The Government have recently reported on proposals to further liberalise the rules about marriage in terms of where, when and by whom you can be married. The National Secular Society have come out broadly in support of the proposals. Actually there’s much to like about them (with some quibbles) although we’d have a very different… Continue reading Is it time for the State to get out of marriage?
Category: ethics
Not under compulsion: Is submission voluntary?
One of the key tenants of complementarianism is that submission, especially the wife’s submission to the husband is voluntary. In other words, she is not under compulsion to submit to her husband but rather, she may willingly choose to do so. Primarily when making the point, complementarians are seeking to address two groups of people.… Continue reading Not under compulsion: Is submission voluntary?
Should Christians disagree on social media?
Social media, whether it’s twitter or Facebook (I assume that TikTok and Instagram have the same challenges but I’m not trendy or young enough to know) isn’t always the easiest place to be. Friends fall out quickly, words are said, others are muted, unfriended and blocked. It can become toxic very quickly. Sadly, that seems… Continue reading Should Christians disagree on social media?
What more do we need?
This is a bit of a follow up to my article regarding the abolition of slavery and “a better ethic than the Bible” earlier this week. A lot of the argument concerning the redemptive-movement-hermeneutic boils down to two questions which Michael Bird helpfully crystalised in a twitter discussion. Is it better for something to be… Continue reading What more do we need?
“She came to him” -on Bathsheba and reading motives into actions
It seems that the argument for Bathsheba being complicit in sin with David rather than a victim of his sin against her comes down to one phrase. In 2 Samuel 11:4, we are told of Bathsheba that “she came to him.” This must indicate consent. There is a major problem with that argument. The problem… Continue reading “She came to him” -on Bathsheba and reading motives into actions
What was David’s sin with Bathsheba?
Over the past few years, a little debate has kept cropping up about whether it is right to suggest that David committed adultery with Bathsheba or whether in fact we need to say that he raped her. I wrote a guest post for Steve Kneale here when the debate first came up but it has… Continue reading What was David’s sin with Bathsheba?
A better ethic than the Bible?
In this article, Michael Bird picks up on some disturbing comments that John MacArthur made about slavery back in 2012. I agree with Bird, that the comments were troubling. MacArthur’s suggestion that benign slavery was possible is utterly wrong headed. There is of course a fundamental difference between sticking with a good institution like marriage… Continue reading A better ethic than the Bible?
Headship – what are husbands meant to do?
I mentioned the other day a friend who was asking challenging questions about headship, submission, complementarianism and headship. Here’s another of their questions. If the core characteristic of male headship in marriage is love not leadership, why do we focus on submission to a husband’s leadership instead of his love? They are thinking primarily of… Continue reading Headship – what are husbands meant to do?
If I stopped being a complementarian, what would I lose?
A friend asked this searching question the other day – not specifically of me. Rather, they asked men who hold to complementarianism what they would lose if they walked away from that position. It’s an interesting one. In a sense, there might be something to lose. You see, for some pastors/leaders, it would involve losing… Continue reading If I stopped being a complementarian, what would I lose?
Aren’t most asylum claims fake?
I’ve been writing a little this week about asylum, responding particularly to arguments about the UK’s policy of removing asylum seekers arriving across the channel to Rwanda for processing. One of the assumptions I frequently hear is that the vast majority of claimants are not genuine that they are really economic migrants using the asylum… Continue reading Aren’t most asylum claims fake?
Faithroots 