Why is the Church anti-gay, if the Bible isn’t?

Many ordinary Christians are deeply conflicted by their desire to embrace homosexual brethren in the fellowship of the church, when some of their leaders are telling them that these people are sinners. Numbers of people feel very discomfited by the current debate. So what is the “Biblical” teaching on gays? Opponents of homosexuality almost always [...]

British member of Parliament announces bounty on Obama and George Bush.

It is alleged that British Lord Nazir Ahmed put a £10 million (US$16 million) bounty on both President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush Friday, according to The Express Tribune, an English language Pakistani newspaper. Nazir, who is of Pakistani heritage and a controversial Labour Party member of the British House of Lords, (he [...]

It’s official – Adam and Eve, er, weren’t.

In a comment that will rock the confidence of many traditionalist or literalist Christians of all denominations, Australia’s Roman Catholic Cardinal George Pell – one of the most conservative Roman Catholics in a senior position worldwide, and a possible future Pope – has publicly described the biblical story of Adam and Eve as a sophisticated [...]

Deciding what type of day to have

  Decide that this day will be productive and consequential, and it will be. Decide to rise above the petty distractions, and you’re already on your way. Decide that there are valuable opportunities in the challenges, and you’ll find those opportunities. Decide to make a positive difference, and you’ll have all that is necessary to [...]

An uncomfortable Easter thought. Thank you.

As a Christian on Easter Day, I saw this on a website, and I fell to thinking. Especially because the final line on the poster I saw, underneath the hands, said, forcefully and somewhat cynically, “So don’t tell me about the power of prayer.” I was confronted. Made to think. So good on whoever devised [...]

The Dalek Relaxation Tape – very funny absurdist humour

Ok, there are some really, really really silly people in this world. And occasionally they come up with absurdist humour. Now I don’t want to go all hi-falutin’ on you, but I do think we should have more absurdist work around to cheer us up. So do yourselves a favour and have a listen to [...]

What do you do when the person you’ve loved for a lifetime just isn’t there any more? But they’re still alive …

I was deeply saddened to read news reports of a mercy killing/suicide of a man and his wife: a man who had recently written in The New York Times about his love for his Alzheimer’s-stricken wife, who has killed her and himself in what their family called an act of “deep devotion”. Having nursed my [...]

The real St Patrick – and a great old/new drink for you try.

Ah well, here we go again. ‘Tis the season for parades, green beer, shamrocks, and articles talking about why St. Patrick’s day isn’t all about parades, green beer, and shamrocks. First, a few misconceptions about the real St Patrick put to bed. Patrick isn’t really a Saint with a capital S at all, having never [...]

Well, look. It’s like this. ARE Republicans stupid? You tell me.

More than half – you heard that right, more than HALF – of likely Republican voters in Mississippi say they think President Barack Obama is a Muslim, according to a survey conducted by Public Policy Polling. Fifty-two percent said that Obama practiced Islam, while just 12 percent said he was a Christian. Thirty-six percent said [...]

Radical American Muslims are not terribly prevalent. Or competent, for that matter. And nor is the burka. So what?

Regular readers will know I am pretty much against generalisations – “all generalisations are false” being one of my favourite aphorisms -  other than those that are supportable by the obvious empirical evidence, such as “The Republican Party have selected a bunch of vicious right wingers and idiots for people to choose from in 2012 [...]

The many paths of life

As we walk through life, we meet many paths. Some paths just seem to lead ever upward, and are a painful climb. We forget that from the top of the climb, the view is often clearer. Some paths just seem to take us back on ourselves, so we never seem to get to where we [...]

Honour murders – what they are, what they aren’t, and what we must do.

A recent case in Canada when a father, his wife and their son were convicted of the so-called “Honour” killing of his other (childless) wife (in a polygamous marriage) and three of the convicted couple’s daughters has galvanised the blogosphere and news outlets with the unimaginable, surreal horror of the event. The murderers have each [...]

As Catholic leaders accuse Gingrich and Santorum of “ugly racial stereotyping”, a few words on the TRUTH about American welfare.

As a bunch of prominent Roman Catholics call on their fellow conservatives in the Republican candidate ranks to stop criticising welfare payments in a racist manner, a quick wander around the internet reveals the truth about who gets what from the American welfare pie. The Myth: People on welfare are usually black, teenage mothers who [...]

Fox’s Republican debate mocks Christian principle

To the bemusement of viewers all over America, and all over the world, Republicans in the audience for the South Carolina Fox/Twitter Presidential debate loudly booed the Golden Rule in the context of foreign policy January 16. Libetarian Texas Congressman Ron Paul was talking about respecting the sovereignty of other nations when it comes to [...]

My SummerBeAttitoods

And a great crowd had gathered, and the blogger began to speak to them, saying: Blessed are those who babysit other people’s dogs while they head off camping, for their endless patience shall be rewarded. Blessed are the awful radio presenters who fill in while the real talent are away on holidays, for they shall [...]

When the mother-lode of Western democracy debates the nature of freedom, we should all pay attention.

As British blogger Cranmer (aka His Grace) discusses here http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2012/01/we-must-be-free-to-insult-our-neighbour.html, Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 outlaws ‘threatening, abusive or insulting’ words or behaviour if they are likely to cause ‘harassment, alarm or distress’. The matter is also discussed by civil freedoms campaigner Old Holborn here: http://bastardoldholborn.blogspot.com/2012/01/pay-attention-your-last-chance.html Whatever you think of His Grace’s [...]

Home thoughts from abroad

OK, so I have to confess: I never really get used to Christmas in Australia. I don’t think I ever really will. Not a complaint, merely an observation. It’s often bloody hot, for a start. Not just warm, but hot. A friend posts to Facebook that he’s excited to be going to Florida for the [...]

Give The Jew Girl Toys!

As we hurtle ever faster down the slippery slope that leads us to Christmas,  for many in the world tonight is the start of Hanukkah – it was last night here in Oz – and someone kindly reminded me of this HILARIOUS seasonal-specific piece by Sarah Silverman, who is not only one of the cleverest [...]

1 Million people have viewed this video in just 2 days – want to see it too?

I agree utterly with this video and its message. Long overdue. And its way past time Australian politicians showed some true leadership – especially Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Over thirty years ago, I used to walk around at University wearing a lapel badge that read “Gay Liberation Is Our Liberation”. I was frequently stopped by [...]

A very happy Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah to our Jewish readers

Good yontiff to all! I trust you all enjoyed your High Holidays season. (I think that’s the right thing to say, but Jewish greetings are a complex mystery that makes the densest mysteries of the Kabbala look like an episode of Play School.) Anyhow, when I put yontiff into my iPhone to send a greeting [...]