Never Talk Metaphysics With A Journalist

[poliphilo]

Our culture is relentlessly and cruelly materialist. You really don't want to let it be known you hold with fairies or reincarnation or anything like that- and especially not if you happen to have any sort of public profile.

We come from no place, we go to no place. Charles Darwin rules. "They give birth above a grave" and so on. Stick to that and you're safe. Diverge from the orthodoxy and they'll skin you alive.

William Roache- who I think of as a bit of a twit- allowed an interview to get out of hand the other day. He started talking about his religious beliefs (he used to be a Druid and is now a member of a Californian sect that witters on about Love) and got himself  backed into a corner and made to say he thought rape victims were paying off their karma from previous lives. It's not what he really meant- but try being subtle when you're in your 80s and not very bright to begin with and your interviewer is not the least bit interested in anything but stitching you up.. Roache is now undergoing his own karmic adjustment. Silly Billy.

There is a reason why certain teachings are kept under wraps. Pearls before swine and all that.

Comments

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

Frankly, from what I read of the interview with Roache, what he said was offensive. He didn't need a journalist to "stitch him up," he did it pretty easily by himself. As for the "in you're 80s and not very bright" - sorry, I don't buy that. Roache has been in the public eye for fifty years, he should damn well know by now that if you say things that touch a nerve (and considering the recent scandals he should) say things that sound as though you're sneering at people's offence and you will get jumped on for it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I disagree. The interviewer was hostile and aggressive. He got Roache on the back foot and then just kept on pushing. He was treating him like he was some mis-speaking politician and not just a silly old actor.

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

He may be "a silly old actor" but his words were still considered offensive. Maybe he should get a better press agent to write his script when he's away from the camera.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I imagine he was expecting to have a cosy chat about life on The Street (he and the interviewer were sitting comfortably in the bar of The Rover's Return) when things took an unexpected turn. He was caught on the hop and the words came out all wrong.

He has since apologized.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Ah, he ran afoul on that which most of us run afoul - trying to answer the question of "Why do horrible things happen to people?" Religions have been trying to answer that one for years.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes. Exactly.

Poor old feller.....

[wyrmwwd.livejournal.com]

The trick is learning to use the phrase "according to [fill in the blank] tradition". Use this phrase for everything. "According to Christian tradition"... "According to Pagan tradition"... keeps your personal belief system out of the conversation.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's an excellent tip. :)