Jordan in Christian relics row

"I think a bit's missing!"

When I saw this headline on the BBC website I momentarily thought "what's she involved in?" and wondered what row it could be. Katie Jordan? No just Jordan it turned out to be! Another Bible busting discovery in the Hashemite Kingdom. This time a group of 70 or so "books", each with between five and 15 lead leaves bound by lead rings, was apparently discovered in a remote arid valley in northern Jordan somewhere between 2005 and 2007 by an Israeli Bedouin (I never knew there were such people!) but he claims they have been in his family's possession for 100 years or so.

Will it make any difference to Christian belief? I doubt it. But as a great find, they are probably priceless.

"Of course, I'm not religious in anyway" mantra backed by humanists

What all good humanists are sending with their census forms

Two-thirds of the British people are not religious, according to a survey commissioned by the British Humanist Association. The result has sent the humanists into the stratosphere with ecstatic joy. The more they can rubbish God or more correctly put people off being "godbotherers" the happier they are. And if it makes them happy, who am I to deny them their happiness.

For pedantic reasons, the humanists do not want people putting "Christian" down as their religion on the Census form as they may not believe any of it. You should not identify as a cultural Christian, according to the humanists. However, they can be cultural humanists. In fact, they've identified two-thirds as being like them.

What I do find odd is that the Census just asks whether one is Christian. It cares not what denomination one is. If I was in charge I'd be curious to know. Not just for being nosey, but because the government spends money on schools which are RC, CofE or whatever. It certainly is not for reasons of ecumenical niceties that they ask us to say Christian only. It must be for some obscure PC reason!

Gay couple end hotel payout claim

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is supposed to be about equal rights but, as in George Orwell's Animal Farm, some are more equal than others in this Brave New World. In the second decade of the 21st century, gay rights completely trump Christian belief in their eyes. However, even they can see that grinding a Christian's nose in the mud is taking it a bit far. The homosexual couple who successfully sued the Christian owners of a hotel who refused them a bed are withdrawing a claim for more compensation, the Equality and Human Rights Commission said today. Legal director John Wadham said, "This morning we withdrew our cross appeal in this case. It was filed initially because of an error of judgment on the part of our legal team." Error, eh?

Mrs Bull, one of the hotel owners, said, "It is obviously a relief that we are not being pursued in the courts for more money. But I can't imagine this taxpayer-funded 'error of judgment' happening to anyone other than Christians." Exactly. John Wadham wouldn't dare try it on with Muslims. Or any other group. Christians are fair game for giving the other cheek a proper smacking!

Gay days in the African bush

"There will come a time when they who kill you think they do God's Will". Sometimes this is killing the heart, sometimes its killing the body. It never results in killing the soul. How we lead our lives is complex indeed. The traditional Christian teaching on matters sexual is that sexual activity takes place within the Sacrament of Matrimony. The complementary state is Celibacy. These two are the ways of being for Christians. However, this is the goal. It is certainly not the right of Christians to impose it on others should they wish to live by other standards or norms.

In Uganda there is proposed legislation which would introduce the death penalty for certain consensual homosexual acts. In itself it is bad enough. This is more than just two wrongs not making a right. It is a devilish attitude of moral superiority. I doubt if any of the legislators in Uganda have the capability to stand in downtown Kampala regailing the crowds with their saintly histories.

One can be against the concept of a homosexual lifestyle as being part of the Christian Faith, but the Christian Faith is surely against substituting God's Judgement for the transient moral judgements of those who cannot say they are without sin. The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement says that “A deafening silence comes from the Anglican Church in Britain towards the proposed draconian private members Bill currently before the Ugandan Parliament regarding homosexuality”. That shouldn't surprise them. Deafening silences are ways to let the matter rest through sheer boredom. The same could be said of several other issues facing the C of E.

"Let all grow until the harvest". The trouble is too many people want to do unnecessary weeding beforehand.

Lord Carey takes on the BNP

Lord Carey has come out to denounce the BNP and to pronounce an unsettled view of the Pope's invitation to Catholic Anglicans. The two topics are not related, but have been scrambled together as a soundbite piece. The former Archbishop came onto the Today programme yesterday to say he didn't say this and he didn't say that about the Pope's announcement.

So what did he say about the BNP. Apparently that their views are 'irredeemably evil'. I'm glad he said views and not the people themselves, because the Christian gospel tells us that nobody is beyond redemption. The archbishop should have clarified this point. In the heat of the moment all kinds of things can be misinterpreted.

Lord Carey spoke of views, plural. I have an overriding problem with the BNP's policy on promoting racially based policies likely to cause favouritism for white people (DNA tested, no doubt!) above others. However, on paper, this is the only detestable policy. All their other policies seem fairly anodine and stand up to scrutiny. I have an issue with the emphasis on "command and control" but that's about it.

What we have now is not a debate, because that would allow the BNP to become "equals". No, we have a crazed demonisation which allows Nick Griffin to sell himself as a political martyr. If all the media has in their arsenal is likening Griffin to Hitler and telling us what a bigot he is, then that won't change a thing. Tell us something we don't know.

So, my question is this. Can the mainstream politicians debate the policies of the BNP other than turning Griffin's personal bigotry into the main discussion topic? If they can't, then the BNP gets to go under the political radar and into pastures new!

Bell, book and Phoenix!

Now here's another sad tale of Christians pitted against the world. A judge in Pheonix, Arizona has sentenced a bishop to three years probation and a suspended 10-day jail sentence on charges of violating city noise ordinances. What was his crime? That the electronic bells at his northern Phoenix church were rung too loud and too often. But apparently they sound no more loud than ordinary street traffic. Interestingly, the Phoenix noise ordinance does not include an exemption for religious worship, though it does provide an exemption for ice cream trucks, which are allowed to emit 70 decibels, measured at a distance of 50 feet. Having heard such ice cream jingles only this afternoon, I'd not complain about the bishop's bells.

Now that he's got a criminal record, could the bishop come preaching in Britain or would he go on Jacqui Smith's old list? The new Home Secretary used to be a postman, so he knows about noises on the street. It's a weird world we're entering.

New Labour police crackdown on preacher!

Freedom of speech is under attack in the wonderful world of New Labour. A street preacher in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire got two "well-meaning" coppers coming up to him to give him grief. Whilst I don't necessarily agree with this type of proslytising, I certainly defend his right to free speech. It is certainly no business of a couple of policemen going round determining what can or can't be said in a lawful manner. It is precisely this overt oppression of the traditionally minded person that is so offensive. The secular state is rising under New Labour. The Presbyterian Conscience appears unable to bring himself to defend liberty against the drift of sinister sources that would proscribe views and beliefs that they find offensive.

This is the video that the preacher took of the event. Very interesting, very disturbing.



Archbishop Cranmer's blog has a good post on this.