Category: ethics

Pensions, social care and an honest election conversation about the future

In 2017, Theresa May in effect blew up her own election campaign by attempting to tackle the question of social care.  The taxing question was about how we meet the rising cost of supporting an increasingly elderly population.  Her focus was on the bill for providing residential care for those who needed support in day… Continue reading Pensions, social care and an honest election conversation about the future

Good for the economy?

D day draws closer for voters as we approach the 4th July General Election.  Previously, I’ve argued that: I said that I’d return to look in a little more detail at some of the big questions facing us.  At a General Election, these tend to involve: There are also the big ethical issues such as… Continue reading Good for the economy?

Marriage, mutual submission and headship: what does it look like in practice?

In Ephesians 5:22-32 Paul instructs: Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord … Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” In a previous article, I argued that this was a fleshing out of 5:21 and the instruction to “submit to one another.” … Continue reading Marriage, mutual submission and headship: what does it look like in practice?

Is marriage the State’s business?

My friend Steve Kneale has written here about marriage arguing that churches should not be conducting marriage ceremonies, but if they do, they should only do so for church members.  Well, personally I sit loosely on whether or not you should have a church wedding and whether or not churches should perform them. I don’t… Continue reading Is marriage the State’s business?

Useful Idiots? Social Justice, critical theory and the evangelical church

In a podcast for Evangelical Times, Sharon James discusses Critical Theory with Mike Judge,  The blurb suggests that: Dr Sharon James says Critical Theory and the ideas of the Social Justice movement are the single biggest moral threat to our society. She says church leaders should not act as “useful idiots” by embracing its language… Continue reading Useful Idiots? Social Justice, critical theory and the evangelical church

The problem with the “appeal to authority” fallacy

When I wrote in response to the recent letter from lawyers and former judges about Israel and Gaza, I highlight that one problem with it was that it encouraged a form of logical fallacy which is known as “appeal to authority”, or if you want to posh term “ad verecundiam.” Fascinatingly, the problem with this… Continue reading The problem with the “appeal to authority” fallacy

Israel, red lines and the arms trade: How do we know if a red line is crossed?

I recently wrote about a letter from lawyers concerning the ICJ’s interim ruling on whether Israel were in breach of the Genocide Convention.  In the discussion around that article, someone asked me: “what ‘red line’ Israel would need to cross before we should stop arming them?” My response was to note first that before we… Continue reading Israel, red lines and the arms trade: How do we know if a red line is crossed?

Taking God’s name in vain and loving your neighbour

Recently I was listening to a sermon on the two greatest commandments.  The preacher pointed us back to the original command to “love your neighbour” in Leviticus 19.  Something about the context caught my eye and so I’ve come back for a second look. The command is found in Leviticus 19:18. You;; notice that it… Continue reading Taking God’s name in vain and loving your neighbour

Has Hamas changed?

On Sunday, I wrote about the six month anniversary of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.  I  repeated there my concern that Israel’s attempt to defeat Hamas by conventional military means in an urban area is likely to fail.  We are already seeing the enormous cost of the conflict in Palestinian lives and wider suffering.  At… Continue reading Has Hamas changed?