The Good Book, part four

Back in 2012, the Church of England voted down legislation to approve women bishops. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, expressed his frustration, saying that the Church needed to “get with the programme”. They did, of course, “get with the programme” a couple of years later, and so have many other churches. A few churches here and there still haven’t got on board. Why is that? Well, they recognise that the job of a local church is not to get with the programme set by politicians or society. There is another programme that Christians are called to follow, and it is laid out in Scripture. Because of this, they, and the Bible, have been charged with misogyny, i.e., “dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women”. This is a serious charge. Is the Bible guilty? Hardly. Let’s look at the facts.

The Good Book, part three

Culture has shifted, and shifted fast. In 2015 in the USA, same-sex marriage was declared a constitutional right and legalised in all 50 states. The President, Barack Obama, was an enthusiastic supporter of this, but when he was running for his first term in 2008, he said he believed marriage was between a man and a woman and was not in favour of same-sex marriage. To say such a thing now is to declare yourself a dinosaur, a bigot and a hater.

The Good Book, part two

In the first Good Book post we looked at the subject of slavery, and saw that the Bible does not affirm or encourage the slave trade – it is decidedly against it. Another subject that causes people to think the Bible is an immoral book is the slaughter of the Canaanites in the time of Joshua. It is portrayed as an act of genocide – a tribal deity commanding ethnic cleansing. The image is disturbing, but it is distorted.

The Good Book?

It used to be that the Bible was known as the “Good Book”, and those who believed it were viewed by society as moral people. Society has changed, and there is an increasing number of people who say that the Bible is an evil book and those who believe it are immoral.

Why didn't He say something?

Sometimes silence says a lot, and other times people read too much into it.

I have met challenges on four areas to do with Jesus' supposed failure to speak. Three of them are moral issues, which we will look at now, and one is theological, which we will look at in a later blog post.

What the protests profess

Many cities across the United States and around the world have been filled with people protesting following the tragic death of George Floyd. The shocking video of his last moments has sent a jolt through the human consciousness, bringing out our innate awareness of a couple of huge realities.

What God has joined...

When the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce, He took them back to “the beginning”, showing them that God’s plan was one man with one woman becoming one flesh for life. He concluded His statement with, “Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6).

The devastation that no-fault divorce has brought on society cannot be estimated. The heart-breaking consequences of a marriage break-down, particularly on children, cannot be exaggerated.

But as you go back to Genesis you find that God has not only joined husbands and wives. There are other things He puts together that are not to be separated.

And of Asher he said...

In Moses' final blessing on Israel he said to the tribe of Asher, "As your days, so shall your strength be" (Deut. 33:25). He promised that they would get strength for each day, and I think the McArthur family (owners of Ashers, the bakers) have proved this through the whole legal rigmarole of the last couple of years.

Bigotry? Yes, but...

I have just heard the most astonishing melt-down from (former) BBC radio presenter Iain Lee.

Redefining and refining...

Yesterday would have been George Orwell's 112th birthday. Animal Farm was required reading for us in English Literature class at school, but it was only in the last few years I actually read his book 1984. 

The dangers of state religion

Imagine a society in which you were forced to affirm things you did not believe, and if you didn't profess such faith you could not be a part of society, or get employment, or you may be forced out of business. That was what it was like for people when the church and state wed and religion was forced upon unbelievers. Non-Christians understandably chaffed under such a yoke, they would protest that they should be free not to participate in things they did not believe in. How good it is to know that the state no longer forces people to profess a faith they don't actually believe in. Things have changed...haven't they?

Asher's

Once again, the "tolerance" crowd are on the warpath because they have identified someone who doesn't agree with them, and they are not prepared to put up with (i.e. tolerate) such treatment.

Sickening irony

This is very powerful and clever piece by a pro-life group taking President Obama's comments following the Sandy Hook massacre and showing how they are so condemning of his abortion policy. See it here.

It's a strange thing that secularists point an accusing finger at Christians during Nazi Germany and condemn them for their silence, then they tell Christians today to stop pushing their morality on others when it comes to abortion.

Anti-bullying week

I've been asked to speak at a High School and was informed that it's anti-bullying week this week (they should have one of those every week!)

Getting away with murder

I've had something on my mind that I feel I'd better write about.  Northern Ireland now has its first private abortion clinic (see here).

More homework for Sullivan

I have fallen behind in my work for Sullivan SU!  Sorry!