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Posted in Existential, Faith, Humanity, Mortality, Psychology, Religion, Therapy on Jun 15th, 2009
I caught part of BBC’s Songs of Praise last night. Well, it was on the TV, and I have spent enough years in my former life as an active Christian to have a strong cultural resonance with some of the music, and there was nothing else in particular to do, so I watched.
In the [...]
Posted in Faith, Humanity, Internet, Morality, Religion, Technology, Time Wasting on May 12th, 2009
I was recently shown a full page advertisement in a magazine that almost had me choking on my coffee. It was for a £29.99 porcelain composition of two figures on either side of a children’s roundabout. One of the authorities quoted in the advertisement described the figures as the most moving statuettes created [...]
Posted in Faith, Health, Human Rights, Morality, Relationships on Feb 5th, 2009
Community nurse Caroline Petrie, a Christian nurse from Weston-super-Mare, has been suspended for offering to pray for an elderly patient’s recovery. She asked the patient if she wanted prayer after she had dressed the patient’s wounds. The patient complained to the North Somerset Primary Care Trust. The nurse was suspended, without pay, on [...]
Posted in Faith, Government, Human Rights, Religion on Nov 19th, 2008
How would you feel if, before every day at work, you were expected to participate in a collective act of talking to an unknown, unseen, mythical being, and if this time-consuming act never ever resulted in any demonstrable, substantive change in anything? Personally, I might think it was a waste of time.
If, over time, this [...]
Posted in Faith, Health, Human Rights, Isolation, Morality, Psychology, Religion on Nov 4th, 2008
It is one thing to inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on yourself because of some unsubstantiated, fanciful belief system that you want to hold on to: it is something entirely different and more reprehensible to cause other people, especially dependent, innocent children, to suffer because of your beliefs.
If you want to self-flagilate because you think [...]
Posted in Government, Humanity, Politics, Religion on Sep 6th, 2008
I know I should care more, but it is hard when you live so far away. I know that the blogosphere is bursting with activity about the forthcoming election in America, but I am finding it hard to engage, just wishing it could all soon be over. I live in the UK. America is not [...]
Posted in Education, Faith, Human Rights, Religion on May 16th, 2008
In America, apparently, many people say they want it but can’t get it, and in the UK many don’t want it, but can’t get rid of it - god in school, that is.
As a school pupil I had to endure it every day - the compulsory hymn and routine prayers. Just imagine it, 600 [...]
As the Pope visits America, I thought Matthew Harwood’s article was so good, and so important, I quote it in full.
A Prayer for the Prey
Over the centuries many dubious miracles have been claimed on behalf of the power of prayer. But Pope Benedict XVI, who arrived in the United States today for his inaugural visit, [...]
Posted in Faith, Health, Mortality, Religion on Apr 11th, 2008
Since my friends have got to know of my present health problems a number of them from throughout the UK have contacted me to assure me that they are praying for me, and I know that at least two churches are interceding for me. I am genuinely touched by the kindness of the sentiment [...]
Posted in Existential, Faith, Psychology, Religion on Mar 14th, 2008
There were two stories yesterday illustrating both the power of self-delusion and the potential costs.
I have written elsewhere about the human ability to go to extraordinary and illogical lengths to create meaning (see Nessie, God, and the Creation of Meaning). In many cases it could be argued that this harms no-one, although I would [...]
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