Father of the eternal Word,
in whose encompassing love
all things in peace and order move:
grant that, as thy servant John Keble
adored thee in all creation,
so we may have a humble heart of love
for the mysteries of thy Church
and know thy love to be new every morning,
in Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Epistle: Romans 12:9-21
The Gospel: St Matthew 5:1-12

Click here for more on John Keble and the Oxford college founded in his memory.

O God, whose never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth; We humbly beseech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us those things which be profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: Romans 8:12-17
The Gospel: St Matthew 7:15-21

Artwork: Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The Sermon on the Mount, 1862.  Stained glass, All Saints Church, Selsley, Gloucestershire.

Keith Sampson, a student at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), worked part-time as a janitor to help pay for his education.  A book he read during breaks raised the ire of a lot of important (but apparently clueless) people.

Was it pornography or a defence of racist philosophy?  Of course not.  It was Notre Dame Vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan—a history of a student campaign against the Klan during the 1920s.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dorothy Rabinowitz reports the whole sad story.

Mr. Sampson was in short order visited by his union representative, who informed him he must not bring this book to the break room, and that he could be fired. Taking the book to the campus, Mr. Sampson says he was told, was "like bringing pornography to work." That it was a history of the battle students waged against the Klan in the 1920s in no way impressed the union rep.

The assistant affirmative action officer who next summoned the student was similarly unimpressed. Indeed she was, Mr. Sampson says, irate at his explanation that he was, after all, reading a scholarly book. "The Klan still rules Indiana," Marguerite Watkins told him – didn't he know that? Mr. Sampson, by now dazed, pointed out that this book was carried in the university library. Yes, she retorted, you can get Klan propaganda in the library.

The university has allowed no interviews with Ms. Watkins or any other university official involved in the case. Still, there can be no disputing the contents of the official letter that set forth the university's case.

Mr. Sampson stood accused of "openly reading the book related to a historically and racially abhorrent subject in the presence of your Black co-workers." The statement, signed by chief affirmative action officer Lillian Charleston, asserted that her office had completed its investigation of the charges brought by Ms. Nakea William, his co-worker – that Mr. Sampson had continued, despite complaints, to read a book on this "inflammatory topic." "We conclude," the letter informed him, "that your conduct constitutes racial harassment. . . ." A very serious matter, with serious consequences, it went on to point out.

After Mr Sampson contacted the ACLU and local press reported the story, the university sent him a revised letter stating that, while reading history books is fine, unspecified and confidential charges of harassment had been lodged against him.

Later, after still more publicity, charges were finally dropped. No official apology has been issued to Mr Sampson.

Here’s a question: What would an institution of higher learning have to do to make itself look more completely idiotic than IUPUI?

h/t: felix hominum

So, I clicked over to the column, posted at the Georgia Straight’s website, and before I could read beyond the first two sentences:

I admit: we aren’t 100 per cent sure that human activity is causing global warming. So let’s all go home in our SUVs and join an “axe the tax” campaign.

an animated advertisement ran across the screen, momentarily blocking my view of the text.  I burst out laughing when I realized it was an ad for a new Nissan SUV called the Rogue.  David Suzuki’s bafflegab got run over by an SUV.  Poetic justice, I'd say.

I replayed the ad to collect a few screen shots.  (Click on images for enlargements.)  The SUV takes off from the left hand side of the screen.

It drives toward the coffee shop on the right.

As the vehicle comes to rest, we find out its name.

Any SUV that runs over David Suzuki’s latest drivel is worth considering for purchase.

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• Unhinged David Suzuki tongue-lashes Australia

On Friday 20 June rioting erupted in Nazla as Muslim villagers went on a looting and destruction rampage against Copts’ homes, businesses, and cars following news that Dimiana—known as Dalia Mohamed since she converted—together with her 10-month baby Seif al-Islam, had run away from her husband a day earlier while on a visit to Cairo.

The rioting started on Friday afternoon when Muslims roaring Islamic slogans began to attack Copts’ houses and shops. Although local security officials had anticipated the rioting and called for extra forces from the neighbouring village to stop any attack, they could neither prevent the attack nor stop it once it started. They finally resorted to the use of tear gas to disband the rioters, and were able to control the main streets but not the side streets.

Even the village church and the priest’s home were attacked. The rampage lasted until the early hours of dawn of the following day. Security officials imposed a day-long curfew and attempted to hold a reconciliation meeting after they had found Dimiana and returned her to her husband. But the Copts refused to reconcile without the payment of indemnity for their lost and damaged property.

The mob of 4000 Muslims shouted “Kill the infidels” as they ran amok. Only 15 rioters were arrested, 11 of whom were quickly released by prosecutors.

It is common knowledge that Dimiana had fled a husband she did not wish to live with. She stayed away for some two days then, hearing of the riots in her village and the great harm inflicted upon the Copts, and that her uncles had been questioned by the police, she handed herself in on Friday evening.

Dimiana unexpectedly went missing from her home two years ago.  Her family was later informed that she had become a Muslim and been married to a Muslim and that they could have no further contact with her.

h/t: International Christian Concern

Previous related posts:

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• In Egypt, only Muslims enjoy freedom of religion
• 4th-century Egyptian monastery attacked by armed Muslims
• Egyptian Christian girls kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam

Ezra Levant points out that the CHRC “investigation” was conducted by a particularly shady individual.

[S]peaking of lawless bullies, wouldn't you know it: The CHRC's investigation into Fr. de Valk and Catholic Insight was done by none other than Sandy Kozak, the rogue cop drummed out of the Carleton Place Police force for dating a criminal who was under investigation by that same police force.

Ezra has more on the disgraced former cop-turned-CHRC apparatchik here and here.

Previous related posts:

• Toronto Star being set up for “human rights” complaint?
• Canadian “Human Rights” Commission lawyer urges submission to UN

My street is named for the gem emblem of St James the Less.

Previous related posts:

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Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: Romans 6:19-23
The Gospel: St Mark 8:1-9

Artwork: Pedro Orrente, The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, 1605. Oil on canvas, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.

MPs on Wednesday voted to discuss as a priority the draft bill which seeks to "toughen punishment for harming mental security in society," the ISNA news agency said.

The text lists a wide range of crimes such rape and armed robbery for which the death penalty is already applicable. The crime of apostasy (the act of leaving a religion, in this case Islam) is also already punishable by death.

However, the draft bill also includes "establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy", which is a new addition to crimes punishable by death.

If the bill becomes law, those offences could be punished by "hanging, amputation of the right hand and then the left foot as well as exile" (not in that order, I presume).

h/t: Dhimmi Watch

Previous related post : Islamic extremists consumed by “apostaphobia”