One of the pushbacks I’ve seen against the criticism of TGC’s decision to name its new projects after, at the time, living Christian leaders is that it’s a cultural issue. The argument seems to be twofold. First, that it’s just grumpy Brits who are raising concerns, as though that invalidates the concerns raised. Secondly, that… Continue reading Is it really “just” cultural?
Category: ethics
Slave Trade whataboutery ethics
As someone with a particular interest in the history of the slave trade and abolition, I was intrigued by this tweet about a different aspect to the story. We focus primarily on the trans-Atlantic Slave trade which saw black Africans trafficked to the Americas, Caribbean and Britian. However, there was a history of Europeans being… Continue reading Slave Trade whataboutery ethics
Typical? When our old testament heroes prove flawed
The other day I wrote responding to an article arguing that Abraham didn’t really lie when he passed Sarah off as just his sister. The reality is that when we read through the lives of people in Scripture we discover lots of things that would leave us deeply uncomfortable, horrified even about their behaviour. Our… Continue reading Typical? When our old testament heroes prove flawed
When your agenda affects how you read everything
I referred back to the EHRC investigation into antisemitism the other day. What is fascinating and frankly distressing, is the way in which so many people engaged in politics have made strong decisions about the investigation. The people who are adamant that the whole thing was a scam are quick to assert that Jewish members… Continue reading When your agenda affects how you read everything
Antisemitism and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Part revisited
I am returning to a subject that I’ve talked about a few times, the issue of antisemitism especially when it creeps into public life. I’m returning to it now because it has remained a significant issue and because it particularly related to what happened in the Labour Party between 2016-2019. When there’s a change of… Continue reading Antisemitism and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Part revisited
Did Abraham lie? How not to rescue a patriarch
Tim Suffield argues here that when Abraham went to Egypt and agreed with Sarah that they would say she was his sister, that he was not lying and that he has unfairly got a bad press because of this. The basis of Tim’s case is that Abraham was in fact Sarah’s half-brother according to Genesis… Continue reading Did Abraham lie? How not to rescue a patriarch
The pastor’s role and the Christian Sabbath
I’ve been handling a couple of recurring themes over the past few weeks. First there has been the question of the Christian Sabbath and then there has been the question of whether or not pastors have jobs, whether they work or whether their role is leisure. The two issues dovetail neatly into another question that… Continue reading The pastor’s role and the Christian Sabbath
If Sabbath is a creation ordinance, then…
I recently argued that one of the reasons why we should continue to keep a sabbath holy is because it is a creation ordinance. In other words, our relationship to Sabbath is based not just on the laws given in Exodus- Deuteronomy but relates to something given by God at creation. “The Sabbath was made… Continue reading If Sabbath is a creation ordinance, then…
Calvin and the Sabbath
One of the arguments raised concerning Lord’s Day Sabbath observance is that the early reformers, especially Calvin rejected it seeing it as belonging to the Old Covenant. It was, according to the viewpoint only reintroduced by later, Sabbatarian puritans taking a more legalistic hardline. It is true that Calvin did make talk in terms of… Continue reading Calvin and the Sabbath
Is the Christian Sabbath unBiblical?
I’ve written a little about Sunday and Sabbath recently. I don’t seem to be the only one talking about the subject. This article takes a different position to me, arguing that Christians are not under an obligation to observe Sunday as Sabbath. Like the author, Luke Plant, I don’t think that the question is of… Continue reading Is the Christian Sabbath unBiblical?
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