Politics and religion

[John Arton]

Two subjects that would often lead to heated argument in the ships bar but have anyone actually sailed with very religious people?
On my first trip to sea we were topping off tanks, loading crude oil in some good forsaken port up the Persian gulf, using those wooden ullage sticks. I was doing the port side wing tanks and the 2nd mate the stbd side, calling out my ullages to the 2nd mate who telayed to the chief officer in the cargo control room. We were approaching the stop ullage when suddenly the 2nd mate threw down his ullage stick and started shouting "lord I have seen the light, save me". Mad panic ensues with the chief officer shouting what the feck was happening and having to switch tanks before the ones we were monitoring. Had to get the 3rd mate out of his pit to complete the loading. The 2nd mate recovered a couple of hours later and just carried on as normal.
Later I was mate on a geared bulkers and we had a very religious deck cadet who insisted that the wives on board could not use the hobby room on Sunday morning as he was using it for his morning and evening prayers. Very strange lad who would walk out of the bar if anyone used bad language.
He hardly ever mixed with the 3 other cadets on board and instead of doing his course work instead spending his spare time in his bible study.
Rgds
J.A

[Johnny Kieran]

It was always interesting to see the number of hands requesting to go ashore to mass if we were in port on a Christmas day, or Easter Sunday, or any other Sunday come to that, when everyone else had to work. Of course I'd be the only genuine one.

[Ivan Cloherty]

I tink we all became a little more religious when in a hurricane or typhoon, I know the Irish OOW and QMs did as they were always asking for three extra crew members 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph, where the hell are you'

[happy daze john in oz]

They were of course very busy caring for the 'real' religious ones on board.

But today there is little change between the two, politics for many has become a religion.
They follow the master, either the Pm or some other phukwhit who thinks they ae some sort of god like figure capable of making life so much better for us.
But the Bible they use is often some form or either extreme left wing policies or the followings of a previous religion such as Marxism.

Must go, time for prayers, the bar is open.

[j.sabourn]

The bible is very left wing in places John. I have a friend who is about normal for a good Christian but the last time I saw him he was trying to discuss with me that he reckoned Jesus was the very first Communist , very convenient for those who wear two hats. When in the bar try a Bloody Mary, Cappy won’t mind. As long as you don’t put it on his tab. Cheers JS

[Ian Mutch]

A bible based on left wing policies ??? I see you're not living in the UK John. In my lifetime I have never seen such a powerful steady drift to the right and the far right with nonsense like BREXIT being engineered by people who shouldn't be allowed sharp instruments. Is anyone ever going to ask why the NHS outsources so much work, to private companies or ask where those companies bank their profits.

No-one likes paying tax but if we don't there won't be an NHS or armed forces etc. The dodging of tax through offshore banking is the giant elephant in the room that few talk about often enough. IT must be 20 years since the CIA identified international crime as the biggest threat to America and to democracy. IF you want to stash you money in secret places what does it say about you? There's a starting question. Could there be a connection one wonders between those who financed Brexit and the EU's stated intention to squeeze companies who bank offshore out of the EU. As Private Eye might say 'perhaps we should be told?'

Ian Mutch former P&0 /BI 3rd mate

[j.sabourn]

In an ideal economy I look upon the ideal circumstances for it to work to alls benefit is to have a fair wage for a fair days work , and the money people earn to be spent in the community they live in being continuously going around. This importing supposedly luxury goods at out of reach retail prices to a person not earning the money to afford , is a false economy not designed for the general public , a community or a country should be self sufficient , and above all look after its own citizens first last and foremost . JS

[Ian Mutch]

Keeping the money in a community has a lot of merit particularly when compared to siphoning it off into tax havens. Here in Glastonbury I persuaded our town council of which I'm a member to write to the government and our MP and ask for full transparency over which companies got NHS contracts and where they banked. We were thanked for our letter. That is the democracy we live in today. Don't mention the tax havens.

Ian Mutch

[vic mcclymont]

#6, I am a Brexiteer, and I opposed our joining 75 and I have always been against our membership.
I see you tar all Brexiteer as some sort of low life because the disagree with your political stance. I and many more brexiteers are more than capable of holding sharp implements. They had the sense and vision to free this country from the yoke of Brussels.
Vic

[John Cassels]

#6, I am a Brexiteer, and I opposed our joining 75 and I have always been against our membership.
I see you tar all Brexiteer as some sort of low life because the disagree with your political stance. I and many more brexiteers are more than capable of holding sharp implements. They had the sense and vision to free this country from the yoke of Brussels.
Vic

And of couse you are correct Vic. It never fails to surprise me that the people who whine on the most about Brexit do not even live in
an EU land and so have no idea of the policies those appaling people in Brussels are planning for us poor sods in mainland Europe.