The temptation of politeness

[fpb]

A few days ago I wrote an entry about the problems that my tendency to rage caused in my relationships with others. I have no doubt that a lot of people will have read the last entry - about the abomination that is Dutch law, especially on euthanasia, and about the atrocious behaviour of the Dutch government in the matter of Ayaan Hirsi Ali - and

Comments

[anonymous]

Thugs and criminals revere one thing in their filthy lives - their mother - when they revere nothing else.

I will note in passing that there are exceptions to every rule.

[fpb]

I said so. The piece repeats over and over that there are bad parents, and you can conclude that there are bad children as well. Quibbling is not a strong argument.

[a_nonny_mouse_9]

Fiery and eloquent.

There are those who think that Christianity has caused more harm than good in the history of the West. As Europe experiments with radical secularism, we may see this hypothesis actually tested. Developments like these you cite would not encourage me, were my hopes focused on the beneficence of the secular worldview.

Progress is what we hope for; history is what we get. It would be nice to learn from it, occasionally. But I know too much history to expect that to happen too often.

[ani_bester]

Let us not even speak the base and disgusting reason behind ninety per cent of these displays of love - money; Thank you for pulling that out from under the rug

[fpb]

Of course I do not say, and the Church does not say, that people should be kept alive merely because it is possible to snatch another few seconds. In fact, Church teaching, I believe, allows the use of pain-killing drugs to reduce pain even if they tend to shorten the patient's remaining hours. But that is one thing, and killing a person who could go on living and experiencing and perhaps even recover is another. My grandfather died in his own house and bed, looked after by his wife and daughters, who kept him going for months and never made him feel a burden; and from time to time he sang. (Well - it was a pretty dreadful noise - but he meant it for singing.) He was 96 when he died, too.

[fpb]

Ah, yes, "hate speech" - that hollow catch-all of liberals who want to outlaw points of view they do not like. As for libel against you, you just proved yourself a coward, unwilling to defend your country and unwilling to let my criticism of it stand. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. I have no doubt that you are the kind of person who would go into rhapsodies about how wicked censorship is. Until it touches you. Do you aim to prove that hypocrisy is another Dutch trait?

My mother, Elena Fanelli

[fpb]