 10 journalists so far recruited, reports the freesheet London Lite, to find slum dwellers as contributors. John himself has spoken to the folkz in the slums of Mumbai (Bombay) and Kolkata (Calcutta) and feels certain, I guess, that it's worth a try to promote and sell his publication there. I don't know India at all and I have never been there, but what I have read about the vast country of India over the years would seem to me to require alot of fortitude and alot of cash to even survive for a short time let alone for a long time down the road. With the embedded system of cast and the Hindu/Sikh/Jaianism/Muslim configuration ever present in the drama that is India, The Big Issue is going to have to be very careful it doesn't inflame or do anything to heighten any of those ticking social and religious time bombs. Frankly, I don't see non-slum folkz buying a magazine devoted to India's vast problem of homelessness. And, how many of the 170 million homeless can John Bird expect to harness into becoming free street vendors? Maybe he'll have so many would-be vendors, he'll be swamped out of business. Whatever, where there's a will, there's a way. So "Good Luck" in India, in any event.

Truly, Uncle Monty. +The 3rd Day of the Lambeth Conference, 2oo8.

...

:: NEWS UPDATE ::

Big Issue vendor John Sean Dearie, 52, was knocked down and

sadly killed by a lorry at Glasgow's Saltmarket on July 17th, reports

The Scotsman. He'd been a street vendor for the past ten years at

the city's Buchanan Street Bus Station. (Posted July 22nd, 2oo8.)
...

Post-Reformation Clergy. Notes By Uncle Monty.

Post-Reformation Clergy:
Long Before The First Lambeth Conference
Notes By Uncle Monty
.
With some 775 archbishops and bishops arriving today at

Canterbury for the start of the ten-yearly, twenty-day,

2008 Lambeth Conference of the Worldwide Anglican

Communion, I thought a little bit of Church History

was perhaps in order of the day.
+

In his well written book of the year 1881 on The

South Saron Diocese, The Prebendary of Chichester, The

Rev’d W. R. W. Stephens, cites some fascinating observations
of the critical behaviour of post-reformation clergy in England.

So with that said, I simply present a few excerpts from his

271-page 19th century book of the Diocesan History of

Selsey – Chichester and her clergy as the modern-day 21st

century Churchmen arrive at Canterbury to sort out perhaps

some of the mess and conflict currently confounding

many confessing Anglicans and their clerics all around

the world. It isn't right now a pretty Anglican picture for

the world to observe under the present Archbishop

of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams, who is

presiding at his first, and probably his last, Lambeth

Conference under his dithering archiepiscopacy at

the See of Canterbury.
+
“From The Lambeth Conference …
In Person By Uncle Monty,”
coming next week

:: DIOCESAN HISTORIES ::
“The articles of enquiry addressed to incumbents of parishes by
Bishop Montagu, and his successor, Brain Duppa, both high church-
man of the school of (Archbishop of Canterbury William) Laud, whose
episcopates extend from 1628 to 1642, reveal what tendencies to irr-
evence and irregularities of various kind prevailed in parish churches.
Bishop Montagu enquires whether communicants “meekly kneel,”
or whether they stand or sit at the time of reception : whether the
Holy Table is profaned at any time by persons sitting upon it,
casting hats or clocks upon it, writing or casting accounts,
or any other indecent usage.”
+

The Prebendary of Chichester writes further. “The questions
respecting the character, conduct and dress of the clergy are
instructive and entertaining. Doth your ministers (asked Bishop
Brian Duppa in his primary visitation at Chichester in 1638)
use such comely and decent apparel as becometh the gravity of
his calling, and may distinquish him from the laity? or doth he
wear long hair and deep ruffles, falling bands to his shoulders
or any other unseemly garments not proper to his ministry?
If a parson or vicar, doth he reside? or, if a curate, hath he
an honest and sufficient salary? Doth he idly vague up and
down, or in any way else entangle himself in secular affairs as
to neglect the duties of his calling? Does he diligently labour
for the reclaiming of recusants, whether they be such as with
peril of their souls superstitiously adhere to the Church of
Rome, or such, in the other extreme, who, having perversely
relinquished our communion, find nothing to adhere to but
their own fancies? Doth he use the prescribed form of prayer
before his sermon to prevent the indiscreet flying out of some
extemporary prayers? Doth he preach in a gown and cassock,
not in a riding or ambulatory clock? Doth he deliver the
Holy Communion to any standing or sitting, or in any other
posture than the knee? Doth he first receive it himself, and
after, deliver it to the communicants, not in gross, but one by
one, using all the words enjoined severally to each of them?"

:: Now more excerpts from Rev’d Stephens’
1881 Diocesan History Of Selsey – Chichester ::
[Bishop Harsnett, on his third visitation] “seems to have stirred
up The chapter to issue some rules ‘for the better ordering of the
church and churchman,’ which bear date September 27th, 1616.
The church bells are to be rung more regularly, and the bell ringers
are to keep order all sermon time, each in his proper quarter or
beat : the vestments are to be carefully put away in presses. Bishop
Sherburne’s bedesman was to be more diligent in his duties, and
to purge the churchyard of hogs and dogs, and lewd persons
that play or do worse. The verger was to keep the cloisters
clean, and to scourge out the ungracious boys, with their tops,
or at least to present them to the old man of the vestry. The
principal of the vicars was to see the outdoors of the cloisters
locked up and fast barred by nine o’clock at night, to keep
the keys himself, and to repress all seditious brawlers and
other enormities there, or if they flame out so fast that he
cannot, then he was to report them to the dean
or president of the chapter. “

“Bishop Duppa, having been translated to Sarum in 1641, was
succeeded by the pious, amiable, and accomplished Henry King.
The storm-clouds were now gathering thick and fast around
the monarchy and the church. The Act had been passed
which deprived bishops of their votes in the upper house.
Laud was in prison, waiting his doom (and was beheaded), and
twelve other prelates had just been imprisoned for protesting
against the loss of their rights as peers in Parliament,” wrote
Rev’d Stephens in his Diocesan Histories of 1881 for The
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK).
+

“Dogz of the Vendors”
Another upcoming story by Uncle Monty

So the 2008 Lambeth Conference begins in earnest today.
And someone, somewhere, will no doubt be reading all about it in say 125 years or so from now. Just like you and me reading Rev’d Stephens’ account of the state of the church as he wrote of it some 125 years or so ago. I am looking forward to being at my first Lambeth Conference, too.

Faithfully, Uncle Monty. +St. Ormund, 2oo8.

+

Anglicans Meet Amid Gay Bishop Row

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/16/church.conference/index.html

.

World Heritage Site At England's Bath Spa. By Uncle Monty.

World Heritage Site At England's Bath Spa
Story and Photos By Uncle Monty

.
England's Bath Spa is where I am right now and it also

happens to be the third place that I've visited that is listed

as a World Heritage Site. That has it may be, but what

caught my eye was all the painted pigs and thousands

upon thousands of visiting foreign high school students

that packed the Roman City of Bath like visiting

gladiators of old.

.
Pigs of every colour, make, and size adorned all around

the downtown spa. What exactly figures of pigs have to

do with Bath Spa, I simply don't know. They're colourful

for sure and both kidz and adultz seem to love them.

And, those foreign school pupils certainly did as they

crowded around them to be photographed sitting on, or

posing with, one of the metal or wooden made piggies.

.
The Elaborate Door of Bath Abbey

What a door? The one at Bath Abbey (shown

above) is elaborately carved with regal and

knightly shields in heraldic relief. I didn't go

inside the ancient abbey for it was too crowded

for me to enjoy. But without the abbey, Bath

wouldn't be the world heritage site that it is.
.
A Flowering Piggy, Indeed.

I counted at least 14 different piggies, here

and there, from metal to wooden and even,

as shown above, made of pink flowers. By

the time I got thru with visiting Bath Spa, all

that seemed to come to my mind was all those

piggies and foreign high school students I saw.

Not to mention all those gangs of local immigrant

kidz choking and blocking the side walks
.
Gangs of Bath's immigrant kidz.

Aside from all those masses of visiting foreign

students, Bath is full, it seems, of gangs of modern

immigrant kidz ( shown above) that I saw and photo-

graphed carousing and "shooting the breeze" on and

around the Roman streets. Most of them are out of

school for the summer holidays and that's when

trouble starts with such loose-end kidz that hang

about without any adult supervision or parents

present to ensure they don't cause any probelms.

There aren't any youth curfews I guess, so they're

around at all hours of the day and night. Bath typifies

England's modern society of broken kidz in our

broken society and its "anything goes" mentality.

.
England's Classic Bath Spa.

On the surface, all is calm at England's

Classic Bath Spa. But beneath the surface,

I sensed a rage of disquiet among the

generations I spoke with. At the Bartlett

Street Antiques Centre, I witnessed first hand

the rage of its owner, who ordered me out of his

shop for simply asking for a quid off the price

of his £16.00 priced old military medal. Totally

callous and arbitary was he. And, an English

swine, too. Avoid the place like lightening or

you could also find yourself at the seething

rage of such a nasty Bath character who is

a law unto himself or so he thinks.
.
When Bath Was Truly Roman

The words "Bath" and "Roman" go together

like peaches and cream at this World Heritage

Site. So it was fun to see the life-size mannequin

of a Roman soldier at the photographic shop

I visited for camera film and new batteries.
.

Bath Piggy In The Park, too ...

.

Yes, it's also piggy with Uncle Monty

.
A Bath, Anyone?

.

More like Dixie, than Bath ...

.

Almost every tourist town or spot

of any size in the UK thesedays have local

weekend gigs galore or rock music wannabes

playing on the streets at downtown or near the

impersonal shopping malls. Most of the groups

are pretty amateurish, frankly. Here at Bath,

I saw some local band members (shown above)

that looked more like Dixie Rednecks than classy

Roman Bath. England has become obsessed

over the past couple of decades with festivals

of every conceivable type from the once grass-

rooted Glastonbury to the nationalistic Red, White

and Blue Festival of the British National Party

(BNP). It seems that if an event is suddenly

called a "festival," it must somehow then be

good even though it may be absolute rubbish

from beginning to end.

.
Here's one more piggy at Bath Spa

It wasn't my first intention to write about all the
Bath piggies I saw nor the gangz of youth, but
rather to write more about the historic buildings
-- like St. John The Baptist Hospital of 1147 --
and its ancient Roman history. But that wasn't to be
after seeing Bath for the first time with my own eyes
and realising that although it's a listed world heritage
site it is above all else a modern British city that brings
loud cop cars roaring down the Saturday crowded
streets and the infernal giddy shoppers with their
big bagz full of modern and pricey junk from the
materialistic malls for them to take back home.
Such then is today's Bath and much of modern
England. But, no thankz ...
.
Best regards, Uncle Monty.
+Eve of the 8th Sunday after Trinty, 2oo8.
.

Holy Book of No Gay Sin. Notes By Uncle Monty.

Holy Book of No Gay Sin
Notes By Uncle Monty

+
Gay Man Files $70M Suit Against Bible
Publisher Over 'Homosexual' Verses

By Elena Garcia. Christian Post Reporter
+
A homosexual man has filed a $70 million lawsuit against Bible publishers Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, alleging that their version of the Bible that refers to homosexuality as a sin violates his constitutional rights and has caused him emotional distress.

Bradley LaShawn Fowler, an ex-con turned author, filed the federal suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on Monday, the same day a judge refused to appoint him a lawyer for his suit against Thomas Nelson, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

"The Court has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims," the judge wrote. Fowler, who is representing himself in both cases, claims that Zondervan manipulated Scripture by using the term "homosexuals" in 1 Corinthians 6:9 of their 1982 and 1987 revised edition Bibles. He also contends that the reference to homosexuality were deleted by the publisher in later versions without informing the public.

He alleges that since the older Kings James Version containing the term "homosexuals" is used by his family pastor, he has been outcast by his family. The 39-year-old is suing the Grand Rapids publisher for compensation of 20 years of "emotional duress and mental instability," he told WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.

In a hand-written suit, Fowler lists all sorts of charges against Zondervan including malicious negligence, strict liability, malice, libel, and violating his civil rights. He filed a suit in June against Tennessee-based publisher Thomas Nelson on similar grounds. He's seeking $60 million from Zondervan and $10 million from Thomas Nelson Publishing. Zondervan issued a statement to The Christian Post that said they do not discuss ongoing litigation. The company's spokesperson Tara Powers, however, pointed out that they only publish Bibles, not translate them.
"Since Zondervan does not translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations we publish, we are not in a position to comment on the merits of how a word should or should not be translated," said Powers.

"We rely on the scholarly judgment of the highly respected and credible translation committees behind each translation and never alter the text of the translations we are licensed to publish. We only publish credible translations produced by credible biblical scholars," she noted.
According to Fowler, Zondervan has 20 days to respond to the claims listed.
+
http://www.wackbag.com/showthread.php?t=93435
Gay Negro African American Obama Campaign Blogger Sues The Bible For $70 Million
+
Bradley Lashawn Fowler
http://wordpress.com/tag/bradley-lashawn-fowler/
+

Notes By Uncle Monty.

Forgive me, but is this guy Fowler crazy or sick or a weirdo or just an attention seeker? I suspect he's all four. I'm not even sure if he's also suffering from some kind of mental problem or delusion. What I do know, he makes himself look pretty pathetic to file such a federal lawsuit in his local federal district court that surely has better things to consider and rule on than some gaybo- like him who is deliberately calling public attention to himself. What I also know is the bible is a "holy book of no gay sin." That's enough for me to dismiss the ilk of Bradley Lashawn Fowler and his provocative, yet stupid, lawsuit. I hope the Honourable Federal Judge slaps him hard with big court costs for taking up the court's valuable time in dealing with his frivilous gay complaint and outlandish lawsuit.

Caption Photo:

Bradley Lashawn Fowler.
+

Unfrocked. By Uncle Monty. The Ray Lewis Debacle.

Unfrocked.

By Uncle Monty.

:: The Ray Lewis Debacle ::
-:-

Eight years ago he was removed or “unfrocked” from his

priestly duties by his own bishop at the Anglican diocese of

Barking. Allegations against him ranged from him unethically

borrowing £45.000 (or $US90.000) from a church worker and

some of his own vunerable parishioners to serious questions of

sexual harassment after his installation, in 1993, as the first

black vicar of St. Matthew’s Parish at London’s West Ham.

-:-

A chubby, charismatic, cunning, and a Caribbean immigrant
to England, Ray Lewis was then in his glory days only to finally

find himself on the dreaded “Lambeth List” in one of its strictly

confidential blue files held at Lambeth Palace. To be placed on

the Lambeth List is the death kneel for any clergy member

wishing to serve in an ordained ministerial role at the
Mother Church of England. Thus, ended Ray Lewis’

vicarial and seemingly glib career after his mere

four-year stint as a minor British rector.

-:-

Then 15 years later after his installation, come this

2008, the same Ray Lewis is suddenly picked by the

recent Mayor of London Boris Johnston to be his deputy

mayor for youth. Also falsely claiming to be a magistrate,

the once unfrocked (or defrocked) vicar of West Ham is

now in his new glory days only to shortly find himself

rudely-exposed and flushed out by shocking news stories

about his dubious past in the London Evening Standard -

by Keith Dovkants. Much of my own very brief story here

on "The Ray Lewis Debacle" is primarily based on

Keith’s first-class news reporting …

-:-

New Allegation Against Ray Lewis

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-mayor/article-23514672-details/Ray+Lewis+%27cornered+woman+in+hotel+room+and+ordered+her+to+strip+off%27/article.do

-:-
Mayor 'could still take advice from disgraced

deputy' Katharine Barney, Evening Standard

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-mayor/article-23514349-details/Mayor+%27could+still+take+advice+from+disgraced+deputy%27/article.do

: - :

Here are my comments submitted to thisislondon, but

couldn’t for some reason get it to upload my message to

the online readers boards after perhaps a dozen tries.

So, will try later. In the meantime, here's what I stated:
: - :
“nobody is to blame for "The Ray Lewis Debacle" other than
Ray Lewis himself!! It's an easy cop out to blame the church,

which is not in the business of being the police or standing

in for the mayor be he tory boris or red ken.

: - :

"to say that it's unimportant for someone to claim he's a

magistrate when he isn't, tells us how the values of our society

are so screwed up much like is ray lewis. for the mayor to

also now indicate he may informally use mr. lewis' "expertise"

on the problem of london black youth crime only gives legitimacy

to a flawed character and defrocked anglican priest that is ray

lewis. mr. johnson should stay well clear of such a character no

matter how he's re-packaged for the sake of political correctness.

: - :
"a gift from a bad man brings no good," the dictum says.
and ray lewis will bring no good to boris or his staff or his

agenda to curb knife violence and out-of-control bad

youthz on the crime-staturated streets of modern london.

: - :
"and after the lee jasper arrest earlier this year at red ken's

city hall, the ray lewis affair should also entail an independent audit,

and possibly a criminal investigation, into all the charity money given

to his eastside young leaders' academy by the guardian newspaper.

: - :

"when someone calls himself a magistrate who works with juvenile

deliquents, then i suspect other fabrications and lies surround the

same ex-deputy mayor!! best to check things out before any

further damage is allowed to be committed by ray lewis..”

truly, uncle monty. july 9th, 2oo8. 4.11am.

: - :

Contessa My Foot. By Uncle Monty.

Contessa My Foot.

By Uncle Monty.

--

Our world is full of bogus people, schemes, and things.
Quack doctors, artificial flavouring, fake cops, get rich
schemes, imitation designer labels, zircons for real dia-

monds, con TV quiz games, criminal fronts, counterfeit

banknotes, bogus bishops, false news reports, padded

resumes, deceptive advertising, spin politics, university
degree mills, and from time to time even pretended nobility

from so-called Contessa de Avila to Champagne Charlie.
--
Such bogus people, schemes, and things are oftentimes hard

to detect or decipher because so much in our own real world

thesedays is already so shallow and slim we just let them

pass us by to the point of readily accepting or ignoring

such in our day to day life.

--
So when a female con artist like Elda Bequinua (shown above)
comes along as the Contessa de Avila, it doesn’t take much to be

taken in not by her per se, but rather by her pretended title of

nobility and wealth. We desperately want to be around “real”
people, especially if they hold some position of influence and bank

bags of money that 63 years old Filipine-born, British pensioner,

like Elda Bequinua conned others into believing she had indeed.

--

We also want “real” schemes and “real” things

like “real” diamonds, “real” gold,” “real” hopes, "real"
love, “real” relationships, “real” bargains, and “real” this and
“real” that, but only to find our diamonds, our gold, our hopes,

our love, our relationships, our bargains, aren’t always so real

after all. They’re as fake oftentimes as the Contessa de Avila

and the late Champagne Charlie. But we still carry on, however,

in our life’s search for the next “real” something that never

really seems to come for so many of us. Our only real hope

is finally to find our own shallow grave. And, that's for REAL.
--

So "Contessa my foot" is Elda Bequinua, who was sentenced

last week to five years in an English slammer at where she'll

now have plenty of time to dream up yet another fancy title

as an ex-jail bird in her flights of granduer and upper class.

--

Bogus baroness jailed for £16 trillion fraud
www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1997/03/26/nfake26.html
--
Filipina fleeced P207m.

Manila Standard
http://www.yehey.com/news/article.aspx?id=219344
--
POLICE NEWS FEED
http://www.rss2html.com/rss2html.php?TEMPLATE=template-1-5-1.htm&XMLFILE=http://www.policeoracle.com/policeoraclenews.xml
--

Nice On A Real Contessa. Best Hopes for You, Uncle Monty.

+St. Kilian, Apostle of Franconia.

2oo8.
--
Subject: bad children and bad lady.
good stuff, uncle monty. i agree school dicipline needs to be improved with
punishments to control wayward students. i support the use of the paddle.
england sounds really bad in their schools. i don't figure out why they have
lost the plot. you call for what you call "the cane" to be used again in uk.
you're right i am sure. on your contessa story you should know all about
the real and not so real ladies. your own contessa maria must be curious

about the fake contessa (jailed Elda Bequinua) you now write about. to

take one look at her photo is to ring bells in my mind. how does she think

she would not be exposed by using such a fake title like contessa de silva?

i just so much like your superblog. including your story on the supermodel

and superbitch ms. campbell. where do think up all the stuff you write about?

i'm puzzled why there is so little public debate about what you write so well.

perhaps they're scared your outspoken opinions will be turned on them?
i'm your blog fan so remember that uncle monty. from john lenhart. usa.

= - =
From: "john lenhart" johnlenhart@email2me.net To: thebiggerissue@k.st

Subject bad children and bad lady. Date: Wed 07/09/08 11:16 AM
= - =

:: UPDATE ::

Thanks to The-Mail-on-Sunday, I can now add "Bogus Brides"

to my list of bogus others. "Church hit by rise of the bogus bride,"

the paper declared. Its report stated: "Senior clergy warned that

the number of bogus marriages has soared, despite Church of

England attempts to stem the rise. Guidelines issued by the

dioceses of London and Sourthwark were meant to halt the in-

crease in illegal immigrants seeking to gain British citizenship

by duping vicars into marrying them." The reports also states

that applications for church weddings in Southwark alone

rose from 90 in 2004 to 493 last year or in 2007.

_._