@handlebarbleep.bsky.social
I’m fully aware of how unconscious bias works, but this is simply a case of childhood simplification of the story. Pharisee was conflated with priest in my 7 year old bible class.
I’ve been educated in a nuance I didn’t know existed, for which I’m very grateful but that is not bias
I’ve been educated in a nuance I didn’t know existed, for which I’m very grateful but that is not bias
December 30, 2025 at 1:35 PM
I’m fully aware of how unconscious bias works, but this is simply a case of childhood simplification of the story. Pharisee was conflated with priest in my 7 year old bible class.
I’ve been educated in a nuance I didn’t know existed, for which I’m very grateful but that is not bias
I’ve been educated in a nuance I didn’t know existed, for which I’m very grateful but that is not bias
At the point the parable was delivered, there were no such things as Christians. Jesus was a Jewish Preacher talking to a Jewish audience, answering the question “Who is my neighbour?”
Of course the actors in it were Jewish. They couldn’t be anything else.
Of course the actors in it were Jewish. They couldn’t be anything else.
December 30, 2025 at 11:47 AM
At the point the parable was delivered, there were no such things as Christians. Jesus was a Jewish Preacher talking to a Jewish audience, answering the question “Who is my neighbour?”
Of course the actors in it were Jewish. They couldn’t be anything else.
Of course the actors in it were Jewish. They couldn’t be anything else.
I’d never seen Pharisee as an insult, but from my very limited 45 year old Religious Studies ‘O’ level it was taught as more of a rank thing. Priest/Pharisee being analogous to Vicar/Bishop.
Unsurprising therefore if the two become popularly conflated in the retelling.
Unsurprising therefore if the two become popularly conflated in the retelling.
December 29, 2025 at 3:55 PM
I’d never seen Pharisee as an insult, but from my very limited 45 year old Religious Studies ‘O’ level it was taught as more of a rank thing. Priest/Pharisee being analogous to Vicar/Bishop.
Unsurprising therefore if the two become popularly conflated in the retelling.
Unsurprising therefore if the two become popularly conflated in the retelling.
You are right, I’m missing the point. Why is using Priest OK but Pharisee not OK? Is Pharisee an insult?
December 28, 2025 at 8:26 AM
You are right, I’m missing the point. Why is using Priest OK but Pharisee not OK? Is Pharisee an insult?
No, I’m going to make my point.
Which has nothing to do with antisemitism. I understand why you see it everywhere, but that does not mean it exists.
The setting of the parable in 1st century Judah is incidental to it’s meaning.
Which has nothing to do with antisemitism. I understand why you see it everywhere, but that does not mean it exists.
The setting of the parable in 1st century Judah is incidental to it’s meaning.
December 27, 2025 at 8:54 PM
No, I’m going to make my point.
Which has nothing to do with antisemitism. I understand why you see it everywhere, but that does not mean it exists.
The setting of the parable in 1st century Judah is incidental to it’s meaning.
Which has nothing to do with antisemitism. I understand why you see it everywhere, but that does not mean it exists.
The setting of the parable in 1st century Judah is incidental to it’s meaning.
I can see it as a mis-translation or over simplification in its retelling. But the jist of the story is unaffected. The ‘great and the good’ feel themselves above getting their hands dirty. They are shown up by a humble stranger. The parable is designed to prick the pompous and self important
December 27, 2025 at 8:02 PM
I can see it as a mis-translation or over simplification in its retelling. But the jist of the story is unaffected. The ‘great and the good’ feel themselves above getting their hands dirty. They are shown up by a humble stranger. The parable is designed to prick the pompous and self important
The story works just as well if the victim was a homeless man who has been robbed and those that pass by are devout Christians, pillars of the community not wanting to be involved
The hero could just as easily be an immigrant.
it would have made no sense though to a Jewish audience 2 Millenia ago.
The hero could just as easily be an immigrant.
it would have made no sense though to a Jewish audience 2 Millenia ago.
December 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The story works just as well if the victim was a homeless man who has been robbed and those that pass by are devout Christians, pillars of the community not wanting to be involved
The hero could just as easily be an immigrant.
it would have made no sense though to a Jewish audience 2 Millenia ago.
The hero could just as easily be an immigrant.
it would have made no sense though to a Jewish audience 2 Millenia ago.
The teller of the parable was a Jew, for a Jewish audience. The recorder of the story was an apostle, himself a Jew.
In those circumstances it can hardly be antisemitic, can it?
In order to make the point of the parable, the hero had to be a stranger (a Samaritan).
In those circumstances it can hardly be antisemitic, can it?
In order to make the point of the parable, the hero had to be a stranger (a Samaritan).
December 27, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The teller of the parable was a Jew, for a Jewish audience. The recorder of the story was an apostle, himself a Jew.
In those circumstances it can hardly be antisemitic, can it?
In order to make the point of the parable, the hero had to be a stranger (a Samaritan).
In those circumstances it can hardly be antisemitic, can it?
In order to make the point of the parable, the hero had to be a stranger (a Samaritan).
My Sunday school teacher may have got it wrong. Or I’m misremembering it. Then again, I don’t think the original bible had pictures in it or big print/small words.
But I do remember it was about compassionately helping strangers in need.
And not being a xenophobe who passes by on the other side
But I do remember it was about compassionately helping strangers in need.
And not being a xenophobe who passes by on the other side
December 27, 2025 at 3:39 PM
My Sunday school teacher may have got it wrong. Or I’m misremembering it. Then again, I don’t think the original bible had pictures in it or big print/small words.
But I do remember it was about compassionately helping strangers in need.
And not being a xenophobe who passes by on the other side
But I do remember it was about compassionately helping strangers in need.
And not being a xenophobe who passes by on the other side
My twist is that a xenophobic misunderstands and misrepresents a key part of Christian teaching, namely compassion for the stranger.
The parable exhorts us to not pass by on the other side.
The parable exhorts us to not pass by on the other side.
December 27, 2025 at 12:23 AM
My twist is that a xenophobic misunderstands and misrepresents a key part of Christian teaching, namely compassion for the stranger.
The parable exhorts us to not pass by on the other side.
The parable exhorts us to not pass by on the other side.
Almost all the characters mentioned in the New Testament are Jewish of course, including Jesus himself. I very much doubt that He meant the parable of The Good Samaritan as a piece of antisemitism therefore.
December 26, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Almost all the characters mentioned in the New Testament are Jewish of course, including Jesus himself. I very much doubt that He meant the parable of The Good Samaritan as a piece of antisemitism therefore.
Parables are not myths. They are not intended to be believed, but rather are instructional stories with a message.
I’m not a card carrying member of any formal religion, but find people that espouse Christian values and xenophobia despite the parable of the Good Samaritan disingenuous
I’m not a card carrying member of any formal religion, but find people that espouse Christian values and xenophobia despite the parable of the Good Samaritan disingenuous
December 26, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Parables are not myths. They are not intended to be believed, but rather are instructional stories with a message.
I’m not a card carrying member of any formal religion, but find people that espouse Christian values and xenophobia despite the parable of the Good Samaritan disingenuous
I’m not a card carrying member of any formal religion, but find people that espouse Christian values and xenophobia despite the parable of the Good Samaritan disingenuous
Either way around, the hero of that parable is someone who sees beyond race and religion to reach out with compassion to a stranger.
Tomlinson still sides with those who would sooner pass by on the other side.
Tomlinson still sides with those who would sooner pass by on the other side.
December 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Either way around, the hero of that parable is someone who sees beyond race and religion to reach out with compassion to a stranger.
Tomlinson still sides with those who would sooner pass by on the other side.
Tomlinson still sides with those who would sooner pass by on the other side.
Tomlinson does something extraordinary. He takes the parable of The Good Samaritan and makes the Pharisee into the hero.
His is a twisted perversion of Christian teaching. Just as his politics is a perversion of British values.
His is a twisted perversion of Christian teaching. Just as his politics is a perversion of British values.
December 26, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Tomlinson does something extraordinary. He takes the parable of The Good Samaritan and makes the Pharisee into the hero.
His is a twisted perversion of Christian teaching. Just as his politics is a perversion of British values.
His is a twisted perversion of Christian teaching. Just as his politics is a perversion of British values.
He might want to send someone to Area 51 and check they still have the alien spacecraft from Roswell too
February 20, 2025 at 7:02 AM
He might want to send someone to Area 51 and check they still have the alien spacecraft from Roswell too
Had the American War of Independence not happened then today’s Americans would still be British Subjects and eligible to stand for election in UK. On current form, we may have dodged a bullet.
February 20, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Had the American War of Independence not happened then today’s Americans would still be British Subjects and eligible to stand for election in UK. On current form, we may have dodged a bullet.
Unfortunately there is no such thing as a posthumous knighthood. It ceases to exist on the death of the incumbent.
Hence all those howling to remove Jimmy Savilles’ knighthood discovery that it already had been. The widow or executor has to return all the insignia to the central chancellery.
Hence all those howling to remove Jimmy Savilles’ knighthood discovery that it already had been. The widow or executor has to return all the insignia to the central chancellery.
February 9, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Unfortunately there is no such thing as a posthumous knighthood. It ceases to exist on the death of the incumbent.
Hence all those howling to remove Jimmy Savilles’ knighthood discovery that it already had been. The widow or executor has to return all the insignia to the central chancellery.
Hence all those howling to remove Jimmy Savilles’ knighthood discovery that it already had been. The widow or executor has to return all the insignia to the central chancellery.
“Hello Portishead, Hello Portishead…”
HF Signaller gag
HF Signaller gag
December 23, 2024 at 8:13 PM
“Hello Portishead, Hello Portishead…”
HF Signaller gag
HF Signaller gag
You are most welcome. As they do deteriorate with time, I’d really like to see anyone’s snapshots, if you have them?
December 7, 2024 at 6:34 PM
You are most welcome. As they do deteriorate with time, I’d really like to see anyone’s snapshots, if you have them?
I hope this goes some way to answering your question?
December 7, 2024 at 6:01 PM
I hope this goes some way to answering your question?
So, as incongruous as this might seem, it still has a role even in the 21st century. Despite the fact its origins are not quite as old as the gothic cathedrals they are housed in, rather sentimentality and Victorian and Edwardian civic pride.
December 7, 2024 at 5:59 PM
So, as incongruous as this might seem, it still has a role even in the 21st century. Despite the fact its origins are not quite as old as the gothic cathedrals they are housed in, rather sentimentality and Victorian and Edwardian civic pride.
As Tuckman observed, teams go through a cycle of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. The laying up ceremony can be seen as a vital part of the adjourning process, often being followed by a form of ‘wake’….
December 7, 2024 at 5:56 PM
As Tuckman observed, teams go through a cycle of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. The laying up ceremony can be seen as a vital part of the adjourning process, often being followed by a form of ‘wake’….
These days of course the usual trigger for Colours to be layed up is disbandment or merger. This heightens the ‘funeral’ element, making them often emotional occasions, even if the battle honours on them are shared or inherited by the new units…
December 7, 2024 at 5:53 PM
These days of course the usual trigger for Colours to be layed up is disbandment or merger. This heightens the ‘funeral’ element, making them often emotional occasions, even if the battle honours on them are shared or inherited by the new units…
Over time, the laying up of colours adopted more of a funereal than a custodian flavour. They are therefore usually accepted to be hung in the place of greatest honour, adjacent to the high alter, without preservation “to moulder unto dust”…..
December 7, 2024 at 5:49 PM
Over time, the laying up of colours adopted more of a funereal than a custodian flavour. They are therefore usually accepted to be hung in the place of greatest honour, adjacent to the high alter, without preservation “to moulder unto dust”…..
However officialdom was less sentimental, often denying travel and expenses for colour guards to participate in the laying up of colours often in the early Victorian period. However, from the 1870’s onwards local links became more important making the use of churches commonplace….
December 7, 2024 at 5:44 PM
However officialdom was less sentimental, often denying travel and expenses for colour guards to participate in the laying up of colours often in the early Victorian period. However, from the 1870’s onwards local links became more important making the use of churches commonplace….