Bear Grylis Fired by Discovery

[tinderbox]

I have climbed and come from a climbing family and BG climbed to the top of Everest. Anybody who, (does not), climb will tell you that is the ultimate achievement

Fixed that for you.

 

[EdS]

why would it offend? It was a comment about 1 person and his actions and what he proclaims.

I made no comment on any faith nor did I take a swipe at any belief system.

I have friends with strong faiths (and I know there are some on here that have) but they do not bang that particular drum very often and so publicly and then act in a questionable fashion.

I have practicing Muslim friends that will have a drink form time to time and Hindu ones that have steak from time to time and Christian ones that have made a bob or 2-- but and its a big but they don't make such a song and dance about how important their faith is and how it guides / dictates their lifestyle.

 

[Manacles]

Fixed that for you.

Thanks tinderbox, a rare monet typing for me where my brain went faster than my mouth

 

[EdS]

Anybody who climbs will tell you that is the ultimate achievement, and whatever else BG does (and I am fairly ambivalent about his other activities) that gets respect from me.

I know a number of folks that have done Everest and other peaks -- they all say K2 or Aconcagua to name but 2 are more of a challenge and achievement.

As I said i'm not knocking his achievements --- they are pretty spectacular even allowing for the massive support system involved in most of them.

Have you read about is impact on BMC insurance due to not getting proper insurance for the Antarctic trip?

 

[tinderbox]

Still an achievement, going into the death zone, but sadly devalued these days when it is almost a via ferrata.

 

[Manacles]

why would it offend? It was a comment about 1 person and his actions and what he proclaims.

I made no comment on any faith nor did I take a swipe at any belief system.

I have friends with strong faiths (and I know there are some on here that have) but they do not bang that particular drum very often and so publicly and then act in a questionable fashion.

I have practicing Muslim friends that will have a drink form time to time and Hindu ones that have steak from time to time and Christian ones that have made a bob or 2-- but and its a big but they don't make such a song and dance about how important their faith is and how it guides / dictates their lifestyle.

This is not the forum for a theological discussion so to be brief, mammon is generally (or at least scripturally) referred to as a deity rather than an action (although its roots are primarily of the action). Christianity being monotheistic does not allow for other deities, hence the use of mammon, a religious term, rather than greed (which would have been fine) implies a multitheistic belief and hence may cause offence to one who is monotheistic, e.g. a Christian


BG does proclaim his faith rather openly, but so do many others (I have whole host of religious representatives knocking on my door when I work from home - surprising really as I would have thought I have sinned too much for salvation, but I digress). I imagine BG's openness on faith may have in part led to his appointment as Chief Scout, but I don't know, so mere speculation on my part.

As for questionable action, I don't see BG as atypical of the faith, and I suspect that the believer who genuinely lives an altruistic/partially or wholly ascetic life to be the exception rather than the rule. Maybe the world might be a better place if all those of faith lived more strictly to the various teachings, or maybe not.

 

[EdS]

but Mammon can be taken to mean wealth or possession as in the old Hebrew use of the word. However, Mammon is personified in the Christian bible (in Luke I seam to recall) so that case I'll stand by my original quote as its from the Bible and therefore accepted and promoted as a Christian idea.

But yes you are correct --- maybe greed would of been a better term to use to avoid linguistic misunderstanding.

 

[Manacles]

but Mammon can be taken to mean wealth or possession as in the old Hebrew use of the word. However, Mammon is personified in the Christian bible (in Luke I seam to recall) so that case I'll stand by my original quote as its from the Bible and therefore accepted and promoted as a Christian idea.

But yes you are correct --- maybe greed would of been a better term to use to avoid linguistic misunderstanding.

Fair point EdS (we'd better not get into the finer interpretations of the Gospels here or we'll get told off, and rightly so ) I guess one can't criticise someone (BG or otherwise) for taking the money, the current global situation is a rather unstable one right now and I'm sure like any parent he wants to put aside for the kids. I do honestly see the irony of him taking the money in that bushcraft per se is intrinsically linked to a pre monetary society (making use of what is around you rather than rushing off to the superstore) but I view him primarily as a TV presenter so, for me, I guess that cancels it out rather.

 

[Tony]

I cannot get my head around how a guy not working for a TV company any more can warrant getting his life, beliefs, decisions, personality, honesty etc etc all pulled apart by people that don't know him. He probably helps more people than I do.