Taliban in Scotland

[John_fi_Skye]

Just thought you might like this, copied out of today's West Highland Free Press, which is the local newspaper in the part of the world where I live in the 21st century:

"A local church this week hit out at plans for a New Year's Day dance in Portree. With the first day of 2012 set to fall on a Sunday, a dance to Gaelic group Manran is due to take place in the Skye Gathering Hall this Sunday. However, members of the Free Church (Continuing) congregation, who worship next door to the venue, have condemned the dance as 'unwarranted and unbiblical'. A statement released by Rev Richard Ross, the presbytery clerk for the FCC in Skye and Lochcarron, described a recent motion passed by the presbytery. It stated, 'It was agreed that the Presbytery condemn this practice of Sabbath desecration. It was further moved and agreed that it notes with immense disquiet the disregard for the Christian Sabbath day within its bounds. It recommends that all avenues be pursued to remind our fellow-man of their responsibilities relating to the observance of the Fourth Commandment, and it encourages the Lord's people to take a stand for His truth in these days." (The capitals, apart from those at the beginnings of sentences, are not mine.) It then goes on to give the licensee's response, which is basically, "Fuck off."

The Free Church (Continuing) split a decade or so ago from the Free Church (which had already split from the Free Presbyterian Church) because they weren't hard-line enough. So there we are. Things like that still happen.

My step-daughter (age 18) is of course going to hear Manran, who by the way are pretty good. I'm pretty sure that the coverage in the paper will guarantee that a lot of young people who go to the ceilidh will make bloody sure the church is desecrated.

[JimC]

I've heard them called the Wee Frees...

I suspect they'd consider Calvin a little frivolous...

[John_fi_Skye]

Yes, they're referred to as the Wee Frees - an ironic term for a group of sects so illiberal that they keep falling out with each other over what's illiberal enough!

[amused]

I take it they aren't these guys?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Sounds like an entry for this thread: http://rationalia.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... =tolerance

[Svartalf]

I take it they aren't these guys?

That Indian soldiers from a Sikh regiment continuing the traditions of the departed colonist rather than Sikh soldiers in Scotland, right?

[amused]

Dunno, I just Googled for plaid turbans and that image came up.

Taliban in Scotland.... bad funny?

[John_fi_Skye]

Dunno, I just Googled for plaid turbans and that image came up.

Taliban in Scotland.... bad funny?

We don't say "plaid" here : we say "tartan".

[John_fi_Skye]

Dunno, I just Googled for plaid turbans and that image came up.

Taliban in Scotland.... bad funny?

We don't say "plaid" here : we say "tartan".

And similarly we don't say "Taliban" here : we say "Wee Frees" - but it means the same!

[Svartalf]

Aren't those plaids they wear on the shoulder? Doesn't look to be part of of a philimore... and I'm not sure that pattern qualifies ass a tartan either.

[John_fi_Skye]

Aren't those plaids they wear on the shoulder? Doesn't look to be part of of a philimore... and I'm not sure that pattern qualifies ass a tartan either.

Yes, you're quite right - those are plaids. But that's a noun, and you said you'd googled "plaid turbans" (not "plaids and turbans"), so it looked to me as though you were using "plaid" as an adjective - and that's an Americanism, never used here.

And the fact that there's no tartan in the picture doesn't mean that google couldn't have given you that picture - if it was the nearest that could be found!

[John_fi_Skye]