I understand that for some, The Crown is compulsive and essential viewing. Netflix’s big budget drama tells the story of Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family starting back with the death of George VI and over several seasons aiming presumably to bring things right up to date. The show has proved both popular and controversial… Continue reading The Gnostic presuppositions of The Crown
Category: ethics
The nurses strike or Matt Hancock on I’m a Celebrity? When you don’t have to choose between two ethical issues
I saw this tweet the other day. It’s a classical example of poor reasoning and poor ethical thinking. We sometimes refer to this as “Whataboutery.” A person expresses an opinion on a moral issue. They are then told that they should not be expressing views about that issue because issue x is far more egregious.… Continue reading The nurses strike or Matt Hancock on I’m a Celebrity? When you don’t have to choose between two ethical issues
House of Cards and a tragedy of mistaken heroes
Back when I was a student at University, anyone who was interested in politics and saw themselves as having a future in parliament was avidly studying the TV adaption of Michael Dodd’s House of Cards as diligently as they were paying attention to their actual subject. The protagonist in the original House of Cards is… Continue reading House of Cards and a tragedy of mistaken heroes
How did complementarianism end up becoming a boundary marker?
This was a question asked the other day on twitter. It was expressed I believe as a lament as much as a question. There are Christians who stand foursquare with other evangelicals. They believe the Bible to be God’s inspired word, without error. They confess that Jesus died on the cross to bear the penalty… Continue reading How did complementarianism end up becoming a boundary marker?
On boycotting the World Cup and judging others
This winter, the FIFA World Cup will happen in Qatar. The decision to host the World Cup there has proved seriously controversial. There were all the practical questions about it happening at a time of year when major national leagues are mid competition and about the implications of playing in that climate. However, those concerns… Continue reading On boycotting the World Cup and judging others
We can’t expect higher standards from politicians and then stick them on game shows
Matt Hancock, the disgraced former health secretary has been revealed as a contestant on “I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here.” He follows other politicians into reality TV prepared for ritual humiliation and hoping for a bit more name recognition and celebrity status. At the tamer end of things we’ve seen Ann Widdicombe, Ed… Continue reading We can’t expect higher standards from politicians and then stick them on game shows
We need to challenge the disturbing ways that older generations are spoken about and to
About 100 years ago, as the world struggled with the aftermath of a Global pandemic, as warfare on a horrific scale in Europe brought fear and as people faced poverty and hardship because of economic depression, there were those who were keen to turn the focus on specific classes of people and encourage the politics… Continue reading We need to challenge the disturbing ways that older generations are spoken about and to
Healthy giving … healthy receiving
The other day a friend asked a question on social media about financial support for Christian projects. They asked whether or not it was okay for doners to attach theological strings to their donations. They then gave two examples of how this might come into play. I was interested by the responses given by people… Continue reading Healthy giving … healthy receiving
Pensioners are not dependents on State largesse
One of the great challenges of the 21st Century is how we look after an increasing aging population. We sometimes talk about a demographic time bomb, lower birth rates combined with increased life expectancy mean that the working population is smaller but has to support a much larger population of retired people. We have seen… Continue reading Pensioners are not dependents on State largesse
Why getting the full story of divided Sundays matters
I’ve just been to a day conference on racial reconciliation and the church. The main speaker Owen Hylton, gave the example of a Nigerian believer who joins your church. He wants to meet to pray You tell him “There’s the monthly prayer meeting for 1.5 hours in two weeks time.” He says “I was thinking… Continue reading Why getting the full story of divided Sundays matters
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