All posts in Current Affairs

Masculine Christianity

by Hugh on February 22, 2012 in Current Affairs, Faith with 2 Comments

There have been plenty of contributions from various Pastors, bloggers, ‘tweeps’ and Synods in recent weeks on the subject of Masculinity. Whether it’s Mark Driscoll calling us ‘cowards’ and promoting Jesus as a model of ‘valour, courage and masculinity’, or John Piper telling us that Christianity should be led by ‘masculine ministry’, or even the Church of England General Synod voting to accept women as Bishops. There’s lots being said on both sides of the question, but what’s right?

We would all agree that a move to appoint women as Bishops, Vicars, Priests, Elders, Pastors, whatever you want to call them is a progressive step. It is a step forward in as far as it brings the church in line with the prevailing view of the society that we live in. However, I would argue that it is a step away from how God calls his church to be led and is therefore regressive. Continue reading →

Christopher Hitchens

by Hugh on December 16, 2011 in Current Affairs with No comments

This post is a tribute to the late, great Christopher Hitchens who died today aged 62.

I guess for me I first came across Hitchens through programmes like Question Time. His outspoken support for the Iraq war made him stand out on most panels. Whatever you thought about his views at least they were his, he never trotted out any party line, he was a model in free thought and speech. He was a master in this arena, who could debate with the best and always come out on top, a brilliant word-smith and provocateur. Continue reading →

Islamisation – the price of Democracy?

by Hugh on December 14, 2011 in Current Affairs with No comments

What price is worth paying for Democracy?

Large defence budgets? UK troops killed in foreign lands? The inevitable civil wars? These seem a high cost enough, considering it’s not exactly a political system that we’re all entirely thrilled with!

But what if the cost was religious freedom? You don’t have to be religious to believe in religious freedom, in fact in most places where there’s little freedom of religion there’s no room for Atheism either… you’ll have to go Communist for that. Continue reading →

Tabloid Justice

by Hugh on November 28, 2011 in Current Affairs with No comments

I guess if I’m honest I just assumed he did it. Like the opening 10 minutes of an episode of Midsomer Murders and picking the suspicious looking one. He did look a bit odd. The Sun went with the headline – “The Strange Mr. Jefferies”. What I find most troubling is that had Vincent Tabak not been convicted for the murder of Joanna Yates, the her landlord Chris Jefferies would still be our prime suspect. Continue reading →

Are you Good or Evil?

by Hugh on September 8, 2011 in Current Affairs, Faith with 1 Comment

Last night I watched an interesting episode of Horizon entitled “Are you Good or Evil?” – 9pm, BBC 2. It featured a number of researchers exploring what makes us pick ‘good’ over ‘evil’.

We saw that in an experiment 70% of toddlers picked ‘good’ over ‘bad’, at least how the researchers interpreted it anyway. They also looked at the military and how you can teach someone to kill, where human instinct is not to kill. Anyway it’s worth a watch.

The research of the scientists lead them to conclude that there was a “Psychopath Gene”. A gene which under the right (or more accurately wrong) conditions could lead to an individual being prone to ‘rage’.

The documentary then turned to the case of Bradley Waldroup, a man convicted of attacking his wife and killing her friend. It seemed likely that he would be convicted of first-degree murder. However, the fact that this gene was present in this man and the evidence of an abusive childhood meant he was only convicted of manslaughter. The scientist’s comment on Waldroup was that ”His freewill had been diminished”.

There were a number of points that stood out for me:

The idea that humans have an innate moral compass, right from a very young age, was accepted as a given.
Even under unhelpful genetic and social conditions no one denied that we are responsible for our actions.
How social factors and conditions can work for good or evil in the life of an individual.

The questions that it missed out, which is why the documentary needed a spiritual dimension were:

Who decides what’s ‘good’ and ‘evil’ anyway?
If some sense of morality seems to be innate in humans, then where does it come from?
What are the best social conditions for a human to flourish?

It’s clear that we are born with a “moral compass”, it’s what C.S. Lewis calls “The Law of Nature”, and how he begins his case for God in Mere Christianity. But it’s also clear that we are all born evil, evil in that we don’t choose to seek God who made us and loves us. David says – “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” – Psalm 51:5.

It was a good documentary, and worth a watch, but a shame they neglected the bigger, theological questions that lie behind their research.

On the Riots

by Hugh on August 16, 2011 in Current Affairs, Faith with No comments

I’ve been in a temporary state of ex-pat-hood for the last 10 days. Sweating in the South of France, longing for the grey drizzle of Hove. From here, along with Lord Sugar (he never responded to my request for a ride on his boat) we’ve been watching the events in London and around the UK through the mediums of Twitter and BBC News Channel.

My initial response was to ask where the water canon was? Why the police didn’t get the batons out and release the hounds. Perhaps naive from my sweaty armchair.

I guess as the scenes have unfolded my thoughts of wanting the police to kick some butt have turned more to sadness. Sad at the stories that have emerged, sad at politics over people, sad at the state of our nation… and I look at the rioters and think “there go I, but for the Grace of God”…

Here’s some more well thought out and articulated thoughts… have a read/listen:

Mike Ovey – Looters: them or us?

Pete Woodcock – Gangs, Greed and God

Glen Scrivener – Jesus came not for the righteous, but the riotous

Russel Brand – Big Brother isn’t watching you

Crazy Dutch

by Hugh on August 5, 2011 in Current Affairs with 3 Comments

You know you’ve lost it when you don’t believe in God, but you still choose to dress up like a Jedi. Here are just a few insights from Dutch ‘vicar’ Klaas Hendrikse…

On God… “God is not a being at all… it’s a word for experience”

On Jesus… “His existence is not relevant”

On life and death… “These mean different things in 2011″

On the Gospel… “It’s a misunderstanding of what Paul said”

On being a Christian… “I’m a Rev’d in the church”

As Mr. T would say… “You crazy fool!”

Choosing to Die

by Hugh on June 15, 2011 in Current Affairs, Faith, Politics with 2 Comments

Like many I tuned in (well on iPlayer) to watch ‘Choosing to Die‘. A documentary on the subject of Assisted Suicide, presented by author Terry Pratchett. The programme was focused around the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland and Peter Smedley, a 71-year old man suffering from motor neurone disease who chose to end his life.

As you may expect this has caused a lot of debate. In particular can I commend this article by Michael Wenham in the Guardian – ‘Choosing to die misses the depth of life‘. Also, for engaging with the facts on the issue, Peter Saunders of CMF has written a helpful clarification of the facts surrounding this issue – ‘20 Facts we did not learn from Terry Pratchett‘.

What really struck me about this documentary was not watching a man die on TV, nor was it the contempt that those who were ill had for their families and the way Dignitas and Pratchett sought to condone this.

No rather it was the words spoken by Pratchett on his own future. Who said (2:40): “When I can no longer write my books, I’m not sure I will want to go on living”. I never really got into Discworld, but those who do have told me how good Pratchett is as an author. But surely life has more value than what we do, surely there is more to life than what we’re good at. According to Wiki, Pratchett is husband to Lyn of 43 years, and father to Rhianna, surely his family are worth living for?

When we find our identity in the things of this world, things that will fail, the inevitable result is that life will become worthless, it won’t be worth living. But finding our identity in Jesus means we can say with confidence… “To live is Christ, and to die is Gain!”

RIP Leslie Nielsen

by Hugh on November 29, 2010 in Current Affairs, Film & TV with No comments

In tribute to a comedy legend.

Burn a Koran

by Hugh on September 9, 2010 in Current Affairs, Faith, Politics with 3 Comments

I’ve got a Koran. I’ve also got a barbecue. The question is should I burn it on Saturday? I’ve read some of it, it’s not the best read, it’s quite confusing… some might say it’s just some gnostic twists on the Bible stories… or the rants of a man in a cave… whatever it is, it’s not great, but burning it seems a bit OTT!

So this Pastor guy, Terry Jones, has been labelled a fundamentalist, someone who doesn’t speak for America or for Christianity. Actually I think he represents more opinion than the politicians would like to admit… having said that this is really just a big publicity stunt and this ‘pastor’ does need to ask what his motives are, because it really aint serving the Gospel! But it’s more than that… this is really dangerous for Christians round the world… it shouldn’t be happening.

At the same time it should be happening. Why shouldn’t he burn some books? Why are we more worried about this man burning books than we are about the people who want to burn people in response? Christians get burned and beaten and killed every day around the world by Islamic extremists… but the no-one cares…

How many times has the American flag been burned? Or effigies of Western leaders? Although I don’t agree with Jones’ actions, I agree with his right to do it, and would want to protect that right… I’m more worried about the people who think that violence is an appropriate response? I thought 9/11 taught us the dangers with Islam… if not 7/7 or the Danish Cartoons should of… when will the Western world and it’s Guardian readers wake up and smell the danger?!