I’ve been writing a little recently about forgiveness. It arises out of our recent studies from the Sermon on the Mount. It also relates to some other things I have written recently about our pastoral responsibilities to victims of abuse and to those accused. So, I was interested to see the other day that my… Continue reading Exploring Forgiveness and Repentance
Category: ethics
Woke?
How did the term “woke” become the insult of choice in 2020? The word is simply an African-Americanism meaning to be awake. It has been around for many years. It came to describe those who had become awake to their subjugation. Woke people were awake to racial injustice, the historical effects of the slave trade… Continue reading Woke?
Angry at God? (4) The trouble with me
What is one of the most significant root causes of anger? I want to suggest that it often comes down to my desire to be in control. We often get angry when things happen that we hadn’t planned for and that we can’t do anything about. We become frustrated because our plans for life are… Continue reading Angry at God? (4) The trouble with me
Do we need to learn to doubt?
Schools are returning after lockdown and the summer break, soon students will be heading off to University too. So what should they be learning? What should professors and tutors be teaching their students? Here is one suggested list. It seems a good list doesn’t it? I agree that we should be teaching students how to… Continue reading Do we need to learn to doubt?
Truth (Proverbs 13)
Pinocchio is a puppet who just wants to be a normal boy. You’re probably familiar with the story. Whenever he tells a lie, his nose grows a little longer. Most of us probably wish that this would happen to the people we were dealing with. Then we’d be able to tell if they are telling… Continue reading Truth (Proverbs 13)
Christians, conspiracy theories and COVID-19
Do you know what one of the biggest problems with conspiracy theories is? It’s not that the theorists lack access to the facts on the matter or that they are necessarily failing to share them. Rather, what happens is: The conspiracy theorist has learnt not to trust those in authority and therefore infers suspect motives… Continue reading Christians, conspiracy theories and COVID-19
Was Billy Graham right? Is it just my job to love?
This is one of those quotes that sounds brilliant at first but after a little bit of reflection leaves one feeling uneasy. I guess that when Billy Graham said it, he had Matthew 7:1-6 in mind. In that sense the quote should warn us against the harsh judgementalism that we too often see -especially on… Continue reading Was Billy Graham right? Is it just my job to love?
My country right or wrong?
“Patriotism is the last resort of a scoundrel” This was the classic first term subject for the University debating club to get their teeth into. Of course, each year we would make the mistake of debating whether or not patriotism was a good or bad thing. In so doing, we missed the point that the… Continue reading My country right or wrong?
My responsibility after a falling out
I am not talking here about a minor argument but when there has been a serious breakdown in relationships and a sense from all parties that they have been wronged. If you have ever been asked to mediate such a situation then you will know how hopeless and painful, they often are. Usually, there is… Continue reading My responsibility after a falling out
The A Level Results scandal – a moral issue
I have written already about some aspects of the A Level results fiasco. So far I’ve written about the political fall out and the technical and administrative errors. It is important when we consider things that we think through all the implications. However, central to the scandal is a moral issue. The moral issue is… Continue reading The A Level Results scandal – a moral issue
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