Joseph saves!
Published:
June 11, 2008 at 9:00am
There was mass hysteria and euphoria in the aisles as Dr Joseph Muscat took on Dr John Bonnici Mallia in a faint-for-Jesus face-off in Hamrun last Sunday. See the footage and pictures here.
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Habemus poodle!
Political organizations, like some religious organizations and sects, also can become cult groups. Some cult groups are both religious and poltical. What makes an organization a “cult group,” is its restriction of freedom of action and freedom of thought, while it demands an absolute faith in its leadership. The manipulations of the “cult” also seek to isolate its members from the influences of others from outside of the group; and it seeks public commitments from the “cult” members (professions of faith and loyality)in order to restrict alternative paths of action by persons who belong to the “cult.” Oftentimes, members feel that there is no other possible action other than the path designated by the machine (person(s)) in charge of the “cult.”
The MLP is behaving like a “cult” as it now seeks to gather commitments from the leadership contenders, current party faithful, and the diaspora of former MLP personae returning to the fold. You won’t see Dom Mintoff returning. I don’t think we will see GA commitments to the “faith” like the attempted contract by the GWU that GA walked away from. Meanwhile, in this very interesting period of attempted party consolidation around JM, those with different and dissenting views will be discouraged from taking leadership positions. And people like Silvio Parnis and Jason Micallef will be rallying to close the doors to keep everyone inside–under their terms.
The route of blind faith has been done before. Even GA attempted to be a beacon of reason for AS, but had to walk away. I wonder where all of this will go. None of us can control it, but we can all sure watch it grow.
That’s hilarious, Daphne! You had me in stitches!
Mlp is acting as a cult. PN act as a cult as well. Why do they brainwash their children from age 0 to follow PN no matter what. All political parties act this way (except small parties who don’t have that many followers. If you look through PN videos you will find similar shots maybe not one of Fenech Adami of Gonzi hugging and kissing their wives. Well that would be hilarious, it wouldn’t suit there image would it. Maybe that is what is bothering you, JM is young enough to hug and kiss his wife in public and people love young people.
Yes, Xewka, and I’m just the kind of person who would run off to join a cult, right.
Daphne!!! just for the record I am not in the least bit interested in political dilemmas and maneuvers. My objection is your low comparision and suggestion that the Healing Services led by Dr John Bonnici Mallia are an event of mass hysteria and cult status as some of your readers have suggested. My recommendation is that unless you are fully aware and knowledgable as to what goes on at these healing services, you should refrain from using comments like “faint for Jesus” Also did you ask for permission to use the photos. Only Jesus saves.
[Moderator – Jesus would have wanted us to use those photos. Who are you to challenge the will of the Lord? Only Joseph saves.]
I disagree that Jesus would have wanted us to use photos of His work in Malta in order to ridicule someone else. And I agree with Brian that comparing the Healing Services to political schemes and meetings is showing a great lack of knowledge of what goes on at said healing services.
[Moderator – Take it from me: Jesus does want us to use those photos. He told me when I spoke to him last night.]
Dear Moderator,
do you really think so that Jesus wanted you to use the photos? With all due respect, but being so ridiculous and offensive does not qualify you to try to be funny.Just think before you act – moderator
[Moderator – Yes, Jesus wanted us to put those photos. Now go, and embrace Joseph, for he is the one chosen by the Lord to lead us all to Heaven!]
It’s very interesting to see how people attempt to create a wave of talk by comparing the farthest and most unrelated subjects to each other: Politics with Religion.
Religion is a way of life. It is the relationship between the divine and the mortal.
How does Catholicism relate to politics???
I have never in all my years seen such a ridiculous comparison between Maltese Politics and a meeting of practicing Catholics.
I certainly would not have expected this from such a known and respected local journalist.
Kindly research well and become knowledgeable about the subject prior to attempting to create a subject on which the public may comment about.
[Moderator – In Malta, religion has everything to do with politics.]
Lo, and i went up to the mountain and i told Daphne. You are my faithfull servant , and you Moderator are her faitheful poodle..er..lackey. Behold, go and use those photos, and i will heal you of your blistering tongue and pen, and the little bits that dangle down there.
And btw.. the name’s Brian
[Moderator – What?]
Moderate Daphne!!!! Your snide remarks are nearly not even worth repling to. So I quote “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing.’
God is soon going to speak to you and tell you to remove the photos!
Politics and religion can’t be unrelated if one is a believer.
Because if the politician professes to have faith in God (or anything else), for this to be sincere and not fake, he or she must reflect this in all his life, which includes his ‘politics’ too. Isn’t this what we get from the example of Jesus and the saints after all?
@Edward Clemmer:
Good catholic religion isn’t cultish (fundamentalism is).
Oh dear, first Labour’s elves and now Jesus’s elves. Ladies and gentlemen, if you don’t think that these cult meetings at which people faint and are healed have anything to do with mass hysteria, you had better have a little chat with a psychiatrist. This is not a suggestion that you’re mad, but a direction to an authority on mass hysteria, because you clearly don’t take my word for it. And perhaps you should ask yourself what a lay person is doing, dressed up in a camp white outfit and brandishing a giant crucifix, displacing the real celebrant of the mass (the priest) and surrounded by dancing, prancing youths. It looks like the sublimation of….well, I won’t say it, because you’ll only tell me that the dancers are not girls because dancing girls tempt people into erotic thoughts.
Just in case any of you want to watch the videos I’ve described above, log onto http://www.catholichealing.com. Each to his own, of course – but please, elves of Jesus, don’t tell the rest of us that we’re wrong/not allowed to discuss this or find it amusing or even just a little bit frightening.
@mod.. as in ‘Life of Brian’. hmm seems like irony doesn’t travel well over the ethernet! Or have I not created it yet? oh well , back to the drawing board.. now where did i put that theory about Intelligent Design….
May God’s justice and fire be on you. No one jokes with the name and works of God – and I’m not joking here either. Let the name of God be praised, who are you to mock? “The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.” Of course, you’re going to answer back with a sarcastic, proud, ridiculing tone – do so, please. That will more and more show your foolishness and ignorance about Jesus, and the reality and seriousness of the spiritual world.
So Jesus told you he wanted the photos to be used did he?
Take it from me, his message must have been lost in translation!!!!!
Hehehehehhehe I almost missed this discussion. Jesus’ elves are great. Keep ’em coming.
Daphne your idea of sensationalising recent events and comparing them to healing services is really low and baseless. I think it will do you a world of good if you, but mainly your readers visit http://www.maranathamalta.com Arts/Dance section or any other section for that matter and judge for themselves whether your comments are worth two hoots.
Oh and by the way maybe you mistook or misinterpreted (like everything else you said) who told you to put the photos on your notepad. I told you so, you had to remove the pictures from your notepad.
Wow Fronalizz even I am frightened!
(PS Don’t make too much racket down there, Dad’s trying to get some sleep)
@The jesus freaks:
Can’t you people take a joke?
And RE: http://www.catholichealing.com/
Whats up with the Prayer Request feature?- Doesn’t anyone else find it odd?
@Fronalizz
Just who or what are you to wish God’s justice and fire upon someone?
I say hypocrites you should be burned at the stake.
Nothing shocks me more in the men of religion and their flocks than their pretensions to be the only religious people. – Jean Guehenno
@eyesonlymalta
“Good catholic religion isn’t cultish (fundamentalism is).”
I have absolutely no problem with “good” religion, catholic or otherwise. I do have an issue about cults, and fundamentalism, whether in religion or in politics. The underlying value that I always promote is freedom of thought and freedom of action; and I abhor coercion and manipulation, especially censorship and media control, especially group pressures to conformity and obedience, or compliance to authority, which denies free personal choice, and that demands submission by its authority. In the case of the MLP, we have a group “hell bent” an insuring their personal political survival, and are doing so by attempting to block alternative paths or solutions to their personal objectives.
I am waiting to see if the perfect dream (nightmare) MLP attack team emerges from the party machine: Leader: Joseph Muscat; Deputy: Toni Abela; Deputy: Anglu Farrugia; Media Director: Jason Micallef; General Secretary: ?; President: ? If I mention names, does this mean that delegates will or wll not vote that way? All this alleged “reverse” or “backwards” or “upsidedown” psychology is confusing to me. Oh, I forgot: I only have to listen to the inner core of the MLP and open my eyes after the vote, if the MLP is operating like a cult.
@The jesus freaks:
Why are you all so bad at structuring arguments?
Daphne, if only one realizes how pitiful it is when one talks or writes about a subject that one has absolutely no clue about. Your tendencies are well noted, your criticisms may look witty to you and your fellow court of jesters who are likewise misinformed and misguided… however, to anyone who has an inkling about his faith, then, it is no longer witty, but sorry to say,it is sad. As far as I am concerned you are not at all as intelligent as you think because had you the intelligence, you’d use it to better the world you live in and not fill it even further with a lifetime of negativity that rolls off your pen. But then, should I be surprised that negativity is ingrained into your brain ? I should think not since as I said, you do a pretty good job of showing your beliefs.
Once I was inclined to think of you as an intelligent column writer, but since your poor and absolutely unrelated comparison between politics and the great manifestations of God’s love for us during The Healing Services led by Dr. John,I have completely changed my mind.
May God heal you of your anger, frustration and diabolic anti clericalism and may your pen and lips stop vomiting venom once and for all.
[Moderator – Are you Gandalf the Grey? Sounds like you were casting a spell right there.]
skuzawni, imma jkolli nghid li dan huwa blog bla sens. Daphne tipprova timpressjona, u l-moderator ma jaf jaghmel xejn hlief jitkellem bis-sarkazmu, biex forsi jaqla proset u star minghand MS. Caruana Galizia hahahh!!! u l-ohrajn li jaqbzu ghall-isem t’Alla qeghdin jipprovaw jiddibattu ma’ nies li qatt m’huma se jifhmu, ghax sempliciment ma jimpurtahomx, u fl-ahhar mill-ahhar il-punt taghhom huwa propju li jqajmu kontroversja! issa billi dan il-blog? il-kristjani jinharqu, u Ms. Daphne titpaxxa!
[Moderator – Hawn huma l-istillel tieghi: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆]
Daphne!!!! You removed my last 2 posts. They weren’t rude or in need of censorship. They were just truthful!!!!! Anything wrong with that.
PS Re your moderator, unless you are one and the same, needs turning over to the flipside, maybe, just maybe, he/she/you might play a different tune!!!
[Moderator – The posts might have ended up in the spam bin accidentally. Please send them again and I’ll post them.]
MODERATOR, very funny they were on your page for a few hours before Daphne decided to bin them.
I’ve been to one of these happy-clappy services and it was a chilling experience.
It was a bewildering experience bordering to the outright scary, they were really working themselves up to some sort of fervent frenzy, it was all so planned and so fake.
But what gets to me is their sense of smug superiority towards ‘lesser faithful’ for want of a better term.
Get off your high horses! You’re no better than modern-day pharisees. You don’t need to make a show to live your faith!