Categories
Church: UK Observations

God Can’t be Proved

The British Advertising Authority have decided that questions of the existence or otherwise of God ‘cannot be objectively verified’. So, even though over three hundred complaints were made about it, the atheist bus campaign can go ahead. Quite right too. The Times has the full story. Sorry, this happened yesterday, but I’m running slow (like […]

Categories
Observations

Cultural Sensitivity

I must admit that I was a little amused to read of the performance of the British Foreign minister in India recently. The Independent called the trip a disaster and the Daily Mail (admittedly, no fan of the government) had this quote: Indian officials were also dismayed by Mr Miliband’s informal manner. He was said […]

Categories
Observations

Bishop Alan on Leadership

True leadership is not about suppressing dissent, but helping free people frame smaller issues in their bigger context. Intractable issues are usually based on false antithesis; ask a silly question and you get a silly answer. Worrying away at intractables in their own terms is what gums up the works. Of course there are people […]

Categories
Politics

Goodbye President Bush

Of late, I’ve avoided talking about politics on this blog, but the inauguration of President Obama gives me the excuse to say a few words about the outgoing President. Now, most readers of this blog will know that I’ve not been a fan of George W. Bush, but I would like to mark his passing […]

Categories
Politics

Debt Fueled Lifestyle

El Fouch reflects on Proverbs, ants and the credit crisis: But it struck me yesterday as I read from the book of Proverbs that we are laying up a mass of trouble for ourselves and our children. Proverb 6:1-5 is a warning about standing surety for another’s debts: Dear friend, if you’ve gone into hock […]

Categories
Observations

Connections

I had an interesting day yesterday. I drove up to Leeds for the morning service at City Evangelical Church, where my friend Helen Robertson was being commissioned to go to PNG to work with Wycliffe.  The service was great and Helen seemed to be encouraged and ready to start on her new adventure.  From my […]

Categories
Bible Translation

Two Types of Love?

A recurring theme in much evangelical teaching is the difference between two Greek words,  agape and phileo. The former is seen as being ‘real, Christian love; the love of God’ and the other a more common or garden, lesser form of love. Andy Cheung has just written an interesting post which takes a look at […]

Categories
Bible Translation

So for loving the god the world

These are the opening words on John 3:16 in a literal, word-for-word translation.  In a nice short post Bryon demonstrates how word-f0r-word translation is actually impossible.

Categories
Church: UK

Christians are Social Pariahs

The importance of the agnosti-bus campaign in getting discussions about faith and belief into public debate is highlighted by an article in the Telegraph. The article refers to an interview with Jeremy Vine in the Anglican group reform. Vine is a prominent broadcaster in the UK, with a daily, two hour music and interview show […]

Categories
Mission

Where the Rubber hits the Road

A few days ago, I wrote expressing my disagreement with Christian Voice for trying to stop the atheist advertising on the sides of buses in the UK. I thought that the posters on the buses were great: they got the question of faith and religion out into the public arena, which is extremely difficult to […]