{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Sgwrs Tei Bow","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/cy","author_name":"Clarke Roberts","author_url":"https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/cy\/author\/clarke-roberts\/","title":"The Empire Strikes Back | Bow Tie Talks","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"gWFFXBfl58\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/cy\/2012\/01\/24\/the-empire-strikes-back\/\">Y Gwrthrytach yn Taro'n \u00d4l<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/cy\/2012\/01\/24\/the-empire-strikes-back\/embed\/#?secret=gWFFXBfl58\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;The Empire Strikes Back&#8221; &#8212; Bow Tie Talks\" data-secret=\"gWFFXBfl58\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/www.clarkeroberts.co.uk\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>","description":"No, Darth Vader hasn\u2019t attacked the Rebel outpost on the icy world of Hoth, nor has Han Solo been frozen in carbonite for the decorative purposes of Jabba the Hutt\u2019s palace. Unfortunately, nothing that exciting has happened. More the age-old establishment, the Church has caused upset in the House of Lords this week as an amendment to the benefits reform led by the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds is voted in place of the original bill, which would see the amount of benefit available to eligible households across the UK capped at \u00a326,000 per year, including those with children. The amendment led by the Right Reverend John Packer sees the exclusion of child benefit from the reform bill, meaning that the annual cap will not apply to this vital source of income for many families across Britain. Enough of the technicalities, you\u2019re reading this because you want my opinion surely? If not, then I\u2019m not quite sure you\u2019ve chosen to click the link from Facebook or Twitter; whenever you see the words \u2018New blog post\u2019 and the name \u2018Clarke Roberts\u2019 next to each other, you know you\u2019re in store for a pointless rambling about things which the average university student couldn\u2019t care less about. Not only that but you know I\u2019m going to let you know exactly what I think \u2013 I am an over-opinionated little git after all. Well, those of you who know me (or for those of you who don\u2019t), for a long time I have been opposed to the Church\u2019s involvement with politics; if you were to ask me (which is never a wise idea), I think it is the relationship between the two seemingly incompatible enterprises that leads to the majority of conflicts and disputes throughout the world. Take the Crusades for example. A conflict that was drawn out over a hundred years all because some religious folks on the West Side didn\u2019t like that some religious folk on the East Side had claimed turf that the Christendom Massive thought was theirs \u2013 a simplified version of events you\u2019ll agree, but you get the picture \u2013 the holocaust, ultimately caused by hatred of a religious and cultural group. Even events in the modern world; the September 11th attacks were undoubtedly fuelled by religion and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan (and Iraq, let\u2019s not skirt around the issue), it could be argued, were the Crusades part 2 \u2013 the West once again showing the fellows in the East who\u2019s boss. In fact, if I recall correctly, it was our good old friend George Bush Jnr that used the term \u2018crusade\u2019 in an address to the US during his term as president \u2013 cheers Georgie boy! Not only in Western politics, but look at the situation in Sri Lanka \u2013 for over two decades the country has been engulfed in civil war that is caused by religious disputes between the Sinhalese Buddhist and the Tamil Hindus. Buddhist monks inciting violence and riots against a seemingly peaceful people [&hellip;]","thumbnail_url":"http:\/\/profile.ak.fbcdn.net\/hprofile-ak-snc4\/41590_141087179252116_6444_n.jpg"}