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
Tag: pandemic
Christmas is not cancelled
Many people are frustrated and upset at the sudden U-Turn on Christmas arrangements. Those measures had offered some small reprieve but arrangements for festivities were still going to be minimal and restricted. Now, however, the hashtag #ChristmasIsCancelled is gaining currency. So, it is important to say that Christmas is not cancelled. Now, by this I… Continue reading Christmas is not cancelled
Pantomime Farce
Yesterday I wrote defending the Christmas easing of lockdown. I demonstrated awful timing. By the end of the day, the 5 day period for seeing family was reduced down to Christmas Day itself and only for those who could travel locally Meanwhile, in the south of England a new tier 4 was introduced banning family… Continue reading Pantomime Farce
In defence of the government’s Christmas COVID measures
The UK government has come in for a lot of criticism for its response to COVID-19. Some of it has been spot on, some of it less so and some of it I would suggest completely unfairly. The reality is that a Global pandemic hitting on the back of a decade of austerity was always… Continue reading In defence of the government’s Christmas COVID measures
The year we were given
2020 was not the year we asked for and not the year we expected. A lot of people had focused on the big number year and its association with vision as a significant milestone to aim for. We all had 2020 visions. Others also because of the symmetry of the year had planned big wedding… Continue reading The year we were given
Journey out of lockdown – return to the Church building with communion
Yesterday was our first opportunity to meet again physically after the second English lockdown. After the first lockdown, we kept things simple at the building. We decided not to recommence communion and we continued to stream a Facebook service from someone’s home which people could then opt to watch at the building. Yesterday we did… Continue reading Journey out of lockdown – return to the Church building with communion
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
Face mask experiments and asking the wrong question
A little while back I mentioned a study looking at cases of COVID-19 among families with children in the home. I observed that the study was being used by people to push conclusions that it did not and could not make. Something similar has been happening with a Danish study about mask wearing. The study… Continue reading Face mask experiments and asking the wrong question
Swallows and Vaccines
Yesterday was a good news day in the battle against COVID-19. The twin announcements of a mass testing trial in Liverpool and the positive results from vaccine trials were signs op hope. However, in the Prime Minister’s statement last night, we were reminded by him and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer that there is still… Continue reading Swallows and Vaccines
The problem with Christian Exceptionalism and the distinction between submit and support
From this Sunday, church buildings in England will be closed again for public worship due to a second lockdown. I expect that most church leaders will comply with this, all with a heavy heart. Some will do this quietly. Others will have raised objections through blog posts, letters to MPs, petitions and possibly a legal… Continue reading The problem with Christian Exceptionalism and the distinction between submit and support
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