Christian Voice to stage further protests against poetry book
Alison Flood
Christian activists are due to stage a protest outside the Welsh Assembly tomorrow over Patrick Jones's poetry collection Darkness Is Where the Stars Are, which they describe as "ugly, indecent and blasphemous".
Jones is scheduled to read his poetry at the Assembly's T Hywel building tomorrow at 12pm, but the group Christian Voice – which has already successfully campaigned against Jones launching his work at Waterstone's Cardiff branch last month – is planning "a public act of Christian witness" outside the building.
It has also emailed members urging them to apply for tickets for the Assembly event, and for a reading at Borders' Cardiff branch that evening, at which a protest is also planned.
"Say how much you would like an invitation to the event, but don't say you wish to protest!" the organisation said in an email. "Say whatever is needed to get alongside and get a ticket without bearing false witness. You cannot give a false name for either event as ID will be required. So Onward, Christian soldiers, Stand up, stand up for Jesus!"
Darkness Is Where the Stars Are is a collection of poems dealing with issues including domestic violence against men, war, religion and the environment.
Christian Voice objects particularly to one of the poems, which includes the "blasphemous assertion" of sex between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Lines it objects to include "All I preach is deicide", "today I have become a born-again atheist" and "god does not die because he was never alive".
In a statement on its website, it adds: "The poems aren't actually much good, they hardly rhyme, they rarely scan or have rhythm, but they possibly have enough profanity and references to female genitalia to get the literati excited."
National director of Christian Voice Stephen Green said there would be a coach-load of protesters arriving tomorrow for the event. "It can never be wrong to do what is morally right," he said. "Of course [Jones] has the right to think what he likes and say what he likes in the privacy of his own lavatory, but he does not have the right to insult the saviour of the world two weeks before Christmas."
Jones and his publisher Cinnamon Press said they would be going ahead with the events as planned. "The poems to me are not blasphemous, they raise a debate," Jones said. "[The book is] a triumph of talking about my own personal struggle in life and I'm very proud of it, [but] now I just feel I have to constantly defend myself."
He said that he and his publisher "just weren't prepared" for the reaction the book, which took him 20 years to write, received. "It got out of control after Waterstone's gave in, then it snowballed, like with Jerry Springer the Opera," he added. "I almost can't quite believe it … It's legitimised because it's religious [and] we tiptoe around extremist religious activity."
Cinnamon Press, a small publisher founded three-and-a-half years ago, said it had been flooded with supportive emails, some from Christians. "I think this has given it a wider market," said editor Jan Fortune-Wood. "Poetry is a niche market, and if you sell a couple of hundred copies you're lucky – this has been extraordinary publicity."
On its website, Christian Voice wrote: "Should the event be cancelled, we shall have something to praise the Lord Jesus Christ for! On the other hand, should the Assembly choose to insult Him, we shall praise His holy name and pray to Him for mercy."
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/dec/10/poetry-christianity/print
2008/12/19
We're seeing the Christian faith attacked on all sides."
Christian group's poetry protest
Around 250 Christian activists have protested outside the Welsh assembly building about a poetry reading.
Patrick Jones was invited by two assembly members to read from his collection Darkness Is Where The Stars Are, which has already led to claims it is "obscene and blasphemous".
Stephen Green, director of Christian Voice, said: "This turnout shows the strength of feeling of people."
Mr Jones was "shocked" by the numbers but said it was good for free speech.
Protesters sang hymns and some held placards before the ticket-only event inside the Senedd building.
Mr Green added: We're seeing the Christian faith attacked on all sides."
"Now it's under attack in a seat of government in the UK."
Nick Bourne, leader of the Welsh Conservatives was at the demonstration, and was asked if he was showing his support.
He replied: "Yes, essentially."
"Our group opposed this {reading] at the home of Welsh democracy, promoting something which is anti-Christian and we would say that if it was any recognised religion."
Mr Jones was asked by Labour AM Lorraine Barrett and Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black, who said he wanted to make sure the poet was not "gagged".
"I think this is a good day for democracy. We've head both sides - Patrick has had his poetry reading and it's also important for people to be able to make their views known."
One of the poems that has offended Christians, called Hymn, includes a reference to Mary Magdalene having sex with Jesus. It was read by an actress Stacey Daley, from Newport.
Mr Jones is the brother of Nicky Wire, of the Manic Street Preachers.
A books-signing launch event was cancelled at a Cardiff branch of Waterstone's last month after an earlier protest was planned.
He signed copies of the collection of 30 to 40 poems in the street instead.
Mr Jones, who has said he is "really proud" of the book said after the protest: "I was really shocked at the turnout and I think that's healthy for democracy but I don't think many of them have read the poem.
"A bit of a moral panic has been created but what happened at Waterstone's set a dangerous precedent."
He insisted he had not singled out Christianity in his poems, but was questioning beliefs in society.
Mr Green said: "I didn't want to get party political about this, but I've had a number of letters of support from members of the assembly.
"The Conservative group has come out against this locally and many Plaid Cymru members have too.
"I am not taking sides, I'm just telling it how it is."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7777157.stm
Published: 2008/12/11 13:02:30 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Print Sponsor
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7777157.stm?ad=1
Around 250 Christian activists have protested outside the Welsh assembly building about a poetry reading.
Patrick Jones was invited by two assembly members to read from his collection Darkness Is Where The Stars Are, which has already led to claims it is "obscene and blasphemous".
Stephen Green, director of Christian Voice, said: "This turnout shows the strength of feeling of people."
Mr Jones was "shocked" by the numbers but said it was good for free speech.
Protesters sang hymns and some held placards before the ticket-only event inside the Senedd building.
Mr Green added: We're seeing the Christian faith attacked on all sides."
"Now it's under attack in a seat of government in the UK."
Nick Bourne, leader of the Welsh Conservatives was at the demonstration, and was asked if he was showing his support.
He replied: "Yes, essentially."
"Our group opposed this {reading] at the home of Welsh democracy, promoting something which is anti-Christian and we would say that if it was any recognised religion."
Mr Jones was asked by Labour AM Lorraine Barrett and Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black, who said he wanted to make sure the poet was not "gagged".
"I think this is a good day for democracy. We've head both sides - Patrick has had his poetry reading and it's also important for people to be able to make their views known."
One of the poems that has offended Christians, called Hymn, includes a reference to Mary Magdalene having sex with Jesus. It was read by an actress Stacey Daley, from Newport.
Mr Jones is the brother of Nicky Wire, of the Manic Street Preachers.
A books-signing launch event was cancelled at a Cardiff branch of Waterstone's last month after an earlier protest was planned.
He signed copies of the collection of 30 to 40 poems in the street instead.
Mr Jones, who has said he is "really proud" of the book said after the protest: "I was really shocked at the turnout and I think that's healthy for democracy but I don't think many of them have read the poem.
"A bit of a moral panic has been created but what happened at Waterstone's set a dangerous precedent."
He insisted he had not singled out Christianity in his poems, but was questioning beliefs in society.
Mr Green said: "I didn't want to get party political about this, but I've had a number of letters of support from members of the assembly.
"The Conservative group has come out against this locally and many Plaid Cymru members have too.
"I am not taking sides, I'm just telling it how it is."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7777157.stm
Published: 2008/12/11 13:02:30 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Print Sponsor
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7777157.stm?ad=1
Darkness Is Where The Stars Are-Blasphemy
Poetry launch cancelled after Christian protest
13 Nov 08, 10:04 AM
The launch of a new book of poems in the Waterstone's bookstore in Cardiff has been cancelled because a conservative Christian campaign group called on the chain to removes copies of the book from its stores. Darkness Is Where The Stars Are by Patrick Jones was to be launched at 7.30 p.m. yesterday, but Patrick Jones says the event was cancelled because of a 'threats of disruption' to the store.
Christian Voice's leader Stephen Green led an e-mail campaign against the book, and encouraged Waterstones to cancel the launch, because he regards some of the poems within the collection as 'obscene and blasphemous'.
Even though the event had been cancelled, Patrick Jones went to the Waterstones bookstore at The Hayes in Cardiff and signed copies of his book in the street. Mr Jones is plainly a poet who addresses political and religious themes in his work. In this collection, some poems explore the portrayal of women and some deal with the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. He uses language that is, at times, raw. He would not be the first poet to address these themes or to use raw language.
As one might expect, Christian Voice have now given Patrick Jones a much larger audience than he might previously have expected for his book. We'll see how this story pans out over the next few days, but I expect that the controversy provoked by the cancellation of this book launch will increase sales and name recognition for this poet.
Speaking of which, here's his bio:
Patrick is a poet, playwright, human rights activist and filmmaker. His work includes the poetry collections The Guerilla tapestry and Fuse, the CD of spoken word and music Commemoration and Amnesia and the plays Everything Must Go, Unprotected Sex, The War is Dead long live the war and Sing to Me. He has also directed short films and videos for the bands The Manic Street Preachers and Lethargy. Patrick is also committed to taking words to the whole of the community and has developed writing groups for young people in Wales and beyond, developed and co-ordinated writing and drama workshops for people of all ages and from a mixed background, attended many different organisations from community groups to universities to speak about writing and give readings of work. Set-up various writing projects for people with specific needs, for example hospice patients, school non-attendees, mental health patients and most recently the young homeless.He has worked with various communty based projects with NCH, The Welsh National Opera, St. David's Foundation Hospice Care and The Dyn Project (advocacy for men who have experienced domestic violence) and The Prison Service.
William Crawley
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2008/11/poetry_launch_cancelled_after.html
13 Nov 08, 10:04 AM
The launch of a new book of poems in the Waterstone's bookstore in Cardiff has been cancelled because a conservative Christian campaign group called on the chain to removes copies of the book from its stores. Darkness Is Where The Stars Are by Patrick Jones was to be launched at 7.30 p.m. yesterday, but Patrick Jones says the event was cancelled because of a 'threats of disruption' to the store.
Christian Voice's leader Stephen Green led an e-mail campaign against the book, and encouraged Waterstones to cancel the launch, because he regards some of the poems within the collection as 'obscene and blasphemous'.
Even though the event had been cancelled, Patrick Jones went to the Waterstones bookstore at The Hayes in Cardiff and signed copies of his book in the street. Mr Jones is plainly a poet who addresses political and religious themes in his work. In this collection, some poems explore the portrayal of women and some deal with the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. He uses language that is, at times, raw. He would not be the first poet to address these themes or to use raw language.
As one might expect, Christian Voice have now given Patrick Jones a much larger audience than he might previously have expected for his book. We'll see how this story pans out over the next few days, but I expect that the controversy provoked by the cancellation of this book launch will increase sales and name recognition for this poet.
Speaking of which, here's his bio:
Patrick is a poet, playwright, human rights activist and filmmaker. His work includes the poetry collections The Guerilla tapestry and Fuse, the CD of spoken word and music Commemoration and Amnesia and the plays Everything Must Go, Unprotected Sex, The War is Dead long live the war and Sing to Me. He has also directed short films and videos for the bands The Manic Street Preachers and Lethargy. Patrick is also committed to taking words to the whole of the community and has developed writing groups for young people in Wales and beyond, developed and co-ordinated writing and drama workshops for people of all ages and from a mixed background, attended many different organisations from community groups to universities to speak about writing and give readings of work. Set-up various writing projects for people with specific needs, for example hospice patients, school non-attendees, mental health patients and most recently the young homeless.He has worked with various communty based projects with NCH, The Welsh National Opera, St. David's Foundation Hospice Care and The Dyn Project (advocacy for men who have experienced domestic violence) and The Prison Service.
William Crawley
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2008/11/poetry_launch_cancelled_after.html
2008/12/17
THE BLASPHEMOUS JACK BLACK AS JESUS
Jack Black as Jesus
09/12/08 | Posted by MattPage
School of Rock star Jack Black has appeared playing Jesus in an internet film. Prop 8 - The Musical was written by Marc Shaiman (Hairspray) as a protest against a new piece of Californian legislation limiting gay rights. Black appears to a bunch of evangelical Christians (played by John C. Reilly and West Wing's Allison Janney) and points out that they seem to pick and choose which parts of the Bible they follow. Jesus goes on to suggest that they should pick the bits that talk about love and not those that are about hate.The film gained an incredible 1.2 million hits in its first day, and reached the 2.5 million mark within just 5 days.
Jack Black
Black’s not the first, seemingly unlikely, comedian to play Jesus. Back in 1999 Will Ferrell had a brief cameo as Jesus in Superstar, and Steve Coogan also starred as school teacher playing Jesus in Hamlet 2 due for release in the UK in February next year (it was released in the US back in August). All of which got me thinking about various actors who would make a really good, or a really bad Jesus. Who do you think would portray a really good/bad film Jesus and why?
http://www.rejesus.co.uk/blog/post/jack_black_as_jesus/
09/12/08 | Posted by MattPage
School of Rock star Jack Black has appeared playing Jesus in an internet film. Prop 8 - The Musical was written by Marc Shaiman (Hairspray) as a protest against a new piece of Californian legislation limiting gay rights. Black appears to a bunch of evangelical Christians (played by John C. Reilly and West Wing's Allison Janney) and points out that they seem to pick and choose which parts of the Bible they follow. Jesus goes on to suggest that they should pick the bits that talk about love and not those that are about hate.The film gained an incredible 1.2 million hits in its first day, and reached the 2.5 million mark within just 5 days.
Jack Black
Black’s not the first, seemingly unlikely, comedian to play Jesus. Back in 1999 Will Ferrell had a brief cameo as Jesus in Superstar, and Steve Coogan also starred as school teacher playing Jesus in Hamlet 2 due for release in the UK in February next year (it was released in the US back in August). All of which got me thinking about various actors who would make a really good, or a really bad Jesus. Who do you think would portray a really good/bad film Jesus and why?
http://www.rejesus.co.uk/blog/post/jack_black_as_jesus/
THE BLASPHEMOUS PROP 8
Prop 8: The Musical, created by award-winning Hairspray composer Marc Shaiman, features stars such as Jack Black and John C Reilly lampooning backers of the constitutional amendment, which limits marriage to a union between a man and a woman.
The ban was passed by voters during the November election, five months after gay weddings were legalised in the nation’s most populous state.
A number of legal challenges are seeking to overturn the amendment, which was opposed by Hollywood heavyweights including Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg as well as President-Elect Barack Obama and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Its passage sparked protests nationwide.
Prop 8: The Musical, directed and staged by Hairspray director Adam Shankman, features well-known stage and screen actors taking part in a Sacramento community college threatre group production.
It opens with the colourfully-dressed “California Gays and The People That Love Them” dancing and celebrating a “brand new bright Obama day” and “happy days for the gays”.
Then a black-clad crowd led by John C Reilly and Allison Janney describes how they will “spread some hate and put it in the constitution” via Proposition 8.
They claim the Bible says gay love is a sin. But Jesus Christ, played by Jack Black, intervenes to point out the Bible “says a lot of things”, including that shellfish is an abomination and it is acceptable to stone your wife or sell your daughter into slavery.
He urges them to “choose love instead of hate”.
The musical finishes with Neil Patrick Harris telling the Proposition 8 crowd about the “money to be made” from gay marriage before the entire cast unites in opposition to the ban, declaring that “gay marriages will save the economy”.
Mr Shaiman says in a note introducing the video that he is releasing the musical “six weeks later than he shoulda”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3546924/Jack-Black-is-Jesus-in-Hollywoods-Prop-8-The-Musical-gay-marriage-ban-satire.html
The ban was passed by voters during the November election, five months after gay weddings were legalised in the nation’s most populous state.
A number of legal challenges are seeking to overturn the amendment, which was opposed by Hollywood heavyweights including Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg as well as President-Elect Barack Obama and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Its passage sparked protests nationwide.
Prop 8: The Musical, directed and staged by Hairspray director Adam Shankman, features well-known stage and screen actors taking part in a Sacramento community college threatre group production.
It opens with the colourfully-dressed “California Gays and The People That Love Them” dancing and celebrating a “brand new bright Obama day” and “happy days for the gays”.
Then a black-clad crowd led by John C Reilly and Allison Janney describes how they will “spread some hate and put it in the constitution” via Proposition 8.
They claim the Bible says gay love is a sin. But Jesus Christ, played by Jack Black, intervenes to point out the Bible “says a lot of things”, including that shellfish is an abomination and it is acceptable to stone your wife or sell your daughter into slavery.
He urges them to “choose love instead of hate”.
The musical finishes with Neil Patrick Harris telling the Proposition 8 crowd about the “money to be made” from gay marriage before the entire cast unites in opposition to the ban, declaring that “gay marriages will save the economy”.
Mr Shaiman says in a note introducing the video that he is releasing the musical “six weeks later than he shoulda”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3546924/Jack-Black-is-Jesus-in-Hollywoods-Prop-8-The-Musical-gay-marriage-ban-satire.html
BLASPHEMY: Jack Black is Jesus in "Prop 8: The Musical"
12/04/2008
Jack Black is Jesus in "Prop 8: The Musical"
A new video on FunnyorDie.com has caused a stir not just for its controversial content, but also its star-studded cast. "Prop 8: The Musical" stars Jack Black as Jesus, Neil Patrick Harrs, John C. Reilly, Margaret Cho and many more.
The three-minute video is the brainchild of Marc Shaiman, the composer of "Hairspray" and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." Shaiman pulled "Hairspray" from the California Musical Theatre after director Scott Eckern donated to "Yes on 8" campaign.
Shaiman said of "Prop 8: The Musical", "It was like, `Eureka! That's right, that's what I do! If I'm going to stand on the soap box, at least let me sing and dance."
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=75286
Jack Black is Jesus in "Prop 8: The Musical"
A new video on FunnyorDie.com has caused a stir not just for its controversial content, but also its star-studded cast. "Prop 8: The Musical" stars Jack Black as Jesus, Neil Patrick Harrs, John C. Reilly, Margaret Cho and many more.
The three-minute video is the brainchild of Marc Shaiman, the composer of "Hairspray" and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." Shaiman pulled "Hairspray" from the California Musical Theatre after director Scott Eckern donated to "Yes on 8" campaign.
Shaiman said of "Prop 8: The Musical", "It was like, `Eureka! That's right, that's what I do! If I'm going to stand on the soap box, at least let me sing and dance."
http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=75286
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