Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/240181
16 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 12 JANUARY 2014 Religion say teen 'distorte circus JAMES DEBONO MOST candidates sitting for the Johann Said Circus promoter suggests €50,000 bank guarantee Animal circus regulations should be imposed on promoters, says circus and football impresario Johann Said MIRIAM DALLI ANIMAL circus promoters bringing circuses to Malta should face fines and penalties if animals are found to have been mistreated, circus promoter Johann Said has said. In what appears to be a last-ditch effort to convince government to reverse a proposal to ban animal circuses, Said argued that promoters or organisers should be asked to submit a bank guarantee of €50,000 when bringing circus animals to Malta. "If Animal Welfare Department officers or veterinarians find the animals to have been mistreated, then the promoter would automatically lose his bank guarantee," he said. The Labour government announced in Budget 2014 that ani- mal circuses would be banned as from this year. Acknowledging that the government could have a popular mandate to ban the circuses, Said said he still wished to voice his proposals to the government. Having been involved in the circus business since he was seven years of age due to his family's business interests, Said grew up working with these performers. This year he brought an aquatic circus to Malta. "When God closes one door, another opens… and I am already thinking of setting up an agency to take Maltese families to see the Circo Moira Orfei in Catania next Christmas," he said. While a petition supporting animal circuses has gained 5,000 votes, Said insisted this show of support was not enough. "The issue should not be about collecting signatures but showing that the Maltese love YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt animal circuses. But to ensure that regulations are being followed, the responsibility should be placed on the organiser." Said said the demand for his circus in Victoria, Gozo, was "so high" that he extended it by another week. Said also confirmed that even MPs from both sides of the House – who soon have to vote on a bill banning animal circuses – took their children to his circus. Meanwhile, Animal Rights Coalition spokeswoman Myriam Kirkmond urged the government not to bow to the pressure of circus promoters. "The government has electoral mandate to ban animal circuses. If it does not condemn animal circuses, Malta would be taking a step backwards and become an uncivilised country," Kirkmond claimed. "Any MPs who visit the circus are setting a bad example, more so if they take their children with them. Anyone who is elected by the majority of the general public should take into account the opinion of the majority: which is against animal circuses," Kirkmond said, in light of circus promoters claiming MPs were in attendance during their circus shows. On the other hand, in response to the gathering of 5,000 signatures in favour of animal circuses, the ARC spokeswoman insisted that the petition is immaterial as the government has electoral mandate to ban animal circuses. Asked whether the ARC foresees the launch of a counter-petition, she said that the animal rights coalition would wait before taking such a step. "The ARC will never compromise on animals' rights with circus promoters or anyone else for that matter. Animals should be kept in their natural habitat not in cages and for the amusement of circus promoters," Kirkmond said. "Apart from physical harm, circus animals also suffer psychologically due to their constant travel and stress. Consequently, it is immaterial whether circus promoters would submit a bank guarantee to safeguard animals' health." mdalli@mediatoday.com.mt religion Ordinary Level exam have "a distorted idea of what constitutes mortal and venial sin", an examiners' report on last May's session reveals. According to the report, the answers given by candidates were an "eye-opener" for all those involved in the pastoral care of youths. But these replies could also reveal changing social trends, with many being brought up in families where attending mass is no longer considered an important aspect of religiosity. The report notes that blaspheming and missing mass on Sundays are wrongly considered as venial sins – sins considered to be "normal occurrences" – while only "murder, stealing and abortion" are considered to be mortal sins. Many believed that venial sins were forgiven with blessed water or a simple prayer, something that prompted the examiners to ask: "are we losing the sense of sin?" Catholic doctrine is a compulsory subject in Catholic schools, but not as a matriculation exam. According to the examiners, some of the candidates lacked "the very basic of religious knowledge" to the extent that "many candidates do not know that there are seven sacraments and cannot even distinguish between sacraments and commandments." A number of candidates are also confusing the terms God and Jesus, exposing the difficulty posed by theological concepts like that of the Trinity, a central tenet of the Catholic faith. The report states that it was common to find candidates writing that Jesus helped the Jews during the Exodus – the Old Testament book documenting the Hebrews' departure from Egypt – or that Jesus himself was the author of the Bible. The concept of "the Church as the Body of Christ" was also found to be "a confusing issue". When asked to state two dogmas of faith or titles attributed to Our Lady, some candidates mentioned devotional titles such as "Madonna tal-Gilju" or "Madonna ta' Lourdes." Candidates confused the Book of Exodus with Genesis, and few knew what the word "incarnation" meant: some referred to Jesus' death, resurrection and transfiguration and others said that incarnation was "a kind of reincarnation". Some candidates even added details not found in scripture when asked to describe a miracle performed by Christ: most referred to the healing of the blind man and the healing of the 10 lepers. While in the Gospels, Jesus mixed spittle with dirt to make a mud mixture which he placed in the blind man's eyes, many students claimed that Jesus cured the blind man using soil, dust or sand and then sent him to the river. Even the ten lepers were "often sent to wash in the river". In a question on Adam and Eve and the apple, one candidate referred to God "depriving them of their clothes" as a punishment. When asked about the similarities between the Pascal lamb and Jesus,