Tag: Public Theology

Should pastors let people know their political position?

I asked two questions on Twitter, the first was about whether pastors/elders should declare their political allegiance in terms of party. The second question was related but slightly different. It asked whether or not pastors/elders should express their political views.  In both cases, the majority of those responding indicated that they thought that pastors should… Continue reading Should pastors let people know their political position?

Should we have locked down? And should the church have co-operated?

One of the big questions throughout COVID and since is whether or not lockdowns were the right response to the pandemic.  It is important to distinguish lockdown scepticism from COVID-scepticism.  Although many who were against lockdown were also sceptical about the threat from the virus, it was possible to be wary of the Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions… Continue reading Should we have locked down? And should the church have co-operated?

Questioning authority

One of the questions that came up during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to be debated since has been over the extent to which the church should have complied with Government guidance and regulations. To some extent, the debate was about the extent to which Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 applied in terms… Continue reading Questioning authority

Were COVID measures outrageous and unprecedented?

One of the frequent complaints during and after the COVID19 pandemic was that the decision to bring in a lockdown, including and particularly the closure of churches was disproportionate and outrageous.  The belief is that Governments used the pandemic as a pretext. To bring in draconian rules to restrict our civil liberties. It has been… Continue reading Were COVID measures outrageous and unprecedented?

Is war a crime?

Scott McKnight writes: “Why do more Christians not recognize what war experts know, namely, that “we fight war crimes but have forgotten the crime of war”?” https://scotmcknight.substack.com/p/sponges-and-war-immoral-word-choices?r=1nrx1&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post I must admit I’m not too sure who these “war experts” are or what it is that makes someone a “war expert.”  However, I am not convinced by… Continue reading Is war a crime?

Is modern Israel the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy – and should that affect our view of Israel?

There’s a lot of prophecy that points to an age of prosperity and peace for the people of Israel.  Various Scriptures describe a situation where exiles return to the land, many enemies are defeated, the Temple rebuilt, God’s King reigning and the nations looking to Israel’s King for wisdom, teaching and leadership. Well, there seem… Continue reading Is modern Israel the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy – and should that affect our view of Israel?

Please stop playing political football with education

I think there’s been more plans and initiatives to shake up education during my life time than I had hot school dinners back when I was a kid.  I’ve seen GCSEs replace the old GCE/CSE split, the expansion of Universities and introduction of tuition fees.  During my life time, we’ve bounced between child centred learning… Continue reading Please stop playing political football with education

Antisemitism and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Part revisited

I am returning to a subject that I’ve talked about a few times, the issue of antisemitism especially when it creeps into public life.  I’m returning to it now because it has remained a significant issue and because it particularly related to what happened in the Labour Party between 2016-2019.  When there’s a change of… Continue reading Antisemitism and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Part revisited