Category: ethics

Between scaremongering and complacency

Reading newspaper articles and social media comments this morning, once again I am torn between panic and complacency. Panic induced by continuing reports and discussion about a super new, fast spreading mutant variant of the COVID-19 virus. Complacency risked by those insisting this is all some conspiracy.  Some even claiming that the mutation has bene… Continue reading Between scaremongering and complacency

We are literally broken by our hyperbole

Every year, my wife and I have a kind of traditional conversation. I ask her what she is working on and she tells me that she is preparing the “persuasive writing” class for her students where they will learn about a number of rhetorical devises.  I then respond with a grumble about how that is… Continue reading We are literally broken by our hyperbole

Politician sacked … for being competent at her job!

So, another politicians has had to resign (i.e. they were told to)  and apologise.  This week, the shadow minister for faith, Janet Daly resigned and apologised.  What was her misdemeanour? Had she been caught in an affair, had she been accused of bullying, had she broken COVID-19 rules even? Not, it was none of those… Continue reading Politician sacked … for being competent at her job!

Racism, social justice, crime, sin and idolatry

This is a follow up article to my most recent article on #BlackLivesMatter and specifically to some comments, questions and interaction.  One notable comment was to the affect that Justice was being done in the George Floyd case because the policeman was standing trial Christians should stick to preaching the Gospel and not spend time… Continue reading Racism, social justice, crime, sin and idolatry

The vaccine and abortion (3) Doing ethics from three perspectives

There are three general approaches to how we make ethical decisions. Sometimes in history they have functioned as competing schools of thought but some contemporary thinkers (particularly John Frame) suggest that in fact we need all three perspectives to make decisions.  I’m going to outline them here – probably a little (a lot?) simplified for… Continue reading The vaccine and abortion (3) Doing ethics from three perspectives

The vaccine and abortion (2) How do we make ethical decisions?

The other day. I posted an article looking at the moral dilemma created by the fact that over the years, those creating vaccines have relied on cells harvested from aborted embryos in order to cultivate vaccines.  A few people began to openly wrestle with the implications to this.  They expressed discomfort at the news and… Continue reading The vaccine and abortion (2) How do we make ethical decisions?

The vaccine and abortion

I’ve seen a range of reasons given over the past few months for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.  Some of them are understandable including concerns about whether we know about all potential side effects yet. Some people see it as a freedom issue, although as things stand, the vaccine won’t be compulsory,… Continue reading The vaccine and abortion

Learning to See – Navigating the scientific experiments and studies during COVID-19

This is a guest post from a medical perspective from Mark Surg.  In recent weeks and months we seen a flurry of research to do with the COVID-19 pandemic shared and commented on. It seems at times that people tend to choose the research that suits their own narrative.  I thought it would be helpful… Continue reading Learning to See – Navigating the scientific experiments and studies during COVID-19

Why commitment to a local church matters

In conversation with one of the people who has decided to open up his church during lockdown, he was quick to talk about the positives because he was seeing growth during the past few weeks following the decision.  I asked him whether this growth was from hungry unbelievers desperate to find Gospel food, from discontent… Continue reading Why commitment to a local church matters