What Did God Say?

I drove to London yesterday to see an old friend who had flew in from Washington. We spent some time chatting and catching up with each other, then sure enough it got round to politics. Now I haven't blogged on here about politics yet, and it's not because I'm not interested, it's actually one of my favourite subjects. I haven't blogged simply because I have so much to say I wouldn't finish. Plus there are lots of other blogs doing politics. [Joe], my friend, is very worried about where his country is headed, the patriot act, invasions of privacy, all that stuff. I have to say I share the same sentiments. We shared a few jokes over Bush. I saw a cartoon recently, George Bush on the the telephone and the voice on the other end "George, it's GOD, from now on try to play down our relationship." I can't believe the hypocrisy of the UK and US governments at the moment. It seems odd that God would tell a bunch of guys to fly planes into the twin towers, and now it was God who told the President to attack Iraq. Anyone would think the God we have is some sort of Greek god of war, waging bets over the nations against the other gods like some sort of gargantuan cock-fight. I can't believe that opposition parties in both countries have failed abysmally to see the irony and the hypocrisies in the whole affair, so I'm going to point them out. We invaded Iraq because Saddam had WMD, but he didn't have any WMD. Then they said it was to bring and end to a torturous regime, So we remove Saddam and inflict our own torture, but call it 'abuse'. Notice how if someone was stepped and forced into lurid sex acts in the UK, it would be called sexual abuse. They would probably be jailed then put on a sex-offenders list. When it's carried out by our troops, it's called sexual 'humiliation', not 'abuse'. Because to abuse someone that's just perverted, but to humiliate someone, well that's just not nice. We invaded to bring freedom to the Iraqis, but at home, we remove civil liberties and freedom bringing in draconian laws to detain people and use evidence extracted by torture. We brought 'democracy' to Iraq and removed a regime that tortured dissidents, but Iraq's own 'US Trained' security forces have been inflicting torture. We got rid of a despot who used chemical weapons on his own people, and now we are using chemical weapons on those same people of Iraq. hypocrisy doesn't just end with the government. Back when the invasion was beginning, like churches all over the US and the UK I'm sure, at my church one of our pastors led a prayer for the troops. The only thing I could think was 'who's praying for the Iraqis, the ones our troops are killing?". Now I don't think we shouldn't pray for our troops, but we have to not buy into Bush's whole world view of Good and Evil. Too many conservative Christians are doing this. I don't care how much Bliar or 'Burning' Bush attempt to justify this war/insurgency or whatever, the more it goes on, the more ironies turn up... more and more it seems there was no reason invade in the first place. I don't even want to start on the home front and the erosion of our own freedoms, all I will say is the Brave New World of 1984, here we come.

Mind the Gap

"I always felt, when Jesus talked of forgiveness and acceptance of those who don't deserve it, or are outsiders, that Jesus was talking of not just a state of mind, but an action. It seems I stand corrected." Up until 2 weeks ago I was a volunteer with youth at the church. I guess unofficially I still am. However 2 weeks ago, events came to a culmination which ended up in a private conversation with the Youth Pastor advising him I was 'taking a break'. In actual fact, I'm not sure if this break won't become permanent due to a number of factors. But I get the feeling I'm not going to be missed in the youth ministry. Unfortunately, my views and my approach to young people are not things which are appreciated. For instance, when it comes to troubled young people, who only know how to attract attention through yobbish behavior and general mischief, it seems that an attitude of forgiveness just sends the wrong message to these young hoodlums. After all their parents have failed them, the authorities have failed them, the schools have failed them and the police don't care for them. It's the duty of the church, the last institution, standing in the gap before total destruction, to follow suit and strike them off also. They had been coming along to the youth meeting on a Friday night for about 9 months. Churched kids are trained to sit through even the most mind-numbing hour-long sermons without so much as raising a fart in objection. Their mind may be elsewhere, but they've learned the value of respecting even the most drollest of people who are obviously in love with the sound of their own voice. These kids were not churched kids, this is probably one of the only times in their lives they will ever walk into a living, breathing church, therefore, this is an opportunity to leave them with an impression of who we are and what we believe. For a little while, we put up with their slightly noisy banter, their walking in and out of the youth service. But it was obvious from the beginning they were not welcome. They just didn't get the hints, the Youth Leaders who would stand around them but not speak to them, the leaders and young people who would stare at them but not engage. Things got awry, some weeks they were fine, but other weeks they were just that teeny bit too loud, they got kicked out. But they came back each week. It was pretty foolish of me to thank God when this happened. How could I be so stupid as to see this as an opportunity for us to have a positive influence on their lives? You see, whilst the rest of the youth meeting stared at them, made it clear this wasn't the place for them and we didn't want them there, myself and a few other people actually started speaking to them, talking to them, having a bit of a joke and a laugh. We were showing them a little glimpse of something that no other organisation in the limited existence of their lives had ever done, unconditional love. Two weeks ago, this group of kids received a total ban on coming onto the property of the church. The reason? It's speculative, however for a period of two weeks previous, the church had been under attack of vandals which resulted in broken windows and graffiti. Some of these kids were involved, some incidents witnessed, others not. Of course I am not happy to see the building vandalised, I am as upset as anyone else. However, buildings are temporary, repairs can be made, lives are not as easy to rebuild. The fact that it was only certain characters from this group who had done the vandalism, didn't deter the youth leadership from making the decision to paint all with the same brush and issue a blanket ban. The next Friday, in an intense meeting before the youth service started, our industrious Youth Pastor handed out to youth leaders, a photocopied picture from the local newspaper with 6 of the kids featured in it. The instructions were, their names and that these kids were not allowed on the property, any youth leader was to immediately call the police. It is ironic that the picture was taken from a local newspaper, displayed on the front page, these very named kids doing a selfless act in helping an old lady who had collapsed on the high street. It seems that by doing this, the newspaper had inadvertently provided an ID for other 'honourable, respectful' members of the community, who had submitted complaints to the police regarding misbehaviour. Foolishly, some people looked at this as positive news, that these kids were showing signs of a turn-around, that perhaps in some way the church had, had an influence. In fact the brave few who had dared to engage with these miscreants were even starting to break-through into discussions with them about their lives and about God. --- One night, I had even sat on a wall next to one of the girls, [Jenny], and proceeded to ask her about school, to which she replied that she didn't go to school. I asked "how come?" She told me that she had just come out of a foster home and [the local authority] hadn't made arrangements yet for her to be put in a school. I then asked her what she was doing in a foster home, to which she replied that she had been in care from an early age because her mother didn't want her. What could I say? I felt like giving her a hug but resisted since it was only bound to be seized upon by PC conscious advocates of child protection. So when I look at their behaviour, I look at a society that has let them down, and now we too, the church as an institution were also deciding that they just don't belong. I guess we can't risk offending the middle class church members with a not so pleasant looking building. --- Already was the red-mist beginning to rise, and when I looked at the photo and saw that 4 of those kids were not even involved in the vandalism, indeed 2 of them, we were beginning to breakthrough with, my blood began to boil. Trouble is, I had no vent, so as the Youth Pastor continued, I began to sweat more and more, and for me, the meeting got more and more intense. Since this was the final straw over a period of years of continuously watching the church strike off young people who we should be helping. Why? Because we have "awesome" youth ministry (read: baby sitting service) and we care about our kids (the churched ones). I had passed the point of patient endurance. I needed a "break". Another ironic twist is that our Youth Pastors mission statement is to see the youth ministry grow to 1000 (currently at 60). I wonder how that's going to happen when the kids that God keeps bringing to us we keep kicking out and banning (this has happened before, not the group I'm talking about now. This is the 3rd time a group of streetwise kids has come to our doors, and have ended upbeing turned away due to not being Christian enough). I always felt, when Jesus talked of forgiveness and acceptance of those who don't deserve it, or are outsiders, that Jesus was talking of not just a state of mind, but an action. It seems I stand corrected. Thankfully little Hitler (read: youth pastor) was able to put me straight, and as if that wasn't enough, he was able to make it just about as patronising as possible to boot. It seems we want the kids here, but we're not ready for them. We, the church, are not ready for them. For three years now it seems we've not been ready for a bunch of troubled kids and we're still not ready. When will we be ready? When Jesus comes again? A wise person once coined this phrase "People don't care how much you know, till they know how much you care". We as a church still have yet to get to the stage where people know how much we care. I became a Christian despite the churches best attempts at evangelism, and I sure am glad Jesus was ready for me when I came to him, I'm glad Jesus didn't turn me away and he forgave me not only for what I've done, but for the things I still do and will do in the future. I wish his church could do the same right now.

Is Atheism Important in British Society?

I am a Christian, but I don't feel the need to impose my faith on anyone who is not. I don't wish to be a moral crusader against the media or any other public group. I do hope that by living my life, as genuinely, humanly and fallibally as I can, that others may be drawn to Christ, and know the hope that I know and be released from all that binds them. I don't intend to trash other people's ideas or opinions, but it's disturbing when you come across the trash that some people have to say, when they clearly have not thought out at all their arguments. Take for example, a 'Have Your Say' article from the BBC I stumbled on this afternoon - 'Is faith important in British society?' http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=310&&&&&edition=1&ttl=20051114224247 Not that I think it is or isn't, it's important to my life and how I treat others, but some of the comments have made me feel compelled to say something. I didn't feel it was worth signing up with BBC for such a trivial subject, so I've pasted a few choice quotes below and made my own comments. "All this survey shows is that Christianity is no longer a religion, it's something people put on forms. Most Britons actually practice some sort of vaguely-defined theism rather then Christianity." - Deiniol Jones, Llandudno Undeniably true, unfortunately I have come across many people who claim the title 'Christian' who when questioned as to their status on following Christ, are not. If only these people knew where this title came from, if only they knew the decision that it represents and what some early Christians (and indeed present Christians still) went through to in order to boldly align themselves with Christ. Take for example, my Auntie Nora, who believes in Jesus, that he was a good man, she doesn't go to church however, and she not only believes in aliens, but believes Michael Jackson is one. Unless you draw your vision of reality from 'Men In Black 2' you have to question her state of mind. "Speaking as an Atheist, I see that comment as fundamentally flawed.There are many people who do not have faith of any kind, and certainly do not "put" their non-existent faith in any non-existent deity. Blanket statements by Christians intended to tar us with the same brush are only designed to draw us into a framework we are not part of." - spongebob1969 This is a ridiculous statement. When I get on the train every morning that takes me from [Chavsworth] to [Smeggingtown] I put faith in the driver that he'll get me there in one piece. I put faith in the company I work for that they are going to pay me at the end of the month. Faith might make me buy a season ticket for a football club (if I had more money than sense). Now you may say that's not faith, but what is it then, a lucky guess? "I am saddened to see that even though Britain is a Christian country, 75% of the Christian population don't go to Church. They have not read the Bible, and thus just don't understand how to respect the next human being, leave alone 'love your neighbour'." - Juliana Bhola, Thornton Heath I'd like to know where these people get their stats? The 'Christian' population? I disagree with 1, not reading the bible equates with not knowing how to respect others, and 2, Britain, a Christian country? No country on earth is Christian "we are but foreigners". So much of what Juliana has spouted is in complete contradiction with reality let alone the bible. "We no longer need religion as a crutch for our society, so the only real benefit it poses is with those who need that crutch to lead a happy life" - Sam Sexton, Essex I challenge anyone to prove that deciding to follow Christ is an aide to leading a happy life. Do you not realise what Christ went through? And of what happened to the 12 disciples later? Hello! I can say 100% becoming a Christian for me has been a challenge, there have been obstacles, there have been times I've felt I wanted to give it up and go back to being shallow and happy. Becoming a Christian means sticking your neck out for abuse, persecution and alienation. What planet are you from? I do agree however that we no longer need religion. "Theism is a dead end, a stop-gap towards understanding the world that humanity should have abandoned centuries ago - practically every claim any religion has made about reality has been proven false upon actual investigation. Religion clearly does not promote more ethical behaviour in many people - the statistics show that high levels of atheism are correlated with LOW levels of crime and "antisocial" behaviour. And there's no need to even mention the wars and genocides with religious origin. If faith is important in British society, I would argue that it's because of its negative effects rather than any positive contribution." - [ChorYuen], Leeds, United Kingdom I would love to see some examples of those investigations. It's investigation that has actually led many people to choose Christ, realising that he indeed exists (see Matthew Bache's comment). This actually made me laugh, where are these statistics? I've never read anything so inane. "Remember that the opposite of faith is certainty..." - judith, UK I can't think of anything actually intelligent to contribute so I'll take 30 seconds to think up a soundbite, doh! The opposite of faith is dubiosity. "I think I'm just as good a person as the most devout person of any religion. Maybe better, because I don't try to push my beliefs on to others." - Amy Amy, your ways are not our ways, show me the light that I may walk righteously just as you do. "In 2003 I attended an Alpha course, very out of character for me. I had many preconceived ideas, along the lines of many of the comments in this thread. But I went along and asked all the awkward questions about Christianity. To my own surprise I came to a realisation it was true." - Matthew Bache, Rayleigh "I am an atheist. I am very concerned that the government recently introduced the bill making it illegal to criticise religious groups. I believe that all of the most evil regimes that have ever governed carried out censorship and perhaps this is just the start of changes in the law that might ultimately result in such a regime being able to gain control in our own country." - Nick Holberton, Derby I am a Christian, I am also very concerned about laws Nu Labour are trying to get through the Lords, but talk about paranoid. "I DO NOT TRY TO IMPOSE MY CHRISTIANITY ONTO ANYONE ELSE NOR DO I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER FAITH" - ELIZABETH EDMONDSON, ATHENS, Greece But you do shout a lot. I could only copy some select quotes, there are many more, and many that require more than a few lines response. I don't have the time or inclination here to write pages of apologetics, but I think in some of my comments you may see what kind of a faith I have. I should like to end with my own little comparison. Feel free to judge my faith by historical events like the inquisition, the crusades. Compare me to tele-evangelists, Bush, anti-abortionist killers, and other irrelevant persons/events. But don't be offended if, because you are 'atheist', I compare you to communists, peadophiles, murderers, rapists, Pol Pot, Stalin and Mao Zedong.